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Piper met his gaze. He was going to be a pilot down, and that pilot was her.
“Don’t look like that,” he said with a smile. “You’re saving the day by stepping in to take over Gene’s flights.”
She nodded, and Cameron put a hand on her shoulder. “Yes. Thank you. You’re becoming a regular superhero, flying in to save the day again.”
Chelsea grinned at her. “I never got to tell you how awesome it was at the wedding. You’re a kickass chick.”
Piper laughed, and Rita gave her a puzzled look.
“These two,” Chelsea jerked her head at Cameron and Smoke, “got themselves stranded at the airport in Vegas on Smoke’s wedding day. Piper here flew out to get them wearing her bridesmaid’s dress.”
Rita smiled. “You’re a hero for me, too. Thank you for coming to get me.”
Piper took the opportunity to hug her. She felt like a fraud. Smoke had flown out to get her. She was just the spare pilot ready to fly Gene’s plane wherever it needed to go.
~ ~ ~
Back at the airport, Cameron thanked Cole again before he left. It meant a lot that his brother had come to help out. It made him smile to realize that his brother had been the first person he’d called. No amount of time lost between them had changed the closeness they shared.
He looked at Piper, and she smiled up at him. “How are you?” she asked.
That made him smile. He’d been so busy making sure Gene was taken care of, then getting Rita out here and her and Chelsea set up at the hotel, he hadn’t had time to think about how he was. Piper always did though. It made him hope that she cared about him—although maybe it was just who she was. She was a kind and caring person, and he shouldn’t read too much into it. “I’m okay. I’m glad Gene’s all right.” He chuckled. “And I’m glad the plane is. Gene brought us down no problem—even mid-heart attack. I almost killed us just taxiing it in from the runway. How the hell you make it go in a straight line I do not know.”
Piper laughed. “I’m sure you did just fine. Most people wouldn’t have a clue how to taxi at all. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
“Thanks.”
“And what do you want to do now? Do you need to get back to Napa, or do you plan to stay here?”
“Would you mind if we stay here tonight? I want to be around for Rita and Chelsea, and I’d like to check in on Gene in the morning. It’ll mean we have to fly home early and then straight back out to Phoenix. Is that too much flying?”
She shook her head. “No, that’s fine. Whatever you need.”
“Thanks.” This felt awkward. She was his girlfriend—kind of—hopefully. But now she was kind of—sort of—his pilot, too. That was a weird one. It seemed like she felt it as well.
He put his arm around her shoulders. “Do you want to go back to the hotel? We should get some sleep.”
“We should.”
Things felt different between them than they had earlier. It was hard to believe that this was the same evening. So much had happened since they’d said goodbye at Summer Lake. One of the things that had happened was a shift in their relationship. She was different. He didn’t want her to be, but maybe he was acting differently, too.
When they got to the room, he sat down on the edge of the bed and patted the space beside him. She shook her head, and instead, took a seat on the sofa.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing. It just all seems strange, you know? I’m worried about Gene, but a part of me is happy that we get to spend more time together. Then another part of me wishes that it wasn’t like this. I’m not used to flying people passengers, and I feel as though I should be on my best behavior. But now you’re my people passenger, so I don’t know how I reconcile being a good pilot with being with you, you know?”
“Yeah, I do know. It’s weird, isn’t it?”
“Yep.”
He patted the bed again, and this time she came and sat beside him and rested her head on his shoulder.
“How about we figure all that out tomorrow? Tonight, it’s just you and me in a room.”
“It is, but Cam, I don’t feel like …”
He put a finger to her lips. “Don’t say it, I know.” It was late, and she must be tired. He was, too. There was so much going on, so much to take in. Sex wasn’t at the top of his priority list, and he knew that was what she was talking about. “Let’s just hold each other … and sleep.”
