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“What?”
“I find the connection difficult to deny.”
She took two steps closer. “Does it have to be denied?”
“I’m sorry, but it does.”
“Tryst?” she repeated as I walked away. This time, I didn’t respond.
6
JAICON
Ifelt like such a bloody fool. I’d come close to throwing myself at Tryst—seducing him. Thank God I hadn’t stuck my foot deeper into it. Even what little I had done made the man so uncomfortable he’d left my presence.
The concept of soul ties was one I’d read about in the months after my husband died. Then, it had been in an effort to break one.
Essentially, the phrase referred to an emotional and spiritual connection between two people—a bond thatcouldbe strong and long-lasting. It could also be unhealthy, particularly in a case similar to mine.
I was twenty-nine when an accident took my husband’s life. I was left with a sense of emptiness, a fear my life lacked meaning without him. There were days when I wondered if I had reason to go on. I felt anxious on my own. I struggled with making decisions, given I was so used to getting his input. It grew to the point where I couldn’t define my identity without him. The worst, though, was the sense of emptiness I felt from the moment I woke in the morning until exhaustion finally overtook me and I slept.
At the time, flying became the only thing I had where I could make decisions on my own. In order to operate an aircraft, I had to constantly be aware of my surroundings and those of the plane.
While my husband had been with MI6, his career trajectory was very different than mine. He hadn’t been with the RAF and had never flown any kind of aircraft. Thus, he’d never once been in the cockpit with me. I was already used to that kind of solitude.
“Wow,” said Tryst, approaching me as I reviewed the flight plan with the pilot who’d flown the Vision from California and landed it on the ranch’s private runway.
“She’s a beauty,” I said, motioning to it.
“She certainly is,” said Tryst, not taking his eyes from mine.
I opened the single door on the left side of the plane. The bifold design revealed a good-sized entry area.
“Go ahead,” the pilot said, motioning for me to take the captain’s seat.
I ran my hands over the supple leather and got situated. The jet had a lot of head and shoulder room and a windscreen that was divided in the middle. The forward visibility was amazing, while the side view was nothing short of spectacular.
The avionics suite featured two big fourteen-inch displays up front, while a step below were three touch-controller displays that had been mounted sideways.
“Amazing,” I commented, pointing to the side-sticks on the left and right that traveled fore and aft like a more conventional yoke.
I initiated the start sequence and watched as the system ran its own series of checks on everything from TAWS to fire suppression. I moved the dial from the OFF position to RUN, and the single engine started itself.
Once we were in the air, I wished Tryst was seated beside me instead of the other pilot, mainly because it wasn’t necessary for him to be supervising me. This plane was rated for a single flier, and I didn’t like anyone looking over my shoulder, so to speak. When he made the thirdsuggestionabout something he thought I should be doing, I turned to him. “Would you mind switching with the gentleman seated in the cabin?” I asked in my sugary-sweetest tone of voice, given if I hadn’t, I might’ve snapped at him.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, unfastening his seat belt.
I breathed a sigh of relief when Tryst took the other seat.
“I wondered how long you’d last,” he said, leaning close enough for me to hear him whisper.
“I was about to belt him,” I whispered back.
Tryst laughed out loud. “I do enjoy your company, Jaicon.”
“Likewise.”
The rest of the flight was so much nicer. Rather than telling me how to control the plane, Tryst marveled at the amazing view afforded by the aircraft’s design.
