Jenna watched the plane until it became a speck in the distance. The Georgia couple had told her that ostriches were excitable. And Martin, too, had indicated in his notes that being overwrought could lead to disrupted egg production.
Like it or not, Jenna decided, first thing tomorrow she needed to locate where the planes were based and register a complaint.
* * *
THE NEXT MORNING, electing to breakfast at the café shed seen in town, Jenna gave the waitress their orders for pancake combos and then casually added, Were new to the area. Yesterday I saw a couple of small planes in the air, but I dont see an airport on the map my Realtor gave me.
The waitress paused. Airport? Theres none closer than El Paso. Oh, wait. I almost forgot, one of our hometown boys recently moved back and has reopened a defunct private airpark about twenty minutes out of town. She popped her gum and stabbed a finger in the direction of Jennas ranch.
Later, after their breakfast was paid for, Jenna managed to extract from her the name of the road to the airpark. They buckled in and set off.
The road to the airpark was gravel and littered with potholes. After she hit a particularly bone-jarring dip, she muttered a prayer that she wouldnt blow a tire or break an axle on the Cherokee.
Her sister had been right about that, too. Her old car wouldnt have survived this treacherous drive.
At last she topped a small rise and looked down on a weather-beaten facility. Definitely the airpark, because runways marked by reflectors fanned out from the opening of a low-slung multiplane hangar.
Slowing, Jenna saw a plane parked outside what might be an office. She braked when she caught sight of a man standing on a ladder, his head buried inside the open airplane engine.
Setting her emergency brake, she fought an unexpected kick to her stomach. It shook her to see the lean man in an olive-drab military jumpsuit, the type Andrew and his fellow flyers wore.
She fumbled with the key as she shut off the motor, grappling with her feelings.
Andee unfastened herself, threw open the back door and raced toward the ladder yelling, Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!
No, no, sweetheart. Scrambling out, Jenna registered the shock on the mechanics face as he straightened, dropped a tool and nearly toppled off his tall perch.
Jenna caught up with Andee just short of the ladder. She dropped to her knees, arms encircling her daughter even as her heart spiraled.
The blond strangers short-cropped, trying-to-curl hair didnt resemble Andrews dark buzz cut. But he had those clear blue eyesflyers eyes. Eyes the exact shade of a perfect sky for flying. It was the attribute that had first attracted Jenna to Andrew.
As the stranger descended the ladder, Jenna controlled her fast-beating heart as she cradled Andee, who by then had discovered her mistake and had begun to sob.
Shh, sweetie. Mommys right here. Even as Jennas gaze lit on the strangers scuffed boots, she heard his taut voice above her.
Lady, I dont even know you.
Moving her inspection up his long legs, past narrow hips to a wider chest, she mumbled, Im so sorry. Its your flight suit. My husband was an Air Force pilot. Andees barely six. Im afraid she hasnt fully grasped that her daddys...uh, in heaven.
Jenna hugged the child tighter and kissed the top of her curls. She saw the man yank a red rag from his back pocket and wipe his greasy hands. And in the moment before he took a step back, she thought she saw those gorgeous blue eyes cloud with pain.
CHAPTER TWO
FLYNNS LEGS STILL felt shaky from his near slip off the ladder. His bad leg had buckled when the kid had run toward him calling Daddy as if she meant it. That had more than rattled him. Now, though, looking at the attractive woman whod announced she was an Air Force widow brought back memories hed wanted to forget.
Such as the duty visit hed paid to his best friends pregnant widow after hed gotten out of the hospital. Chips widow had wept throughout his twenty-minute stopover even while shed demanded to know how hed survived the crash when her husband had come home in a casket.
Yes, Chip had been the pilot assigned to fly that mission. Also true, Flynn knew his best friend hadnt slept well the night before. Maybe the outcome would have turned out the same if Flynn had volunteered to fly. But maybe it wouldnt have. And that continued to haunt him.
Now this woman and child brought everything hurtling back. What did she want? Flynn hoped it wasnt flying lessons. He didnt think he could teach a service brothers widow to fly.
Is she okay? he nervously asked the woman who stood once the little girls crying had tapered off.
Shes better. The concept of permanent loss is difficult for a child to grasp, the woman said, leaning over to blot the childs tearstained cheeks with a tissue shed pulled out of her blue jeans.
He found himself mesmerized by the tender mother-and-child moment.
Flynn hadnt let himself fall for any woman since the one hed figured hed marry had dumped him. Saundra had made it clear that shed expected him to stay in the military until he made full colonel and could provide her a better lifestyle than...well...than the one he wanted.
You know, he said, wading through his memories, the concept of permanent loss isnt easy for anyone. When the woman didnt respond, he quickly added, My name is Flynn Sutton. I own this airpark, such as it is. What can I do for you?
Im Jenna Wood. This is my daughter, Andee. I own the ostrich ranch beyond those hills. She pointed and Flynn turned to look over his shoulder.
Really? he said. I know a guy who raises ostriches somewhere over there. Well...we arent actually friends, more like we were introduced. Ive never visited his ranch, he said, gesturing with a hand.
This whole county was mostly small farms when I was a kid. I left to join the Air Force and have only recently returned. Nearly all of my daylight hours have been spent clearing runways and readying hangars to house planes. I plan to teach flying, but for now Im tinkering with my planes and renting out hangar space... He caught himself babbling and paused. Uh, do you own a small plane? Or...is it lessons youre after? I wont be offering classes for a while.
Oh, no to both. Im here because a plane flew far too low over my pens yesterday. It scattered my flock, and I worry that if it happens again some of them could be injured. I came to ask if planes could take off and land from a different direction so as not to frighten my birds.
Flynn frowned. If your husband was a pilot, surely you know planes take off and land with prevailing winds. Anyway, this airpark had the runways already set when I bought it. But Im only set up for daytime flying... Although, eventually Ill install lights so my customers can take off or land at night, but Once again Flynn found himself running off at the mouth. What Im saying is, the lane directions are what they are. He gave an offhand shrug.
Jenna filtered her fingers through Andees hair. The girl continued to cling so tightly to Jennas leg, she couldnt have left if shed been ready to give up and go.
Could you at least ask your customers to not buzz my pens?
Flynn spread his hands. Sorry, I only rent to them. Ive no say over where or how they fly.