drive, then looks at me. “No. Why would I be? We have a jet to catch. It’s like a mile. We can walk, if you want.”
“No no, that’s fine. Just curious. Please, proceed.”
He does.
When we go past a gate with a guard to a protected area, I ask, “Are we really going to be able to fly? I thought LAX banned me.”
“But not me. They won’t know about you.”
“How?”
“I had Lovelace charter a jet.
“You had your company charter a jet just for the two of us?” I laugh with disbelief. “Wow. This is crazy. I can’t believe you just chartered a jet. How much did that cost?”
“The truth?”
“Duh.”
“You can’t handle the truth.”
I punch his arm, then scoot over in my seat and lean on him. “I’m so happy right now.”
He reaches across himself with his left hand, and pets my head.
Chapter 22
The jet is waiting for us on the concourse. It sounds like it’s already started.
“How did they get something so quick?”
Cade grabs his bag from the backseat. “I paid extra.”
There’s what looks like a pilot waiting for us at the top of the stairs. He waves.
“How soon can we be in the air?” Cade shouts as we ascend the steps.
“As soon as you’re both aboard.”
Cade makes an okay symbol, and the pilot backs away so we can get inside.
“Make yourself comfortable,” the pilot says. “I’m Major Williams. Call me Tom.”
“Thanks,” Cade says. “Are you pilot or copilot?”
“Both.”
Cade had been about to sit, but he pauses. “Just you? Where’s the copilot?”
Williams retracts the stairs, which are also the door, then turns to face us. “Well, we could wait for one.” He looks at his watch, a huge, silver and black thing. “It will be another five hours or so.”
“Shit.” Cade punches the seat.
“Hey, I won’t tell if you won’t.”
Cade glances at me. To the pilot, he asks, “Is that safe?”
“Son, I’ve been flying for twenty years.”
“For the air force?” I ask. “Major?”
He laughs. “Something like that. More of a nickname now.” He shakes his head. “Did I introduce myself as Major? Bad habit.”
“It’s cute,” I say.
“Well coming from a sweetie like you I’ll take that as a complement.”
I blush despite myself.
The pilot puts his hands up to Cade. “Don’t worry, I know she’s your sister.” He laughs and drops his hands. “So, what say you? Fly now, or fly later?”
Cade looks at me again. “If you’re sure it’s safe.”
“Perfectly.” He barks a laugh. “If anything goes wrong, there’s always the quick way down.”
“The quick way?” I ask.
“Parachuting!”
“That’s not comforting.”
He laughs again. “No worries little girl, I’ll take care of you both.”
He turns and heads toward the front of the plane. Then he stops and turns back. “Oh, if you need anything, you can use the phone to call me. Or just give a knock on the door.” He focuses on me. “Ever been in a cockpit?”
I blush deeper for some reason. I shake my head.
“Well, if you want to see what it’s like,” he glances at his watch again, “give a knock in about fifteen minutes.”
I nod. “Thanks.”
He smiles, and is gone.
“I don’t like him,” Cade says when the cockpit door is shut.
“Why?”
“Lady and gentleman, we’re cleared for takeoff. Please take your seats and fasten your seat belts. At your leisure, of course.”
The fasten seatbelt light blinks on.
“They have those here,” I muse, staring up at the sign.
Cade pushes me down into the seat, then slides in next to me. “Did you see the way he was looking at you? And that whole brother—” He grinds his teeth together.
“Hey.” I touch his arm. “I’m not going anywhere.” I nudge him. “It was the cockpit, wasn’t it? You don’t want me going in the cockpit?”
He frowns. “Why would I care if you went in the cockpit? If you’ve never seen it, go for it.”
“So, you don’t mind me going into the cock…
“No no, that’s fine. Just curious. Please, proceed.”
He does.
When we go past a gate with a guard to a protected area, I ask, “Are we really going to be able to fly? I thought LAX banned me.”
“But not me. They won’t know about you.”
“How?”
“I had Lovelace charter a jet.
“You had your company charter a jet just for the two of us?” I laugh with disbelief. “Wow. This is crazy. I can’t believe you just chartered a jet. How much did that cost?”
“The truth?”
“Duh.”
“You can’t handle the truth.”
I punch his arm, then scoot over in my seat and lean on him. “I’m so happy right now.”
He reaches across himself with his left hand, and pets my head.
Chapter 22
The jet is waiting for us on the concourse. It sounds like it’s already started.
“How did they get something so quick?”
Cade grabs his bag from the backseat. “I paid extra.”
There’s what looks like a pilot waiting for us at the top of the stairs. He waves.
“How soon can we be in the air?” Cade shouts as we ascend the steps.
“As soon as you’re both aboard.”
Cade makes an okay symbol, and the pilot backs away so we can get inside.
“Make yourself comfortable,” the pilot says. “I’m Major Williams. Call me Tom.”
“Thanks,” Cade says. “Are you pilot or copilot?”
“Both.”
Cade had been about to sit, but he pauses. “Just you? Where’s the copilot?”
Williams retracts the stairs, which are also the door, then turns to face us. “Well, we could wait for one.” He looks at his watch, a huge, silver and black thing. “It will be another five hours or so.”
“Shit.” Cade punches the seat.
“Hey, I won’t tell if you won’t.”
Cade glances at me. To the pilot, he asks, “Is that safe?”
“Son, I’ve been flying for twenty years.”
“For the air force?” I ask. “Major?”
He laughs. “Something like that. More of a nickname now.” He shakes his head. “Did I introduce myself as Major? Bad habit.”
“It’s cute,” I say.
“Well coming from a sweetie like you I’ll take that as a complement.”
I blush despite myself.
The pilot puts his hands up to Cade. “Don’t worry, I know she’s your sister.” He laughs and drops his hands. “So, what say you? Fly now, or fly later?”
Cade looks at me again. “If you’re sure it’s safe.”
“Perfectly.” He barks a laugh. “If anything goes wrong, there’s always the quick way down.”
“The quick way?” I ask.
“Parachuting!”
“That’s not comforting.”
He laughs again. “No worries little girl, I’ll take care of you both.”
He turns and heads toward the front of the plane. Then he stops and turns back. “Oh, if you need anything, you can use the phone to call me. Or just give a knock on the door.” He focuses on me. “Ever been in a cockpit?”
I blush deeper for some reason. I shake my head.
“Well, if you want to see what it’s like,” he glances at his watch again, “give a knock in about fifteen minutes.”
I nod. “Thanks.”
He smiles, and is gone.
“I don’t like him,” Cade says when the cockpit door is shut.
“Why?”
“Lady and gentleman, we’re cleared for takeoff. Please take your seats and fasten your seat belts. At your leisure, of course.”
The fasten seatbelt light blinks on.
“They have those here,” I muse, staring up at the sign.
Cade pushes me down into the seat, then slides in next to me. “Did you see the way he was looking at you? And that whole brother—” He grinds his teeth together.
“Hey.” I touch his arm. “I’m not going anywhere.” I nudge him. “It was the cockpit, wasn’t it? You don’t want me going in the cockpit?”
He frowns. “Why would I care if you went in the cockpit? If you’ve never seen it, go for it.”
“So, you don’t mind me going into the cock…
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