She stared at him, her blue eyes glistening, more powerful than any enemy’s weapon he’d ever faced. She turned away and not a second too soon. Caleb had no idea how he kept from reaching for her. She returned with the keys and walked straight up to stand in front of him. Close. So close that her unique scent, all feminine and floral, flared in his nostrils, warming him…all but demanding he bury his face in her neck and then kiss her.
She took his hand and pressed the keys to his palm, staring down at their joined hands. “I do love you, Caleb.”
“We’ve always loved each other, Shay,” he said softly. “It just never seems to be our time.” He untangled his hands from hers and walked away. And she let him. She let him because her brother was watching. Actions spoke volumes, beyond words.
***
SHAY SPENT THE NIGHT tossing and turning, miserable without Caleb, tormented by his insistence they should take these two weeks to “think.” She’d picked up the phone countless times to call him. Cried. Paced. Took a hot bath. Paced some more. And then she got angry. By morning her helplessness had transformed to outright fire, and she knew she had to take action.
Being Sunday morning, Shay knew Caleb would have a sunrise jump. She pulled into the Hotzone parking lot a little past nine, when she knew he’d be finishing up.
She walked into the office and found Sabrina behind the desk, which meant Ryan was working. “Hey, Shay,” she said. “I didn’t know you were coming, too, this morning. Before long, Caleb will be sweet-talking you into covering the front desk, like Ryan to does me.”
Doubtful, thought Shay, but instead she said, “I’m not a morning person, so he’ll be surprised to see me.” She tried to smile, but it just didn’t happen. “Where is he?”
“He should be pulling up any minute in one of the jeeps,” she said. “The plane’s already returned.” She frowned. “Everything okay?”
“Ask me after I talk to Caleb,” she said, and she didn’t wait for an answer. Shay headed to the back door where she could get to the four operating hangars, knowing Caleb’s jeep would pull up behind the first.
She squinted against the new sun piercing the horizon, the air already hot and sticky enough to make her jeans and T-shirt feel overdressed. A jeep appeared in the distance, and Shay tracked its path, noting three men inside.
Caleb parked the jeep with two customers inside. Another jeep barreled up behind it, but Shay looked right through it. She had Caleb in sight, and she suddenly felt hotter than hot, and it had nothing to do with the sun. She was ticked.
Shay charged toward Caleb as he rounded the jeep, and damn him, he looked good enough to eat in his flight suit. Surprise flickered in his face when he saw her, and he murmured something to the men, who headed toward the building.
“We have to talk,” she said, coming almost toe-to toe with him, her chin lifting to allow a good, heartfelt glare. “Now. Today.”
“Then you’ll have to jump. I have several customers waiting.”
“Jump?” she declared, her anger replaced by panic.
From behind, Shay heard, “What’s up, Shay?”
She recognized Kent’s voice before he appeared by their side, dressed in a flight suit to match Caleb’s. Shay cringed. She should have guessed Caleb would bring Kent to jump today.
Caleb answered, “Shay’s jumping.”
“No way are you jumping,” Kent said. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Ryan walked by with several customers on his heels. He gave Shay a nod and waved Kent forward. “If you’re going up with me again, bring your ass on.”
Caleb tugged Shay forward. Shay dug in her heels. “I’m not jumping.”
He turned to her and hugged her close. “Jump with me, Shay.”
There was something about the way he said it, the way he was looking at her, that made her forget Kent might be watching. As if he were asking her for more than a skydiving jump. Her chest tightened. “I’m scared.”
He brushed hair out of her eyes and stared down at her. “I know,” he said. “Maybe one day you won’t be. Maybe one day you’ll be ready to jump.” He released her, and turned and jogged toward the building. And again, Shay stood staring after him. Alone. Trying to understand what had just happened, because she was pretty sure neither of them had been talking about skydiving.
***
THREE EVENINGS LATER, Shay was still at work at seven, having long ago moved to her couch, kicked off her black heels and stacked files on the coffee table for easy access. And with her feet tucked by her side, her black skirt above the knees—modesty of little concern since she’d long ago sent her secretary home and she was alone—she was determined to catch up on paperwork. And if she were honest with herself, which wasn’t exactly her current preference, she was avoiding going home alone—translation: without Caleb—for a few more hours.