He pocketed his keys and made his way to the open hangar door. Jax and Tanner stood near the broken Skycatcher and seemed to be discussing something Cash couldn’t hear. When Tanner raked his hand over the back of his neck as Jax pointed and kept talking, Cash had a feeling whatever the chatter, it wasn’t good.
“Are you staring it back to health?” Cash asked as he stepped up next to his cousins.
“That would be easier,” Tanner agreed. “But we can fix it. The insurance company is dicking around with us, but we’ll get the money owed once we jump through all their hoops and fill out all the online forms for the third time. We don’t have a problem proving engine malfunction.”
Cash swiped his forehead and cursed when his hand shook. Damn it. He was tired from running all over and not taking any downtime. That’s all. He wasn’t getting sick because, well, he said so. He didn’t have time.
“I don’t have any flights I have to take,” he stated, resting his hands on his hips and joining in the staring of the aircraft. “You have anything coming up, Tanner?”
“Nothing that can’t wait,” his cousin replied. “I’m trying to stick closer to home for Melanie because she may go into labor any day. She’s not due for another few weeks, but the doctors have told her the baby is measuring big and . . . well, there were some other details you guys don’t want to hear.”
“Yeah, we’re good on that,” Jax stated, then slapped Tanner on the back. “And you may want to rest up on sleep now, because it won’t happen again. At least, not for a while.”
Cash listened to his best friends discuss babies and sleep patterns, and this was definitely one topic he was glad he had no clue about. Women, yes. Babies? Not so much.
Cash took a walk around the plane while the other two were still chatting like women. He assessed the damage to the fuselage and the landing gear. Not nearly as bad as it could have been. He still got a sickening feeling in his gut when he thought of how Jade could’ve been hurt or worse.
Maybe that whole near-death thing had opened both of their eyes and let them see each other in a different light. The true side of people always came out under the worst circumstances, and Jade had been strong and mostly calm, considering. Plus, she’d been tempted to kiss him, which made him wonder how long she’d had that thought in the back of her mind.
“Livie is on board for the mock open house,” Jax called out, pulling Cash’s attention from the plane and Jade.
Cash made his way back around the aircraft. “It sounds like a smart idea,” Cash agreed.
Jax nodded and crossed his arms as he continued. “I spoke with her and she ran with the idea and immediately called Sophie.”
“Good,” Cash stated with a nod, ready to push even further wit
h this new goal of theirs. They were getting closer to the dream becoming reality. “Jade had some good ideas the other night, too.”
“Excuse me?” Tanner moved around Jax and laughed. “Did you agree with something Jade said? Did ice just form in hell?”
Cash refused to take the bait. “I can give credit where it’s due. Jax heard her ideas, too. She knows what she’s talking about. Just because we tend to irritate each other doesn’t mean I’d undermine her when it comes to something this important.”
There. That sounded good, didn’t it?
He sure as hell didn’t want them to question his statement, but he also knew Jade was being smart about the next steps they should make. Another reason he admired and respected her was her ability to exude intelligence. From her business sense to the witty banter she tossed his way, Jade was quite an amazing woman.
Cash rubbed his throbbing temple and focused back on the plane, hoping Tanner would drop the subject.
“Dude, you okay?”
Jax’s concern had Cash shrugging. “I’ll be fine.”
“Well, you look like shit,” Tanner added.
Cash turned to glare at his cousin but found both guys staring at him. “Would you two quit acting like my mother? I’m fine. Just tired, that’s all.”
“Your face is flushed,” Jax pointed out.
Likely because he was feverish, which would explain the achiness. “I’ve been working out with clients all day.”
“Get out of here,” Jax commanded. “We don’t want to catch whatever you have.”
Cash didn’t want to infect them either, but he also didn’t want to not help. “I wanted to check on the plane again, and I wanted to see how the renovations were going.”
“I’ll send pictures,” Tanner grumbled. “Go home and go to bed.”
Cash didn’t have the energy to argue and didn’t want to spread whatever he had—though he still held out hope that this wasn’t anything more than lack of sleep.