Hard Landing

by Davies, Shirleen

  Connie watched him struggle with something, believing she knew what it might be. “You know, Sydney did a lot of research on you and your family. She wanted to be sure Trevor would be okay.” She took a deep breath, thinking of her closest friend and that she’d be losing both Sydney and Trevor within a short time. “Anyway, she realized that financially, you’re probably in good shape.”

  Trey pursed his lips. He never thought much about what he was worth. In his mind, it was just a number and didn’t amount to anything, unless he’d earned it.

  “My parents divorced a few years ago. My dad, Heath MacLaren, remarried just last weekend. Annie is a great woman. Trevor will have wonderful grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins—it’s almost overwhelming when I think about it.” Trey tried to smile but couldn’t quite manage it.

  “And you? No wife, fiancée, girlfriend?”

  Trey’s stomach twisted at the thought of Jesse and how she’d walked out. He knew she had her reasons and if he gave it enough thought, he might find that they made sense. Right now, however, the pain of her leaving was still too new.

  “No, none of the above, which is for the best. I need to focus on Trevor. I’ve got a two week leave arranged so the little man and I can get to know each other. I, uh, I hope he’s okay with me.”

  Connie couldn’t miss the anxiety in Trey’s voice. “Are you kidding? Trevor will love you, and he’ll adjust to you just fine. You’ll see.”

  Chapter Seven

  Connie had insisted that Trey spend the night at the place she rented with Sydney, so he could be around Trevor during dinner, bath, story, and bedtime. Trey watched, fascinated at how easy Connie made it all look.

  “That boy likes just about anything you put in front of him. Not much he won’t put in his mouth, except the smell or taste of bananas makes him run. Other than that, you’re pretty safe.” Connie finished clearing the table while Trey did the dishes. “I’ve packed his clothes and toys.” She pointed to some boxes near the front door. “Do you need the furniture?”

  “No, I think I’m good on the furniture. Plus, my folks are setting up a room for him at the ranch.”

  “Guess he’ll have his own little pony real soon,” Connie said, watching as Trevor played on the floor near them.

  “Well, it works a little differently in our house. He’ll have to prove he can take care of a pony before he gets his own.”

  Connie was surprised. From what she’d learned, the MacLarens could afford whatever they wanted. “So you don’t have help? Cooks, maids, and such?”

  Trey chuckled. “Oh, there’s a cook and a housekeeper, but everyone has their own work, deadlines, and such. There are no free rides in my family.” He paused. “Of course, Trevor will live with me, and I can assure you, we don’t have a cook or a maid, unless you count the pathetic meals prepared by three bachelors.”

  It was Connie’s turn to laugh. “Hey, I’d take a bachelor who could cook any day.” She knelt and scooped up Trevor. “Bath time, big guy.”

  Trey watched, memorizing as much as he could about Trevor’s routine. He hoped they’d be able to stick to it in California.

  Trevor had fallen asleep within two pages of the story Connie had read. She’d offered to let Trey read to him, but he’d declined. This was Connie’s last night with Trevor and he didn’t want to take it from her.

  By nine o’clock the next morning, Connie, Trevor, and Trey were at the airport. She met Robert and Todd, then watched everyone board. She stood on the tarmac as they took off, waving, and hoping Trevor could see her. Connie turned toward the visitor parking area and walked slowly to her car. She climbed inside, put the key in the ignition, covered her face, and cried.

  ******

  Fire Mountain, Arizona

  Heath, Annie, Jace, Caroline, and Cassie were standing and waving when the plane touched down. Trey descended the stairs with Trevor’s small arms wound tightly around his neck.

  “Easy, son. Don’t strangle your daddy,” Trey whispered.

  Within a minute he was standing in the middle of a circle, all eyes on Trevor, his son’s arms closing more tightly around him.

  “Goodness, Trey. Trevor is the exact image of you when you were his age,” Caroline’s eyes focused on Trevor as she reached out to lightly stroke the boy’s arm.

  Heath just stared, a lump in his throat keeping him from speaking. Caroline was right—Trevor could have been Trey all those years ago. He watched as his son held his grandson, and damned if tears didn’t blur his vision.

  “Is it okay if your grandpa holds you, Trev?” Trey asked.

  Trevor pulled his head away from Trey to look at the tall man standing next to him. Trevor studied Heath a moment before reaching his arms out. His grandfather took him in his arms, easing the tension that they all felt.

  ******

  Trevor had eaten, taken his bath, and gone to bed with little fuss. He was proving to be a real trooper. Annie descended the stairs with Trey after watching the routine and offering a few encouraging words.

  “How’d it go?” Heath asked. Everyone except Cassie had gone home, and they were now relaxing in the great room.

  “Wonderful. Trey’s a natural.” Annie shared a look with Trey, then settled next to her husband on the large sofa.

  Trey grabbed a beer before sitting in a nearby chair and stretching out his long legs. “I’m bushed. A day at the base isn’t nearly as exhausting as running after Trevor. That kid can go.” Trey took a long drag of his beer, then offered a tired grin.

  “How is Jesse doing?” Annie asked. “I know you said she wasn’t able to make the wedding, but I wondered how she’s handling your new fatherhood.”

  “Not well, I’m afraid. She moved out.”

  “Moved out? Did she give a reason?” Annie looked to Heath, who gave her a warning look. “Of course, you can tell me to mind my own business. I won’t take offense.”

  Trey leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs, and holding the bottle of beer between his hands. “She said it would be tough enough for Trevor and me to get settled without a woman being around. She felt it wasn’t wise to have him get used to her being there, looking to her as another mother, because if things didn’t work out between us, she thought it would be hard on Trevor.” Trey took a deep breath and blew it out, then shifted back into the chair, raising his legs to rest on the ottoman. “I don’t know. Maybe she’s right.”

  “Maybe.” Annie still thought Jesse’s reaction was severe, but it was her decision to make. “Trevor is young. You know, children don’t remember much before they’re three and a half to four years old. It’s sad, but the truth is, he won’t have memories of Sydney. He’ll know her only through any pictures and letters you might have. What I’m trying to say is, Jesse made a good point, yet I’m not sure it makes complete sense, given that Trevor’s so young.” She took a sip of her wine. “Do you plan to keep seeing each other?”

  “No, and that’s my doing. I got to the airport after your wedding and she’d sent Reb to meet me so that she could arrange her new living situation. She walked into the house with two other pilots and told me she was moving out. Honestly, I didn’t hear much after that.” He finished his beer. “I told her goodbye, then I left.”

  “Nothing since?”

  “Not a word.” He pushed up from his chair and stretched. “Well, I’m beat. See you two in the morning.”

  “Do you need help with Trevor tonight?” Heath asked.

  “Nope, I have it covered. Goodnight.”

  ******

  Trey spent the next few days making sure everyone at the ranch met Trevor and that his family spent considerable time with him. Everybody knew there’d come a time when Trey would need to bring Trevor out for an extended stay.

  His family was great, offering all kinds of support. Cassie, a freshman at Arizona State, had even offered to attend the local community college for two years, then transfer back to ASU, so that she’d be available to help. Heath had put an immediate s
top to that line of thought.

  Trey had spent a couple of nights out with his buddies, hooking-up with some old high school friends who still lived in the area. For the most part, he just hung out with them, talked, played pool, and caught up on everything he’d missed. By the end of the week, Trey felt a lot better about his new life as a father and pilot, feeling he could successfully juggle both.

  Five days later, Trey carried Trevor up the stairs into the waiting plane. He settled in one of the comfortable leather seats and held Trevor on his lap. After a while, he set him on the floor to let him explore. Trey let his head fall back against the seat, while keeping an eye on his son. He thought about Jesse’s reasons for leaving—at least, the reasons she’d given him. Trey couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d decided to change course and was already seeing someone else, perhaps another pilot.

  He watched Trevor play with a small ball that Heath had given him, and resolved to push thoughts of Jesse from his mind. He needed to concentrate on Trevor and his career, and free the memories he held of the woman he thought he’d marry.

  ******

  Reb, Paul, Trey, and Trevor fell into a comfortable routine in their male only home. Trey had one more week of leave, which allowed him to get Trevor used to the widows down the street.

  Alice Jones and her sister, Berta Banks, lived together and liked nothing more than to keep watch on the neighborhood and its children. Both had grown up in south central Los Angeles, but escaped, as they liked to say, when each married businessmen from out of the area. Alice settled in Sacramento and Berta in Bakersfield. Both had been widowed the same year and decided to buy a place together.

  The sisters were firm believers in the concept that is takes a village to raise a child, although Trey thought of it as nothing more than friends looking out for friends, the same as it had always been. He’d take Trevor over each morning around ten, head to the gym, run errands, then pick up his son around one o’clock, in time for his nap. Reb and Paul would roll in about four in the afternoon and instantly vie for the position of most favored uncle status.

  Trey would watch the two roll around on the floor with Trevor, twirl him in the air, and take him outside to meet the neighborhood dogs. It didn’t take Trevor long to discover that his favorite game was throwing a ball for the dogs to retrieve. He’d laugh and roll around on their grassy front yard, curling into himself to hide the ball from the various mutts that populated the area.

  ******

  Jesse rested her back against the pillow and stretched out her legs. She’d been to the gym earlier, but felt the need for extra stretching, plus a few more abs—anything physical that would keep her mind off Trey.

  “Hey, Jesse,” Benny, one of her roommates, called. “Dinner in thirty.”

  “I’ll be there,” she called back, and continued her workout. She’d replayed their conversation over and over, wishing she’d waited until after Trey had brought his son home to make a decision to stay or leave. She’d panicked and overreacted, which was uncommon for her—except when emotions were involved. Jesse’s heart ached when she thought of how it had ended. She’d picked up the phone several times, wanting to ask him to forgive her for the stupid way she’d acted. She wanted another chance. Each time she’d hung up before dialing, not wanting to hear his rejection.

  “Jesse. Ten minutes.”

  “On my way.” She jumped in the shower and was down the stairs in eight minutes, just in time to set the table, pull out drinks, and put on some music.

  “About time you got out of the room and into the land of the living,” Benny Ramirez joked, as he placed steaming tortillas into a warmer.

  “What are you talking about? I’m always on for dinner. I’d even cook, if the two of you would trust me,” Jesse threw back. It was a running joke that she didn’t know how to make anything except for KFC, Subway, and Olive Garden take out. The last always made her other roommate, Anthony Bertani, cringe. Even though he occasionally ate at the well-known chain, his Italian heritage wouldn’t accept anything other than pure, homemade food, like his Tuscan-born mother made, when he cooked for his roommates.

  The three men settled into chairs and dished out the chicken tamales with rice and beans. Benny was a good cook, had saved money during high school while working in a small Mexican restaurant, and enjoyed just about everything he put into his mouth. How he stayed wiry-thin was a constant question.

  “You know, Jesse,” Tony ventured. “You should break down and call the guy. He’s a good man.” Tony shoveled a forkful of beans and rice into his mouth.

  “He’s right,” Benny chimed in. “Trey’s a straight shooter. You caught him unaware by just taking off.” He held up his hand when Jesse started to protest. “Look, we don’t want you to move out, just make things right with MacLaren. You know you want to.” Benny wiggled his eyebrows at her as he took a slug of his favorite beer.

  Jesse set down her fork and crossed her arms. “You’re both right, okay. It’s just not that simple.”

  “Of course it is,” Tony threw out. “According to Reb and Growler, he’s been back almost a week.”

  “I heard.” She missed her ex-roommates more than she’d ever imagined. Tony and Benny were great, but they weren’t family, not the way Reb, Paul, and Trey had been. Of course, Trey had been much more.

  “Well?” Benny asked.

  She glared at him. “Fine. I’ll call him, but not until he’s back on base. He’s got enough to think about right now.” Jess didn’t add that she wasn’t at all sure he’d be thrilled to get a call from her. It was her turn to suck it up and take a risk. Anyway, Jess rationalized, she couldn’t hurt any worse than she already did.

  Chapter Eight

  As his last week of leave ended, Trey felt good about his situation and the home he was making for Trevor. Returning to the base on Monday morning wasn’t the traumatic event he’d envisioned it would be.

  “Thanks again for watching Trevor. I’ll see you about four this afternoon.” Trey waved to the sisters as he climbed into his truck.

  He was halfway through his first day back when something felt wrong. He stopped what he was doing and tried to figure out what was amiss. Then it hit him—Trevor. He wasn’t used to being away from him for more than three hours. This would be at least nine. He smiled to himself, shook off the feeling, and focused on what needed to be completed before heading home.

  Trey stood next to his truck, talking with Reb and Paul, who’d parked beside him, when he saw a familiar figure walk across the lot. Jesse shifted her gaze, then stopped when she recognized him. Trey swung his eyes back to Reb, doing his best to ignore the instant pain that rocked him at the first sight of her in three weeks. He shifted so that his back was toward her.

  Jesse got the message loud and clear. He had no interest in reconnecting. She knew him well enough to understand that Trey had an amazing ability to focus on his objective and not let anything stand in his way. That trait, coupled with his aptitude as a pilot and his leadership skills, had earned him his Lieutenant rank ahead of many others.

  She continued toward her Jeep, ready to climb in, when she heard her name.

  “Hey, Outlaw!” It was Reb. “How are you?”

  She waved. “Good, Reb. I’m good.”

  “See you around?” Reb yelled back.

  “Sure. Around.” She sat down, closing the car door behind her. Jesse owned a well-used Jeep that was beginning to show signs of age. It needed a new battery, new tires, a paint job, and a lot more. For now, the battery and tires took precedence. She inserted the key into the ignition and turned it. Nothing. She tried once again and got the same distinctive sound, telling her the battery was dead. Damn, not now. She reached for her phone to call AAA, when someone tapped on her window.

  “Need a jump?” Paul asked, as Reb stood beside him. Trey was nowhere in sight.

  “That’d be great.”

  Ten minutes later, Paul was curling up his jumper cables. “You know, Jesse, you should
call the guy.”

  “Who?”

  “Don’t feed me that crap. Trey. If it weren’t for Trevor, he’d be a complete A-hole to live with.”

  She looked to Reb.

  “Sorry, Jesse, but he’s right. You have to com-mu-ni-cate with that guy, and soon.” He enunciated each syllable and narrowed his eyes at her.

  She glared at them before rifling a hand through her short hair. “Yeah, well, it’s complicated.”

  “Pick up the damn phone and call him. It’s not that hard,” Paul growled.

  Jesse shoved both hands into her pockets. “You two sound like Benny and Tony.”

  “Well, there you have it. Four guys on the same page.” Reb clasped her shoulder.

  “I’m out of here. You coming, Reb?” Paul asked as he turned toward his truck.

  “Let me know if you need a pep talk before making the call.” Reb turned to follow Paul, saluting her before they drove off.

  Jesse climbed back into the seat and gripped the steering wheel with both hands. It would be easier to fly into enemy territory than to make that call. How warped was that? Jesse thought as she pulled out of the lot.

  ******

  Two more days passed and Jesse still hadn’t made a move. The guys just didn’t understand how hard it was for her to reach out—not just to Trey, but to anyone. It was Saturday. Jess had been running errands and decided to order a sandwich and take it to a local park. She needed some downtime to figure out what to do next.

  Jess settled on a bench, watching the children play and the parents scurry around trying to keep up. She laughed at some of the antics and realized she couldn’t remember ever going to a park with her father.

  She’d grown up the only child of a New Orleans cop. Her mom had taken off when she was three and no one had ever heard from the woman again.

  Their house was on the outskirts of the city, on a bayou off a long dirt road. Her grandmama’s house was next door, or what you’d consider next door when the closest neighbor was half a mile away. Between her grandmama and her dad, she’d had a pretty good life, except for the women who’d come and go.