Hard Landing

by Davies, Shirleen

  Trey looked at Paul. “What did you do to her? She dashed out of here like a scared rabbit.”

  “Nothing, bro. Guess she was just tired.” Paul winked at Jesse. “See you on base, Jesse.” Paul followed Connie upstairs wishing he could detour into her room and not head straight to his.

  “What was that all about?” Trey turned a puzzled look at Jesse.

  “If I were to guess, I think we have a budding romance on our hands.” Jesse grinned and tightened her grip on his hand.

  “No, kidding? Well, I’ll be damned.” Trey dragged a hand through his already mussed hair then pulled Jesse to him. “We’ll work through this. You can bet on it.”

  ******

  “What’s going on?” Trey asked as he walked into a large operations room where most of the pilots had congregated. It was Monday afternoon and the squadrons were returning from their exercises.

  “We’re not sure, but it seems that Pete had problems and may have had to bail.”

  “Where?”

  “Over the Sierras, we think. We’re all waiting for more information.”

  “SAR is up,” someone yelled, and the group walked out to see two search and rescue helicopters take off in the direction of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

  “Commander’s inside,” one of the men shouted from the doorway, and all of the pilots returned to the large room.

  That’s when Trey saw Jesse, standing against the back wall, her eyes focused on the officer standing at the front. He walked over to her and stood so that their arms touched, then waited.

  “A plane is down in the Sierras. The pilot, Pete Baker, ejected. Two helos have been sent out to find him. We have no word on his condition at this time. Any questions?”

  “Do you know why he ejected?” someone called out.

  “There aren’t many details at this time. His squadron is coming in now. I should have more information within the hour. You may stay here or head out and check back. It’s up to you. Any other questions?” No one spoke. The officer walked back through the exit doors. The room fell silent and no one moved. It was clear everyone would stay until they knew more about Pete.

  “Jesus,” Reb said as he and Paul walked up to Trey and Jesse.

  Jesse turned her gaze to Trey. “I don’t know the protocol for this. Should I text Anita or will command get in touch with her?”

  “Hold on, I’ll find out.” Trey dashed through the door where the officer had exited and was back a few minutes later. “Don’t do anything. Command will notify Anita and make arrangements to get her out here if needed.”

  “Okay.” Jesse felt adrift, as if she should be doing something, helping. The reality was all they could do was wait.

  Everyone knew this was a hazard of their job and accepted the risks. This was the first time most of them had experienced it firsthand.

  “I’d better call Connie.” Trey started to walk toward the locker room to retrieve his phone.

  “Give me your keys. I’ll head over, let her know what’s happening before coming back.” Paul had followed Trey.

  “Thanks. I want to stay with Jesse. She and Anita are close and I know she’ll want to stay until they bring Pete in.” He handed Paul his keys. “Stay if Connie’s too tired. I’ll call you as soon as we find out anything.”

  “Maybe. I’ll see how it is at the house.” Paul took off for the parking lot.

  Hours later, another officer returned to inform everyone that Lieutenant Baker had been found and was being flown to a hospital an hour away with a trauma unit. At least they knew that Pete was alive.

  ******

  Anita was flown out the same night and landed early the next morning. She went straight to the hospital where she found Jesse, Reb, and Trey sitting in a small waiting room. Jesse ran up to Anita and drew her friend into a hug.

  “Come on, I’ll go with you to the nurse’s station. They won’t tell us anything.” Anita dropped her flight bag next to Trey as Jesse gripped her friend’s hand and led her down the hall. ‘This is Mrs. Baker,” Jesse told the duty nurse.

  “How is he doing? May I see him?” Anita’s voice wavered only a little.

  “Let me check with the doctor. Go ahead and have a seat. I’ll be right back with you, Mrs. Baker.”

  Not long afterwards Anita was shown into Pete’s room, leaving the others with a promise that she’d let them know how he was doing.

  Almost an hour went by before Anita came out, her eyes red and swollen. They all stood. Trey opened his arms and she walked into them.

  “He looks just awful,” she said as her voice broke. She pulled free and grabbed a tissue out of her pocket. “He has a broken arm, broken ankle, and collapsed lung. The doctor says he’s critical but expects him to pull through. They’ll know more later today.”

  “Sit down before you fall over.” Trey guided her to a chair. “Can I get you anything?”

  “Maybe coffee in a little bit. Right now I just need to clear my head.” Anita settled into the hard seat and rested her head against the wall. “Pete’s pretty out of it with the meds they’re giving him, but he recognized me. I just couldn’t seem to leave the room until a nurse came in and suggested I take a break.”

  “Come on, Reb, let’s grab some coffee. We’ll be right back.”

  Jesse watched as they walked to the elevators and disappeared inside.

  “Trey set up a hotel room for you a few blocks away. We drove two cars so that you can have one without renting. Do you need clothes, anything?”

  Anita glanced at Jesse. “No, I brought my flight bag. If I need anything more I’ll go buy something. I don’t know when I’ll use the room—I don’t want to be too far from Pete, but I’m so glad you thought of it.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

  Jesse remained silent, understanding that Anita needed some time alone to process all that had happened. She thought of Trey and if she’d be able to handle something like this as well as Anita.

  “I’d had dinner with a couple of friends and had just walked in the door as the phone rang.” Anita still sat with her head against the wall, her eyes closed. “The commander said they’d already scheduled a plane to fly me out and a driver was on the way. I remember hanging up the phone and not really thinking. I grabbed my bag, stuffed clothes into it, called my neighbors to let them know what had happened, then walked outside and got into the waiting car. It’s all a blur after that.”

  Jesse reached over and grabbed Anita’s hand. “I don’t know how you do it. Living across the country from Pete and having to face something like this.”

  Anita opened her eyes and shifted her gaze to Jesse. “It’s simple. I love him.” She squeezed Jesse’s hand, then closed her eyes again.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Over a week passed before Pete was moved from critical to stable condition and transported to the hospital near the base. Anita had taken a leave of absence and moved into the house Pete shared with a fellow pilot. She’d come to terms with the accident, Pete’s injuries, and the knowledge that changes might be inevitable. She’d told Jesse that you had to learn to adapt to what was thrown your way.

  Jesse had seen Trey every day, spent evenings at his house, and gotten to know Trevor better with each visit. She’d already fallen in love with the active toddler and had accepted the fact that marrying Trey was a package deal.

  Anita’s words kept playing through her mind. Her friend had been able to ease Jesse’s fears by the use of five words—It’s simple. I love him. What had seemed so complex had become quite straightforward. If Jesse truly loved Trey, her answer to him should be simple.

  “Good morning, Paul.” She walked up beside her squadron mate and took a better look at him. “You look exhausted. Everything all right?”

  “Yeah, fine.” His grumbled response confirmed for Jesse that something was up.

  “I see.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Not much, except that something is eating at you. You don’t
have to tell me, just don’t say you’re fine when you’re not. I fly with you, remember? I need to know you’re one-hundred percent up there.”

  Paul came to a halt, pulled off his sunglasses, and glared at Jesse. “It’s Connie, all right? She’s been gone over a week and yet the lady keeps messing with my mind.” He looked up at the clear sky and took a breath. “It will not impact my flying. You got that?”

  “Sure, Growler. Loud and clear.” Jesse gave him a playful punch on the arm and continued the trek to her plane. She’d been so caught up in her feelings for Trey, and Pete’s accident, that a relationship developing between Paul and Connie hadn’t been on her radar—now it was.

  They flew without incident, ending their day by mid-afternoon and finishing the squadron meeting early. She needed to run a few errands before meeting Anita at the hospital then going to Trey’s for dinner.

  “How’s he doing?” Jesse took a seat next to Anita in Pete’s room. He was out. The cuts and bruising on his face had begun to heal, and his breathing had improved as his lung healed. All in all, he was an extremely lucky man.

  “Much better. He just drifted off a few minutes ago.”

  “You have time for coffee?”

  “That would be great. I need to get out of this room for a while.” Anita grabbed a tote and followed Jesse to the elevators. She leaned against the back wall as they descended to the floor with the cafeteria. “The doctor won’t be back for another couple of hours. Honestly, I don’t know how Pete gets any sleep with all the activity—it’s no wonder they have to give him a sleeping pill to knock him out at night.”

  They grabbed coffee and took a seat near a window.

  “Tell me what’s going on with you and Trey. Pete had told me the two of you had split a few months ago.”

  “About three months ago when he learned about Trevor. My fault—I was an idiot. I left before Trey even brought his son home. I’m sure he thought I’d abandoned him. Maybe I had.” Jesse took a sip of coffee and looked over the rim of her cup at Anita. “We’re trying to work through it. He’s ready to make it permanent, get married, and raise Trevor.”

  “What do you want?” Anita was grateful to be talking about something besides Pete’s accident.

  “Trey. I just want Trey. You know about my family, how my mother left, and my father and grandmama raised me. I guess watching my father’s relationships fall apart, year after year, had a greater impact on me than I knew.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up over it. We’re all a product of our upbringing—it’s how we choose to deal with it as adults that matters. Sounds like you’ve come a long way.”

  “Maybe. Trey wants me to marry him. He needs an answer soon.” She blew out a breath, placed her arms on the table, and leaned toward Anita. “I need the bare truth from you. How is it working, and would you marry Pete again, knowing you’d live apart much of the time?”

  There wasn’t an instant of hesitation. “In a heartbeat. It’s not easy living apart and commuting across the country every few weeks to be together. The alternative is a life without each other, and that’s not acceptable to either of us. Can you honestly say your life would be better off without Trey in order to make things less complicated? I know that may sound simplistic, but in a way, love is pretty uncomplicated. We’re in this world once, Jesse. Who do you choose to be your partner during the journey?”

  ******

  An hour later Jesse was still mulling over Anita’s words as she drove to Trey’s. She loved to fly, excelled at it, and was still considering it as a permanent career after her flying obligation was over. At the same time, she knew having a family was important to her. The one person she’d want to build that family with was Trey, and he was willing to do whatever was needed to make it work. He was the strongest and most loyal man she’d ever known. If he said it, he meant it. And she loved him.

  Her hands shook as she grabbed the small bag she’d thrown in the back seat.

  They’d decided not to complicate things further until Jesse was certain, and sleeping together would make it more difficult for each of them if it didn’t work out. She knew by walking in with the bag he’d know she’d made her decision. It was her way of making a final commitment.

  “Trey, I’m here,” Jesse called as she walked through the door and dropped her black overnight bag on the floor next to the entry table.

  “In the kitchen,” he called back, and pulled her close when she stopped next to him to inhale the smell of the sauce he had simmering. He leaned down and planted a kiss on her mouth, then a second one. “How are they doing?”

  “Pete’s improving. He was sleeping when I got there, so I took Anita to the cafeteria. She’s a rock.”

  “That she is.” Trey walked to a cupboard and pulled down four plates, then handed them to Jesse. “I heard she applied for a transfer. Is that right?”

  Jesse set the table, then grabbed a cold water from the refrigerator. “Yes. The commander told her there was a good chance it would happen. He’s got a couple of pilots coming up on the end of their commitment who’ve notified him they don’t plan to extend their time. Pete’s roommate told her he’d be willing to move out if the transfer came through. It may all work out fine.”

  “Smells good,” Reb called as he walked into the kitchen. “How’s Pete?” he asked Jesse when he saw her standing next to Trey.

  “Doing better. I guess the doctor told her they may be able to release him in another week.”

  “Hope you saved some food for me,” Paul called as he walked in from the garage. “Sorry, I got hung up on a phone call.”

  “No worries, it’s just coming out of the oven,” Trey replied.

  “Ah, your dad’s famous enchilada casserole. I love that stuff.” Paul tossed his sunglasses on the table as all eyes moved to the stairs at the sound of Trevor’s voice. “I’ll get him.” Paul dashed up the stairs and was back down in five minutes. He placed Trevor in the high chair before grabbing an energy drink. “Man that smells good.”

  It didn’t take the group long to devour the food. Reb had plans with Shelly, and Paul took off to meet some friends for a softball game, leaving Jesse and Trey alone with Trevor.

  “You want to watch a movie?” Trey asked as Trevor ran around the living room, grabbing a toy, then discarding it in favor of another one.

  “That might be good.” Jesse smiled. Trey hadn’t noticed what she’d left by the front door.

  “You pick one while I grab something from upstairs.”

  She accessed a movie channel and started reading through the titles while Trevor played with a toy that played music and talked. She clicked on an animated action movie they’d already seen a couple of times, knowing that the movie would be history as soon as Trey discovered the bag.

  He walked back into the living room and sat down next to Jesse on the sofa, settling an arm around her shoulders and pulling her toward him. Trey nuzzled her neck, placing kisses down the soft column, then taking her mouth with his. He moved his lips over hers leisurely, brushing lightly before deepening the kiss. The affect he had on her was always immediate and devastating. His kisses became more ardent, heat creeping through her body, causing Jesse to tighten her hold on his arm until they were interrupted by Trevor tugging on Trey’s legs.

  “Dada.”

  Trey pulled away to glance at his son, who rubbed his eyes and laid his head on his father’s thigh. Trey picked him up and settled him in his lap. “Looks like we have a tired boy on our hands. He didn’t take a nap all day and wasn’t down long before dinner. Guess I’ll get him to bed.”

  It didn’t take Trey long to get Trevor in bed or for his son to fall asleep. His good fortune. Trey planned to spend as much time alone with Jesse tonight as possible. He wanted an answer, wanted her in his life and in his bed on a permanent basis. The waiting was torture.

  Trey sat back down and wrapped Jesse in his arms. It didn’t take long to get back to where they were before Trey had taken Trevor upstairs. Within
moments, the heat had built to an almost unbearable level. Jesse pulled back and looked up at Trey with glazed eyes.

  “I, um, there’s something I need. It’s by the door. Do you mind getting it?”

  He cocked a brow at her but nodded.

  Trey stood and walked toward the door. He saw nothing at first, then his eyes locked on the black bag Jesse used for overnight stays. Trey’s hand trembled as he reached down to grab the bag.

  Jesse saw the bag in Trey’s hand before her eyes moved up to lock on his. He placed it on the sofa beside her, then got down on one knee and took her hands.

  “Does this mean what I think it does?” His voice was level, smooth, yet a hint of anxious anticipation laced his words.

  She smiled, a full smile that was like a punch to Trey’s gut.

  “Yes.”

  Trey pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her, tightening his hold before capturing her mouth with his. He moved his hands to cup her face, placing kisses on her forehead, eyes, and across her face before taking her mouth again for a kiss that promised more than he’d ever be able to put into words.

  After several moments, he broke contact. He caressed her cheek with one hand while reaching into his pocket with the other.

  “I love you, Jesse. Our life won’t be easy, we’ll have difficult choices, and neither of us will be happy all the time. If that’s a life, and a challenge, you’re willing to accept, marry me. You won’t regret it.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and gazed into his clear blue eyes. “I love you, Trey. I’ll accept the challenge and will gladly build a life with you.” She kissed him lightly. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  Trey reached for her left hand to slide on a beautiful diamond engagement ring. He looked into her eyes to see a pool of tears threaten to break loose. He placed a kiss on each, tasting the salt from her tears, then moved his lips to her mouth to taste the sweetness she offered. He knew their life would be a mix of everything, an adventure every day, and he was ready to take the ride with her.