Daring the Pilot (Men of Marietta Book 3)

by Jeannie Moon

  “My hero,” she crooned when she picked her head up and smiled at him. Then the little tease wiggled her hips, just to let him know she felt his arousal. But they couldn’t. Not again.

  However, that wasn’t what she had in mind. Nope, and as Keely slid down his body and unzipped his fly, his Science Girl surprised him again.

  Chapter Twelve

  Dinner had been fun. Not really.

  Mom and Dad had no idea Gabe was coming home, and none of them had any idea what had brought him back to Marietta in the first place. And he wasn’t telling. To his credit, he didn’t say anything about what had happened that morning when he found Jonah in the house.

  Keely knew she was an adult, and she shouldn’t let it bother her, but she always craved her family’s approval. That she wasn’t getting it because she was happy really hurt.

  Her mother had been mum about her relationship with Jonah, and it wasn’t because she was respecting her privacy. This was pure avoidance. Her father had also been on the quiet side. For the first time in her life, she felt like her parents were disappointed in her. It was upsetting, but it also chapped her ass.

  Her father had gone out into the barn to put the horses in for the night and she was helping her mother with the dishes. Gabe had vanished.

  “What are you doing tonight?” her mother asked. At least she was trying to make conversation.

  “I don’t know. Lucy went back to Helena, and God knows where Mal is. He wandered into Yellowstone last week. He might never come out.”

  Her mother laughed, knowing that Keely had been the same way when she was a kid. “You and your brother didn’t talk much.”

  Keely sighed. “We don’t really have a lot of common ground. I don’t know who he is, to be honest.”

  “He lives a very different life.”

  “I’m going down to Grey’s to meet some of the boys.” Her brother came into the room like he owned it. “See you later. Nice dinner, Mom.”

  “Behave yourself, Handsome.”

  And just like that he was gone. He didn’t lift a finger to help, didn’t offer. Her parents were hard-working people who never expected anything from anyone except kindness.

  “Don’t encourage him,” Keely snipped. The last thing her brother needed was a bigger ego.

  “You need to stop. Has he heard about you and Jonah? You might want to tell him before he finds out in town.”

  Keely put one of the bit posts on the metal rack over the stove. “He knows.”

  “He does?”

  “Jonah was here this morning when Gabe came home.”

  “He… he was here?”

  Keely was doing her best to act casual, like a grown up. But inside she was a scared kid. This was awful. She was a professional. An adult. She could support herself.

  “He worked overnight. Came over after his shift.”

  “You were here with him in the house when no one was home?” Her mother was not pleased.

  Be cool, Keely told herself. Just stay calm. “Yes, is that a problem?”

  “Keely. You shouldn’t be alone with him. I mean… I…”

  “Mom, you are aware I’m twenty-eight-years-old? That I’ve been all over the world?”

  Her mother quieted her objections. “Yes. Of course. It’s just… I guess I’m very old fashioned. And I worry.”

  “Oh, right. My brother was a nine-pound preemie then?”

  “Don’t be fresh,” her mother snapped. “I’m not used to it.”

  “But Gabe… that’s okay?”

  “Well, it’s different.”

  “Mom, it’s not the 1950s. I mean, you weren’t even born in the 50s.”

  Her mother scowled. “I know. It’s just, it’s you. And you’re…boys weren’t a thing for you.” Her mother sighed. “I don’t like it.”

  Keely didn’t know what to say to her mother. She wanted more in her life than just her work. Of course, people had expectations of who and what she should be, but Keely was tired of living up to expectations. It was time to establish her own baseline and go with that.

  “Does that mean I can’t have a life? No husband. No family.”

  Keely didn’t even know how to tell her mother she might be pregnant. It would be another week before she could start thinking about it seriously, but she was getting pretty attached to the idea.

  “I never said that, but I didn’t think that’s what you wanted.”

  A lot of people had been telling her what she should want. At this point, chucking her research, her plans, and moving back to Marietta was a pretty good idea in her mind. She could teach at the university. She could work for the geologic service. There were options.

  But to everyone she was just a brain.

  Her father came into the kitchen with a deep scowl. “Your brother just told me you were here fooling around with Jonah this morning. I have a mind to bury that boy neck deep in a manure pile.”

  “Oh, for Pete’s sake! There will be no burying. There will be no silly Neanderthal protectiveness. Is that clear? I’m so sick of this double standard.”

  She couldn’t believe this was her life. Marietta 1955, via 2017. What a nightmare. Grabbing her keys and her purse off the counter, she headed for the door. “I’m going out.”

  “Where are you going, young lady?” Her father was trying to be tough. Daddy was not tough.

  She wanted to say that she was going to get laid, but one or both of her parents might have a heart attack if their little girl was so bold. So, she grabbed a jacket and her bag and headed for the door. Before she left, she kissed each of her parents on the cheek. “I love you both. But you have to stop treating me like I’m still a sick little girl.”

  She needed time to think. Keely caught her reflection in the side mirror on her car, and it stopped her. She hadn’t really changed since she left home ten years ago. Maybe that was part of the problem.

  It made her wonder why she didn’t make more effort. Her hair was the same style she wore in high school. She rarely wore makeup. Her clothes were practical. She did try to wear more colors, but jeans were blue, and boots were brown.

  There wasn’t a whole lot of variety when you were hiking through mountains. But it was more than her appearance.

  Getting in her brand new Jeep, Keely inhaled the new car smell. It had been a first for her and she did love her knew SUV. It was nice to have something of her own. When she pulled to the end of her driveway, she had a decision to make. Go left toward town, or right toward Jonah.

  Keely went right.

  *

  “I can’t believe they made the playoffs with that goalie.” Dan took a long pull on his beer and sank back into the leather couch in Jonah’s living room. “He’s never in the fucking crease. What the hell?”

  “I don’t know,” Jonah said. “But they’re winning.” His brother had to calm down. The game was going to kill him. It was almost the end of the third period, but if something happened and their team blew it, Jonah was afraid he was going to have to tranq his brother, or watch him stroke out.

  “How’s it going with Keely?” That was the last thing he expected out of Dan’s mouth.

  “Ah… you know. Good. I like her.” What was he supposed to say?

  “Like her?” Dan wasn’t buying that. “Jonah, you are totally gone over the girl.”

  His brother wasn’t one to mince words, and he doled out advice like a five-hundred-dollar-an-hour shrink. He was also dead on.

  Jonah was a goner.

  “I don’t know what to do about her. Gabe’s back in town. He showed up at the house this morning when I was there.”

  “Oh, shit.”

  Jonah didn’t have to elaborate. Dan got it.

  “I stayed as long as I could, because he went off his rails, but she wanted me to leave. Said I didn’t have to protect her.”

  “I guess he’s changed a lot.”

  “Yeah. I think that’s an understatement.”

  Jonah was thankful he had his brothers
and the first responders in town to hang out with. They thought the same and had the same low tolerance for bullshit. Maybe it was because life and death were on the line that sobered their thinking.

  The large windows facing the front of his cabin brightened suddenly, and Zero started yapping, signaling him that a car was coming down the perimeter road. He didn’t need to see the car to know it was Keely. He was half expecting her, knowing Gabe was in the house.

  “You have company?” Dan tilted his head, as Jonah rose from the couch.

  “Yeah. It’s Keely.”

  “Was she supposed to come by?”

  “No, I’m guessing she needed to get out.”

  They were both standing at the door by this time, and they could see her face through the windshield. She did not look good.

  “Yeah,” Dan said. “You need to take care of her. If you need help kicking Gabe’s ass, let me know. We won’t even leave marks.”

  Dan trotted off the porch and waved to Keely as he went down the path to his cabin. Keely walked up the steps and right into Jonah’s waiting arms.

  “What happened?”

  She shook her head, not wanting to talk. “I made your brother leave. I’m sorry.” Bending down, she pet the puppy, smiling at his bouncing, wriggling body.

  “It’s fine. He was screaming at the game. It’s a little intense.”

  “Can we just hang out? I don’t want to be home right now.”

  “Whatever you want.” Throwing her coat over the back of a chair, he grabbed another beer from the fridge and just as he was about to pop it open, she shook her head. “Just water, okay?”

  Right. They still didn’t know if she was pregnant.

  “Thanks.” She sat on one of the stools at the breakfast bar and let out a long breath. Jonah didn’t know what to make of her mood. She wanted to talk, but she didn’t. There was a lot going on inside that head of hers. He just hoped he could keep up.

  “How did it go with your brother?”

  “He barely spoke to me. Sucked up to my parents, although none of us can figure out why he’s home.”

  “You think there’s a motive?” Considering Gabe had been home less than Keely, there was probably some truth in the statement.

  “My mother told me I should tell him about us. You know… before he found out. I told her he already knew.”

  “And how did that go?”

  Placing her water on the granite counter top, she pushed her hair off her face. “I was scolded for having a boy in the house when no one else was home.”

  There was no way he could respond to that without saying something that would insult her folks. “I… uh. How old are you?”

  “That’s an excellent question. I reminded my mother about that, and she was still quite sure it wasn’t appropriate. My father was ready to bury you in a manure pile.”

  “That’s creative.”

  “It’s ridiculous. My mother never considered I’d have a boyfriend, or a husband, or anything. That somehow those things are out of my reach. If I’m pregnant, she’ll really be surprised.”

  Pregnant. They hadn’t talked about it much, but it was getting to the point where they would know one way or the other. “Anything on that?”

  “Next week. I’m never late. So, next week. No use in worrying until then.”

  “I’m not worried.” Jonah didn’t want to tell her he was almost hoping she was pregnant. Then they would have to decide what they were going to do together. If that meant they were going to have a baby, he was all in. “Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it.”

  “That’s good. I’m trying not to think about what it will mean. It’ll change everything, and I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”

  That was an ominous statement, and something else Jonah wasn’t quite sure how to respond to it. He knew he wanted to be with her. Forever. Her words, however, were telling a different story. Did she see a future? Or was she just passing through?

  He was overthinking the whole situation; if he didn’t know better, he’d swear he was the one who was pregnant. Leading her to the couch, Jonah tucked her into his side and pulled a soft fleece throw over the two of them. Grabbing the remote, he opened up the On Demand channel. “What do you want to watch?”

  “I don’t know. A movie?”

  “Any preference? A comedy, action, sci-fi or a good sappy romance? It’s up to you.”

  “Honestly, I wouldn’t know what to pick. I haven’t been to the movies in six years. I don’t watch TV either. I miss it.”

  “You miss TV?” Jonah didn’t quite know where this was going, but he figured she needed to talk. “Do you mean all TV, or just extra channels?”

  She responded with a nod. “Oh, all of it. Everything. I don’t know what I should even want to watch.”

  “Okay, then let’s start with something safe.” With a quick look at the screen, Jonah started pressing buttons and ended up at a list labeled romantic comedy. He couldn’t believe he was scrolling through the titles, but he was willing to take one for the team here. As long as she could focus on something other than her family, he’d consider that a win.

  He ended up pressing a button and started classic. Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks. They couldn’t go wrong there.

  The problem was, Jonah wanted to know what had upset her. It wasn’t just about him being there that morning. Her parents must have said something that really rattled her, and if he couldn’t help with that, nothing would get better.

  “You’re pretty quiet.”

  She gave him half a smile. “I wanted to give your ears a break. I’m always talking.”

  Of all times she decided to go quiet, this wasn’t a good one. Still, he waited it out, knowing eventually she’d tell him everything.

  “Do you think I’m pretty?”

  That stopped him cold. “What the hell? Of course I do. Where did that come from?”

  “The way my mother was talking. Never in my life did this cross my mind, but she seems to think… she said I was different. I guess that’s why she never saw my relationship with you as a probability.”

  “Different. How?” Jonah wasn’t sure how to take it. Keely’s parents adored her, so there had to be something that would have planted that question in her head. Pretty? She was downright beautiful. “I don’t know why you would ask me that. But I think you’re beautiful. But more than that, you’re smart, kind, funny, sexy as hell. Beautiful is the package.”

  “I just don’t know why they would think I wouldn’t want to be in love.”

  Love? He’d admitted to himself he was feeling it, but he hadn’t said anything to her, yet.

  “You’re spooked,” she said. “I mentioned the ‘L’ word.”

  “That’s not it.”

  “You went rigid, Jonah. I didn’t mean…” She took a breath. “Okay, maybe I did mean it.”

  “Mean what?” He was fishing and it wasn’t fair to push her, but maybe it was time they got what was going on between them out in the open.

  “I mean… I love you. I really, really love you. And I know you’re going to be freaked out now that I’ve said it, but I don’t want to lie to you.”

  It was a little freaky, but he was more relieved than anything. He should tell her, but it he was worried it would feel like a canned response. “I’m not freaked out.”

  Facing him, he saw her eyes go dark as they focused in on his. “That’s good. You don’t have to say it just to say it, either. I know it’s fast, but for me, I think this has been a long time coming.”

  His only response was to pull her close. The words settled between them, and when the time was right, he’d tell her. He’d tell her everything.

  Slipping her arms around his middle, Keely snuggled in. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me. Trust me. I won’t lie to you. I’ll stand up for you, no matter what. But there’s a lot going on with the family, Keely. You want to fill me in?”

  She hesitated.

  He continued, “I don’t p
retend to get what parents think and feel for their kids. Everyone is different. But Gabe could do whatever he wanted for as long as I can remember. You seem to be caught in some double-standard time-warp. Why are they so protective?”

  “For the same reason Gabe has always been indifferent. I think it was because I was sick. Really sick when I was little. It changed my family.”

  “Sick?” Jonah was wracking his brain, trying to remember if he’d ever heard this about her.

  “I had cancer. Leukemia. I was two when it was diagnosed. My parents took me to the clinic in Minnesota to be treated. Obviously, I beat it. But it took its toll. It scared my mother to death. Every time I’d get tired, she was sure the cancer had come back. My grandmother lived with us to take care of Gabe. My best guess is he was affected by the fact that my parents weren’t ever around. Especially my mother.”

  Jesus. “I don’t remember. I mean, I remember your grandma, but not you being sick.” Jonah could only imagine how a sick child could turn a family upside down.

  “You were young. And it’s not like it was talked about in the treehouse. I barely remember anything.” She took a deep breath, and slipped into her thoughts. “They didn’t know if I’d be okay, you know? Even if the cancer went away. For a long time the doctors worried I’d have neurological damage.”

  “Obviously, that didn’t happen,” he added.

  “No. But my parents tried to keep me in a bubble. My brother resented me. All because of something I don’t remember happening.”

  Jonah was trying to wrap his head around what she was telling him. All at once, the way her parents and her brother acted made more sense. Understanding it wouldn’t make it any easier, but at least it was a place to start.

  Suddenly, the distance, the push back, it all made sense.

  “Sorry you got involved with me yet?” She made light of it, but Keely was hurting.

  “No.” Jonah shifted his body and turned her to face him. She needed to see his eyes when he answered. “Not at all. Do you think you’re the first person to have issues with their parents? With their siblings? You’re not. But I get it. They were afraid to lose you, and I get that.”