I let out a sigh of relief, and it was heaven knowing that after the event, I wouldn’t have to worry about anything for a long time.
Chapter 5
Cole
The sun was beating down on me, but it was a wonderful spring day regardless. I had hoped that we wouldn’t have to battle any rain for the event, and it seemed like I’d gotten my wish.
The hangar was decorated in our company colors of ocean and royal blue on a sea of spring green, with big beautiful banners displaying our logo. There were bouncy houses, ball pits, and airplanes as far as the eye could see lined up with food trucks and game stations where the children could eat and win prizes. Tanner and his team had outdone themselves, and while it wasn’t as entertaining as fire-breathers and contortionists, there were clowns making balloon hats in the shapes of airplanes, and everyone seemed to be having a good time.
I walked across the landing strip to go inside the hangar where they had set up more planes, including our companies solar-powered aircraft and the new prototype that was made specifically to use solar and algae power for the most efficient flying.
Tanner stood next to it, talking to Becky who held a clipboard and looked down at it through her thick glasses. “And you have the little planes ready for when they come aboard, right?”
“Yes, sir,” said Becky who looked up and offered me a big smile. “How did we do, Mr. Saunders?”
“It’s amazing. Where is the remote-control club going to set up?”
“They’ll be here a bit later, and they’ll take the field for that,” said Tanner.
“Perfect. I can’t be more pleased.” I turned and noticed a young woman heading out of our plane behind them.
“I’m all done in there,” she said, and as soon as she realized she interrupted me, she pulled her lips into a tight line. “I’m terribly sorry to interrupt.”
For a moment, our eyes met, and while she still seemed embarrassed, I was completely taken aback by her beauty. She looked like she should have stepped off of a magazine cover instead of an airplane, but I had to admit, the plane was a much sexier background. Without thinking, I walked over to give her a hand with the last step. “It’s quite all right.”
Tanner hurried over as well. “This is our photographer for the event, Jessica Hyde.”
“It’s good to meet you, Jessica. Did you like my plane?”
“It’s really handsome. I mean, nice.” She brushed her fingers down the front of her blouse nervously.
“Thank you. And have you had a chance to walk around the event yet?”
“I have, sir. It’s quite an event. I’ve never seen so many planes before.”
“Please, call me Cole. And I’m glad you can appreciate the planes. I do hope you’ll take some shots of ours. I want a nice photograph to hang in my office.”
She nodded. “Of course.”
Tanner cleared his throat, and when I looked up, him and Becky were both smiling like fools. Then, before I could turn my attention back to Jessica, a small boy ran up and began tugging her arm.
“Mom, you have to come see the solar plane! It runs on solar panels!”
I was surprised to hear the child refer to her as mom and realized that I’d been fawning like a fool for no reason. She was obviously already taken.
“Your son, I take it?”
“Yes, this is Camden. Camden, this is Mr. Saunders. He owns the plane.”
“You do? Wow! You must be loaded.”
“Cam!” she scolded. “How many times have I told you it’s not polite to talk about people’s money?”
I could see the red on her face and the apology in her eyes. But I liked the kid. He reminded me a lot of myself when I was his age. I loved the idea of solar energy and wind power too, and I would have been excited over an event like this as a child.
“Sorry.” The boy put his head down and looked up at me with big blue eyes.
“Think nothing of it. I hope you enjoy your day today, Camden.”
She bent down, and I heard her speak softly, “Cam, I told you I have to work. Aunt Leslie will come pick you up when you get ready, but until then, you can look around.”
I didn’t hear what else she told him because Tanner chose that time to step closer. “We’ll be having Jessica follow us around some today. She’ll be taking photos so we have a nice stock base to use.”
“That’s fine.” If I couldn’t have her, at least I could stare a little longer. I looked at the boy who hurried across the room to another plane. “Is his father looking after him today?”
“No, his father is dead, I’m afraid.”
The response took the wind out of me, and now it was my cheeks that I feared were red. “I’m terribly sorry. That must be hard on you both.”
“He’s never met his father. He was taken just before Cam was born.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.” I didn’t know what else to say, and she gave me an uncomfortable smile.
Tanner looked uncomfortable for me. “We should really start to mingle, Cole. The crowd is growing into quite the turnout.”
Jessica gave Tanner an apologetic look. “I think I’ll take more of the venue while I can, before the crowd makes too much of an impact, and then I’ll catch up with you in a bit if that’s okay?”
“Certainly.” I was just as ready to get away from her as she was me. I had never had a meeting go that sideways before. And while I wished I could start it all over, I knew she was far too much for me to handle.
When it was just me and Tanner making our rounds an hour later, he looked across the field and gestured to her as she squatted down to take a photograph. Her tight jeans were hugging each and every curve just right.
He leaned over and spoke softly where only I could hear. “She’s something, isn’t she?”
“Who?” I played dumb.
“Come on, don’t act like you weren’t lovestruck. Look at her. She’s wow.”
That, she was. “Yeah, but come on. She’s got a kid and a dead husband.”
Tanner rolled his eyes. “You love kids. You’ve always said you want a lot of them, and she already has one for you to get a little practice.”
“It’s not the son that bothers me. Believe me. It’s the dead husband.”
Tanner scoffed. “Not to be insensitive, man, but a dead husband is much easier than a live one, and especially an ex.”
“If I was looking to date her, maybe, but I’m not. She seems to have her hands full enough already, and I don’t think she’s interested in me.” The sun was getting to me, and I decided to go inside to my office and take a break. “Hey, I’ll see you in a bit, okay?”
“Sure, man.” He walked off and joined the other employees as I made my way into the hangar where I could go upstairs to my office.
Once inside, I spotted the little boy who was bent down on his hands and knees, looking behind one of the plane’s tires. He got up and brushed himself off, then looked around the signs and chairs as if he had lost something.
“Are you okay, little man?”
The boy looked up, and I could tell he was a bit distraught. “I lost my toy plane.”
“You did? That’s too bad, man. Let me help you look for it.” I walked over to the group of chairs that had been brought in and looked around a bit. “Nope, it’s not here. Did you take it on the plane?”
He frowned, and a look of hopelessness filled his eyes as he puffed up his chest. “They gave it to me on your plane. I was going to put it in my room with my models.”
That surprised me. “You’ve got model planes in your room?”
“Yeah, they were my dad’s. He left them for me.”
“He loved planes, did he? My father loved planes, too. Maybe one day you can own a real plane of your own.”
“If I do, I want it to be solar powered. That way, I can take it to heaven to see my dad.”
I didn’t know how to tell him that it wasn’t possible, but it really wasn’t my place. “Who knows? Maybe one day, so
mething like that would be possible.”
He shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Let’s go see if they have another plane for you.” I walked toward the steps of the plane and he shook his head.
“I already tried that,” he said. “They’ve run out.”
I hated to see him miss out and wished I’d taken one of the planes earlier when I had the chance. But then I thought of the larger scale collectors I had in my office. “I tell you what. I’ve got something even better than that little plane. Come on, I’ll show you.”
I led him across the hangar and into our office building where we took the elevator and went up to my office.
“You work here?” he asked as we rode the elevator up.
I gave a nod. “Yeah, I design and build planes. I try to make them the most efficient I can. One of my goals is to beat the record for consecutive hours for a solar-powered flight. The record stands at one-hundred-seventeen hours, and I’d like to do one-hundred-twenty.”
“Awesome. I want to do what you do when I grow up. It sounds like fun. Do you ever fly the planes?”
“I do. I got my pilot’s license a couple of years ago, and I try to fly at least three times a month.” The elevator door opened, and we walked to my office door, and I got the keys out and unlocked it.
“Wow! I want to fly too! Could you take me up sometime?”
“Maybe. We’d have to ask your mom.” I turned on the light in my office, and he looked inside with his eyes widened.
“Wow, you can see the whole hangar from here.” He ran over to the window and pressed his little hands against the glass.
“Yeah, it’s my favorite part of the whole office. That and these.” I pointed to my shelf where I had a collection of prototype models that were tiny scale of the designs I’d done over the years.
“Those are nice.” He walked over to join me and took his time looking at each one.
“You’re in luck, today, my man. I happen to have two of this one.” I reached up on the shelf and took the duplicate I had of my first solar plane and handed it to him. “I’ll let you keep that one if you promise you won’t lose it.”
“I promise!” The look on his face was priceless, and I knew I should be getting him back to the event.
“Good. We should be going back down. We don’t want to miss the air show. I hear it’s going to be wild.” I had made arrangements for a squadron of jets to fly over, but I had wanted it to be a surprise.
“I can’t wait to show Mom! She’s going to love it. I’m going to ask to see if she’ll let me hang it over my dresser. I already have one that hangs over my bed.”
“Nice. I bet that’s really neat.”
When the elevator door opened, we stepped out to find Jessica calling his name. “Camden!”
Her eyes were wild and fierce, and I realized that she must have been worried sick over her son.
“Here I am, Mama. I was just up in Mr. Saunders’s office looking at his planes. He gave me this one, and you can see the entire hangar from up there.” He rattled on as her eyes burned on mine.
Chapter 6
Jessica
I couldn’t believe the nerve of Cole Saunders. My son seemed okay and unharmed, but I still didn’t like that he’d been lured upstairs so easily by a man he didn’t know. “Go sit out in the front lobby. I’ll be right there.” I gave him a nudge.
He looked up at me with that sweet face of his, the face I was always afraid would disappear before my eyes if I didn’t cherish every second he was on earth. “Are you upset, Mama?” He didn’t understand.
Was I upset? He hadn’t checked in for the past hour, and though I’d kept my eyes on him, I’d gotten distracted taking the employee photos, and when I’d turned around, he wasn’t where I’d left him.
“I walked the event area three times before checking the hangar, and then when I didn’t find you there—yes, I’m upset!” I gave Cole Saunders a glare as I spoke to my son. “Go, Cam. Wait out in the lobby and go nowhere else. We’ll talk about this on the drive home.”
I watched him walk away with his head down, and while I felt some compassion for him, I couldn’t take it easy when it came to his safety. He had to learn his lesson, or something horrible might happen to him next time.
I thought of the things that could have happened in that time searching and hated myself for allowing him to have a little extra freedom. I kept asking myself if that freedom had come at a price and cursed Leslie for telling me I needed to lighten up. Lightening up could have taken my child from me.
I waited until Camden was out of earshot, and then I spun around on Cole and prepared to rip him a new one. “How dare you take my son away from the event and to your private office? Do you have a habit of luring little boys, Mr. Saunders?” There was enough accusation in my tone that he took a step back.
The look of shock and insult overtook his expression. “I beg your pardon? Your child has been wandering around the event alone for hours. If you cared at all about his safety, I’d think you’d have kept a better eye on him.”
The words stung like someone had poured scolding hot water on me.
My hand struck him before I even realized what I’d done.
He held his cheek and glared at me. “Are you insane?”
“My child is my life. You might have hired me to be your photographer, but you also invited my son to be a guest, and I hardly think that taking him to your private office alone is appropriate. Slapping you, sir, is the least crazy thing I want to do to you.”
He took another step back as he searched my eyes. “I agree that it was a bad call, and I’m terribly sorry.” He rubbed his jaw where I’d left an angry red splotch. “Terribly. But your son lost his plane, and I felt bad for him. I wanted to give him another one and didn’t realize how long it would take. I didn’t think of how it would look, and I certainly didn’t mean to make you worry.”
“Well, you did. He’s my son, and he’s all I have. Could you imagine yourself in the same position? And I might have let him have a little more freedom than usual, but I won’t make that mistake again.” I took a step away and nearly left it at that, but I wasn’t finished. “You know, it’s hard enough being a single mother who has to work hard to support my son all on my own, but to have to worry about sickos and kidnappers, too?”
“Are you calling me a sicko and a kidnapper?” His eyes widened, and I was sure it was the first time anyone had insulted him in such a way. “I think that’s a little extreme. I saw that he was upset, and I was just trying to help you out. Not every man is a sicko, Ms. Hyde.”
“Well, in the future, don’t do me any goddamned favors. I know your type. The rich, handsome men who own the world and can do whatever the hell they please.” I turned to walk away, but he stopped me.
“You don’t know me at all.” He shook his head and glared at me like I had some audacity.
He had no idea how much I could have when my son was involved. “I know you have no regard for money, which reminds me, I’m done here.” I wondered if he would try and dock me the time I missed, but then, he probably didn’t want to mess with me. “I think I have enough photographs of you and your event. I’ll get you the copies as soon as possible, and I want every dime you promised, even if I don’t stay here another minute.” I’d earned it, even though it was well above my normal pay scale. They’d promised it, and now they could pay up.
“I wouldn’t dream of not paying you. And, as I said, you don’t know me, Ms. Hyde. I’d never do anything to hurt your child or any other, and I’m terribly sorry that I upset you.” His voice was sincere, but I was still angry. I was so angry that I didn’t want to be reasonable. I wanted to be vicious, vicious enough where no one would ever attempt to do anything like this again.
I turned and stormed off, stopping in the lobby long enough to get Camden, who was sitting in a chair and looking awfully small and helpless. Without a word between us, I took him straight to our car.
“I’m sorry, Mama
,” he said when we were halfway home. The first part of our trip had been spent in silence while I stewed.
Part of me regretted flying off the handle, and another thought it was more than justified.
“Don’t apologize, Cam. You’re just a child, and he should have known better. You’re not allowed to be alone with strange men unless I tell you to be.” I glanced in the rearview where our eyes met. “What did he say to you? Why did you go with him?” I was scared that he would even think it was okay to go anywhere with a stranger. Hadn’t I taught him better?
“He said he had something better than the small plane I lost, and he was right. He had these really neat planes called pro types and since he had two of these, he gave me one.”
“Prototypes,” I corrected.
“Yeah, he said that I could have it. For keeps.”
The man had lured him with the promise of a toy, and while I knew that Cole Saunders might be harmless, how many others out there could try the same thing? And would my son fall for it again? “I’ve told you not to go anywhere with strangers, Cam. We’ve been over this a hundred times.”
Cam was quiet a minute and then he quietly spoke. “I’m sorry, I thought he was your friend, Mama. I saw you talking to him, and you said you were going to take their pictures today.”
He had a point. I had been talking to them when he walked up, and he must have thought that we were all friends.
“Just because I know someone doesn’t mean that they are my friend. Some people are acquaintances.”
He raised his little voice. “But you said that we can’t make friends unless we talk to people. So how do I make friends?”
“You don’t make friends with men. You make friends with boys and girls at your school.”
“Mr. Henry is a man. Am I not supposed to be his friend?” His argumentative tone reminded me of his father when he’d try and make a point.
“He’s your music teacher, and while you’re at school, you can be his friend. But that doesn’t mean I want you going anywhere alone with him inside or outside of school.”
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