A Wing And A Prayer: Truly Yours Digital Edition (Truly Yours Digital Editions)

by Tracie Peterson

  Brad glanced down, then turned back to CJ with a smile.

  “You should have moved on down to the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth verses.”

  “Well, don’t just stand there,” she replied. “Read it.”

  “‘The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.’ “Brad closed the Bible, put it on the coffee table, and smiled. “That tiny flicker of hope is all you need, CJ. God will do the rest.”

  “I asked Him to show me what to do,” CJ shared. “I asked for a sign.”

  “Come with me, then,” Brad whispered. “Come see my biplanes.”

  CJ looked apprehensive. “You haven’t forgotten how I reacted the last time, have you?”

  “I haven’t forgotten.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Brad reached down and pulled her to her feet. “CJ, come see my planes. Let go of your fear and bank on that hope. God won’t let you down.”

  “Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed,” CJ murmured.

  “What?”

  “Nothing,” CJ said, losing herself in his warm, green eyes. “Let’s go see your planes.”

  ten

  Moving down the interstate, CJ felt her apprehension grow. Could she really do this? Now that they were nearing the airstrip, she silently questioned the sensibleness of the trip.

  “Penny for your thoughts,” Brad whispered.

  “A penny’s worth would take an hour,” she replied, paying close attention to their approach to the airfield. She tried not to grimace, but Brad saw her expression before she carefully concealed it.

  “If you don’t feel up to getting out of the Jeep, we can just sit and talk.”

  CJ said nothing. She forced her gaze across the field to where someone was shooting touch-and-goes in a Piper Cub. Watching the plane land, circle the field, and take off again brought back memories of when her father had taught her to fly. Touch-and-goes were an important part of the routine in order to teach technique and hone skills for landings and take-offs. She’d spent hours at the controls, with her father’s gentle instructions helping her to correct each mistake.

  Brad parked the Jeep and turned to face CJ. “Are you all right?”

  She took a deep breath. Trepidation was a companion she knew well. Glancing back at the runway, she swallowed hard. “I think so,” she finally replied.

  “I meant what I said. I don’t want you to force yourself. There’s no sense in passing out again.”

  CJ tried to be lighthearted. “You’re just afraid you’ll have to carry me back to the car.” Her blue eyes met his amused stare.

  “That would be my pleasure,” he said with a grin. “I couldn’t possibly pass up the chance to get that close to you.”

  CJ lost herself for a moment. His eyes twinkled in a dazzling display that made her feel like laughing. The tiny crow’s-feet that edged them only made his smile more pronounced. Her heart quickened and pounded in a way she’d never noticed before. Fearing the truth, she told herself it was from apprehension and anxiety. But part of her wasn’t convinced. Was she losing her heart to this man?

  “Are you ready?” he asked and reached his hand out to cover hers.

  CJ entwined her fingers with his and squeezed them tightly. “I’m so afraid,” she whispered. “Inside the car it doesn’t seem so bad, but out there…” She lifted her chin. “Out there, it’s real and it’s frightening.”

  “I’ll stay right by your side. I’ll even hold your hand. You won’t be alone. God and I will be with you.”

  CJ searched Brad’s face to confirm his declaration. Finding the affirmation she needed to see, CJ took another deep breath. “I’m ready.”

  Brad opened the door for her and pulled her close. “How’s this?” he asked. CJ looked up, offered him a weak smile, but said nothing. They walked out toward the hangar, and Brad began to speak. “Anytime you want to go back to the car, just tell me.”

  CJ nodded. Her head was already filled with the sights, sounds, and smells of the private airport.

  “I bought extra property here so that I could keep all my planes in one place,” Brad informed her. “I have six altogether. The four biplanes I want to show you are on the front side, over here.” He pulled her along with him to an ultramodern, prefab metal hangar.

  Dropping his arm for a moment, Brad fished out a set of keys and unlocked the building. As he swept aside the doors, CJ gasped in surprise. The dimly lit interior of the hangar stood in sharp contrast to the contemporary exterior.

  Brad flipped on the lights and drew CJ to his side. She let her eyes travel over the individual stalls where some of history’s finest aviation wonders were housed. Memories rushed back in waves that threatened to drown her in sorrow.

  Not even realizing it, CJ reached across and grabbed Brad’s hand. Her breath caught in her throat.

  “I’m sure you recognize them,” Brad said softly against her ear. In-deed she did. They were some of her father’s favorites.

  “It’s been a long time,” CJ whispered, feeling the years fall away.

  They walked by each plane, giving a cursory evaluation. The blue- and-white Waco with its enclosed cockpit and passenger cabin was similar to one that CJ’s father had bought shortly before the accident. The red-and-white Travel Air, product of the business marriage between Cessna, Stearman, and Beech in 1924, waited regally. The model had always been one of CJ’s favorites. Putting aside the horrors of her past, she reached out and touched the eight-foot prop.

  “It’s just like Daddy’s,” she murmured.

  “I know. It was one of the first I purchased. Reading your father’s first book, I fell in love with his description. He talked about how big and cumbersome most pilots thought the Travel Air was, but he didn’t feel that way.”

  “That’s true,” CJ joined in, forgetting to be upset. “Daddy said it was all a matter of perspective. He loved the way it handled, and when I was with him in the Travel Air, I thought it was the most glorious plane in the world.”

  Brad smiled, knowing that for a brief moment, CJ was twelve years old again, with the wind in her hair and Doug O’Sullivan at the stick.

  “Over here’s the old standard,” Brad said, moving her on before she became morose.

  “A Stearman,” she said with a grin. “Daddy said you could fly them standing on your head.”

  “From the looks of some of the air show films, I’d say he did that once or twice,” Brad laughed.

  CJ found the experience much better than she’d thought it would be. All the years of worry were far more oppressive than the actual deed of standing there before the planes her father loved.

  “And last, but not least,” Brad said, “is this beauty. She’s my favorite.”

  CJ stood before the de Havilland Tiger Moth. “Oh, Brad!” she exclaimed. “I can see why. What a beautiful plane!”

  The plane had been restored to perfection, and CJ admired the hard work that had resulted in the masterpiece before her. “Dope and fabric never looked so good,” she complimented.

  “It took a lot of hours, but I enjoyed it all,” Brad admitted. “Here, look at this,” he said and led CJ to the place where a photograph was pinned up on the wall. “This is how she came to me.”

  “Now I’m really impressed,” CJ said, looking at the photo. The plane in the picture barely resembled the majestic wonder that graced the hangar.

  “They brought her in on the back of a truck. She couldn’t even fly.”

  “Kind of like me,” she murmured absentmindedly.

  CJ looked away from the picture to find Brad’s face only inches from her own. She wondered for the briefest second if he would kiss her, and then the moment passed, unfulfilled.

  Brad stepped away with a look of discomfort, and CJ wondered if she’d somehow done something wrong. She tensed up, feeling the tightness in her chest for the first time since entering the hangar. She put her hand to her th
roat, taking a deep breath.

  Brad didn’t notice the look on her face as he moved back toward the Waco. “This is my newest in the collection,” he said as though nothing had happened.

  CJ moved to the Waco, working hard to keep her emotions under control.

  “I’ve had to make some adjustments and repairs,” Brad said, sounding very casual. “I put in a new engine, but I’m still having trouble with…”

  Brad’s words faded into CJ’s imagination and took on the voice of her father. For a moment she was a little girl again, working alongside him, seeing the engines through his eyes, and touching them with his hands.

  Without thinking, CJ voiced several suggestions for the problem at hand, and before Brad could answer, she continued, “I remember once when you were working on…” Her words fell into silence, as her eyes refocused on the hangar. CJ’s head began to swim. The old feelings of weakness were making her legs rubbery.

  “Brad,” she whispered weakly.

  He turned with a look of questioning, but quickly saw the problem. “Come on, let’s get out of here,” he suggested.

  CJ nodded. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why—”

  “Shhh,” Brad interrupted, putting his finger to her lips. “We both knew this wouldn’t be easy. I’m proud of you for even trying. Most folks wouldn’t.”

  Once they were outside, CJ felt a little better. The Piper was no longer shooting touch-and-goes, and, for the most part, everything was quiet. For the first time, CJ realized it was a weekday, and she turned to Brad.

  “Don’t you ever work?” she asked.

  Brad laughed. “Actually, it’s funny that you should ask. I am planning on being out of town the rest of the week. I have to fly over to Telluride and see to some matters at the resort there. Want to come?”

  CJ shook her head. “I’m not ready for that.” She paused reflectively. “But ask me again, later.”

  “Don’t worry, I will. Until then, what would you suggest we do next?”

  CJ wanted to say something about their encounter in the hangar when she thought he might kiss her, but instead she shrugged and turned away.

  “Did you have something in mind?” she asked, refusing to look at him.

  “The Waco still needs work. How about coming out here on the weekends and helping me?”

  CJ wondered how it would feel to work on planes again. She’d spent many hours with her father, tightening cylinder-base nuts, patching tears, replacing broken struts. She doubted there was a single part of any one of those planes that she hadn’t worked on, in another time.

  Summoning up her courage, CJ replied, “I suppose it would be a logical way to proceed. Also,” she added, only now making up her mind, “I’m going to call Roger. I think I’m ready to talk with him.”

  Brad surprised them both by pulling CJ into his arms. He hugged her briefly, then set her away as though just realizing what he’d done. “That’s fantastic news, CJ. I know you won’t regret it.”

  “I’m sure I won’t,” CJ replied. “What I regret are the wasted years in between.”

  More problems awaited CJ when she returned to her apartment. The telephone answering machine had a message on it from Cheryl. Poor Cheryl, CJ thought. I really need to make up some time with her.

  Picking up the phone, CJ dialed her friend’s hotel room.

  “Hello,” Cheryl answered without her usual enthusiasm.

  “Cheryl? It’s CJ.”

  “CJ! Are you all right? Where have you been? I’ve tried and tried to call. I couldn’t even locate Brad to ask him whether he knew where you were.”

  “I’m really sorry,” CJ apologized. “I’ve been working through the past, as you well know, and the other day, things just got to be too much. I’m better now, and I’m really sorry to have neglected you.”

  “As long as you’re okay,” Cheryl replied.

  “So the big day is just a week away, eh?” CJ asked and got comfortable on the couch.

  Cheryl didn’t reply, and the silence from the other end of the line caused CJ to realize something was wrong.

  “Cheryl?”

  “There is no wedding. At least not for a while,” she finally answered. “Stratton and I had a fight and he walked out. He called me several days later and asked me to postpone things until he could clear his head.”

  “Sounds like he has a hole in it if he’s letting you get away,” CJ countered.

  “I just feel so…”

  “Disappointed?” CJ suggested.

  “Yeah, and lonely,” Cheryl replied.

  “Say, I have an idea,” CJ began. “Why don’t you move in with me for a while? It would take care of the lonely part, anyway.”

  Cheryl didn’t say anything for a moment, but then with a childlike voice, she questioned, “When?”

  CJ laughed. “Today. Right now. As soon as we hang up, just load up and come ahead. I’ll be here.”

  “Are you sure a certain hotel owner wouldn’t be a bit miffed? After all, he won’t have you all to himself anymore.”

  “Brad and I are just good friends,” CJ said sternly.

  “Yeah, sure.”

  “Cheryl, are you trying to get me to change my mind?” CJ didn’t wait for an answer. “I’ll expect you by five. Now get packing.”

  CJ hung up the phone, but Cheryl’s call had caused her to think. For the first time she realized that her feelings for Brad were quite strong. She depended on their friendship in a way she’d never depended on anyone before. The phone rang again, breaking her concentration.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, it’s Brad. I just wanted to tell you good-bye. I’ve got the plane packed, and I’ll be taking off for Telluride today instead of tomorrow.”

  CJ felt a lump in her throat. “It’ll be dangerous, flying over the mountains and all. I remember all about wind shears and downdrafts. Stay away from the ridges,” she instructed.

  Brad laughed. “Yes, Mother.”

  CJ tried to be as amused, but she was startled at the feelings that surfaced inside her. “Sorry,” she finally said.

  “Don’t be. I like your being concerned for me. Take care, and I’ll see you Saturday.”

  “Brad!” She said his name in near panic. Had he already hung up?

  “Yeah?” His voice calmed her nerves.

  “Please be careful.”

  “Stop fretting, CJ. I’ve got a twin-engine Beech, and she’s a real honey of a plane…plenty of power and I’ve had her for some time. It’s going to be all right. I’ll call you tonight, okay?”

  “Okay, bye.”

  CJ hung up the phone feeling strangely calm. Brad was a good pilot, and he could handle himself just fine. Of course, a few prayers couldn’t hurt, CJ thought, and immediately offered one up for his safety.

  eleven

  Summer waned, moving into autumn with a golden glow of quaking aspen. The mountainsides turned colorful in shades of red, orange, and yellow, as the season placed its mark on the land. Amid this change, CJ found her Saturdays consumed with the sights and sounds of Brad’s private hangar. She relished their time together, realizing that for the first time since the accident she actually felt happy.

  On three different occasions, when they labored for several hours in the hangar, Brad suggested they move up to his house for refreshment and a rest, but CJ refused. In spite of her security with Brad, she felt the house signaled something too personal. It was one thing to go to his office/apartment at the hotel penthouse, but for some reason the three-story, native-stone residence made CJ uneasy.

  Brad didn’t seem to mind, but CJ still felt she owed him an explanation. One day, after several hours of silent work over the Travel Air, CJ found the words.

  “I feel like I should explain to you about the house,” CJ began. “I guess it sounds crazy, but it’s just too much for me,” she said softly and added, “at least, right now.”

  Brad smiled and reached out with a rag to wipe grease from her chin. “I wasn’t offended. I
figure when the time is right, you won’t be uncomfortable. When it’s important to you, you’ll show up under your own steam, and I probably won’t even have to extend the invitation.”

  Brad quickly moved on to another subject, and CJ breathed a sigh of relief.

  The situation with the house did bother Brad, but what could he say? Days passed and he contemplated CJ’s fears with a deep, dreaded kind of concern. Maybe she was put off by him. Maybe she was just seeking to keep things from becoming too familiar…too personal.

  That night, to his surprise, CJ telephoned. It was the first time she’d ever called him directly at home.

  “This is a treat,” he said, recognizing her voice.

  “I thought it was about time,” CJ admitted.

  “Indeed,” he replied. “I suppose I can expect a visit to the house to be not far behind.”

  “Don’t rush me,” CJ answered in a light manner. “You, above everyone, should know I work at my own pace.”

  “Speaking of paces, I’ve been thinking about something, and I wanted to talk to you about it.”

  “Sounds ominous,” CJ said in a hesitant voice. “I’m not sure I want to hear it.”

  “Well, just listen and don’t interrupt,” Brad said sternly. “I think it’s time you tried to fly again. I don’t expect you to pilot or anything like that. Just a simple buzz around the field. I wouldn’t make you stay up very long, and you could call it quits when you’d had enough.”

  There was dead silence on the other end of the phone. Brad’s forehead furrowed in frustrated worry, anticipating her response. Finally, CJ spoke.

  “I don’t know.”

  Brad felt elated. She hadn’t said no. “Well,” he said, “maybe you could just think it over and we’ll pray about it, too.”

  “All right.”

  “Thatta girl!” he exclaimed.

  When Saturday arrived, CJ drove up to the airfield and parked beside Brad’s hangar. She got out of the car and stared back at the house for several minutes. It’s a beautiful home, she thought. Three floors of sandy brown, native stone, with balconies on the second and third levels. Beamed cathedral ceilings could be seen in the lower level through full-story, arched windows. CJ thought it a masterpiece of architecture.