by SJ McCoy
Chapter Nineteen
Laura smiled as she wiped down the counter top, remembering Smoke's face as he'd lifted her off it last night. He'd led her by the hand into his bedroom and they'd lain there for hours talking. He'd told her all about his plans with Jason and Rochelle. About setting up a flight school, making sure they each still got to take some of the longer flights for Phoenix. He seemed so enthusiastic about it all. Apparently he used to be a flight instructor, but had some issues around it, something that seemed like resentment. He hadn't elaborated. She shrugged; he'd tell her when he was ready. She'd told him all about London. She frowned as she poured two fresh coffees—almost all about London. She hadn't yet mentioned the offer to live there. She would.
She took the coffees outside to where he was still sitting. He'd made them a wonderful breakfast and was now working on his laptop. Checking some details for flights he had next week. As she set the coffees down his phone rang. He gave her an apologetic smile as he picked it up.
“Jason! What do you need?...They are?...What time?...Hang on.”
He put his hand over his phone and looked up at her. “Would you be okay if I ran over to the airport for an hour at noon?”
She smiled. “Of course. You go do whatever you need to.”
He nodded and gave her that sweet little smile, the one that almost made her forget that the cocky Smoke even existed.
“Jason? Yeah. That works. I'll see you at noon.”
He hung up. “You really don't mind?” He looked worried!
She laughed. “I don't mind at all! I'll give Missy a call, see if I can't catch up with her, maybe we'll find Em and Holly too, and have lunch. And take as long as you like, you've been commandeering far too much of my time when I'm up here anyway.”
He scowled at her now, but she could see the smile lurking. “Well, excuse the fuck out of me! I wouldn't want to interfere with your girl time. And here I was worried about leaving you all alone.”
“No worries there, Captain. I never get chance to be all alone. Whenever you abandon me there's always someone around.”
The smile faded as the scowl became more real. “Yeah. Someone like the guy at the airport yesterday?”
“What guy?”
“The one who was about to give you his card when I found you.”
She laughed. “You mean the little skinny guy who wanted to talk to me about an engagement ring for his soon-to-be fiancée? The one who ran away when this jealous, possessive jerk swooped in and stuck his tongue down my throat in the middle of the airport?”
Smoke hung his head, but she could see he was smirking. “Yeah, that'd be the guy. Sorry.”
She went and straddled his lap. “That's okay. I was more interested in being swept off my feet by the jerk.”
He closed his arms around her. “He's not that much of a jerk, you know. He's just not used to wanting a woman to be his. He hasn't figured out what to do with it yet, but he's working on it.”
He looked so earnest. The poor guy did seem to be all over the place. He was the one who flew away at the drop of a hat and didn't care who he left wanting in his wake. Yet here he was trying to make sure she'd be okay before he went off to do his own thing.
“He's doing a really good job of it, Smoke. You know I'm only teasing you. It's very sweet of you and I appreciate it. But you go do your thing, I'll go do mine. And I'm happy to. Neither of us wants to live in the other's pocket. We'll figure it out as we go.” She nibbled on his bottom lip. “And if you don't have to be there till noon, we've got plenty of time to give you some more medicine before you go.” She rocked her hips against him. He was already hard.
She had to wrap her arms and legs around him and hang on as he stood up. “More medicine, huh?” his hands closed around her ass as he carried her to the bedroom. “I think this time I'd better lie down while you give it to me.”
***
Missy waved from a table at the corner of the deck. “Laura! Over here.”
Laura made her way over and Missy stood to hug her. “Hey, hon! So good to see you. How was London?”
“It was wonderful, Miss. How are you?”
“I'm great. I still can't quite believe that I'm engaged to your cousin and that we're going to be getting married!”
Laura smiled. “Neither can I! I'm so happy for you both. Have you made any plans yet?”
Missy wrinkled her nose. “No. We're still trying to decide what we want. Dan thinks it'd be cool have the wedding in Vegas.”
“But you don't like the idea?”
“I do, but....”
“But what?”
“I don't know, it just seems like a cop out. I wouldn't have to do anything. They take care of it all, all the details, everything.”
“And you want to do it yourself?”
Missy laughed. “I really don't. Just the thought of organizing it all myself exhausts me! But I feel like I should, you know?”
“Why? Why should you get into all the work and stress if you don't want to? I'll bet that's why Dan wants to go to Vegas, just to make it easier on you.”
Laura loved the way Missy looked when she talked about Dan. “It is. If it was up to him I would never left a finger again, my whole life. He's so sweet, Laura. He keeps trying to make my life easier.” She laughed now. “We're still getting the hang of each other though. I mean, he's been buying me gadgets for the kitchen? I don't know how the hell to work them!”
Laura laughed.
“He honestly believes that if you have to program something to do its job, then it's useful! I think I'm slowly getting through to him, that if I have to program it, it's not going to happen. He got this coffee pot that's supposed to let you sleep in an extra ten minutes cos you set it on a timer. It wakes up by itself and grinds the beans and makes the coffee automatically. The first morning I tried it, I was creeping down the stairs with Scot's baseball bat wondering who had broken in and was making all that noise! You can imagine how stupid I felt when I got in the kitchen and remembered!”
Laura threw her head back and laughed. “Oh, Miss. You're too funny!”
Missy laughed with her. “That wasn't even the best of it. The next night I set it all up again. Just to show him I'm coachable, I can get the hang of it. Only I didn't...quite. The damned thing woke me up when it was grinding the coffee, but I lay there in bed, all proud of myself. I've got this. I went downstairs ready to be the perfect little tech-homemaker, but...not! I hadn't put the little cup in all the way so the damned thing had spewed coffee beans all over the kitchen and was sitting there grinning at me with a carafe full of warm water!”
Laura was giggling. Those two were so completely opposite they really shouldn't work, but they did.
“Anyway, enough of my domestic disasters. What about you? I'm glad you're here again, but I must say I'm surprised. I didn't think you'd be back up here for a while. Didn't you just get back from London on Friday?”
“Actually it was yesterday afternoon.”
Missy gave her a knowing smile. “And you just couldn't stay away?”
“Smoke said he'd meet me at the airport and take me home. I was hardly going to refuse. Only he brought me here.”
Missy grinned. “Sounds like he did bring you home, hon. You'll be moving up here like the rest of them soon.”
Laura smiled. She did like the idea. But what about London?
“Or won't you?” As always, Missy didn't miss a thing.
Laura looked at her. “I don't think it's quite as straightforward for me as it has been for the others, Miss. I mean, Smoke isn't exactly the settling down type. And neither am I.”
Missy laughed. “Sorry, Laura. But remind me who it was straightforward for? Jack and Em? With her ‘I'm too scared to love anyone?’ Pete and Holly? With his ‘I can't allow a woman into my life yet cos it's not in the plan?’ Dan and I probably had the easiest path to getting together, and that certainly wasn't without its bumps in the road.”
Laura nodded. “Yeah, but...you all wanted
it. You didn't have something else in your life that you wanted more.”
Missy raised her eyebrows. “What is it that you want more? Cos when you were both out with us all last weekend, it seemed like neither of you could possibly want anything in the world more than you wanted each other!”
Laura smiled. “Well, that kind of want is hard to avoid around Smoke.”
Missy laughed, “Yeah, I can see that, he's like sex-on-a-stick.” She giggled. “Or at least, sex-in-a-pilot's-uniform! But no, that's not what I meant. He was so into letting everyone know that you were there together. It was totally obvious that he wants to be with you, not just in bed with you. And you were the same. Normally you're like Miss I've-Got-My-Shit-Together untouchable, but around Smoke you're all teasing, and flirty, and girly. What could you want more than the guy who makes you feel that way?”
Laura shrugged. She wanted her independence. She knew Smoke did to. But did either of them want it more that they wanted to be together? And did being together have to mean losing their independence? She looked at Missy. “When I was London, they suggested I should move there.”
“Oh. I guess that puts a different spin on things. And you want that more than you want to move up here? More than you want to be with Smoke?”
“Honestly, Miss? I don't think I do. I'm just not sure that I could live with myself if I passed up an opportunity like that for a man. That's not who I am.”
“Hey, ladies!” Holly plonked herself down next to Missy. “How are we? Sorry it took me a while to get over here. A certain CEO didn't want to let me out of the house.”
“More like he didn't want to let you out of bed!” Missy rolled her eyes.
“No!” Holly laughed. “He had planned for us to go up to Four Mile and take a look around this afternoon. You know what he's like about changing his plans! And here's Emma.” Holly pointed to a beautiful blue convertible pulling into the square.
“Why the hell does she drive that thing on these roads?” asked Laura.
Missy laughed. “Because it's her baby and she refuses to get rid of it.”
Emma sat down after hugging each of them. “Isn't this wonderful? We should make it a new tradition that we get together for lunch without the guys, I don't know, every other weekend or something?”
Missy and Holly nodded their agreement.
Emma looked at her. “How about you, Laura? Are you up for it?”
Laura bit her lip.
“Give her time,” said Missy. “She's not accepted the inevitable yet.”
“The inevitable? What does that mean?”
Holly laughed. “That you're going to end up living here, just like the rest of us. Summer Lake is like this magical realm. Once you come here you are assigned your very own hot man, and you get to live here and have a wonderful little life.”
The others laughed. It was certainly true for them. But one word Holly had used bothered her. She didn't want a little life. She wanted to live a big life. To travel, to experience the world, to keep growing in her career.
“What is it?” asked Emma.
Laura shrugged. “I can see how wonderful it is for all of you. But I'm just starting to build my career up, to really go places. That doesn't seem to fit with moving here.”
“Oh, no?” asked Holly. “Do you have any idea what's happened to my career since I moved here? It's not just taking it off, it's exploding. Just because I live here now, doesn't mean I've lost the rest of my life. It's helped me expand. It could do the same for you. You can have a base here and still travel to meet clients. You'll have the store once Four Mile is built, too. And from what Pete said, your smokin' hot man is basing himself here. You could travel the world over, but you'll never find another one like him, sweetie.”
Laura sighed. “I just need to figure out what to do for the best.”
“But you...” began Holly.
Missy cut her off. “Leave her alone. We all got there in our own time. Laura will do the same, if it's right for her. And besides, I need to eat, so let's order now, can we?”
Laura shot her a grateful look over her menu. She did need time to think about it. She looked around at the others as they ordered. They did have a great life here. She had been considering moving here. But the offer of moving to London? How could she turn that down?
***
Smoke headed out of the FBO into the sunshine. He was glad he'd come over, it had been a good meeting. Becoming a certified flight center would help with marketing and credibility and would also provide the instructional framework he was used to. Or at least had been used to. It had been years since he'd worked as an instructor.
As he walked towards his truck, he recognized the one parked next to it, an old blue Toyota.
Jack! “Are you tailing me now, Benson? Cos, if you are, I think you're supposed to park on the other side of the lot and keep your head down.”
Jack laughed. “Yeah, thanks. I knew I didn't have it quite right. But hey, since I've blown my cover, you may as well come have a beer with me.”
Smoke wanted to get back to Laura, not hang out with Jack. What was he up to?
Jack grinned, apparently reading his thoughts. “She's gone for lunch with Em and the girls. They won't be done for a while yet. I told Em to text me before she leaves. So follow me into town, we can have a beer in the bar and you won't miss a minute with my little bitty cousin. I need to talk to you, okay?”
Smoke shook his head and got into his truck. “Alright, but you know normal people just pick up the phone and call.”
Jack laughed again. “We both know how little respect you have for normal. And besides, you would have blown me off. True or false?”
Smoke blew out a short sigh as he climbed into his truck. “True. I'll see you in the bar.”
Chapter Twenty
Smoke was already seated at the bar when Jack came in. The same girl from the other day was working. Apparently undeterred by that conversation, the eyelashes were fluttering and the hair was being flicked around.
Smoke nodded when Jack spotted him. “What do you want?”
“Hi sweetie, good to see you too! Don't be such a grouch.”
Smoke had to laugh. “I meant what do you want to drink, asshole! I know what you want to talk about.”
Jack grinned. “I'll get them, since I dragged you in here.”
Once they had their beers Jack headed for one of the high top tables in a quiet corner.
Smoke pulled up a seat and rolled his eyes. “Come on then. What's up?”
“I just wanted to see if you've talked to Laura yet?”
“Yeah, I've talked to her quite a lot these last few weeks.”
“You know what I mean. Have you told her how you got to be as screwed up as you are?”
“I've started to. Unlike some people, she is rather understanding and patient. She says we'll get there in our own time. That it'll all come out little by little as we get to know each other.”
Jack nodded. “Fair enough. You know I'm really not trying to be an asshole. I'd love to see the two of you work it out, but it worries me that it could all come around to bite you in the ass if you're not up front with each other.”
Smoke nodded. “Thanks, Jack. No seriously,” he added when he saw the look on Jack's face. “Thank you. I'm way out of my depth. I'm spending half my time buying a house and a car and setting up a life here that I can make her a part of. The rest of the time I'm wondering if I should just be wheels up and gone.”
Jack was frowning now. “I don't know what she's told you about herself, but the one thing you will never be able to do with Laura is make her do or be anything. She'll disappear on you, go into hiding, if she feels her independence is threatened.”
Smoke felt his throat go dry. That was odd. He'd grown to associate that reaction with being happy, with laying eyes on her. Now it was happening at the thought of losing her. As he stared at Jack it dawned on him—no way could he stand to lose her!
“I didn't mean it l
ike that, Jack. I meant let her in. Let her be part of my life.”
Jack held up a hand. “It's okay, bro. I know what you mean, but I'm not sure she would. You're going about setting up all the trappings of a normal life—the house, the car, changing your work life so that you'll be based in once place, be around more. Most women would be getting ready to drag you down the aisle with all the signals you're giving off. I just want to make sure you know that Laura doesn't work that way. Everything you're doing is more likely to scare her away than reel her in.”
Smoke stared at him. “I'm not trying to reel her in, Jack. I'm...” He ran a hand over his eyes. “Honestly? I don't know what the fuck I'm doing. I just know I want her to be part of my life. I don't want to change the way I am, but that's okay, because she doesn't want me to. And I sure as hell don't want to change the way she is. It's her being the way she is that makes me love her.”
Jack's jaw dropped.
“What? What's up, bro?” Smoke was worried.
Jack was recovering quickly, a huge grin spreading across his face, making the corners of his eyes crinkle. “Did you hear what you just said?” he asked.
Smoke frowned. “What? That I don't want to change the way she is?”
“Why not?”
“Because that's....Oh, fuck!”
Jack was laughing now. “I hoped that was where you might end up! Now you just have to find a way to make it work. I remember the day you swore you would never love a woman again your whole life!”
Smoke pressed his lips together. Rolling the thought around in his mind, barely hearing Jack. That's what makes me love her. It was true. Now he stopped to think about it. He did love her. He wouldn't have been able to make love to her if he didn't. But what the fuck was he going to do about it? He looked up at his friend. “What do I do, Jack?”
Jack slapped his shoulder. “You'll figure it out. My only suggestion is you talk to her. Tell her everything.”
“Even tell her that I....” Smoke couldn't bring himself to say it out loud.
“Damned straight! Especially that!” Jack's phone buzzed. He picked it up off the table. “And it looks like you'll get your chance to, any minute now. They've finished and are about to head home.” He tapped out a text then looked up at Smoke. “Or at least they were. I just told Em to bring Laura back here.”