Red Wine and Roses

by SJ McCoy

  “I am. This is all a little weird, but I’m good.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “Are you?”

  “I’m great. What do you mean?”

  She shrugged. “Is it weird for you to have the chick that you’re sleeping with thrust into your real life?”

  He tightened his arms around her. “You’re not just the chick I’m sleeping with. You’re my girlfriend. And yes, if I’m honest, it is a bit weird, but I like it.”

  She smiled. “So do I.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Cameron looked across at Piper as she brought the plane down. “Damn, there’s something so sexy about watching you fly.”

  She smiled through pursed lips as she taxied the plane off the runway and toward the hangar. “Thanks.”

  “No, thank you! I’m loving this.”

  “Me too. Am I going to the right hangar?”

  “Yep. Mary Ellen said she’d meet us there. She has everything I need and clothes and toiletries for you, too.” He wondered how he would feel if the roles were reversed. What would he think of Piper’s friend going shopping for him? He was pretty sure he wouldn’t like it too much. He just hoped that she and Mary Ellen would take to each other in the few minutes they’d have.

  It was weird to have Piper open the door and let the steps down for him. He was used to Gene doing it, but she was his girlfriend—he should be getting the door for her. She stood back to let him go first. “Thanks.” He wanted to kiss her, to reassure her—and himself—but the hangar door opened, and Mary Ellen stood there waving at them. “Come on. Let me introduce you.”

  He didn’t get a chance to make the introductions. Mary Ellen beat him to it. “Hi! It’s so nice to meet you, Piper! I’m Mary Ellen, his long-suffering assistant.” She held out her hand.

  Piper shook it. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Thanks so much for saving the day. I’ve been prepping everything for this Phoenix meeting for the last few weeks. You’re not just saving Cameron’s ass; you’re saving mine, too.”

  Piper smiled. “I’m glad I can help.”

  “Oh, and I hope I did okay with returning the favor.” Mary Ellen held up a large shopping bag.

  “Thanks.”

  “Not a problem. Shall we go and see how I did?” Mary Ellen thrust a bag at Cameron. “This should be everything you need.”

  He had to laugh at the look on Piper’s face. “Don’t worry, this is how she always treats me.”

  Piper laughed. “Good to know.” She smiled at Mary Ellen. “Let’s go and see what you brought, and while we’re at it, perhaps you can give me some tips on how to handle him.”

  Mary Ellen gave him an evil grin. “I’d be more than happy to.”

  Cameron groaned, but it was just for effect. He was happy to think of the two of them ganging up against him. Mary Ellen had a heart of gold, and he knew it would help Piper feel more at ease.

  He looked through the bag Mary Ellen had brought for him. He wasn’t worried about getting changed yet. He could do that on the plane once they were closer to Phoenix. He was more interested in reading through the files and preparing for the meeting. He’d planned to go over everything last night.

  When he came back out, Mary Ellen was sitting in the reception area, but Piper was nowhere to be seen.

  “She’s doing her flight planning.”

  He nodded. Of course she was. He didn’t normally see Gene at all before a flight until it was time to go. He had to remember she was in the middle of doing her job, and he should be doing the same. He went to sit down with Mary Ellen.

  “How was Gene this morning?”

  “He’s doing great. I was worried for a little while last night, but it was nowhere near as bad as it could have been.”

  “I talked to Rita a little while ago. She’s hanging in there.”

  “Yeah. I’m glad Chelsea’s there with her.”

  “Me too. It sounds like he’s going to be out for quite a while, though. It’s not just like going back to a regular job, is it?”

  Cameron shook his head. That had been on his mind, too. He knew Gene would take a while to recover, and even when he did, he’d have to pass a medical exam to clear him to fly again—if he could.

  Mary Ellen raised her eyebrows. “Is Piper going to stand in for him?”

  He shrugged. “She is this week, but she just started a new job working for Cole.”

  Mary Ellen nodded. “And it’d be kind of weird, her working for you.”

  “It would.” On the one hand, it would be weird, but on the other, he’d love to get to see her every day. He’d love her to be here and be a part of his life.

  Mary Ellen narrowed her eyes at him. “Weird but good?”

  He chuckled. “Yeah.”

  Piper came out of the flight planning room and smiled at them. Cameron sucked in a deep breath. Mary Ellen had done a great job picking out clothes for her. She was wearing slacks and a shirt, and she looked fabulous. Mary Ellen gave him a sideways grin. “You’re welcome,” she muttered.

  “I’m all set. I’ll be ready whenever you are,” said Piper. “Just let me know what time you want to take off, and I’ll file the flight plan.”

  “Great. Thanks.” He checked his watch. “Give me fifteen minutes to go through everything with Mary Ellen?”

  “Okay.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Piper poured herself a fresh cup of coffee and took a seat in the crew room. She was used to flying in to an airport and having to hang around while the plane was unloaded and reloaded, but this was different. She was used to flying an old, worn-out cargo plane and being treated as the lowest of the low. And she was used to sitting around in cargo terminals. Here she’d flown a guy who everyone had bowed and scraped to when he arrived—and because she was with him, she was being treated like royalty, too. The girl from the front desk came and popped her head around the door. “We’re about to put a call in with our lunch orders. What would you like?”

  Piper wanted to look over her shoulder. But there was no one else in here. The girl must be talking to her.

  The girl smiled. “We order sandwiches from the deli up the road, but we can get you takeout from anywhere you like.”

  “A sandwich would be wonderful, thank you. What would you recommend?”

  “I usually get a BLT or a tuna melt, but anything’s good.”

  “I’ll do a BLT, thanks.” Piper reached for her purse, but the girl shook her head. “No, it’s on us. We normally have a catered lunch for the pilots, but there was a problem today. I hope this is okay for you?”

  Piper smiled. “It’s wonderful, thank you.” She wanted to tell the girl that she was more used to having to bring a sandwich with her if she wanted to eat—either that or eat at one of the greasy spoon dives that tended to set up shop near cargo terminals.

  “I’ll give you a shout when they arrive. Thanks for being so sweet about it.”

  “No problem! Thank you for even thinking of me.”

  The girl came inside and closed the door behind her. “Can I say something?”

  “Of course.” Piper started to worry.

  “Just thank you. Everyone was on edge today knowing that there was this big deal CEO flying in. Usually, that means we have to be on our best behavior all day and are going to be treated like crap by snooty flight crew. When I saw you walk through from the ramp, I thought you were going to be a diva, you know, looking like you do. But you’ve been the absolute sweetest. Thank you.”

  Piper had to laugh. “Shall I let you in on a secret?”

  “What’s that?”

  “I was just as scared of you when I came in here. I thought you were all going to be snooty and look down your noses at me all day.”

  The girl looked incredulous. “But you’re the glamorous pilot lady, who’d look down their nose at you?”

  Piper shook her head. “No one I guess, but it’s more about how we perceive ourselves, isn’t it?”

  The girl smiled. “It is. If I were you, I’d start p
erceiving myself a little differently.”

  “Thanks. I’m going to try to take that advice.”

  After the girl had gone, Piper pulled her phone out of her purse. She should call Rochelle and see how things were at the airport back at Summer Lake. She had a text message from Laura.

  Hey. Call me when you get a chance. I want to hear about you and Cam.

  Piper smiled as she dialed the number. It’d be good to catch up with her. She wanted to hear about the honeymoon, and she wanted to talk to someone about all of this—about what was going on between Cameron and her.

  “Hey,” Laura answered. “How are you? Where are you?”

  “I’m good. I’m in Phoenix.”

  “Wow, Smoke said you were going to take over for Gene this week. How do you feel about that? What’s going on with you and Cameron?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know how I feel. We’re seeing each other.”

  “I gathered that much last night when we saw you at the airport. What’s happening?”

  “Up until last night, we were just going to be a weekend thing. I thought he was just coming to the lake on the weekends, and I was part of the entertainment, you know? But then he asked me to go visit him in Napa next weekend, and I was going to, but then Gene had his heart attack and Smoke kind of volunteered me to take over. Now I’m set to fly Cam around all week, and … I don’t know. I was just getting used to the idea of dating him, and now he’s my boss.”

  “And you don’t like it?”

  Piper thought about it. “I don’t mind it; it’s just going to take some getting used to.”

  “I’m sure you’ll figure it out if you want to.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure I will.”

  “You don’t sound very sure.”

  “I’m trying to. I like him, Laura. I like him a lot.”

  “And he likes you, too. From what Smoke’s said he has from the beginning.”

  “Why, what’s Smoke said?”

  “That Cameron seems different with you.”

  “What kind of different?”

  Laura sighed. “You know what I mean. He seems like he’s into you, not just into the sex.”

  “Yeah. I do know what you mean. I thought that was all he wanted at first. Hell, I thought it was all I wanted. But he’s such a great guy, and we get along so well, and he’s … But at the same time, he’s still who he is. We come from such different places, and I don’t just mean geographically.”

  Laura laughed. “I do know what you mean, but come on. You and I come from the same place, and that has nothing to do with anything. Just because you grew up the way you did, and he grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth doesn’t meant you’re any different from each other. It’s only the same as Smoke and me.”

  “I guess, but you’d never be in a position where you were working for Smoke. This just complicates things so much. It means we get to spend more time together, but it puts us in a weird place. He’s my boss. I’ve never wanted a man to be my boss in any sense, especially not in a relationship.”

  “But it’s just temporary, isn’t it?”

  “Yes. You’re right. It is. Anyway. I’m sure it’ll all work itself out. In a couple of weeks, I’ll no doubt be sitting around at the lake and not be seeing him or flying for him anymore and wondering why I didn’t just enjoy it all while I could.”

  Laura laughed. “Then enjoy it while you can; don’t question it all so much—just have fun.”

  “I’ll try. And what about you? I’m here whining about all the great things I’ve got going on when I should be asking about your honeymoon. Did you have a great time?”

  “The best! It was so great to just check out of reality for a week. We had so much fun. We shut down to everything. We both forgot about work and just enjoyed each other.”

  Piper laughed. “I bet you did.”

  Laura laughed with her. “Yeah, I’d like to say we spent the whole week in bed, but we didn’t. There was the shower and the beach and the …”

  “Enough already! Too much information, thank you.”

  “Sorry, but we had a lot of catching up to do. We so rarely get any time alone together. It keeps us hungry for each other.”

  “Well, I’m very happy for you, but I don’t need to hear all the details.”

  “I’m sure you’ve got plenty of details of your own.”

  Piper felt the heat in her cheeks as she thought about that night on the beach.

  “See,” said Laura, “you’ve gone quiet on me.”

  “Yes, because I’m more modest than you.”

  “Aww, but I thought you were going to catch me up on all your news.”

  “Oh! How could I forget? There is one bit of news I’m happy to share with you. I found a house. I moved in already.”

  “That’s great. Where?”

  ‘Out on Cedar Lane.”

  “Really? Smoke must be paying you well. That’s a fancy neighborhood.”

  Piper laughed. “He is, but not that well. I got a great deal because the owners are going overseas. They’re more interested in having a great tenant who’ll take care of the place than in how much they’ll make on the deal.”

  “Good for you. You’ll have to invite us over when you come back.”

  “I will; I just don’t know when that will be. I’m flying for Cam this week. Then there’s his charity dinner this weekend; then I don’t know what happens. I know Gene won’t be back for a while, but I don’t know if they’ll want me to stay on to cover for him. I’m supposed to be helping out at the airport.”

  “I know. Do you want to stay on there?”

  “I don’t know yet. I do, and I don’t.”

  “Well, don’t forget that you get a say in it all, will you? You being there is doing a favor. You’re helping Cam because Smoke asked you to. If you don’t want to do it, you don’t have to.”

  “I know, but I want to be able to help, and there’s definitely an upside to it for me.”

  “I know, but make sure you’re doing it because it’s what you want, okay?”

  “I will.”

  “Oh. I’ve got another call coming in. I have to go. I’ll call you soon.”

  “Okay. Bye.”

  Piper hung up and took a sip of her coffee. She did want to help Cameron out. She did want to fly for him. She did want to be around him. She knew that much. The trouble was, she was starting to think that she liked him a little too much. She could end up getting hurt. She blew out a sigh. She didn’t need to figure it all out right now.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Cameron looked up when Mary Ellen came into his office. “What’s up?”

  “I was about to ask you the same thing. You look miserable.”

  He tried to muster a smile. “I’m fine. It’s been a long week, that’s all.”

  She gave him a knowing look. “You mean the second half of the week has been long?”

  He nodded. There was no point denying it. She knew him too well, and he needed to talk about it anyway. “Yeah. I hope she’s okay.”

  “She’s fine. I talked to her this afternoon.”

  “You did?”

  She smiled. “Yes, you’re not the only one who’s been worried about her. Flying Connor and Lyle around would be challenging for anyone.”

  He blew out a sigh. “What did she say?”

  “That she’s fine. That she can handle them.”

  Cameron scowled, but Mary Ellen just laughed. “Sorry, but you’re going to have to expect that other guys will hit on her. She’s gorgeous, and she’s so sweet.”

  “But she’s mine,” he growled.

  Mary Ellen’s eyes widened in surprise. “Cameron Hamilton. You have a problem.”

  He pursed his lips. He knew she was right. He did. He was jealous as hell that other guys were around Piper and he wasn’t.

  “She’s not yours. She’s her own person.”

  “I know. I didn’t mean it like that. I meant I don’t want them hitting on her. I don’t
want anyone hitting on her.”

  “Well, I’m sorry, but why wouldn’t they? They don’t know, do they?”

  He shook his head, regretting that decision. “But they should. They need to.”

  “So, tell them. Make it official that’s she’s not just the company pilot, but she’s your girlfriend.”

  He blew out a sigh. “I would if I was certain that she’s going to be either.”

  “Sounds to me like the two of you need to sit down and talk this weekend.”

  “We do. I plan to.” He shook his head. “Sorry, Mary El, I’ve been an ass this week. Everything’s so up in the air with Piper and me.”

  “It’s okay. You have been an ass, but I’m kind of glad of it. It’s forced you to think about what you want.”

  He nodded. “I want her.”

  “As your girlfriend, as your pilot, or both?”

  “As my girlfriend, definitely; as my pilot, I’m not so sure about. In one way it would help, it would mean she was here and not in Summer Lake, but on the other hand, it puts us in an odd situation. How would you feel about dating your boss?”

  She laughed. “No, thank you. You’re a sweetie and everything, but you’re not my type, and besides, your heart’s already spoken for.”

  “You know what I mean, though.”

  “I do. I don’t think it’s ideal, but if the two of you want to be together …” She shrugged. “I don’t know. You’ll figure it out.”

  He nodded. He hoped so. He’d talked to Gene this afternoon. He was back at home now, but he wouldn’t be coming back to work any time soon.

  “All you can do is talk to her about it.”

  “Yep.”

  “And have you thought about tomorrow night?”

  He rolled his eyes. “I’ve been trying not to.”

  “Well, you need to. Remember I kept warning you that your womanizing ways might come back to bite you in the ass? I have a nasty feeling that this weekend might prove me right.”

  “I know. I don’t know if I should try to keep away from them all, or have a word with them beforehand and explain how important she is to me.”

  Mary Ellen let out a short laugh. “What, you mean throw yourself on Larissa’s mercy? Appeal to Natasha’s better nature? I don’t fancy your chances there. I’d say you’d do better to come clean with Piper. If you two are going to be in for the long-term, then you’re going to need to learn communication and trust.”