It was a hot summer day in July, and it’d already been a busy day. Apparently, Jake had hired a combination accountant and business manager to work exclusively on the airport startup for Luke. A few weeks back, Jake had handed over paperwork, inventory requests, and even some information about a few airlines that might be willing to add the town of Crystal Rock to their flight schedules. Earlier that day, after consulting further with his accountant, Jake had brought over the remaining data regarding the reopening of the airport, and Luke was beginning to become excited about the part he’d play.
After pouring over numbers and statistics regarding individual target airlines he’d been considering preparing proposals for, he began going over the budget for the airport reconstruction. As usual, Callahan Construction had come in lowest on their bid. No surprise, there–Jake had been a close friend of Kelly’s dad for years. Luke sighed resignedly. Why was it that all of his thoughts led straight back to Kelly? He’d been working his butt off, trying hard not to think about her. In that regard, it’d been a long month since the day she’d caught him at the pool. Especially since–each time he’d returned there to swim–he’d been dreading, yet actually half-hoping, that she’d suddenly reappear.
Luke attempted focusing his attention on what was happening in his office right now. When Steve had informed him twenty minutes ago, that someone else was here to see him, Luke had been taken aback to discover his visitor was Mel McDaniel, Hawk’s former fiancé. She’d walked into his office carrying a small battered trunk. Mel had tried to visit him in the hospital eight months ago–but Luke had refused to see her. Since she and Luke had shared a smoke a time or two in the past, she’d immediately lit one up.
Apparently, Steve had smelled the smoke, so he’d come into Luke’s office to see what was up. Now, Steve and Mel were circling around each other like a couple of boxers.
Just the thought of what Hawk might be saying about Mel–if he could see her right now–made Luke begin to smile. But then he suddenly wanted to cry–it was such a bittersweet memory. And Luke had decided he was really pissed at himself. Why had he been such a jerk, and refused to see Mel, when she’d flown all the way to D.C. to visit him in the hospital at Christmas?
Steve was growling, “There’s no smoking in the house.”
“As if I didn’t already know the harm associated with smoking.” Mel deliberately inhaled deeply from her cigarette, before slowly and smoothly expunging the smoke into Steve’s face.
The expression on Steve’s face was priceless–he looked like he was ready to explode. Luke just couldn’t help it—he began to laugh. When Steve and Mel both turned to Luke with similar indignant stares, Luke began laughing even harder. He was surprised to realize, it was the first time he’d laughed since the accident–and it sure as hell felt good.
When Luke was finally able to contain his laughter, he informed Steve, “Mel’s an R.N., you know.”
Steve stilled, staring at Mel. Hawk had loved the way Mel dressed, with her tight leather skirts, and spiked high heels. Her hair was a coppery red—but, he supposed, she did wear a lot of heavy makeup and jewelry–Luke had never really noticed before now. Hawk had adored the entire package.
But Steve…well, he was looking her over from head to toe. “You–a nurse?” he asked, scathingly.
Mel inhaled, exaggeratedly, from her cigarette again.
This time, before she could exhale, Steve turned away abruptly. Sliding open the door leading out onto the deck, he stepped outside to stand guard. And Luke grinned. Surprisingly, he and Steve had become pretty close–kind of like brothers, and Steve seemed to be overly protective of him. Did Steve get similarly attached to all of his patients, Luke wondered?
“What’s his problem?” Mel was still glaring at Steve through the door.
Luke hesitated. “I think he’s determined to see me healthy.” From the seat behind his desk, Luke snuck a peek outside through the window. “I’m the first patient he’s taken on since his wife died last year,” Luke whispered. Still gazing at Mel, he continued, “I’m not for sure, of course, but I think it was lung cancer.”
Mel grimaced, appearing suddenly shaken.
“I wouldn’t worry, Mel. You guys just got off to the wrong start.”
“That’s saying it mildly,” Mel responded, scrunching up her mouth humorously.
“Besides, both of you did me a favor. It’s the first time I’ve laughed since the accident.”
“Aw, Luke.” She’d been pacing through his office from the time she’d arrived, nearly twenty minutes earlier.
“Why don’t you sit down, Mel?” Luke pointed at the chair, tucked underneath his desk. He preferred the comfort of his wheelchair, when sitting for long periods of time, working on his computer. “Tell me what’s in that box?”
Pulling out the chair, Mel sat down. “The box belonged to Hawk. There’re a few things in there that he would’ve wanted you to have,” Mel answered, before hesitating.
“What?” Luke asked, noticing she seemed to have more to say.
“There’re some letters in there, Luke. I’m sorry to say, that I began reading them, thinking they were written to Hawk.” Mel grimaced. “And then I realized they were addressed to you.”
Luke started, before staring through the window distractedly. He had an incredible view of the bay, since the office was located next to the living room near the foyer. “Hawk and I kept our stuff together, over there.”
“Where is she, Luke?” Mel asked softly. “Don’t tell me she quit on you–because of your injuries?”
Luke turned his gaze on Mel, troubled by her words. “I…no–not at all, Mel. I decided that it’s not fair for me to hold her back. She’s just graduated from college–and, damn it, she has her whole life ahead of her. Why should she be saddled with a cripple?”
Mel’s jaw dropped before she suddenly came to life, jumping up to her feet. “You decided, Luke Bryant? You decided?” She flung herself across his desk, meeting him nose to nose. “What kind of an idiot are you?” Clearly emotional, Mel pulled back and began pacing the room again, this time in tears. “Do you know what I’d give, to have Hawk with me right now—in any shape, way, or form? Do you know how lucky you are to be alive–and to have someone who loves you so much?”
Luke was stunned. Mel was still grieving. But she was saying everything that’d he’d been hoping to hear, deep in his heart, from the moment he’d awoken to discover he was so severely injured. He’d never really felt like he’d measured up, and had been good enough for Kelly. And now, with his injuries? But finally, someone was telling him, it was okay for a guy like him to love Kelly.
“And this guilt you’ve been carrying around with you, Luke? Hawk was in the wrong place at the wrong time. You had your assignment, and he had his.”
Taken aback by Mel’s quick change of subject, Luke’s words slipped out unintentionally. “We switched orders, Mel. I was supposed to be flying out of there first.” He was blinking back tears.
She stared at him intently. “From what I understand, there were two other pilots with you that day–right?”
Luke nodded imperceptibly.
“When all of you were scheduled to fly out of there, it just, so, happened, that Hawk got out of there first?”
Luke nodded again.
“Alright, Luke–let me ask you this? I was allowed to read some of the report–so I know that the airbase was under attack. If you would’ve flown out of there first–and then had been targeted and killed–would Hawk have been close enough to save those other two pilots, when they were getting shot at–like you did?”
Luke grimaced, as his hand rubbed down over his eyes. “Well, one of them did get hit eventually–just not straight on. I was able to pull him out, before the plane exploded.”
Mel added softly, “While you were being burned over half of your body, and a scalding wing piece was ripping apart your leg.” She continued, “I heard that the other guy only got burned over twenty percent of hi
s body–with second degree burns. Supposedly, he’s fine now.”
They were silent for what seemed like a very long time. Until Mel began to sob quietly, and dropped back down into the chair. Approaching her in his wheelchair, Luke reached for her hand and pulled her in as close as he was able.
Finally, Mel spoke. “Hawk would want for you to be happy. Just like you would want for him to be happy, too, if he was the one who survived. What’s done is done–we can’t bring him back.” She squeezed Luke’s hand, gazing steadily into his eyes. “You saved those other guys’ lives–Hawk might not have been able to get to them on time, since he was on the opposite side of the field.” Mel gazed down at Luke’s leg, before her eyes traveled up to study his face. “And I don’t know for sure, Luke, how he would’ve handled your kinds of injuries.” She closed her eyes. “I don’t know if you ever noticed–but Hawk would get queasy just looking at any kind of an injury. He’d never come inside the hospital when I was working, unless he absolutely had to, either.”
Luke gave her a rueful smile. “Yeah, I noticed, Mel–I could tell you a slew of stories, about some of the trouble his puking got us into—when we were stationed at that airbase, out in the middle of nowhere.”
Mel began to laugh, covering her mouth with her hand while Luke joined in. Hesitating, she finally added, “He was never lucky enough to have what you have, Luke–patience. I suspect that that has something to do with the abuse you’ve tolerated in your past.” Mel gave him a rueful smile. “I’d like to think that Hawk would’ve been happy, just being here, alive–but I have a feeling he would’ve been a real head case.”
Mel stood up suddenly. “I’m staying at the Dragonfly Inn for a couple of days.” She headed toward the door. “And I’m ordering you to talk to your girl as soon as possible.” She gave him a wobbly smile before she moved through the door. “Give me a call, and let me know how it goes–alright?
Swallowing uncomfortably, Luke nodded his agreement.
****
She was expecting a set down, when Steve Ryder prowled towards her, with a determined look on his face. Mel couldn’t help noticing, he was damn good-looking. His chocolate-brown eyes were intense in his strongly-chiseled face, and Steve’s ash brown hair, streaked with gold, was cropped neatly over his ears. His shoulders were broad, and his hips were narrow. At around six foot-four, Steve moved with the power of an athlete. Mel frowned. She didn’t like the fact that she’d been immediately attracted to this man–it’d only been a year since Hawk had died. And Hawk had been the mirror opposite of Steve. Raven-black hair, deep-blue eyes, with an easygoing way about him–they’d spent nearly every free moment on the road, exploring on his bike. God, how she missed him.
Steve immediately surprised her with his words. “I’m sorry. You said all the things to him that I wanted to say myself, but just didn’t know how.”
With the car door swung open, Mel halted, just as she was ready to step inside. “You were listening?’ she asked. She really didn’t know how she felt about that.
He gave her a wry smile. “Yeah. Not intentionally–the words kind of drifted outside, where I was standing.” Steve hesitated, before continuing. “And I’m sorry for your loss too, Mel. I had no idea who you were, when you came to visit here today.”
But Mel was freaking out. She’d actually felt shivers down her spine when Steve had smiled and said her name. She slid into the car and shoved the key into the ignition. Clearing her throat somewhat uncomfortably, she said, “I was sorry to hear about your loss, too–uh–Steve.”
He grimaced, but nodded his acceptance.
Without another word, Mel started up the car, and shifted into gear. Glancing into her rearview mirror, Mel watched while Steve stood staring silently as she pulled into the driveway, and drove up to the main road.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Luke had spent the previous night tossing and turning, considering Mel’s words. After working out with Luke a few hours earlier than usual this morning, Steve had taken off for Rice Lake to handle a family emergency—since Luke had insisted he was capable of getting around by himself the rest of the day. Besides, he’d been considering his future much more seriously now, and he had a slew of information about the airport to sort through. And, after talking to Mel, he’d been making some huge decisions about his personal life, too. When he heard the radio blaring and the sound of activity out in the kitchen, he finally came to a decision.
Luke grinned. If Kelly was really so sure that she wanted him, she could have him. He missed her so goddamned much. Melinda was right, he was being stupid. And trying to do–what he thought–was the best thing for Kelly–was only making them both more miserable.
But he needed a shower first—since Steve had left immediately after their workout. Luke was getting around much better using crutches. He managed to make it into the shower, under the running water, without any problems. But when he began to step out, he noticed he hadn’t closed the shower door completely, and water had pooled within the cracks of the tile floor. A single leg and a single foot just wouldn’t cut it, he realized with resignation, slipping down into an awkward position on the floor with a long, loud thump.
“Shit,” he cursed, half-heartedly. “Now what?” There was a bar on the wall on the other side of the room, and a bar had also been installed inside the shower. But he’d have to crawl back into the shower in order to stand up.
And then there was the puddle of water he was sitting in, on the floor. He grinned wryly. He couldn’t even reach for a towel to mop it up. So, if he somehow managed to stand up again, he’d probably just fall back down. Luke sighed resignedly—he’d just have to crawl into the bedroom.
When he heard the sound of muffled laughter, Luke started, jerking his head around. With both hands covering her mouth, Kelly stood leaning back against the bathroom door.
He closed his eyes, groaning, “Why do you always seem to catch me in my most awkward moments?”
Kelly’s soft laughter continued, as she entered the bathroom and opened up the closet door. Scooping up a bundle of towels and dropping them onto the floor, she began mopping up the water. After finally hanging the wet towels neatly over the side of the tub, Kelly bent down, meeting his eyes. “What would you like for me to do?” she asked, gently.
“Oh–I’m pretty sure that I can think of a thing–or two,” he answered, dryly.
She gave him a huge smile. Surprisingly, she didn’t seem to question his change of heart. “Me, too,” she agreed quietly.
She began to assist, as he hoisted himself up from the bathroom floor. With an arm wrapped loosely over Kelly’s shoulders, Luke hopped slowly into the bedroom until he was finally able to sit down on the foot of the bed.
Giving him a sly feminine smile, Kelly said, “Did I mention, by the way, that I’m glad to see that everything is still in working order?”
Crap–she’d noticed? Luke felt his face turn ruddy, as Kelly stared down at him with obvious approval.
Luke focused his eyes on Kelly’s mouth, and he heard her quick intake of breath. When he raised his eyes to hers, he detected a gleam of uncertainty along with desire. This time he was the one who had to search for breath. His chest felt tight, as his heart started pounding hard against his chest. He felt her irresistible pull, and his arms reached out so he could grab her around the waist. Yanking Kelly gently into his lap, Luke laid his mouth down on hers. Slipping his tongue inside of her mouth to taste more of her, the demand of his kiss parted her lips.
No–you weren’t gonna do it like this, he reminded himself. But God, how he’d missed her. Luke deepened his kiss, and the heat of it melted away his last remaining rational thought. Reconciliation flared into passion, and the need to be as close as humanly possible.
****
Kelly’s head was reeling, as she kissed Luke back. Much of his upper body strength had returned, and his hands were big and strong as they splayed over her back. Hot little ripples of pleasure slid up and down her body,
as she moved sensually against his arousal.
Luke broke off the kiss, sucking in air. “Oh, Kel,” he said, and bent his head down, kissing her harder, exploring her mouth deliberately with his tongue.
He was making her crazy. Kelly’s heart lurched, as her bones liquefied, and if he hadn’t been holding her so tightly, she would’ve melted into a sizzling puddle on the bedroom floor.
She made a small hungry sound deep in the back of her throat, and squeezed as close to him as she could possibly get. With each touch of his lips and each swirl of his tongue, he was relentlessly stoking the fire within her.
Until she burned. Hard and hot and wanting her, he was unmistakably turned on. Pulling her closer, Luke began kissing her senseless, making her feel things she’d almost forgotten she could feel. She could sense the tension thrumming through his body, as he helped her remove her clothing, leaving her jeans and T-shirt discarded at the foot of the bed.
When they finally laid back upon the bed, and they began gradually sliding upwards in an effort to get even closer, Kelly was pleased to notice Luke’s movements were slow, but not in the least bit awkward. He was attempting to cover her, somewhat impatiently, when Kelly raised her hand, suddenly shoving Luke back into the pillows.
He blinked, but Kelly grinned, staring hard into his steely-gray eyes. Leaning forward, she rested her hands on his chest, just below his shoulders, and, using her weight to hold him steady, she bent her head down and laid her lips over his. When Luke kissed her back, a spark of heat, once again, began to fire her up.
She moved onward, sliding her lips to his jaw, and then down over the length of his throat. She heard Luke sigh, as he kept his hands on her waist, and simply held onto her. Loving the feel of his hair-roughened chest against her tightened nipples, Kelly kissed and caressed, making her way down Luke’s hard, muscular body–and he’d definitely filled out since the last time she’d seen him by the pool. Tending to each of Luke’s wounds with loving care, she brushed over the scars covering his chest and his waist with her fingertips, and followed with her lips and tongue.
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