by Marie Force
“Jenny, are you here?” Olivia wandered inside, marveling at the wide knotty-pine floors that had been buffed to a gleaming finish. She ran her hand over the shiny white molding that surrounded the living-room doorway before she continued on to the kitchen where Cole leaned against the counter drinking a cup of coffee from St. Elmo’s, looking for all the world like he had been waiting there just for her.
“Hello, Liv.”
Rendered speechless with surprise, she could only stare at him.
Amused by her mute shock, his eyes twinkled. “How are you?”
“What are… What’re you doing here?” she stammered, continuing to stare at him. He wore a faded denim shirt that made his eyes an even crazier shade of blue than usual. Had he ever looked so good? “Where’s Jenny?”
“To answer your first question—I live here—or I will as soon as the movers get here with my stuff. As for your second question, I have no idea. Her job was to get you here. I’m not sure what her plans are for the rest of the day.”
Confused, she tried to process what he’d said. “You live here? Get me here? For what?”
“For this.” Putting down the coffee, he crossed the room, lifted her right off her feet, and kissed her.
He tasted like coffee and toothpaste and, oh God, he tasted like Cole, and she couldn’t get enough of him.
When he came up for air several minutes later, he looked into her eyes. “You have no idea how badly I wanted to do that the last time I saw you, waiting for me at Dulles with a pale face and big brown eyes full of love.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
“Because I wasn’t ready yet.”
“Ready for what?”
He let her slide back down to her feet but kept his firm hold on her. “I wanted to do it right this time.”
“You’re making my head spin. Will you please tell me what the heck is going on here?”
Laughing, he helped her out of her coat and lifted her onto the counter to put her at his eye level. Standing between her legs, he ran his fingers through her long hair. “Before I say anything else, I have to know one thing.”
“What?”
“Are you pregnant, Liv?”
She shook her head, feeling the genuine regret once again.
“We’ll have to try harder.”
Shocked and still confused, she tried to get her head around what he was saying. “We will?”
He nodded. “I wanted to ask you that so badly the night at Dulles, but I couldn’t just blurt that out like it was the only thing I cared about.” His fingers continued to spool through her hair. “I’m so sorry, Liv. I screwed everything up.”
“No, you didn’t. I did. Everything you said about me was true.”
“And none of it would’ve happened if I’d been straight with you from the beginning, so that’s what I’m going to do this time. The day after we got back from San Francisco, I put in a request to change my home base to Washington. I didn’t say anything to you at the time in case they said no. But they approved it on the first of February. I got busy looking for a house, hoping that maybe if I lived here, somehow, over time, I could make it right with you. Jenny told me how much you love this neighborhood, so I focused my efforts here. I closed on this place the day after the Valentine’s Day near-disaster.”
“I don’t understand. Why would you do all this when we were broken up?”
“Because the woman I love lives here, and it’s going to take her a while to finish school. Since I couldn’t bear to live halfway across the country from her for that long, I figured I’d better do something about it before she slipped through my fingers and forced me to spend the rest of my life longing for her.”
“But that night,” she stammered, “in the airport, you were so remote. I was sure it was over for good after that.”
“The whole time I was circling that airport, all I could think about was getting through it so I could see you again. And then when you were there, waiting for me… What you said that night and the message you left on my phone… After that, I knew for certain I was doing the right thing by moving here. I love you so much, Liv, and I want us to date like normal people without all the pressures and drama of a long-distance thing. Can we please start over again and do it right this time?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“No?” he asked, startled. “You don’t want to date me?”
“I do not want to date you.”
He groaned. “Liv. You’ve got to be kidding me. I picked up my whole life, drove halfway across the country, and you’ve changed your mind? It’s only been fifteen days since you told me you still love me!”
Right then, she realized the Mustang she had admired in the street was his. “Shut up, will you? Will you please just shut up and kiss me again, you big idiot?” With both hands on his face, she molded her lips to his as her heart did a happy dance in her chest.
Between kisses, she said, “I want to live with you and marry you and have a family with you and share your life—all the things you said you wanted from me before I ruined it. So no, I will not date you.”
“Well, you might have to for a while because when we get engaged, I’m doing the asking. You got me?”
“As long as you make it snappy.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He leaned his forehead against hers. “There was another reason why I wasn’t ready to tell you all this that night in the airport.”
“What other reason?”
“Guess what today is?”
“Um, Tuesday?”
“Even better. It comes around once every four years. Last day of February? Ringing any bells?” He let that settle for a long moment before he curled his face into the half grin she loved so much. “It’s Leap Day, baby.”
Epilogue
Olivia found a quiet corner in Paolo’s office and sank to the floor, her back propped against the wall. Sliding off the three-inch heels Jenny had talked her into, she stretched her feet and back, all of which were screaming from standing for hours. The place was so packed she had lost track of Cole and her parents an hour earlier. Feeling overwhelmed and alone in a sea of admirers, Olivia had fled to the quiet office.
That’s where Cole found her twenty minutes later. “There you are! Everyone’s looking for the art world’s latest sensation.” He had a bottle of champagne tucked under his arm. Sitting next to her, he reached for her hand. “You’re a smash, honey. Paolo just announced that every one of your pieces has sold for the asking price. Apparently, there was a bidding war for one of them.”
“All of them?” she squeaked.
“Every one. I’m so proud of you and so happy for you.” He leaned over and kissed her softly. “You deserve this more than anyone ever could.”
She caressed his face. “I’m so glad you’re here to share it with me.”
“Where else would I be?”
Amused by him, she glanced at the bottle. “So what’s with the champagne? I thought we learned our lesson the last time.”
He toyed with her earlobe, rolling the diamond earring between his fingers. “It was all I could find, and since I’m one step closer to my dream of being your kept man, I figured we needed to celebrate.” Untwisting the cork, he let it fly across the room and sucked down the first blast of fizzy wine before he handed the bottle to her. “Madame?”
She took a long sip and gave it back to him.
He rested his head against the wall and turned so he could see her. “How do you feel?”
“Happy—really, truly happy. This definitely qualifies as one of the best days of my life, and you’re the one who made it happen.”
“No way. This is all about you.”
“This is all about us.”
After pondering that for a second, he nodded. “Okay, I’ll drink to that.”
She nudged his shoulder with hers. “We make a pretty good team, huh?”
“The best. In fact, I was planning to do this when we got back to the Fairmont, but suddenly I
don’t want to wait.”
“For what?”
Reaching into the pocket of his black pinstripe suit coat, he retrieved a huge square-cut diamond ring and slid it onto her left hand. “What do you say we make this partnership official?”
Tears flooded her eyes. “Do you promise to love me forever?”
His blue eyes went dark with desire and love as he nodded. “Forever and ever.”
“Pinky swear?”
He smiled and wrapped his little finger around hers. “Pinky swear.”
She leaned in to kiss him. “Then you’ve got yourself a deal.”
Bonus Epilogue
Olivia checked her phone again, anxiety spiking as she waited for the flight attendants to tell passengers they had to turn off their phones. She had no new voicemails or texts in the five minutes since she last looked.
Cole’s hand covered hers. “It’s safe to turn off your phone, hon.”
“It’s six whole hours. What if something happens?”
“Your parents will handle it.”
“But—”
“Liv, honey, they’ll be fine.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t go. You don’t need me there—”
He leaned across the wide first-class seat to kiss her. “I do need you there, the kids will be fine, and we need this time alone. It’s been years since we were completely alone, and I thought you were excited to make me jealous by fawning over Flynn Godfrey.”
“I was excited, until I had to leave my babies for a whole week.”
“They’ll be fine. Your parents have everything under control.”
“Maybe I should call my mom one more time.”
“If you must.”
Olivia placed the call before Cole could talk her out of it.
“Hi there,” Mary said in the cheerful voice Olivia had become accustomed to in recent years. “I thought you’d be on your way by now.”
“We’re on the plane, but I’m freaking out about leaving the kids. Are you sure they’re all right?”
“They’re totally fine. Dad took Oliver and Joe to the park, and Kendall is napping. When they get back, we’re going to order pizza and watch a movie. I promise you have nothing to worry about.”
“That’s what Cole said, too.”
Mary laughed. “It’s very difficult to leave your kids for the first time, but you guys deserve this getaway. You work hard and take care of three kids. Take this time for yourselves and enjoy it.”
“Okay, I’ll try.”
“Text when you get to LA, so we know you arrived safely.”
“I will.”
“Love you guys. Have fun.”
“Love you, too.”
Ever since her mother had gone to rehab a few years ago, she was a whole new person and never missed a chance to tell her husband, children and grandchildren that she loved them. After a lifetime of wondering why her mother couldn’t be like other moms, Olivia never got tired of hearing those words from her.
“Everything cool?” Cole asked.
“Yes.”
“You still want to go?”
As he asked the question, the flight attendants closed the door to the Jetway.
Olivia eyed the closed door with trepidation. “I guess I have to now.”
“I can get them to open the door if you’ve changed your mind.”
As Capital Airlines’ resident celebrity pilot, if Cole asked, they’d do it.
“That’s okay.” She smiled at her husband, who seemed to get more handsome with every passing year. He was forty-three now, with a few gray hairs popping up here and there, but on him, the gray only added to his appeal.
“We’ll FaceTime with the kids every day. I promise.” He brought their joined hands to his lips and waggled his brows suggestively. “And I’ll make sure you have a very, very nice time.”
Smiling, she leaned her head on his shoulder. “You always do.”
“Plus, you’ll get to meet Flynn Godfrey.”
“Why do you think I’m going?”
“Hey!”
Olivia cracked up at his outrage. Movie star Flynn Godfrey had nothing on her sexy husband.
“I still can’t believe he’s going to play me in a movie that will be out in two short weeks.” Having Flynn attached to the film had turned it into a huge deal.
“Are you ready for the Captain Incredible business to start up again?”
“No,” Cole moaned. “I can’t bear it.”
“How do you think I feel? Everywhere we go, women will slip you their numbers and undress you with their greedy eyes. I won’t be responsible for my actions if they do that in front of me.”
“Easy, killer,” he said with a low chuckle. “Put those claws away. I’m a one-woman kinda guy, and I have been for seven years this week.”
“Seven years. That’s hard to believe.”
“Time flies when you’re having the time of your life with the woman of your dreams after you get punched out in her store.”
She glanced up at him. “Oh, you’re smooth, Captain Incredible. I’ll give you that.”
Scowling, he said, “You’re not allowed to call me that.”
Despite his best efforts to convince them to go with something other than the title Captain Incredible, everyone involved had wanted the obvious name to capitalize on the publicity Cole’s heroics had already generated.
They’d been told the film would open with the captain, Bob Greenman, suffering a heart attack on final approach to LaGuardia in a blizzard. Cole, the first officer, had landed the Airbus A320 in a blizzard and then resuscitated Bob, sparking a furious round of publicity and adulation seven years ago.
“Everyone’s going to be calling you that after the movie comes out.”
“Don’t remind me. I want to remain in denial while I can.”
“I can’t wait to see it.” They’d been invited to a special screening two weeks before the official release. It would be the first time either of them had seen the finished product. They’d seen parts and pieces and the trailer, but not the full film.
As the plane taxied for takeoff, Cole reached for her hand.
Though she’d flown more times than she could count since she met him, Olivia was still nervous and always appreciated having her very own pilot to calm her fears.
“I’m concerned about something,” he said as the plane launched down the runway for takeoff.
“What?” Olivia asked, alarmed.
“About the film, not the flight.”
“Oh. That’s good, since we’re about to take off.”
Smiling, he said, “About them including my fling with Chelsea in the film…”
“What about it?” Olivia knew about his brief romance with one of the thankful passengers. The whole world had watched it happen in the aftermath of his heroic actions.
“It’s just that it might be weird to see that unfold on the big screen.”
“I’m prepared for that. I know your life didn’t begin the day you got punched out in my store.”
He kissed the back of her hand. “In all the ways that matter most, my life did begin on that day. I never give a thought to Chelsea or anyone else but you. I hope you know that.”
“Of course I do. I keep you far too busy to give you time to think about anyone but me.”
His dirty laugh made her smile. “Yes, you certainly do.”
“Not to mention three kids under the age of six to chase after.”
“That, too.”
“I’m not worried about what I’ll see in the movie, Cole. Don’t worry about that. Besides, I lived the best part of the story.”
“Yes, you certainly did.” Leaning his head on her shoulder, he said, “Tell me that story. It’s my favorite story ever.”
“Well, it all began when a handsome, sexy pilot got punched out in my store…”
The screening was held at the home of Flynn Godfrey and his wife, Natalie, who welcomed Cole and Olivia like they were old friends.
This whole thing was surreal to Cole, especially the part in which one of the world’s most famous men was playing him in a film. That day in January seven years ago had changed Cole’s life profoundly. He could remember every detail of the flight, which had been stressful due to the weather conditions. They’d been the last plane due to land at LaGuardia before the airport closed for the rest of the day.
Bob Greenman, an experienced captain who Cole had flown with several times before, started to say something and then clutched his chest. The next thing Cole knew, Bob was slumped in his seat, not responding to Cole’s efforts to rouse him, and the lives of one hundred and forty-seven people were in his hands. He’d tried not to think about that as he reported the medical emergency to air traffic control and relied upon instruments to bring the plane in for a safe landing in blinding snow.
The second the plane skidded to a stop, he’d bolted from his seat, unlocked the cockpit door—startling the flight crew—and dragged Bob from his seat to perform the CPR that had saved the other man’s life. All told, the entire incident had taken twelve minutes—twelve minutes that had changed Cole’s life profoundly.
Bob and his family had been so incredibly thankful, as had the passengers who hadn’t sensed anything was amiss until they saw Cole drag the pilot from the cockpit and perform CPR.
The airline’s publicity people had seized the story and milked it for all it was worth, turning him into a household name who was recognized—even seven years later—everywhere he went. When he’d been approached about selling the rights to his story, he’d taken the deal only because he’d never expected anything to come of it—and it had been a shitload of money, the kind of money that funds retirements and makes life a hell of a lot easier.
For a while, nothing had come of the option, which was par for the course with the movie business, or so he’d been told. Then he was punched out in Olivia’s store, helped to successfully land a flight with a disabled front gear—with television cameras watching—and married the girl from the store. After all that, the story became even more tailor-made for Hollywood, which is how he and Liv ended up in a chauffeur-driven car on the way to Flynn Godfrey’s Hollywood Hills home for a private screening of Captain Incredible.