When Sparks Fly (Pine Ridge Romance Book 2)

by Holly Stevenson

“They were good. That turbulence on the way to Miami was a little intense though.”

  He nodded. “I hope you didn’t get too many complaints about how long we had to keep the seat belt signs on.”

  “No.” She shrugged. “But I did almost have to break down the lavatory door to get a woman to come out as we were descending.”

  “Seriously?”

  She laughed and then covered her mouth. “It was bad. We kept knocking and telling her she needed to take her seat, and she kept answering in Spanish. I don’t know what she was doing in there, but thankfully she came out and took her seat just in time. Otherwise, you guys would have had to make another pass at the runway.”

  Mitch chuckled, his heart lightening at the lively look in Leah’s brown eyes. “I had no idea any of that was going on.”

  “You pilots have it so good,” she teased, looking at him sideways before her face straightened, as if she remembered to put the wall back up. “Thanks for the safe flights,” she added. “I didn’t mean to downplay your job.”

  “I know.” He gave her a soft smile to show he wasn’t offended. They walked for a few moments in silence, their feet leaving prints in the partially wet sand. A slight breeze picked up and Leah rubbed her arms again. “Are you cold?” he asked, wishing he’d thought to bring a jacket.

  “I’m okay.” She kept her arms hugged against her chest.

  “I can run up to my room and grab a jacket for you,” he offered.

  “It’s fine. Really. I don’t think I’ll stay out too much longer.” She continued to avoid his gaze.

  Mitch nodded, though it took physical effort to not put his arm around her to warm her up. “What do you think about heading over to that cantina to get a little something to eat? The food smelled good, and they have heat lamps on the patio out front.”

  “Oh,” she glanced over her shoulder at the cantina. “That sounds nice, but I actually didn’t bring my purse.”

  “It would be my treat.”

  Her eyes darted to his. “I couldn’t let you do that.”

  He tipped his head to one side. “Why not?”

  “Because, it would feel—” she hesitated as if she’d been about to say one thing and then changed her mind. “—It would make me feel bad,” she finished, biting the edge of her lip.

  He laughed, sliding his hands into his pockets. “It’s just one meal. Consider it a small gift from one friend to another.”

  She stopped and turned to him, searching his face. “Is that what we are? Friends?”

  Mitch’s heart thudded. “I thought we were,” he paused, feeling vulnerable under her gaze. “If that’s okay with you?”

  Her face slowly relaxed and she nodded. “Yes . . . I’d like to be friends.”

  That answer should have made him happy, so why did it fill him with such disappointment? He masked it with an easy smile. “Great. Then let’s get something to eat.”

  She didn’t protest, and they made their way toward the friendly cantina, taking an open table that conveniently sat right beneath a large heat lamp. Leah let out a sigh as she sat down, finally uncrossing her arms.

  “Better?” Mitch asked.

  “Much.” She relaxed her shoulders and picked up her menu. “I ate dinner in my room earlier, but there’s always room for dessert.”

  “Always,” Mitch agreed with a nod. “Just order whatever you want. I like to eat, so don’t make me feel bad by ordering something small.” He tossed her a playful warning look.

  “I wouldn’t dream of it.” The corner of her lip curved up to match the teasing glimmer in her eyes.

  Mitch swallowed and returned his attention to his menu. They were just friends. He could think of Leah that way—but it would be a whole lot easier if she wasn’t so utterly captivating. Her features were bathed in the soft glow of the lights strung from the grass canopy above them, and her long blonde hair cascaded down one shoulder as she bent to study the menu. The sound of the waves, the rich salty air and the music playing softly from the outside speakers all combined to make this feel like a date.

  An extremely romantic date.

  Mitch rubbed his hands against his thighs, trying to focus on the menu.

  Leah glanced up at him through her lashes and smiled. His heart climbed into his throat. Who was he kidding? He would never be able to think of her as just a friend.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Thanks again for dessert,” Leah said as they approached her hotel room. Mitch had insisted on walking her to her door, and after the incident on the beach earlier, she didn’t object.

  “It was my pleasure,” he said. “Thanks for the company.”

  “Anytime.” She blushed, realizing her reply had been a little too eager. She slowed as she came to her room, reluctant to say goodnight. They’d kept the conversation light at the cantina, and all the while she’d been dying to bring up the topic she was most curious about. She gestured toward her room number. “This is me.”

  Mitch nodded. “Okay. I hope you sleep well.” His eyes penetrated hers for a brief moment before he turned to leave.

  Leah pressed her lips together, but the word burst out before she could stop it. “Wait.”

  Mitch paused; one eyebrow raised in question.

  Her blush deepened. “Sorry . . . It’s just that I wanted to ask you something.”

  He slid his hands into the pockets of his cargo shorts. “Sure.”

  She took a breath. “I overheard you talking to Sam this morning,” she lifted her shoulder in a guilty shrug, “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I overheard you planning to ask Candice on a date.”

  He leaned his head back, regarding her a moment before he answered. “Yeah, we were talking about that.”

  Awkwardness filled the space between them and suddenly Leah felt stupid for bringing it up. She twisted her hands. “Well, I just wanted to say that you don’t have to be nervous about it. I saw the two of you talking in the crew lounge, and she’s obviously interested.”

  “What makes you say that?” he asked, folding his arms across his chest, his expression inscrutable.

  She shrugged. “A girl can tell.” When he didn’t say anything, she fidgeted with her room keycard. “Anyway, I just wanted to wish you luck with that.”

  “Thanks.” He paused, his eyes holding hers. “I guess we’ll see what happens.”

  The air left Leah’s lungs. He’d used the same line she had when he’d asked about Dan, and the intent look in his eyes told her it wasn’t by accident. He wasn’t playing fair. Especially when she was trying so hard to think of him as just a friend. She raised her chin a fraction. “I guess we will,” she answered, not backing down from his gaze.

  Mitch took a step closer, his eyes locked on hers. Leah went completely still. Her heart thundered in her chest as the space between them grew super-charged with expectation. Without thinking, her gaze moved to his lips and her mouth watered.

  Something flickered in his eyes—some secret he wasn’t willing to part with. He leaned even closer and she closed her eyes. Her heart raced as she tilted her face to meet his, breathless with anticipation. Mitch put his arms around her, pulling her into a brief hug. Her eyes flew open in surprise. The smell of his cologne and the firmness of his chest rendered her speechless as her thoughts flew in a thousand different directions. He must have noticed that she’d expected a kiss. Her face burned with embarrassment.

  “Tell Dan hello from me,” he said, his voice husky as he quickly pulled away and strode off without looking back.

  Leah stood frozen in place, her mind volleying between shock and confusion. With a trembling hand she unlocked the door and closed it behind her before pressing her back against the cold surface. What had just happened? How could she have been so sure Mitch was going to kiss her? Normally she was good at reading the signals, but she’d made a complete fool of herself! He’d brought up Dan, which was probably his way of letting her down gently.

  Ugh!

  She covered her fa
ce with her hands, mortified beyond words. This was exactly why she shouldn’t get involved with pilots. The thought of facing Mitch at work tomorrow was too embarrassing to contemplate. Maybe she should call in sick and fly home. But just as quickly as the thought came, she shooed it away. She needed to save her sick days for when her mom needed her. She would just have to suck it up and deal with the situation like an adult.

  Her phone rang from the pocket of her dress and she pulled it out, her heart conflicted when she saw Dan’s number. She considered sending it to voicemail before deciding that talking to Dan was exactly what she needed to get her mind off of Mitch. And besides that, she still needed to invite him to Jade’s wedding. Dan was nice. He was safe. She took a breath and answered the call, greeting him with as bright a tone as she could muster.

  “I hope this is an okay time to call?” he asked.

  She let out a shaky breath, forcing all thoughts of Mitch from her mind. “Yes. Your timing is perfect.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Your plane,” Mitch said, letting his dad take the controls of the Cessna for landing.

  Charlie Harrison smiled and put his hands on the yoke, expertly greasing the landing on the runway of the small airport near their hometown.

  “You’d think with all the practice I get doing landings, I’d be the expert, but you still have me beat,” Mitch said into the mic on his headset.

  Charlie laughed. “You sure know how to make your old man feel good,” he said good-naturedly. “Maybe I should have worked for the airlines, instead of the auto body shop.”

  “Nah, then you wouldn’t have been able to teach Lucas and me how to fix stuff.” He smiled at his dad as they taxied back to the hangar.

  “That’s true. I guess it gave you and Lucas a built-in job during high school. I’ll miss having him at the shop when he leaves for college.” The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened. “It’s hard to let him go.”

  “I know.” Mitch patted his arm. Sending a kid to college would be hard enough, without adding the extra worry of Lucas’ hearing impairment. “But I’ll tell you the same thing I told Mom: he’s ready. And he’ll be just fine.”

  Charlie gave an answering grunt as he parked outside the hangar and cut the engine. They pushed the airplane back into the hangar and shut the door. “Thanks for coming with me this morning,” he said, putting his hands at his sides. “It’s nice to get a break from running the business and clear my head once in a while.”

  “Anytime, Dad.” Mitch smiled. “My schedule is open until my next flight, so let me know when you’d like to go again.”

  “Completely open?” Charlie asked with a sidelong glance. “You don’t have any dates lined up while you’re home?”

  Mitch snorted. “You’re starting to sound like Mom. Since when did you take interest in my dating life?”

  He held up his hands. “I’m not trying to stick my nose in your business—but I can’t help noticing that you’ve seemed a little down since your last trip. I wondered if it might have to do with a girl.”

  Mitch scuffed the toe of his shoe along the asphalt. It had been five days since that night in San Juan with Leah. He’d done everything he could think of to put her from his mind since then, but the memory of her beautiful face waiting expectantly for his kiss still plagued him. They’d exchanged a few words the following morning, but she’d clearly put her wall firmly back in place, and he felt too stupid about the way he’d botched things—again—to attempt further conversation. He’d desperately wanted to kiss her, but he couldn’t do it. Not when he knew that she was pursuing a relationship with Dan.

  He’d found out from Bonnie the next day that Leah had asked Dan to be her date to her friend’s wedding. The news had twisted like a knife in the gut. Maybe a passing fling was no big deal to her, but to Mitch, kissing Leah would have changed him. Possibly forever. He sensed there would be no going back from that kiss, and she would hold his heart captive from that moment on.

  His dad was still watching him so he shrugged, playing if off. “There was a girl, but she’s dating someone else now.”

  “Leah?”

  Mitch’s eyes flew to his father’s face. “Where did you hear about her?”

  “From Lucas.” He gave a wry smile. “He told us all about your evening out last week. In his mind, you were both pretty taken with each other, even though she was out with Dan.”

  “I can’t take that kid with me anywhere. He’s way too observant.” Mitch shook his head. “But he’s wrong about her interest in me. She and Dan are dating now.”

  Charlie clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m sorry, son. I know heartache isn’t a fun emotion to deal with. It may not seem like it now, but someone else will come along. Maybe someone you like even better. Give it some time, and don’t be afraid to open the door when love comes knocking.” He winked and Mitch gave a half smile.

  “Thanks, Dad.” He appreciated the words, though deep down he had a hard time believing them. Leah made him feel things in ways he never thought possible. It wasn’t just her beauty he admired—there was something in her very essence that stirred him to the core. He’d never believed in soulmates, but he wasn’t sure how else to explain the effect she had on him, consuming his thoughts and captivating his senses whenever she was near. She was like Kryptonite—his Achille’s heel. The addiction he couldn’t overcome.

  But he had to try.

  He and his dad exchanged a brief hug before parting ways, but as Charlie climbed into his car, he called out, “Whatever happened to that one girl you dated? The one who does hair?”

  “Valerie.” Mitch nodded slowly. “I think she’s still around. Maybe I’ll give her a call.”

  “Can’t hurt.” His dad shrugged and then got into his car and pulled away from the hangar.

  Mitch climbed into his truck, debating for a few moments. He knew he wasn’t interested in Valerie beyond friendship, and he didn’t want to lead her on. But the possibility of asking someone out did bring another face to his mind. Maybe his dad was right—maybe this was the only way to get Leah out of his head. Reluctantly, he pulled out his phone and dialed Sam’s number. Sam picked up on the second ring.

  “Hey, man, what’s up?” he asked.

  Mitch swallowed, his stomach twisting in a nervous knot. “Any chance you know how I could get a hold of Candice?”

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Okay, this is officially the best bachelorette party ever,” Jade said, dipping a piece of bread into the fondue pot at the table.

  Leah smiled, happy to see her friend relaxed and enjoying herself before her wedding day.

  Jade turned to Savannah. “It was a brilliant idea to have the rehearsal dinner last night. I think if it had been tonight, I would have been stressed.”

  Savannah lifted a hand. “This isn’t my first rodeo. I wanted you to be able to enjoy each event without feeling rushed from one big thing to the next.”

  “So smart,” Leah agreed.

  She, Piper, Olivia and Savannah had each planned a part of the evening for Jade. Knowing their author friend tended to be a little more on the reserved side—preferring small gatherings and quiet atmospheres—they’d gotten their nails done at a spa, and were now enjoying the fondue dinner at the restaurant Leah had chosen. After this, they would end the evening with a gathering at Piper and Savannah’s for games, treats, and girl talk.

  “How did you hear about this place, Leah?” Olivia asked, swirling her fondue fork in melted gourmet cheese. “It’s sensational.”

  “I heard about it from my friend Bonnie that I work with,” Leah answered. “She said they had yummy food and a fun atmosphere, so I thought it sounded perfect for Jade’s special night out.” She prepared a piece of grilled steak to be dipped in the cheese.

  “You thought right.” Jade nodded, using her napkin to dab at a bit of cheese sauce on her lip. “Honestly, this stuff is so good that I don’t even care if my dress is a little tight tomorrow.” She winked,
placing another piece of bread on her fork to prove her point.

  “You don’t have to worry about that, silly girl.” Savannah nudged her in the side. “You’re going to look perfect. I know, because I was at the fitting.” She smiled and raised her water glass. “Here’s to Jade—tonight is all about enjoying yourself and your last night of being single.”

  They all raised their glasses, laughing as they clinked them together in the toast before resuming the meal.

  “How are you feeling?” Leah asked Jade, settling back in her seat as they waited for the next fondue pot to be brought to the table. “Are you nervous at all?”

  Jade’s golden hazel eyes warm as she shook her head. “I probably should be, but I’m too excited about marrying Connor to have room for nerves.”

  “Aw,” Piper sighed, putting her hand over her heart. “That’s so sweet! I hope that’s exactly how I feel the night before my wedding.”

  “To Drew,” Olivia supplied, arching a teasing eyebrow at her. “I expect it won’t be long until we’re planning your wedding. I would love to have you for my sister-in-law.”

  Piper blushed and ducked her head. “I would love that too,” she admitted.

  “Just so long as you stay in Pine Ridge, like me and Connor,” Jade joined in. “I think we should all form a pact that no matter whom we marry, we have to stay in Pine Ridge so we can raise our kids together.” She put her hand in the middle of the table, waiting to see who would put their hand on top of hers.

  “It’s a deal,” Piper answered, placing her hand on top of Jade’s. Since Drew lived in Pine Ridge, she was the first to agree to the bargain.

  Leah, Savannah, and Olivia exchanged glances.

  “Why not?” Savannah shrugged, adding her hand half-heartedly to the pile. “I don’t plan to marry, but I promise to stay in Pine Ridge and be the favorite with all of your kids,” she said with a wink.

  “I wouldn’t want to be far from Piper and Drew,” Olivia agreed, placing her hand on top of Savannah’s.