My Little Rock Airman

by Brittany Fichter

  “Also,” I added, trying to lighten the mood slightly, “my mother will probably want to thank you, too.”

  “She doesn’t need to.”

  “Oh, not for Jade.” I gave her a wry grin. “For keeping me out of jail.”

  “Well,” she studied me before a slow grin spread across her face. “I guess this means you owe me.”

  I laughed as we pulled out of the parking lot. “I guess it does.”

  16

  Pro Bono

  Jessie

  In the week that followed, I wasn’t sure what to expect after my unorthodox bonding moment with Derrick at the diamond mine, and it sat on the back of my mind for the remainder of the weekend. I felt as though I’d seen a color in him that I hadn’t even known existed before. He joked about jail, but back in that moment, when I’d caught a glimpse of him staring over my shoulder at the man who had yelled at Jade, I’d known he truly was very likely to put the man out of his misery.

  It’s funny how a single look can change the way you think about someone. Sure, he’d told me about his passion for his sister, but I hadn’t realized in that moment just how deep his devotion ran. And it was impossible not to be touched by that kind of love.

  And the moment he wiped the dirt off my face? For some reason, stupid alarm bells went off in my head. And though I knew it meant nothing…it should mean nothing because he had a fiancée, I had to wonder. When was the last time I’d been touched by a man? Except for my relatives, of course. And me grabbing Sam’s arm in the bar to pretend he was my boyfriend to escape Tanner didn’t count.

  The last time I could remember having any sort of physical contact initiated by someone of the opposite sex was in college, when I’d stumbled in a stairwell, and my friend’s boyfriend caught my arm so I didn’t plunge to my death.

  Maybe Madison was right. I did need to get out more.

  Sam’s text didn’t help either. That evening, after I got back from the diamond mine, I noticed his message, which I had missed in the excitement of the day.

  So how was the beast today? Do I need to take someone by the horns and toss them around a bit?

  The beast was fine. It was me, apparently, who needed a good shakeup.

  We didn’t kill each other today, I responded. So that’s something.

  I was spared the humiliation of having to figure out how to talk to Derrick the next Monday when he was called away at the last minute for a temporary duty assignment in Mississippi and would be gone the entire week. I found myself relieved at the reprieve and yet, anxious. I’d have to see him again sometime. If only we could just get it over with.

  The week was strangely quiet. I took Jade to all her appointments and without the arguing, even had time to slip a little fun. Mrs. Allen didn’t seem particularly interested in the Candy Choir, probably since she was sure Jade wouldn’t make the team. But all I needed was the go-ahead, so we chose a song and costume for the tryouts. Everything went as expected, and I came out another week closer to starting my master’s degree.

  What I didn’t expect, however, was a text at nine-fifteen a.m. Saturday morning, a week after our little mining adventure.

  Up for more pro bono work?

  It took me several seconds to wipe the blur from my eyes as I squinted at the screen. Pro bono? Oh. Derrick. He must have gotten my number from his mother.

  What did you have in mind? I typed back.

  Be ready in fifteen. We’re on our way to get you.

  I stared at the phone for another minute, trying to sort through my foggy brain, when I realized what he’d just said.

  Be ready in fifteen.

  I half-fell, half-jumped out of bed and riffled through my closet, muttering to myself as I did. He could at least have the decency to tell me what to wear if he was dragging me out of bed on my day off. I glanced in the mirror, but it didn’t matter what I saw. There wasn’t enough time to shower, so I made do with my favorite white baseball cap and a ponytail. Figuring I’d better be ready for anything, I threw on a pair of jeans and a faded but slightly dressy pink t-shirt before grabbing my socks and sneakers and stumbling through the door.

  “You’re up early,” my mom said as I tore through the kitchen. I grabbed three of the chocolate chip blueberry pancakes she’d stacked on a plate. I wasn’t known in my house as a great lover of the morning sun.

  “Apparently, I’m going to hang out with Jade and Derrick.” I stuffed the pancakes in my mouth, careful not to bite all the way through as I pulled on my socks and shoes.

  My mother put her spatula down. “I thought you were only working on the weekdays.”

  I took the pancakes out of my mouth. “This is pro bono.”

  My mother narrowed her eyes at me. “Which means you’re working for free.”

  I paused and took the pancakes out of my mouth. “Actually…I think it means we’re going to go have fun.”

  She tilted her head at me, and for a long, rare moment, I had no idea what she was thinking. But to my surprise, she finally shrugged.

  “Well, if anyone needs a little fun, it’s you. Just…don’t let them start using you as a free babysitter. Your time is worth more than that.”

  I laughed. “I don’t think I’m going to have any problem with that.”

  A car horn honked in the front yard. Grabbing a napkin for my pancakes, I kissed my mom goodbye and dashed out to the front drive.

  Sure enough, a red truck sat just in front of the door, the door already open. Letting myself in, I dropped my purse on the floor and shut the door as Derrick gave me a reproving look.

  “Pancakes? Really? I thought we’d established the rules for my vessel.”

  “Your vessel can thank you for waking me up on a Saturday.” I took a defiant bite and smiled at him as I chewed.

  “I want one!” Jade called from the backseat.

  “No,” Derrick called over his shoulder. “You already had breakfast. And you.” He turned to me, “You can sleep in tomorrow, so stop whining.”

  “No, I can’t. Some of us have responsibilities on Sundays. Like church.”

  He gave me a funny look. “You go to church?”

  Why was that surprising? “Only my entire life.” I raised my eyebrows. “And you?”

  To my glee, he looked slightly discomfited. “I need to find a new one Jade can be comfortable in.”

  If I hadn’t known Jade’s struggles with sitting still, I would have made fun of him. But instead, I focused on my food. “So,” I said between bites, “where am I going pro bono?”

  “You’ll see.” Derrick wriggled his eyebrows.

  “Well, if I’d known I was getting kidnapped, I would have at least brought another pancake.”

  “All you need to know,” he said as we came to a stoplight, “is that I’m going to prove once and for all that I can be more fun than you.”

  “You can try.” I finished off my first pancake. Once my second was gone, I dove into my purse for gum and lip gloss.

  “You don’t need makeup where we’re going,” he said.

  I ignored him and pulled down the little mirror on the sun visor. “Some of us need more than fifteen minutes to look presentable.”

  “You look fine. What’s important today,” he sat back with a smirk, “is that you understand how deep my fun level goes.”

  “Um…my fun got that girl a diamond all her own.” I snapped the cap back on my lip gloss. “I really doubt you can beat that.”

  He nodded for a moment before turning to me once more. “Fine then. Put your money where your mouth is.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Let’s make a bet,” he said slowly. “This summer, we’ll take turns picking new places to take her. And whoever suggests the one she likes best wins.”

  “What will I win?” I asked.

  “Haha, very funny. Winner will get to choose what we do for an entire day.”

  “That’s not so hard.”

  His grin widened. “And the loser can’t complain.�
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  I studied him. He seemed so sure of himself, and honestly, I couldn’t fault him for that. If anyone in his family knew what Jade would like, he would be the one to know. But I wasn’t in his family. And I hadn’t spent the entire first two weeks of school convincing Jade to talk out loud for nothing. Derrick might know her past, but I knew who and what she was now.

  “Fine,” I said with a shrug. “It’s a deal.”

  He turned the music up. “All right, but be prepared to lose.”

  I had to work hard to hide my shock when we pulled into a parking slot. I was impressed, as much as I hated to admit it, with his little gem. But I wasn’t about to let him know that.

  “What is this place?” I asked as he pulled Jade out of her car seat.

  “Burns Park,” he said, taking the backpack from me and putting it on himself. “My parents used to take me here as a kid. I’m honestly kind of surprised it’s still up and running.”

  I was, too. But that only made it more delightful. The park itself was huge. We’d passed at least two covered picnic spots and two play areas for children of different ages. But smack dab in the middle was a miniature theme park, complete with an old fashioned Merry-Go-Round. There were several of those carnival rides, the kinds that go up and down or just round and round in circles. A small but real train tooted as it made its circled the other rides, and there was one of those really tall slides in the back.

  “How have I never heard of this?” I asked as we made our way through the metal railings which had been moved back so the entrance was clear.

  “I don’t know.” He shrugged before giving me a wicked grin. “Maybe you just needed to meet a real Arkansas native.”

  “Hey!” I called as he scooped Jade up and ran with her to the ticket counter, both of them laughing as he went.

  “Fifteen tickets, please,” he was telling the teenager behind the window when I caught up.

  “I count as a native,” I argued as he counted out the bills. “I’ve been here since I was fifteen. You, however, have been gone for years.”

  “But you didn’t know about this one, did you?” He winked at me before turning to Jade. “Okay, Geode, which one first?”

  She pointed to the ride where the little hot air balloons went up in the air in circles. To my surprise, though, Derrick frowned.

  “I don’t know, hun. That one’s pretty tall, and I can’t go on it with you.”

  “Why?” She pouted.

  “I’m too tall. They wouldn’t let me on.”

  I pointed at the height requirement board “She’s tall enough. Why not let her go on by herself?”

  He turned his frown on me. “I don’t know.”

  “Come here.” I took Jade from her brother’s rather unwilling arms. Then I set her on the ground and let my hands rest on her shoulders. “Jade’s going to be seven soon. Definitely old enough to go on a ride on her own.” I smiled down at her. “She has also gone on several trips this year, including our visit to a ski lift to see the mountain scenery. And she never once tried to get out or run away.”

  His eyes nearly popped. “You took her on a ski lift?” Then he shook his head and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “It doesn’t matter. You were with her on those rides. And there were other children.”

  “And I think,” I said gently, “that she’s proved herself to be trustworthy.” I looked down. “If we let you go on that one, are you going to try to jump or climb out?” I fixed her with a warning look. “Because if you did, you’d get very hurt.”

  “No, won’t get out.” She let out a dramatic huff and rolled her eyes.

  “There.” I looked back at Derrick. “How about that?”

  “I don’t know.” He looked back up at the ride the way some people look at the edge of the Grand Canyon.

  “Look,” I said softly so Jade couldn’t hear. “You’re a great brother. And you take wonderful care of her. But…she’s six. She’ll be seven soon. You need to let her grow up a little.”

  “I want to. But she’s…”

  “She’s what?” I leaned back and gave him a knowing look.

  “She’s…different from other kids her age. And if she gets on that thing—”

  “She’ll begin to understand that she’s capable of living life on her own. But if you keep picking her up and carrying her around, she’s never going to learn how to be her own person. I promise you,” I leaned forward, willing him to meet me with those startlingly blue eyes. “She’s ready.”

  He drew in a deep breath and covered his eyes with his hands before moving them behind his head.

  “Fine,” he finally said after a few short paces. “Just…let me walk her up.”

  I nodded and stepped back as he took her by the hand and led her to the line. Then he bent down and talked to her quietly for a moment before kissing her on the forehead and handing the man a ticket. Once she was seated in the green balloon and buckled in, he gave her one more kiss before heading back to stand with me.

  “I promise,” I said, trying to give him an encouraging smile. “She’ll be fine.”

  “I know.” But his frown deepened.

  “Then what’s wrong?”

  “I just…” He swallowed, his eyes never leaving his sister. “I didn’t realize how bad it had gotten until I came back after the…the incident.”

  I wished desperately that he would tell me what the incident was, but I knew better than to get my hopes too high. So I tried a less direct tactic instead.

  “What do you mean?”

  “My parents weren’t always like they are now.” He reached up to touch the brim of his hat.

  “Obsessed with color-coordinated schedules?”

  “No.” He laughed. “No, I mean they…they were present. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not like they’re actually hurting her or neglecting any of her needs. Technically. But—”

  “They’re always gone,” I finished.

  He nodded. “Even when they’re home.”

  “I wasn’t going to say anything.” I paused. “But I think that’s partly why I took this job. When your mom told me they were looking for someone to stay with Jade, I knew I’d rather be the one with her than force her to find a new nanny. Again.” I watched as the balloons began to slowly revolve. “She’s been through at least…two. Three? Since the school year started. And every time she gets a new one, we fall back a step in class and have to make up lost ground. I wasn’t trying to usurp you. I promise. I just wanted to give her a little stability in her life.”

  For the second time in eight days, he gave me that smile, the one without teasing or secrets or challenges in it. And as those blue eyes met mine, I tried to slow the uneven rhythm of my heart.

  I turned to look back at Jade and snapped a picture with my phone. “Look at her,” I said, hoping my voice sounded even. “She’s doing great.”

  “Yeah,” he said. When I glanced back at him, that smile still lingered in his eyes. “She is.”

  And for the first time since meeting him, I felt completely at home. It was oddly like magic. Last week, standing beside him had made me feel like my body was on high alert. I nearly jumped every time he moved, and by the time I got home every night, I was exhausted from staying stiff as a board. But this…this was nice. There weren’t more than six inches between our arms, and for the first time, I couldn’t have cared less.

  With this revelation came another that was slightly less comfortable. A dull ache hit my chest as I wished I had someone to stand beside me all the time. Not Derrick. He was engaged, as my subconscious had reminded me earlier. And an airman. But someone would be nice.

  “Hey,” he said, looking at the ground with his hands in his pockets, “do you think…do you think your church might be a good fit for Jade? I really do want to take her to a church with a Sunday school she’d enjoy, but it’s hard to know what to try. And I know my parents are going to make a stink about giving up their Sundays, wherever I try to take her.”

&nbs
p; I smiled. “I happen to know the Sunday school teacher for her grade at my church, and I don’t think she could find a better place.”

  “Cool. Um, could you send me the address and name maybe?”

  “Sure.” I had to laugh to myself as I texted him the information. I was already spending five days a week with him, and now we were edging up to a regular six. Was I really setting myself up to see him every day of this entire summer?

  Something was wrong with me. And much to my horror, I didn’t mind.

  Jade ended up loving the ride so much she insisted on going on it six more times. After the fourth time, I excused myself to make a call. Madison picked up on the second ring.

  “Hey, you. You’re up early.”

  I laughed. “Jade and Derrick dragged me down to Burns Park.”

  “Well, that’s…nice of them?”

  I kicked some loose gravel off the path. “Hey, Maddie? I just wanted to let you know that you were right.”

  “I usually am. But what about?”

  “I’m out with Derrick and Jade, and I realized that I think I do really want someone. You know, to have fun. To be with.”

  Madison screeched. “I knew it! You do like him!”

  “I’m not saying that! And I told you, he has a fiancée. And he’s in the military, so that’s definitely a no go. I only meant that…maybe someone like him. One day. You know, good with kids. Doesn’t mind getting a little dirty to have fun with them. I mean, I’m having fun. And I haven’t had fun like this in a long time. And so you were right.”

  “Sam will be happy to hear that,” she muttered.

  “What? No, don’t tell Sam. This is not a group conversation.” I might be ready to start seeing someone, but that didn’t mean I wanted it announced to the world.

  Madison snorted. “Never mind. Hey, I gotta go. I’m about to meet the plumber so he can fix my sink. But Jess?”