Page 66 of Fighting Gravity

“Thank you for talking through your issues with Matt. He came home from that OrbitAll trip happier than I’ve seen him in a long time. He was really missing you.”

He felt a stab of guilt as he released her. He’d forgotten more people than just he and Matt would be affected by the rift in their relationship. “I’m sorry. I didn’t do right by any of you.”

“Family is so important to us, and you’re part of it. The kids and I want to know you more. Quinn, too. Can we get some quality time together?”

Tate cleared his throat and nodded. He wanted that, too. Neither he nor Matt wanted the childhood they’d had perpetuated. Tate had more to fix. “Absolutely.”

Pia patted his cheek. “Good. Now, I’m going to go dance with my very handsome husband.” She stood and did a little two-step toward a beaming Matt. Tate’s gaze followed them to the dance floor, where Vadim was guiding Quinn. Even Gloria was out there with her husband. She had been another surprise. She’d worn a simple black dress that she didn’t look uncomfortable in. Her hair was unruly as ever, though she’d ditched the perpetually perched aviators for a sparkling headband. Tate watched as her husband, a small, frail-looking man, moved with her with surprising grace.

He took a sip of his whiskey on the rocks, feeling more content than he’d expected. He switched seats so he could chat with Matt’s friends, who weren’t dancing due to the wife’s very pregnant belly. Apparently, today was her actual due date.

A few minutes later, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned, spying Janai there. “Wanna dance?” She wrinkled her nose, like she instantly regretted the question.

“Of course, I do.” He looked to the couple at the table. “Excuse me.” They smiled and waved him away.

He stood, holding his hand out to the young woman. She grinned back. Tate led her onto the dance floor, where he set one hand high up on her waist and clasped the other in hers. Janai had just graduated high school, which meant he needed to put his formal dance lessons to use.

“What will you be doing this summer?” he asked her.

“Flying,” Janai replied confidently. “And Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps before classes start in the fall.”

She had told him during dinner that becoming a Navy pilot was her dream. She was at Altitude to get her private pilot certification ahead of college classes, where she’d prepare to become a Naval officer. Tate could see why she was Gloria’s favorite student. She had hustle.

He twirled her in a circle, her maroon dress sweeping the floor. The black woman wore her hair short and natural, and had not donned makeup. She didn’t need any. Dramatic dangling earrings were her only accessory.

“Flying lessons and NROTC don’t leave a lot of time for post-graduation fun,” he commented.

“Have you ever flown a plane? There’s nothing more fun than flying. The vapid bitches from my high school can have the beach.”

Tate chuckled. “You know, with all the flying I do, I have to admit I have never flown myself.”

“It’s heaven,” she sighed. “I can’t wait to get into a jet, though, and scream across the sky.”

Tate hoped fervently she achieved that goal. Not just for herself, but for other dreamers. “Let me know if I can help you at all.”

She nodded. “Thanks.”

They danced in comfortable silence, even as the music picked up pace. She made a good partner. Funny how he danced so easily with a stranger but had never danced with the woman he loved. He should have taken more of a chance that night in Palm Springs. Why had he wasted time suppressing what he felt for Rosie? He’d give anything to touch her now.

He sighed at the same moment Janai said, “Whoa. That dress.”

He followed her gaze to the edge of the dance floor. Rosie stood there, her eyes on his.

Tate’s entire body jerked. He couldn’t hear the music anymore. He heard only his own heartbeat, as loud as a jet engine. He didn’t feel Janai’s hand in his. He’d gone numb. Maybe he was the one dreaming.

But Tate didn’t think his imagination could conjure a sight so beautiful. Rosie’s long hair tumbled over one shoulder. Her lips were red to match her strappy shoes. And Janai was right about her dress. It looked like stained glass. Yellow flowers and bold, geometric leaves in dark green covered her torso and waist, while her long legs were exposed through flowing black material. The leaves reached up her chest asymmetrically, tantalizingly exposing skin. Even from where he stood, Tate could see the telltale flush on her chest.

“Is she here for you? She’s staring at us.”

Tate snapped his gaze down to Janai, then back to Rosie. She was still standing there. Maybe she wasn’t a mirage after all.

“I fucking hope so.” But she’d burned him before, so how could he be sure?

“I feel like I should go. This just got weird.”

Tate smiled down at the student as he released her. “Thank you for the dance.”

She patted his chest. “Thank you for supporting the flight school.”

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