Page 37 of Breaking Emily's Rules
I wanted to ace this test and get on with the rest of my day in a hurry. I still had a full day ahead of me. Trish had already phoned twice with changes. This wedding was going to consume my days and evenings even if it was a whole year away. I also had Ashley and Billy’s wedding coming up, and already several more brides had called about the wedding packages.
“Are you listening?”
He was always doing that—convinced I wasn’t paying attention, like I was somehow going to break his precious plane.
And even though he made it hard to focus, I’d studied for the test today and thought I was ready.
I saluted. “Yes, sir.”
“Cut it out.”
He didn’t like it when I saluted him; pretty much why I did it.
“Okay, Miss Earhart. You know what to do. Pretend I’m not here.”
“That’s hard to do when you keep talking.” I stared at the cleft in his chin, which I swore deepened when he was serious.
Today I was taking a quiz. In order to get my license, I’d eventually have to pass a test with my certified instructor, the hunk sitting next to me, and even though I was still several flight hours away from that point, I’d convinced Stone to give me a quiz. Just to make sure I was on track.
Besides, a quiz would only boost my self-confidence. I’d never had less than an A on a test I’d studied for.
“Here are my last words: the test begins…” He looked at his wristwatch. “Now.”
I can do this. I’m the descendant of one of the first female pilots. A mover and a shaker. It’s just taken me a while to find that out, but from now on, the sky’s the limit.Ha. Quite literally.
While I couldn’t help but shoot occasional glances in Stone’s direction— he had literally become my right-hand man—I went through the flight check procedures on my own and began taxiing down the runway. Even though he wouldn’t literally grade me, this was a test in every sense of the word. A test to prove I’d been listening and not staring at his hard body. A test that would prove I was the new, bold me.
And then I was taking off. Just like he’d taught me, flying, on my own. Stone wasn’t saying a word, his facial expression so unreadable I couldn’t actually be sure he wasn’t resting his baby blues underneath thoseTop Gunshades. He had the logbook on his lap, but he hadn’t so much as lifted his pencil. Maybe I bored him. I had half a mind to entertain him with an unexpected turn instead of the precise directions he’d outlined beforehand.
Then again, that was Stone: cool as a cucumber. And I was mushy like a ripe banana. Good for banana nut bread but not much else.
Oh, come on, I can do this.I will not let this plane, this vast expanse of sky, intimidate me.Hands down, taking flying lessons was the wildest thing I’d ever done. Mission accomplished.
One look at Stone and my nerves steadied a bit, like he’d loaned me some of his steel. Maybe, with any luck, it would rub off on me. I landed the way he’d taught me, the way I’d seen him do. And even if my heart beat in my eardrums, we were all in one piece.
Stone finally lifted his pencil and started to jot down some notes. “I’m impressed. You didn’t ask me one question.”
“You mean I could have? I thought I wasn’t supposed to ask.” That was what I got for following someone else’s rules.
“That doesn’t usually stop people. The point is, you didn’t need to ask.” He looked up from his notes, his eyes peeking out from over his sunglasses.
That look made me shake again, but for different reasons. “How did I do?”
“You taxied too fast. Again.”
“Oh, right. I’m sorry. I just get so excited.”
“And you missed a couple of steps on your preflight check.”
Damn it all. “So—if you were grading me, what would you give me?”
“I told you, there’s no grade. And this isn’t the real test. You do remember that?”
“But you could give me one. You know you could. If you wanted. I won’t stop you.”
He grinned. “So you want a grade?”
“Yep. What can I say? I’ve always been the teacher’s pet.”
