Page 54 of Wood Riddance
I sat in awe as the plane accelerated and he gently eased the nose up. We gain speed, and Finn gracefully took off. My heart was in my throat as we soared through the air and the town below us got smaller and smaller, but Finn seemed more relaxed than he had on the ground.
“This is my favorite thing in the world,” he said, staring out at the horizon.
In this moment, he was more like the Finn Hebert I had kissed two years ago, the man who oozed confidence and swagger and wore his big heart on his sleeve. There was no hint of the cynical, withdrawn person he’d recently become.
“I feel nauseous.”
“Don’t worry. You’re in good hands.”
I didn’t doubt that. He had complete command over this machine. I couldn’t help but be a bit awed by it all. I understood and appreciated what it took to handle big machines on the ground, so I could only imagine the degree of skill he possessed in order to fly.
His movements were so steady and confident. Each adjustment, look, and flip of a switch was precise and deliberate. Despite my best efforts to ignore the way each movement affected me, they called to my inner perfectionist.
Being in the hands of someone who knew what they were doing was the sort of thing that would help a normal person relax.
Me? Nah. This got me going. My hands were clammy and my pulse raced as I watched him. My curiosity, and dare I say a hint of desire, grew with each passing minute.
“You gonna stare at me or look at the mountains?” Finn asked, one side of his mouth quirked up.
Embarrassed, I turned to look out the passenger window.
It was breathtaking. The rugged terrain stretched out in front of us, the endless forest giving way to majestic peaks.
“We can land at the site. In the ’90s, back before my dad idiotically abandoned efforts up here, his pilot would fly guys up here to work. It may be a bit overgrown and bumpy, but the drone footage indicated that it’s clear enough for a landing. If I can’t, we circle around and come home.”
Turning back to him, I willed my stomach to settle and my heart rate to stay steady. “Sorry. Do you mean that there is no runway?”
“It’s a bush plane.” He shrugged. “We’ll be fine. I’m trained in STOL.”
“What does that even mean?” So much for staying calm. My stomach rolled at the idea of crash-landing.
“Short takeoff and landing. It’s standard procedure in the bush. Runways are a luxury, so the plane is built to function in remote areas.”
“Last time we took off from the lake.”
“Yup. Those were pontoons. There’s no body of water near where we’re headed, so I’ve got the standard landing gear on.” He patted the instrument panel and smiled. “Marge is one tough broad. She doesn’t need much space and loves a bumpy ride. Don’t you, girl?”
“Marge? Your plane has a name?”
“Of course she does. My great grandpa Jack? He was my mom’s grandfather. He flew bombers during World War II. His B-26 Marauder was named Marge, so I used the name to honor him. He lived to be ninety-five. So many of my favorite childhood memories involve him and the stories he’d tell about his flying days.”
Damn. This man chipped away at the ice around my heart a little more each time we interacted. “That’s very sweet.”
He shrugged. “My family is a lot bigger than my shithead father.”
My roiling stomach had settled, but now it was twisting into knots. All this time, I’d been judging him for his father’s actions. Yet he had five brothers and a mother and any number of family members who were not horrible monsters.
“This plane. I’ll do anything to keep her. Hell, I’m working for the enemy, so I suppose I already am.”
We soared over Lake Millinocket and hit a few bumps. I yelped, but he quickly steadied us.
“You’re going to kill me,” I snapped, not quite ready to let go of all my ire. Without it, how could I ensure I kept my distance?
He chuckled, adjusting his instruments. “Really? I was sure you were immortal. You know, since you sold your soul to Satan and all.”
“Just fly the fucking plane.” I made sure there was plenty of bite in my bark, though I had to school my expression to keep from smiling at his quip.
“With pleasure, She-Ra. Enjoy the views.”
