Page 92 of Beauty Beneath the Sorrow
I smile and tent my eyes from the later afternoon sun. “Yeah. Lina.”
“He’s not home. Usually, on Sunday nights, he flies his plane,” she tells me.
The other woman, now holding their small dog, nods in agreement. “He keeps it at the small airport in Scottsdale.”
I smile. “Thank you so much.”
“Oh, this is my girlfriend, Ashley.” Abby gestures to her left.
“Nice to meet you,” I say, shaking her hand. “I’m going to head over there. Thanks again.”
The sun was starting to set by the time I pulled into the private airport. The parking lot is empty except for a black Jaguar parked in the far corner next to an overgrown saguaro cactus. He’s here.
I take the spot next to his, then step out into the open desert air. Walking around the two-story building to the entrance by the side gate, I’m visited by a fond memory from when I was a child. I used to come to watch the planes take off and land on the runway. The vibration from theirengines would rattle my chest, giving me a sense of power and excitement. Mesmerized by it, I’d stare up at them and tell myself that one day, it would be me flying above the clouds.
While the wind whips my hair around, I scour the runaway for Carter. It only takes me a few seconds to spot him crouching down underneath one of the small white planes on the opposite side of the flight line.
My entire body hums when I see him. A sense ofhomewashes over me. Climbing over the fence, I land my feet on the black tarmac. Hues of red, orange, and yellow create the tangerine sky that I’ve come to know and love.
My aviator sunglasses block the sun's bright rays before it sets over the hill. I wipe a teardrop from the side of my cheek. Unsure of why it has fallen, I assume it’s from the harshly blowing wind, but I know better. It’s because I missed him.
I’m only halfway across the runway when he spots me coming from over his shoulder. He’s wearing a black bomber jacket and aviator sunglasses similar to mine. It is at this moment my heart falls from my chest and lands right into the palm of his hand.
I think I’m falling in love with him.Oh fuck.
“Lina?” His voice is the very essence of safety.
Smiling, I stroll over in his direction as he rises to his feet. “Hi.”
“Aren’t you a pleasant surprise?” Carter lifts me up, and I fold myself into his arms. My legs wrap around his waist. Breathing him in, I let out a heavy sigh of pure contentment. His palms grip my ass cheeks, holding me in place, while I link my fingers around the back of his neck.
“I went to your place earlier, but you weren’t there,” Imutter, capturing his soft lips in mine.
His amber eyes flare. “How did you know I was here?”
“Abby and Ashley were out with Snickers when I walked up. They told me sometimes, on Sunday nights, you come to the airport.”
“That’s true.”
“You don’t get enough flying when you’re at work?” I tease, sliding down.
Carter tucks a few pieces of loose hair behind my ear. “I’ll never get tired of being in the air.”
I glance toward the horizon. “That horizon line. I know exactly what you mean. It’s so freeing up there.”
Carter dips, bringing his soft lips to mine in a sweet kiss. “Do you want to fly with me?”
A beaming smile appears on my face. “Yeah. More than anything.”
“I knew you’d want to go,” he says, gathering my wind-blown hair and pulling it to the side of my shoulder. “You might need to put your hair up.”
I nod, tying my hair into a loose bun, and then I zip my jacket as the cool evening wind picks up. “I didn’t even know you had a plane.”
Carter cocks his head to the side, extending his hand to me. “Of course, I own one.”
Giggling, I lay my palm into his and follow him around the side of the plane. He opens the door for me. “Where to, baby?”
I smile, dreamily glancing up at the orange and pink sky above us. “The stars.”
