Page 4 of Fly Boy
“Fuck you, man. You’re making me sound like a sad loser.”
“If the shoe fits…”
“I’m practical. I don’t need multiples of things when it’s just me here half the time because the other half, I’m flying.”
I can almost feel his shrug down the line. “Except for when you’ve had one-night stands.”
And even then, they never stay for coffee in the morning.
“So, what happened with this girl?”
With a groan, I take a large mouthful of the smooth, dark roast before I start. “Nothing. She was perfectly lovely, perfectly sweet. We had a nice time.”
“But?”
“But I’m getting too old for this,” I say for the second time, yet it still doesn’t feel as right as I thought it would. It’s like it’s an excuse for the funk I’m in. Which should not be happening. I’m in the prime of my life, for fuck’s sake.
“Seriously? I always thought you could give Teddy a run for his money with how many women you take home. It’s like you guys were in competition or something.”
“He could never beat me,” I joke, then frown at the odd brag. But I can’t help the smile that breaks out when I think about our youngest brother. “Maybe when I was his age and before he met his wife, but now…”
I sigh, letting the thought die as I sip my coffee.
“Now you’re ready to settle down, too.”
I blanch, nearly spitting the hot liquid across the kitchen floor. “Hell no. But thirty-nine and sleeping around sounds…” Sad? Pathetic? Technically, I don’t sleep with every woman who floats my way anymore. And before Rebecca, it had been three months since I’d last hooked up.
“You’re a very bad man, Captain Grant.”
It’s that. That voice, that longing, that thing that has the power to destroy everything I’ve built for myself. Never in my whole flying career have I been tempted in the way I am with her. An attraction that came out of nowhere. An attraction I can’t stop. An attraction that makes no sense, yet she’s the one person I can’t stop thinking about.
My boss's daughter.
Checking my watch, I drain the remainder of my drink, set the mug in the sink, and grab my car keys and flight bag. “Sorry, I need to head to work.”
“Not to worry,” Bowie replies, and I suddenly stop short, my hand on the front door handle.
“Shit, did you call for something? I just realized I made it all about me.”
My brother is quiet on the other end of the line for a beat. “Nah, it’s all good. Just wanted to speak to my favorite brother.”
Stepping outside, I turn and lock my door, chuckling as I say, “I’m going to tell Teddy you said that.”
“You do, and I’m denying it.”
Unlocking my vintage Range Rover, a car my dad restored when I was in college, I slide into the driver's seat. Once I click the speaker icon on my phone, Bowie’s voice joins me inside my car. “Anyway, don’t overwork that autopilot button now. You need to actually do something to justify how much your boss is paying you.”
“Fuck you, dude,” I snort before saying goodbye, hanging up, and making the short drive to the airstrip.
Chapter Two
“Both teams have deliveredoutstanding routines throughout this competition.”
“Absolutely, Luke, especially with all eyes on Team USA's twenty-two year old rookie, Pippa Cartwright, paired with figure skating veteran, Evan Thomson.”
“You’re right, Jessica. Most were actually surprised he wasn’t partnered with someone with more experience, especially when, right now, every score counts toward that all important Olympic team selection in a few years.”
“The results are in…”
