Page 11 of Forever Fallen

“Do you know where Flyboys is?”

“That little airstrip…ohhh no,” Sophie said softly, looking at Ryan. “You’re going there to pilot their airplanes?”

“I’m teaching flight lessons for a month during my vacation – yes.”

“And then you are leaving… for a year…” she whispered, feeling the stirrings of a very bad idea in her mind – and met his eyes over his sunglasses and saw the same thing. All the pieces were snapping together in a very strange puzzle before them both.

“And I don’t want to deal with a matchmaker…” Ryan reaffirmed.

“And I don’t want to get married…” Sophie reinforced.

“Why don’t we help each other out,” Ryan said candidly, as Sophie swallowed nervously, realizing he came to the same conclusion as her almost immediately. “We can lay out some rules, avoid each other, but go out in public and claim to be married…”

“I have to produce documents to keep the house and property –wait– is this a scam? Are you trying to fleece me for everything I have?”

“No,” he hissed outraged and looking offended. “Put everything in your name. It’s just a piece of paper anyhow.”

“You’re serious,” she gaped in disbelief.

“As a heart attack,” he confirmed. “Let’s get married and get rid of the pressure. It would help both of us and in thirty days? I’ll be gone. Poof!” he said dramatically, spraying his hands in imitation.

“I can file for divorce with an attorney on base and do everything remotely – and then we are both free.”

“Is this some practical joke?” Sophie said, looking around nervously, glancing down the aisles and lifting up out of her seat to see if someone was laughing at her. “Am I drunk? Is someone filming this for Candid Camera?”

“It’s a piece of paper. I’ve got nothing going in my life and nobody…”

“Oh, you are truly a keeper…” she said wryly, rolling her eyes.

“And you certainly aren’t or you wouldn’t be in this predicament,” he retorted, and she knew he was lashing out, feeling insulted. “I don’t want to get fixed up by someone. I mean, I thought that eventually,someday, I would meet someone that I couldn’t live without… but let me tell you, Sophie? It’s certainly not you.”

“Ouch,” she said bluntly, flinching as she looked at him. His expression was unmoving as he watched her through those dark sunglasses.

Waiting.

“You’re convenient – just like me.”

“Double – ouch,” she frowned.

“It’s the truth.”

“Still not pleasant to hear,” she admitted and saw him nod.

“You need a marriage license and I need a chance to unwind. I can’t do that if I am looking over my shoulder or fighting off women…”

“Have you looked at yourself? I don’t think you’ll be fighting that hard…” she laughed easily. “You’re okay-looking, but there aremuchbetter-looking guys in this world, Ryan. I mean…”

“Ouch.”

This time Ryan flinched, frowning, at her words.

“I wouldn’t sleep with you if the lightswereoff, and I was rip-roaring drunk.”

“Double – ouch,” he said, using her terms pointedly. “Now that my ego has been beaten down into the seventh layer of Hell… do you want to get married or not, woman?”

“Sure. It’s your divorce,” she said nervously, holding up her cup for a toast. He tapped his against it.

They were going to do this!

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