Page 94 of Forever Fascinating

Her father turned to her, waving her forward.

“Hungry, kiddo?”

“Starving,” she smiled, putting the back of her hand to her forehead, mockingly. “I feel faint…”

“God, help your young man,” her father uttered, shaking his head, and smiling at her mother, as he got up to get her plate that was waiting. “That’syourgirl, Linds…”

“Now Jim, you know she gets it from you.”

“Maybe…”

Jana winked at her father – who winked back.

CHAPTER25

VAPOR

I might actually vomit…

Matthew tried to slow his panicked breathing as he walked in line with the other pilots towards the barracks after their flight. He’d made the decision to tell Jace about him and Jana… but that didn’t mean he forgot about what it felt like to have the other man hit him.

He hoped he could get through it without sounding like a bumbling idiot, because he really wanted Jace’s support, because it would mean so much to Jana.

“Uh… Hot Cakes? Can we talk for a few minutes?” he began nervously, seeing recognition flare in Reaper, Caboose… and Handsy’s eyes.

Wait… Handsy knew?

“Yeah, baby… someone make the popcorn!”

“I’m getting an ice bag for my fist.”

“Oh boy, my bunk is ground zero…”

“Front row seats, BAYYYYBEEEE!”

“I’ve got twenty on Vapor,” Caboose said bluntly, reaching out to shake Reaper’s hand.

“I’ll take it.”

“My money is on Hot Cakes,” Houdini hollered. “Anyone? Anyone?”

“I’m in,” Handsy said, raising a hand.

“What are you fools prattling on about…” Hot Cakes bit out, looking at Vapor. “And what do you need? I’m heading to the gym before calling my wife, so I’d really like to get a move on…”

Matthew looked at each man and realized that the entire team knew what was going on between him and Hot Cakes’ sister.

He felt his stomach and intestines give a painful rumble, realizing it might not be ‘up’ after all… he might need a bathroom, if he didn’t just get this in the open – and quickly.

“Uh… look… Jace,” Matthew began.

“You can call me Sorensen – or Hot Cakes,” Jace corrected, glaring at the man, and crossing his arms. “And whatever it is can either wait or you can spit it out in the next five minutes. Make no mistake, Vapor, you are getting five minutes instead of thirty seconds, only because you saved my butt in the line of duty.”

“I’m in love with your sister.”

Matthew’s eyes widened in shock as he said the words aloud, realizing that all his practiced lines about how he was going to ease into the discussion had suddenly gone by the wayside carelessly.

The other man didn’t move, except there was a tic at his jaw that was telling, and he felt like a snake having been spotted by a mongoose in that moment. Both men could be deadly when called upon, but he’d just met someone that could – and would – take him down.

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