“Ah. So getting to know her has changed your thinking, then.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean you were a little more adamant before. Tonight it seems like you’re softening.”
“According to your fiancée, I’m nothing but a marshmallow anyway.”
“No, you’ve got a backbone. It’s apparent to me. And there’s nothing wrong with being nice. A lot of people I know are nice.”
“Jason, you’re the nice one.” Darren laughed. “I guess I just didn’t expect these new female pilots to be so. . .good at what they do. I was thinking they’d be a little sloppier. Some of the incoming pilots are, especially the nervous ones.”
“But not Candy?”
“Nope. Not so far. And I guess I expected her to be really aggressive. More demanding. And Candy’s nothing like that. She’s. . .”
“Yeah, Brooke told me she’s pretty great. So, are you thinking about—”
“No. You know my policy. No way.”
“So, let me ask you a question. You’re only interested in soft-spoken women? Don’t want someone with chutzpa?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Well, give me a woman with spunk any day.”
“Um, you’ve got a woman with spunk.”
“Yeah, I do. No doubt about that.” Jason laughed.
“And Candy has plenty of spunk, too,” Darren added. “I also saw her business side in the cockpit today. She’s really a well-balanced woman.”
“Well, there you go. A well-balanced woman.” Jason laughed. “Why does that surprise you so much?”
Darren sighed. “Look, Jason, we’ve known each other awhile, but you don’t really know a lot about my background. It’s kind of skewed my view of women.”
“Then fill me in.”
Darren paused a moment before explaining. “Look, here’s the thing. My dad—I love him—but my mom’s got him wrapped around her finger, and I don’t mean that in a good way. She calls all the shots in that household. Always has.” His mind reeled backward in time. He could see his father now in his mail carrier’s uniform, walking in the door after a long day on his feet. Could hear his mother’s voice, drilling him about this or that. She never asked him anything. Always told him. And never in a nice voice.
Jason’s voice interrupted Darren’s thoughts. “So you’re looking for just the opposite? Is that why you’re so relieved Candy’s a softie like you?”
Darren sighed. He’d never come out and said it, but yes.
Not that he wanted to tell anyone what to do, but it would be nice to have a woman’s respect. And not because of anything he happened to do for a living. It wasn’t about that.
“I’m just saying aggressive isn’t terribly appealing to me, particularly from a woman.” And if you knew how aggressive my mother was—is—you’d understand.
“Doesn’t sound like that’s what you’re saying to me. I think you’re really wishing your dad had been more aggressive.”
Ouch.
“So, have you forgiven him?”
“Forgiven my dad?” Darren’s jaw tightened as he contemplated Jason’s words. “Why would I need to forgive my dad? He’s a great guy. My mom is the one who—”
“Darren, listen. I don’t know your parents and don’t want to presume anything about them. But in a relationship that’s completely out of balance—where one person clearly holds the reins—the guilt is on both sides. Men need to stand up and be men. Take responsibility. But that doesn’t mean women have to roll over and play dead when a man walks into the room.”
“Well, I never said—”
“No, but you’re thinking it. You’re okay as long as no one rocks the boat. And maybe you thought Candy and these other incoming female pilots might do just that. But, so what if they had? Maybe the boat needs to be rocked.”
Darren sighed. “Maybe. Never thought about that.”
“Well, think about it. And Darren, it’s not just your view on women that’s skewed. You’ve spent too much time analyzing both sexes. I think you’re secretly worried that you’re not aggressive enough to handle a strong woman, but you are.”
I hope so.
“So, your dad was too soft. And maybe you’re worried you’re a little soft, too. But I know you. I’ve watched you for years. Your strength is in God, not yourself. And that’s a good thing. I think you’re more balanced than you know. Soft on the outside, tough on the inside.”
“Never thought about it that way.”
“Just don’t go too far out of your way to become something other than what you are, especially if these guys at Eastway get all riled up. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.”
“Right.”
“And don’t worry about the female thing.” Jason laughed. “God’s going to bring you just the right person to balance you out. She won’t be aggressive like your mother. You’ll see to that. But she won’t be a piece of fluff, either. She’ll have a backbone. And you’ll love that about her. So, get ready.”
Oh, I’m ready all right. As he ended the call, Darren thought about just how ready he was.
TEN
The following Saturday morning, Darren paced his house, a nervous wreck. “Just call her, man. It’s not rocket science. She’s just a woman.”
He punched in Candy’s number and, thankfully, she answered on the third ring.
“Candy? This is Darren,” he managed. Why are my palms sweating?
“Darren, hi. Something happen I need to know about?” At once he picked up on a hint of anxiety in her voice.
“No, nothing happening at work, if that’s what you mean. I, um. . .well, I have a friend who has a Cessna 400, and he’s wondering if I want to take it out for a spin. I thought maybe you might like to come with me.”
“Come fly with you?”
“Yes.” There. He’d said it. Now, if she would just come back with an affirmative answer. . .
“Sounds like fun. Where? When?”
Whew. “This afternoon. Do you know where Essex County airport is?”
“Sort of. I know it’s not far. Maybe northwest of here?”
“Yes. Won’t take us long to get there, and I’ll do the driving. I’ll pick you up in an hour. . .unless that’s too soon.”
“An hour?” She paused and he almost cratered while waiting for her response. She finally came back with, “Um, sure. I’ve been out running errands this morning and look. . .well, not great.”
As if that were possible. “Just come as you are,” he said.
They ended the call and Darren flew into action. If things went as planned, Candy Carini would see a whole new side to him today. . .hopefully one she couldn’t resist. He picked out a nice shirt to wear. Blue. Someone once told him it brought out the color of his eyes. He’d never forgotten that. And he spent a little extra time working on his hair today. No point in scaring her with unruly waves. He leaned in close to the mirror to examine every square inch of his face. Ah. Missed a spot shaving. Better remedy that.
As he prepared to leave the house, Darren stopped off at the fish tank to look at Fred. “Hey, little guy.” The forlorn goldfish swam around the tank in solitude making Ooo, Ooo, Ooo faces. “I feel your pain. Should I get you a fish friend? Maybe a female? Someone in a great shade of orange?”
After no response from Fred, Darren hit the road. There would be plenty of time to worry about the fish’s love life later. Right now he’d better focus on his own.
❧
Candy touched up her makeup and double-checked her outfit in the mirror before Darren arrived. She could hardly wait to spend time with him one-on-one, away from the crowd. She marveled over how much her feelings for him seemed to be changing. Thinking of how she’d judged him that first day on the plane now brought nothing but shame. Any lingering questions she’d had about his flying abilities had been answered in the cockpit. And certainly, from their many times together in a group environment, his love for God had come shining through. Of
course, there was that thing about the male pilots losing their jobs. . .
No, I’m not going to go there.
She pushed aside any troubling thoughts and prepared for her date with Darren. How wonderful it would be, to hit the skies in a small plane once again. Surely—after hearing her story the other night—he’d planned this day just for her. And she couldn’t wait.
The doorbell rang promptly at 1:30 p.m., just as he’d said. Candy answered with a smile on her face. “You’re right on time.”
“Yes, I. . .” He looked at her, his eyes widening. “Wow.”
His one word caused heat to rise to her cheeks. “Thanks. I wasn’t sure what to wear.”
“Anything but the uniform would be just fine.” He laughed. “If you’re like I am, you change the minute you get home. It’s pretty confining.”
She shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. I kind of like it. But I’m pretty new and all.”
“Right. Well, that blouse is. . .wow. And I’ve never seen you in jeans before. They suit you.”
“Thank you.” His charming and somewhat embarrassing words made her feel like a high schooler all over again. And he didn’t look half bad in that blue shirt, either. Really made his eyes pop. But, should she tell him? Did women say things like that to guys? Not on a first date, likely.
Thankfully, she never had time to carry through with the idea. He led the way out of the apartment and toward the parking lot. When they reached the car, he opened the front passenger door for her.
“Thank you, kind sir.” She gave him a wink. Where did that come from?
“You’re more than welcome.” He returned the wink and closed the door.
Butterflies rose up in Candy’s stomach, and they fluttered in greater anticipation as she glanced in the backseat and saw a large wicker picnic basket. If he’s got our lunch in there, I’m going to marry him today, whether he asks or not.
Minutes later Darren pulled the car out onto the expressway, headed northwest.
“I haven’t been to Essex County airport in ages,” he said. “But my friend Jimmy works out there, and he’s pretty proud of this new bird of his. It’s a Cessna 400.”
“I’ll bet. I wouldn’t mind owning a Cessna myself. But I like the Cessna 208. You can seat nine.”
“Really?” Darren gave her a funny look. “That’s funny. I was about to say the same thing.”
“Well, I have a big family. My parents, two sisters, a brother-in-law, and a baby on the way.”
“A baby on the way?”
“My sister. Taffie.”
“Oh, right. The older sister.”
“Yep. I’ve always thought it would be a blast to be able to fly my whole family away on a vacation someplace.” She sighed as she contemplated the improbabilities of getting everyone in the family together at the same time in the same place. “Who knows. Maybe it’ll happen someday.”
“I hope so. Sounds like fun. I mean. . .if you’re okay with me taking one of the leftover seats.”
“Well, of course. We wouldn’t dream of going without you.”
Now, where did that come from?
They lit into a conversation about small planes, chatting easily as he drove. Several times she caught him looking at her out of the corner of his eye. Unlike that day in the cockpit, he seemed more relaxed. More himself.
Candy wanted to ask about the situation with the men at Eastway, but decided this wouldn’t be the time or the place. If he wanted to talk about all of that, surely he would bring it up. But why ruin a perfectly wonderful afternoon?
They arrived at Essex County at two fifteen. As soon as Darren pulled his car into the parking lot, Candy’s excitement grew.
“You ready for this?” he asked, as he turned to her with a boyish grin.
“I can’t wait.”
“So, you want to fly. . .or jump?”
“J–jump?” Her heart began to race. Jumping certainly wasn’t in her plans.
“Hey, you told me you flew a skydiving plane. Right? I thought maybe you might like to—”
“Oh no!” She put her hands up, terrified at the idea. “It’s one thing to fly the plane, another to jump out of it.”
He chuckled as he got out of the car and came around to her side. Opening the door, he said, “Well, if you change your mind, let me know. I have it on good authority Jimmy will take over the flying if we decide to skydive. And I’m a consummate skydiver. Love it, in fact.”
Candy shook off the idea right away. She’d never confessed this to a soul. . .didn’t know if she ever would. . .but the idea of skydiving terrified her. Too many variables. No, she’d stick to piloting, thank you very much.
For the next half hour, Candy and Darren made the rounds from hangar to hangar to look at the various planes.
“Hey, check out this. . . .” She pointed to a single engine SkyCatcher. “What do you think of that?”
“Small.” He shook his head. “After flying for Eastway, these planes look microscopic to me.”
“Same here. But it’s funny. That first flight with Eastway, the plane felt huge. Now it’s just right.”
“You sound like Goldilocks.”
“What?”
“You know. This chair is too big. This one’s too small. This one is just right.” He started laughing and before long she joined in.
“I guess it’s all a matter of perspective.”
“Yep.” He paused at a small jet. “Now we’re talking. This is what I’d buy, if I could.” He gave it a closer look. “I’d run a charter service back and forth from New York to DC. Can you imagine my clientele during an election year?”
“It would be crazy, but fun.” She climbed inside the small aircraft and looked around. “This reminds me of being in Arizona. I flew a jet about this size once.” She settled into the pilot’s seat, feeling right at home. “Oh yeah.” A couple of minutes later she emerged with a smile on her face. “So, where’s this 400 we’re supposed to fly?”
“Funny you should ask,” a male voice rang out from behind them. “I’d just had to put her out of service. Engine trouble.” She turned to see a man, slightly older than Darren, approaching. Must be Jimmy.
“Oh no.” Darren groaned. “So we drove out here for nothing.”
“Oh, not for nothing.” Candy drew near and gave him her best it-was-worth-it-anyway look. “It’s been great, just seeing all of these planes and being at a small airport again. Reminds me of where I’ve come from. And I don’t mind about the 400. Really.”
Darren made introductions, but Candy could read the disappointment in his eyes.
“I can still take you up in the SkyCatcher,” Jimmy said. “She’s a beauty.”
“No, don’t worry about it. We can still look around, and I brought lunch. . . .”
Candy gave him a reassuring look. “I think that sounds great. Really. We can fly anytime.”
“Well, tell me if you change your mind,” Jimmy said. “In the meantime, if you’re interested in climbing aboard the Chariot for a view of the cockpit, feel free.”
“The Chariot?” Candy’s confusion grew.
“Oh, that’s what I call my 400. She’s my Chariot. Only, not today. She’s just outside the hangar, drinking up some sunshine.” He led them around the side of the building.
Candy gasped as she saw the beautiful plane with The Chariot emblazoned in gold letters on the side. “Oh, she’s gorgeous. Look at those colors.”
“And great lettering. Jimmy did all of the detailing himself.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere.” Jimmy winked. “You kids go on and climb aboard. I’ve got to get back up to the office. Stop by after you’ve had your lunch and we’ll chat awhile.”
“Thanks, Jimmy.” Darren reached to shake his hand.
“No problem.” Jimmy headed off toward the terminal, and Darren gazed at Candy with renewed hope in his eyes.
“Want to climb aboard?”
“Do I ever!”
“Well, madame. . .yo
ur chariot awaits.” After a quick glance at the words on the side of the plane, he added, “Literally.”
ELEVEN
Darren’s frustrations over the grounded plane lifted the minute he saw the joy in Candy’s expression. Clearly she didn’t mind if they only saw the view from the ground. She was content to do just that.
He helped her onboard, then joined her. Once inside, they sat together in silence for a moment, looking things over. Candy finally spoke up. “If I closed my eyes, I could see myself back in Arizona. What about you?”
“Hmm. Well, I guess I could see myself back in California. I haven’t flown many small planes since then.”
“Okay, let’s do it.” She gave him a playful smile.
“Do what?”
“Close our eyes and pretend.”
“Um. . .okay.” He shrugged, then squeezed his eyes shut.
“What do you see?” she asked after a minute.
“The inside of my eyelids?”
Candy laughed. “No, where do you see yourself flying? Use your imagination. If you could fly anywhere in the world. . .if money and time were no object, where would you go?”
“Oh, that’s easy.” He relaxed a bit, his eyes still shut. “I’ve always wanted to fly over the countryside in England. In a plane just like this one.”
“We’re there right now.” The enthusiasm in Candy’s voice prompted him to play along. “Just use your imagination. What do you see?”
“Hmm.” He paused a moment to think about it, never opening his eyes. “I see the tops of country houses with smoke coming from the chimneys.”
“Sounds amazing. What else?”
Darren opened one eye long enough to sneak a peek of her beautiful face. Sure enough, her eyes were still closed. She was taking this game very seriously. “Well, I see green. Everywhere. Green rolling hills. And a river. It’s beautiful. Oh, and look. . .there’s a castle. With a moat.”