16. Skylar
Chapter Sixteen
SKYLAR
“Excuse me?”
“Us,” Tucker replied.
“No way.”
He eyed me for a long moment while my heart thudded madly. “We’ll talk about it later,” he finally said.
I shrugged, relieved he’d decided to let it go. I considered it a small miracle I was marginally keeping my shit together. “I’ve eaten. You can go now.”
He insisted on rinsing off his plate, but he left, and I managed to say good night and thank him for the ride again. After he was gone, I plunked down on the couch. I curled my knees up to my chest, resting my chin on them as I stared out into the rainy darkness.
The lights cast from the docks in the harbor glimmered in a blur. I could see the ocean’s surface rippling underneath the rain. I’d asked Tucker not to ruin it. And now, I had probably ruined it.
Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm down inside. My body was still pinging with sensations. I’d gone and done the stupidest thing ever and flung myself into that kiss, into all of that, with him.
Romance was so dangerous for me because I tended to fling myself into it. It was easier to think it didn’t matter if it was just sex. Ugh. That was so stupid.
Restless, I took another shower, trying to forget the way Tucker’s hands felt on my body. God. It felt so good to be in his arms. I would have to talk to him again and explain that I’d kind of lost my mind there.
The universe granted me a small favor, and I fell asleep.
The following morning, I headed for Misty Mountain Café, purposely avoiding Red Truck Coffee because Tucker might be there.
I liked the café in equal measure. It was ridiculously early.
The sun was just cresting the horizon as I walked down the road to pick up my car.
The morning had that freshly washed look.
The rain had stopped, and the sky was awash in color—a deep red with tangerine and gold shaded through it and angling upward. The air was bracing and pure.
When I heard a vehicle slowing behind me, I cursed. I forgot Tucker knew I had to walk to pick up my car. I steeled myself for him to slow and stop beside me. When I risked a glance at the vehicle, the window was rolling down, and it wasn’t him. It was Daphne.
“Hey, Skylar,” she greeted me. “Pretty morning for a walk. You probably don’t need a ride, but maybe you do.” Her auburn hair was twisted in a braid on top of her head, and her smile was bright.
“It is beautiful, and I wouldn’t mind a ride,” I replied, deciding to be brave.
She reached across, opening the door to her SUV. “Hop in.”
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“I need to pick up my car. Do you mind dropping me off?”
“How about we get coffee together, and then I take you to your car?”
I hesitated. Old habits die hard and all that. “Sure,” I heard myself saying.
Coffee with Daphne would be nice. I heard Emily’s voice in my mind. “You have to make friends. We both do. We’ll go somewhere new, and our life won’t be tangled up in the past.”
“Are you delivering food this morning?” I asked.
“Nope. Tucker had an early flight today. He’s already dropped off this morning’s delivery to Cammi.”
I bit my tongue. I wanted to ask where he was flying, but there were only so many options, and it really was none of my business. Plus, I’d learn the answer as soon as I got into the office this morning. We kept a log of all the flights to coordinate cargo transport on the fly if we needed it.
Daphne commented on the weather and laughed about something that happened in the kitchen at the lodge. Within minutes, we were at Misty Mountain Café. We walked in together, and I realized this was the first time I’d gone somewhere together with anyone since Emily died.
That was how pathetic my life was. One friend was gone. I ignored the grief that stung in my throat, relieved only one couple was in front of us in the line. Daphne was eyeing the bakery case. As soon as we reached the counter, she asked, “Cammi, did Tucker come by?”
“Of course, he did. I just haven’t had time to put everything out.”
Daphne glanced around the café. “No one else is waiting. Let’s do it now,” she said.
“I’ll help,” I offered.
Seconds later, the three of us were in the kitchen, and I looked around.
A long table through the center of the room had trays covering half of it.
Cammi passed up trays in order, and I carried them to the front, handing the scones and savories to Daphne as she carefully organized them in the display case.
“What do you want for coffee?” Cammi asked as we worked.
Daphne called over, “I’ll take a mocha, not skinny.”
“Can I have the dark chocolate one?” I asked.
Cammi started prepping our drinks and refused to let us pay. “Are you sure?” Daphne pressed.
“Yes, you just did some work for me. Easily five bucks apiece.”
Daphne rolled her eyes, and we both stuffed the money we would have spent on our coffee in the tip jar. “You know, I pay my staff really well,” Cammi commented. “You don’t have to tip. Do you want anything for breakfast?”
“I need a scone and a savory, and I’ll pay for those,” I said.
Cammi rolled her eyes but didn’t argue that point. Daphne, of course, had already had breakfast. “What did you guys have this morning? According to Elias, your breakfasts are legendary,” she commented.
“Legendary?” Daphne’s cheeks pinkened slightly.
“He says your omelets are to die for. Honestly, I’d love to come out there for breakfast, but I don’t think I can bring myself to get there early enough, not to mention I have to be either here or at the truck early,” Cammi explained.
“What time do you start work?” I asked.
“Both places open at five, so I’m at one or the other.”
“Whoa, and I thought I was an early riser,” I offered.
She shrugged slightly. “It’s a coffee place. Plus, in the summer, tourists are headed out to fish, pilots are headed to the sky, and the fishermen are hitting the docks early.”
“Is it hard to find staff?” Daphne inquired.
“You’d be shocked, but no. People like it. It’s good pay, not to mention that they finish their day early. The truck closes by two. Here, I have the evening shift, but that’s a different crew.” Just then, a crush of people came in, and Cammi waved us off.
Anxiety spun in tiny circles in my chest when I sat down across from Daphne. She was all relaxed, which made me hyperaware that I wasn’t. We sipped coffee quietly, and I took a few bites of my spinach pinwheel.
“I just wanted to say, I know a little something about starting over,” she began.
“You do?” Her comment startled me enough that I forgot to stay quiet.
She nodded. “I came here on vacation. I don’t know if you could call spending a month at a lodge in almost the middle of nowhere a vacation, but my plan was to do something completely new and different. My son had just died.”
“Oh!” My palm flew to my chest. “I am so sorry.”
“It’s okay. I don’t know what happened to you, but my gut tells me something hard happened.
You don’t need to tell me, but I get it.
It’s hard to start over. Sometimes, when the worst thing happens, and you make it through to the other side, you actually are stronger.
” Her words were clear, and her eyes warm and understanding.
Before I could think, I simply spoke the truth. “My best friend died. She was really the only person who was family to me.”
“I’m sorry,” Daphne said solemnly.
I knew she really meant it. I was amazed I didn’t burst into tears even though my throat was tight. “Thank you. Trying to make new friends is kind of difficult.”
“Right? It’s fucking hard to make friends as a grown-up,” she said bluntly.
Hearing Daphne say fucking made me laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
“I don’t know. You’re just so put together, and I didn’t expect you to swear.”
“I swear like a sailor.” She grinned.
“So you didn’t plan to stay here then?”
“Oh, god no.” Her eyes went wide as she shook her head. “I fell in love. But first, Flynn ran off one of their cooks, and they were shorthanded, so I offered to help. We fell in love. I wouldn’t change a thing. You already have a job, though, so I’m guessing you plan to stay.”
I shrugged. “Emily and I were supposed to come together. We both found jobs.”
“What was she going to do?”
“She was going to wait tables and finish her flight training. She died from complications from her injuries in a plane accident the week before we were supposed to come here,” I explained, the words coming out smooth by some miracle.
“Oh, no,” Daphne breathed.
“I know.” I swallowed. “I want to try to fly in a small plane. Just for her. But I’m scared.” I couldn’t believe how open I was with Daphne, but she had a way about her that made it easy.
“You’ll know when the time is right,” Daphne said sagely.
I believed her.
I took a few more bites of my savory as we fell quiet.
“Tucker’s a really nice guy,” she said, just after I thought she was nice for enjoying the silence.
My cheeks immediately burned with heat. “Sure, he is,” I said, trying to sound all casual.
“He really is a nice guy. He’s not a player or anything. I’m not usually into matchmaking, if you’re wondering.”
“Matchmaking?” I repeated. My brain wasn’t firing on all cylinders between my embarrassment and this whole freaking conversation.
“You know, somebody who tries to set people up. I’m not trying to set you up, but I have a feeling about you and Tucker, and I just thought you should know.”
I internally sighed, thinking about the feel of his fingers inside me last night. I was glad I had clothes on, so Daphne couldn’t see I was blushing all over.
“Oh,” I managed.
“Don’t forget, I know about the kiss,” she whispered conspiratorially as she leaned across the table with a sly but understanding glint in her eyes.
I almost choked. I managed to keep chewing and took a sip of coffee before I braved a look over at her. “Who else knows about the kiss?”
“You know. Nora told you she was walking to her house and saw you.”
“Oh, my god,” I groaned. I leaned forward, dropping my face in my hands and sighing. I’d conveniently put that conversation away in my brain from the other night.
Lifting my head, I let my hands fall before lifting my coffee mug and taking a fortifying swallow. “I’m so embarrassed.”
“Why? It’s a kiss. You’re an adult. He’s an adult. Plus, he’s adorable. Those brown curls and those blue eyes.” She grinned.
I sighed again. “He is.”
“You don’t know me that well yet, so you’re probably not going to have enough nerve to ask nosy questions.
I’ll just tell you everything I know. Tucker has been flying with Walker Adventures for four years.
He, Flynn, Elias, Diego, and Gabriel are friends from the Air Force, where they all flew together.
When Flynn came home to take care of Nora, Cat, and Grant after their mom died, he needed pilots, so they all came.
They really are like family. Tucker is totally loyal.
He stays in touch with his parents and his sister in Arizona.
There, that’s everything I know about Tucker.
He hasn’t had a serious relationship since high school that I know of, but he’s not a casual kind of guy.
He’s loyal, trustworthy, and good as gold. ”
“Wow. You just told me a lot,” I said, kind of in awe.
“Well, I knew you weren’t going to ask,” she said pointedly.
“I might have,” I muttered before taking a bite of my pinwheel and chewing.
“I wouldn’t have had the nerve,” she replied. “I think you should give him a chance.”
I laughed, still blushing. “I’ll think about it.”
She nodded, studying me for a moment. “Maybe I’m totally off base, but I just figured I’d tell you.
If there was one thing I wish the universe would do, it would be to give us a real-life guardian angel who told us everything.
Like when I came to Alaska, I was scared to death and totally had the hots for Flynn.
I wish somebody had told me it would work out, and it would be okay. ”
“Well, could you tell me that?”
Daphne cast me a sheepish smile. “Actually, no, I can’t promise that. I just have a good feeling.”
I laughed, trying to mask my anxiety about all of this—the kiss, Tucker, trying to make friends. Daphne was gracious enough to let the topic drop after that.
Cammi stopped by our table before we left to chat. When Daphne dropped me off to pick up my car a little bit later, I was smiling. Maybe I could make friends. Perhaps I could find my fresh start. But Daphne having a feeling about Tucker and me? That seemed a little insane.