6. Chapter Six
Chapter Six
Carter
L iam and I are hopping off the plane when Christian jogs over to us. “Liam, you did awesome, dude!” he calls out to his nephew.
Liam fist-bumps me, then turns to his uncle. “It was so much fun!”
“You did a great job. A complete natural in the skies,” I respond, patting his shoulder.
“Thank you again for offering to give Liam flight lessons.” Christian hooks an arm around his nephew as we walk toward the cover hanger.
“Of course. I don’t mind at all.” I glance around as we pass another pilot, getting ready to take off. “I’d be out here anyway.”
“Well, you are the best of the best, Carter, and I know my sister feels a little bit better knowing someone with your experience is up there with her fifteen-year-old.”
Liam shoves Christian. “What the hell, man? You say that like I’m a kid!”
“You know what I mean!” He chuckles, and we all laugh a bit.
“Captain Hernandez—” Liam begins.
My eyebrows furrow together. “You can call me Carter, Liam. It’s fine.”
I rarely get called Captain Hernandez unless I’m working. I prefer Carter or Jag. However, whenever I hear it roll off Lina’s tongue, it’s probably one of the hottest fucking things. I know she does it to be cheeky, but I ate it the fuck up every single time.
“Thanks. So, my uncle mentioned that you might be moving away?” Liam continues.
With a glance at Christian, I think about my response. I haven’t told anyone, except Brian, that I’m applying for a flight instructor position at the academy in Florida. And I hoped to keep it under wraps at work since it’s not something that will be happening soon.
“I’ve been looking at a position on the East Coast, but nothing is certain,” I reassure him, assuming he was worried about his continued flight lessons.
“I overheard you talking on the phone about it in the cockpit a few weeks ago, and I thought it would appease my worried sister if she didn’t want Liam to continue lessons.”
I chuckle. You’d think by now I would have understood that nothing is secret when you’re in a confined space with people for long periods of time. “I understand.”
Christian’s hand goes up into the air as he speaks. “It was more of a he might be moving away, so let’s try this out right now .”
“It was the only way we could think of getting my mom to agree to it so fast,” Liam adds with a crooked smile.
“Well, we’ve got some time. So, don’t worry, young grasshopper,” I reply.
By the time we reach the front of the airport, Christian’s sister drives over with the driver’s side window down.
Hanging out of her SUV, she greets us. “Hey, guys! ”
“He killed it today!” I call out as the three of us approach the side of the car.
She arches her upper lip and looks over to me. “You’re the only one I’d let take my son that high into the air—and in that tiny little plane too.”
Christian leans against the car. “I’m going to try not to take that personally since I’m a pilot too.”
“Not like Carter!” she retorts. “Thanks again for offering to do this for my son. I know you have a busy schedule.”
I shake my head. “I told Christian, I don’t mind. I’d be here anyway.”
Then her expression softens as she gets a little glimmer in her eye. “You still single?”
“Here we go,” Christian grumbles, knowing where his sister is headed with her question. As do I, but I don’t mind. It comes with the territory of being my age without any kids or a girlfriend. Everyone offers to set me up like I can’t find my own woman. I can. I choose not to at the moment. I’ve been married to the sky for as long as I can remember.
“Yes, Aubrey. I am.” I smile, humoring her.
“I’m so surprised a woman hasn't snatched you up yet.” Then she lowers her sunglasses. “I have a ton of hot, single girlfriends who would jump at the chance to date a guy like you.”
Liam covers his face. “Oh my god, Mom. Why are you the way you are? So embarrassing.”
She giggles. “I’m just asking.”
I grin, rubbing my lips together. Lina is the only woman who comes to my mind when I think of spending time with someone romantically. I have no interest in being with anyone else. She is the only consideration, and she has been since the second my eyes locked with hers for the first time.
“That’s very kind of you, but I’m going to have to pass,” I say, tapping the window frame.
Christian nods. “Good call, my man. Her friends are a bunch of hot messes.”
“Whatever. You know nothing,” she spits.
Liam opens the passenger door and jumps into the car. “Alright, Mom. Let’s go.”
“See you in two weeks.” I wave as they drive off.
Christian turns to me with an empathetic look on his face. “My sister can be nosy sometimes.”
I laugh it off. “It is what it is, man.”
Christian pauses as we round the corner back into the airport’s main lobby. “Did you sign up for the partner run?”
“I did.” I bite back a smile while thinking of my sassy little partner, Lina.
“Who did you get?” he asks. “I got Captain Eloy.”
I rub the back of my neck, trying to hide my excitement. “I got Lina Eastbrook.”
His eyes grow wide. “Damn, Carter. She’s fucking fine. I got Annabelle Rivers last year, leading to us hooking up for four months.” His jaw twitches. “She wanted more, but I’m not at that point yet, you know?”
“Oh, I do know.” Images of Lina’s tight little ass and legs that go on for days flood my brain. “And yes, Lina is—something else.”
“I’m looking at it this way.” He faces me fully, with a slight glimmer in his eyes. “I get to travel all over, meeting many different women—why settle with one?”
I shove my hands into my pockets. That was my mindset for years. But as I got older, I realized that other things were more important. It could have been because I had already lived that life or that I had never met anyone for whom I wanted to ground myself.
Christian is only a few years younger than me but hasn’t seen the world like I have. His vantage point has been growing up in a wealthy family. Unlike mine, when I saw my mother being arrested for the first time when I was seven. Events like that shaped me into who I’d eventually become and painted my worldview.
“Yes, I get it. I’ve been like that most of my life.” I nod.
“But Lina—” he pauses, rubbing his hands together. “I might forget all about that for her.”
I can’t explain why I suddenly get hit with a bolt of jealousy. I hear how some of the other pilots speak about the hot flight attendants, but talking about Lina that way doesn’t sit well with me, even if he is my friend.
“I get it, she’s hot, but she’s also my best friend’s daughter,” I warn.
Christian continues, “Oh yeah. He flies for a different airline, right?”
“Yeah.”
My phone buzzes. Sliding it out from my pocket, a smirk crawls across my face. Lina.
Lina: Okay, partner. When do we start?
Me: Whenever you want, baby.
Lina: We’ve only just become friends, and you’re already calling me baby ?
I love her sarcasm.
Me: You don’t like it?
Lina: I didn’t say I didn’t like it. It was a bit presumptuous of you.
Me: You like it.
The three dots bounce at the bottom of the screen before disappearing. She’s formulating a response. I love calling out her feisty little attitude.
Christian and I find the table by the window and sit down. It isn’t until we’re paying the check that another message from Lina comes through.
Lina: I’m ready now.
Is she messing with me? Because if not, I’ll get my happy ass over to her place as fast as I can.
Me: Seriously?
Lina: I got out of Pilates and feeling a bit energetic.
Me: Energetic, you say?
Lina: For a run.
Me: Just finishing up with breakfast. Do you want me to head to your place?
Lina: Sure. I’ll send you the directions.
Me: Perfect. Be there soon.
“Dude. Carter. Can we talk about your face right now?” Christian says as we head back to the parking lot.
“What?”
“That’s your running partner, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
His lips pursed together. “You’re playing with fire.”
“It’s nothing. I’m just excited about participating in this charity event.” I hold back to benefit Christian and to convince myself.
“You’re a fucking liar,” he snaps as we both approach our cars.
“For real.”
He gives me a quick nod of his head. “You’re going to see her right now, aren’t you?”
“We have to train together. I can’t avoid her.” I try to rebut, but he’s aware of every filthy thought racing through my head because it goes on in his too.
“The jealousy that’s raging in me right now is pathetic,” he comments, biting his fist.
“See you in the skies,” I yell before slamming the car door.
I barely get to the freeway when I get another text from Lina.
Lina: I have to cancel. Sorry! My little sister needs help with a project from school, and I told her she wasn’t allowed to pay anyone to do them for her anymore .
All the air leaves my body as I exhale in disappointment. I guess seeing her will have to wait.
I text her back as soon as I pull into the garage at my condo building.
Me: You don’t have to make up an excuse. I understand if you have cold feet.
Lina: I don’t have cold feet!
Me: Okay, then this is being rescheduled, not canceled.
Lina: I have a two-day trip coming up, and then I will fly out to Denver the day after I get back.
She’s trying to get out of it. But then it dawns on me that my flight out of Denver might be on Tuesday as well. I pull up the flight schedule on my phone. That is my flight. Although it’s a quick turnaround for me as I’m back in Phoenix by Friday evening, we’ll both be in Denver on the same night.
Me: Lucky for us, that’s my Denver flight. We can try again then.
One of my favorite things about traveling is going on jogging trips in different cities. I’ve been doing it since I joined the Navy. I am combining my three favorite things—flying, traveling, and running. I’m familiar with the airport area and the hotel the airline usually books for us. It’s a decent area and will be perfect for us to start .
Lina doesn’t respond. I wonder if she’s going to bail again?
While taking the elevator up to my floor, I watch as my message says read, but there are no three little dots from her yet. I anxiously wait, then hear Abby’s voice behind me.
“Hey, Carter! Early morning at the airport?” She has Snickers on a leash at her feet. He’s whipping his short tail back and forth, probably as anxious as I am, but for a different reason.
“Yeah, I was giving a coworker’s nephew flight lessons,” I say, gripping my phone, hoping I feel it vibrate with a response from Lina. What is wrong with me? I’ve turned into some high school kid desperate for a girl’s attention. Loosening my fingers, I slip my phone back into my pocket. “Headed out for a walk?”
“We are.” She smiles at the dog, who notices and raises his hind legs. “How was the lesson? He’s young, right?”
I lean against the door panel with my arms folded across my chest. “He is, but he’s doing very well—a natural and catches on quickly.”
“That’s so great to hear!” She smiles.
Buzz. Buzz.
My posture stiffens. “Okay, well, tell Ashley I said hello. See you soon!” I say over my shoulder as I walk through the door.
“See ya!”
I throw my backpack onto the sofa and pull my phone out.
Lina: I guess I’ll be seeing you in Denver, partner.
Me: See you then.
I smile to myself and inadvertently lick my bottom lip. Oh, Lina . Maybe Christian is right. There is too much sexual tension between her and me for us to be planning to spend so much time together. Like throwing gasoline on an already raging fire—her perky tits bouncing up and down while she runs, the droplets of sweat dripping off her chest. Fuck.
I’m going to need to rub this out. Better yet, I will have to completely empty myself before seeing her again, or I won’t be able to think straight. It’s been hard enough to pass over the last year.