Chapter 8 #2
“Everything all right back here?” Charlie came in carrying a brown rubber bin loaded with dirty dishes. “You’re making your worried face again. Hope I didn’t irritate you by mentioning you were staring.”
Sighing, Tisha tucked her phone back in her pocket. “I like him, but I’m not sure if this is the right thing to do—to move on. I mean, my mother-in-law says it’s okay, and maybe it is, but…” She shook her head. “I’m worried about Sadie and how this might affect her.”
Charlie lugged the bin over to the dishwasher. “That’s understandable. But is Sadie worried? Or is this just you second-guessing yourself?”
“Maybe both.” Tisha glanced toward the window, where the snow fell harder and blew sideways. “He’s handsome and he’s kind, but he’s also been through a lot. Losing a wife, raising a son. What if this is just our loneliness reaching out to each other?”
Charlie gave her a knowing look. “Tisha, loneliness might be what makes two people notice each other, but it’s not what keeps them coming back. You’re allowed to want more than just surviving. And so is he.”
“I know. It’s just…too soon. For me and for Sadie.”
For the rest of the morning, she kept busy planning her pie-baking strategy, waiting on customers, and chatting with Charlie.
When her shift was over, she hung up her apron, tucked her phone into her purse, and headed outside, ducking her head against the snow that still fell.
They had to have received at least another foot today.
She found the ice scraper that Tom had stowed in her car, tugged her hat lower, put on her gloves, and made short work of clearing off her car. She was getting better at it, seeing as how she had to do it almost every day.
She hurried over to the school. The administrative assistant buzzed her in, and she strode down the hall to the conference room, stepping inside. Mr. Price, Ms. Strom, Brody, and Sadie sat around the table.
“Hi. How’s it going? How are y’all?” She kept her voice upbeat despite the tightness in her chest. Where was Ethan?
“We’re good.” Aaron frowned, angling his head toward the empty chair. “Just waiting on one more.”
“Yeah. I saw him this morning. He came into the café. Said he had a flight but he’d be back.”
She could still hear the teasing lilt in his voice, the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed. You’re not worried about me, are you?
At the time, she’d rolled her eyes, brushing it off. But now? Now he was late. Missing. And she was definitely worried.
Her grip tightened around her phone as she checked for messages. Nothing.
Maybe this was exactly why she should put the brakes on whatever feelings were starting to take root. Because Ethan wasn’t just a man who made her smile. He was a pilot. And she knew better than anyone what it felt like to fall for a man who was made to fly.
“Where is he?” Brody asked, a hint of frustration in his voice. “Can you text him?”
“Sure. We can try.” Tisha quickly tapped out a message.
Tisha
Hey. Just checking in. We’re starting our meeting in a few minutes. Is everything all right?
There. Not too bossy, not too whiny—just a concerned friend.
But as the minutes ticked on and the kids grew restless, Aaron’s brow furrowed. An icy ball planted itself in Tisha’s gut, its tentacles squeezing her insides. Where was he?
“How about you each take turns telling me the top five things you loved about your adventures together?” Ms. Strom said, folding her hands on top of her iPad.
Brody slouched lower in his chair, stared down, and kicked the table leg. Sadie tugged at her lower lip with her thumb and index finger, glancing at Tisha. Poor kids. Was her worry over Ethan that obvious?
“You know what, if you don’t mind, may I make a suggestion?”
The counselor’s smile faltered. “Absolutely. What would you like to say, Mrs. Binford?”
“I think it might be best if we saved this conversation for another time, when Ethan could contribute. He played a big role in fostering collaboration and getting us outdoors, encouraging us to try new things.”
“And his mama gave us hot cocoa, and it was so yummy,” Sadie said. “Right, Brody?”
Brody nodded. Tisha caught the flash of amusement in Aaron’s eyes.
“If that’s what you think is best, I’m happy to reschedule.” Ms. Strom made a note on the sticky-note pad beside her. “Mr. Price, how do you feel about that?”
“That’s an excellent suggestion, Mrs. Binford.”
“Perfect. Thanks for understanding.” Tisha shoved back her chair. “Brody, Sadie, come on. Let’s go over to the resort. I’m sure your dad’s just running late, Brody, and he’ll probably meet us there.”
The kid was out of that chair fast, tugging his coat on. “I’m ready!”
“We’ll be in touch when we know Ethan’s availability.” She ushered the kids out to the car. They settled side by side in the back seat and buckled up without being prompted.
Tisha gripped the steering wheel tightly as she drove toward the resort.
Snow lashed the windshield in a relentless blur.
The wipers struggled to keep up, smearing more than clearing.
Darkness pressed in, and her headlights carved out two narrow tunnels ahead.
The wind funneled through the trees and around the car, an ominous whistle that made the silence inside feel even heavier.
“Are we almost there?” Brody peered through the window and scrubbed at the condensation on the glass with his coat sleeve.
“Almost,” Tisha said. She forced a smile, but it felt more like a grimace. She glanced in the rearview mirror. Sadie fiddled with the zipper on her jacket.
She swallowed the bile climbing up her throat.
One wrong move and they’d end up upside down in the ditch.
Every nerve in Tisha’s body buzzed with the need to not think about Ethan in this storm, up in the sky somewhere, flying through whiteout conditions.
The thought clawed at the edge of her mind, but she shoved it back. Not now.
As she turned into the resort and drove up the freshly plowed driveway, she couldn’t help but crane her neck toward the helicopter landing pad, hoping to see the bright-red machine and its rotors still.
The pad sat empty.
Her stomach plummeted.
“He’s not here,” Brody said.
Poor kid. He sounded as worried as she felt. She had to be brave though. For all of them. “Let’s go inside. Maybe your grandparents have some more information.”
They stepped inside, flames crackling in the fireplace, guests gathered around it on the worn leather sofas, and Megan serving hot cocoa from the hot-cocoa bar. Ethan’s parents hovered beside the check-in desk. The concern etched on their faces sent a shiver down her spine.
How long were they supposed to let Ethan and Luke remain lost in the storm? What would the guys do if they couldn’t get back? Were they prepared to ride out bad weather on some backcountry mountaintop?
“Oh, I’m so glad to see the three of you.” Mrs. McGuire hurried over and pulled both kids in for quick hugs. Her gaze slid to meet Tisha’s. “Have you heard anything?”
“Not yet. When Ethan didn’t show up for our after-school meeting, the kids and I thought we should come over here.”
“What’s wrong, Grandpa?” Brody’s chin wobbled. “Why haven’t they landed yet?”
Unease hung in the air. Thick and suffocating. Ethan’s dad sagged back in his wheelchair, his knuckles turning white as he clutched the armrests. He hesitated, then cleared his throat. “Your dad is an excellent pilot. Don’t worry. They’ll be back soon.”
But how could they not worry? Her stomach tightened. What if—
No.
“They’ll be back,” she said, her voice brittle as she parroted Mr. McGuire’s words. But doubt still gnawed at her, sharp and relentless.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out, her fingers trembling. Please, please let it be Ethan. Nope. Just a text from her sister Cami with a silly meme. The edges of her vision blurred.
“Let’s go get some hot cocoa,” she said, trying to sound upbeat. But her voice wavered as they crossed the lobby toward Megan and the counter. She glanced out the window. Lights in the yard illuminated the thick fat snowflakes still falling. The storm wasn’t letting up.
She wasn’t stressed just about Ethan and Luke and their clients, who were out in this terrible storm.
Of course she wanted them all to come inside, safe and accounted for.
But her own irrational emotions, billowing like a tempest inside her, sent her reaching for another hot cocoa loaded with whipped cream.
Because how could she be this worked up over a man she’d met two weeks ago?
Mrs. McGuire joined her at the window. “Are you all right?”
Still clutching her mug of hot cocoa, Tisha shook her head. “No.”
“What can I do?” Mrs. McGuire pressed her hand to Tisha’s arm. “Do you want to sit by the fire?”
“I waited and I waited for Chase to come home.” Tisha stared out at the empty helicopter pad. “And now here I am, doing it all over again, waiting for a man who flies.” She blinked back the hot tears pressing against her eyes. “This is why I can’t fall for him,” she whispered.
“I understand. I do. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t worry every time Ethan’s up in the air.
A mother never stops worrying.” She paused, her gaze following Tisha’s to the empty helicopter pad.
“But Ethan’s strong, like his father. He’s careful.
And if there’s one thing I’ve learned after all these years, it’s that love can be the thing that helps us heal.
If we let it. It’s not easy, but…” She smiled, a hint of sadness in her eyes.
“Sometimes the people who scare us the most are the ones worth holding on to.”
Yeah, he still had it. Mission accomplished.