High Flying

by Kaylin McFarren

  Skylar motioned for Jake to sit down on the sofa. His solemn expression revealed that he was preparing to hear the worst.

  “I have a few things to show you,” she said. “And I don’t know how you’re going to react. After I reveal my secrets, I might not be the woman you want in your life. I could be more than you ever bargained for. And not in a good way.”

  Jake snorted a laugh, then he watched her roll up her sleeves. She imagined that he would be disgusted and repulsed by the sight of her scars—scars that she herself had Inflicted—that she had hidden most of her life. But instead, his eyes filled with tears. He took each arm, kissing her trails of shame with tenderness, care, and compassion. There was no sign of pity in his eyes, no evidence of horror or loathing. Only love and concern. How could she believe that he would hold her past mistakes against her? Hate her for the person she used to be?

  “Is that all?” he asked, smiling. “Is this the great secret you were afraid to tell me? Because if it is, you’ve got nothing to worry about, Sky. I love everything about you. Everything that you are. Whatever you believe is a flaw is just a minor detail in my book. Your past and everything in it makes you the person you are today. The person I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

  Skylar wanted to believe him, she honestly did. But there was something else she hadn’t shared yet, and it was killing her to tell him. “What if there’s more?” she asked. “What if a gift I was given could haunt us forever?”

  “Baby, what are you talking about?” He stared at her with concern in his eyes. “What could be so terrible?”

  Skylar hesitated before handing him Dylan’s note—the note she found tucked inside the leather bag. She watched Jake read each word with interest, waiting for his final reaction. He was quiet for almost a minute, then he pushed himself upright and stood before her.

  “First of all, who’s Dylan? And don’t tell me he’s my competition or some rich billionaire who left you his fortune.”

  “No, actually, I’m guessing it’s more like three or four million.” Skylar pulled the heavy bag away from the side of the couch. She unzipped it and opened it wide. Then she stepped back to give Jake a clear view.

  His mouth gaped, and his eyes grew wide. “What the hell?” He picked up a bundle of cash and stared at it before looking back at her. “This is real…this is real money.”

  “I know. Dylan was my father, only he didn’t know it at the time. You see, I was born after he died. He left this stash of money for me with instructions to spend it. Only I don’t know what to do with it.”

  Jake’s brow creased. “So did he rob banks or something?”

  “No, not exactly. Let’s just say the cartel has probably been looking for this bag for more than twenty years.”

  “Oh, I see,” Jake said, nodding. “He was a drug smuggler…a high flyer. I think I saw a few of those when I was young.”

  “So what do you think?” she asked. “What should I do with all of it?”

  “Like you said, the money’s been gone twenty-some years. I’d be surprised if it hasn’t been written off by now. A lot of planes went down in the 80s and 90s carrying loads of coke and weed…and huge amounts of cash.”

  Skylar thought about that long and hard. There was no one except Ethan Edwards that knew about her relationship with Dylan, and she didn’t believe he would tell anyone. If he had planned to, he would have done so long ago. And as far as the money went, it was supposed to be on board Dylan’s plane. The one that was blown out of the sky, according to Mrs. Capellan, although Skylar couldn’t imagine why. Perhaps Jessop Haines wanted to break business ties with Alvarez and simply wrote his son off as collateral damage. After all, The Chaplain was a murderous villain. He was also a lousy grandfather and, according to Dylan, the worse kind of father.

  A rapid series of knocks on the trailer’s front door jarred Skylar. She closed the bag and zipped it up. Then she dragged it back to the side of the sofa before nodding at Jake to open the door. Relief brought sighs and matching smiles to their lips. Ethan stood outside on the stoop, baring a lopsided grin and wild flower bouquet.

  “I just couldn’t wait any longer,” he told Jake. “She did say yes, didn’t she?”

  “Actually, you need to wait outside for a few minutes. She hasn’t answered me yet.”

  “You’re kidding,” he groaned. “What’s taking so long?”

  Jake closed the door in Ethan’s face and turned back to Skylar. “So, what is taking so long? I already told you that nothing you could do or say would change my mind. Even if you were a knife-wielding, face-punching karate master, I’d still love you, Skylar Haines. So what do you say?”

  She chuckled, and smiled, and realized that perhaps it was best not to share too much, at least not yet. Feeding slices of her life to her best friend over a long period of time could be the best way to keep him from choking.

  Jake stepped up to her and took both of her hands in his. “Skylar, please, I beg of you. Put this man out of his misery. Agree to be my wife, and we’ll figure it all out later. For better or worse, in wall-climbing craziness or Grand Canyon blues, I’m your guy. I’ll be there through thick and thin, as long as you want me. Just say the word. Just say yes.”

  “I’ll tell you my answer, but only under one condition.”

  “Yes, of course. Just say it. But please don’t ask me to free fall from a plane or get married under the ocean. My heart will only take so much.” He flashed a quick smile and squeezed her hands.

  “No, nothing like that” she said. “It’s just that my father wanted me to use the money he left to reward the people I love and to make a difference in my life. But the only thing that’s going to make me happy is to share it with you. Jake, you wouldn’t have a problem with that, would you?”

  “How could I? Just as long as you control the bank account. So do I get a yes? Or are you going to explain to Ethan why it’s taking so long?”

  There was another series of knocks at the door, and Jake smiled. “Are you ready to take my name, or are you one of those modern women that keep their own?”

  Skylar moved past Jake and opened the door, laughing. “I believe we’ve met before,” she said to Ethan. “The name’s Skylar Brennen…or at least it will be soon.”

  Jake grabbed her and swung her around. “You’re never going to regret it, Sky.” He hugged her and whispered in her ear, “I promise…for as long as I live.”

  She turned around and looked into his stunning green eyes—the same beautiful, love-filed eyes she would always cherish. “I’m back for good, Jake. And I’ll never leave your side again. From now on, we’re flying together…on and off the ground.”

  Jake took Ethan’s flowers and set them on the table next to the bottle of sparkling cider. He returned to Skylar and bent his head, brushing her lips lightly with his own. Then he whispered in her ear, “Let’s get rid of our guest and lock the door.” His lips returned to hers and lingered, until her knees grew weak. He scooped her up in his arms and spun around, just in time to see Ethan leaving.

  “I knew you’d figure it out eventually,” he said. “Some people are just meant to be together. And believe me, everyone in heaven knows it.” With that said, he waved a hand and closed the door. Then he called from outside, “See you both tomorrow!”

  “Maybe not,” Jake said. He carried Skylar into his bedroom smiling and kicked the door shut behind them. They fell together onto the bed, wrapped in each other’s arms. His warm lips trailed kisses down her neck and across her shoulder, leaving her shivering. “Tell me you love me,” he whispered in her ear. His gaze riveted on hers, searching every emotion.

  Skylar smiled and touched his cheek. “I love you, Jake. Utterly and completely.”

  His warm lips met hers and she returned his kiss passionately. At that moment, she was oblivious to her surroundings. The need to understand the insight she’d been given had passed, like a comet in the night. All that was left was love, fragments of priceless memories,
and a world of wonder, which was, indeed, far more.

  “Once you have tasted flight,

  you will forever walk the earth

  with your eyes turned skyward,

  for there you have been,

  and there you will always

  long to return.”

  — LEONARDO DA VINCI

  About the Author

  Kaylin McFarren has received more than forty national literary awards, in addition to a prestigious Golden Heart Award nomination for Flaherty’s Crossing—a book she and her oldest daughter, New York Times/USA Today best-selling author Kristina McMorris, co-wrote in 2008. Prior to embarking on her writing journey and developing the popular Threads action/adventure romance series, she poured her passion for creativity into her work as the director of a fine art gallery in the Pearl District in Portland, Oregon; she also served as a governor-appointed member of the Oregon Arts Commission. When she’s not traveling around the world or spoiling her pups and three grandsons, she enjoys giving back to her community through participation in and support of various charitable and educational organizations in the Pacific Northwest and is currently the president of the Soulful Giving Foundation—a nonprofit focused on cancer research, care, and treatment at hospitals throughout Oregon.

  For more information about McFarren, her writing process, and her books, be sure to visit her website at www.kaylinmcfarren.com.

  Inspiration Behind the Story

  In the late 1950s, three planes under the ownership of United Airlines were lost in mid-air collisions that killed everyone on both aircraft involved. On June 30, 1956, Flight 718 collided with a Trans World Airlines Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation over the Grand Canyon in what was then the world’s deadliest commercial airline disaster. In 1958, Flight 736 crashed in southern Nevada after colliding with a USAF F-100 Super Sabre fighter jet. And on December 16, 1960, Flight 826 hit another TWA Super Constellation over New York City. These accidents helped pave the way for modern-day air traffic control. Also in 1958, United Airlines received its first Douglas DC-8—the first jet aircraft to fly from Los Angeles to Chicago and on to New York.

  I remember sitting on my father’s shoulders, watching this plane take off from the tarmac at LAX, and later riding on board, handing out Chicklet gum to all the passengers. At that time, it didn’t seem possible that air travel would grow to the unimaginable scale we enjoy today. I’ve been privileged throughout my life to visit every country in Europe, a few in Central America, ditto in Africa and most of Asia, not counting trips to Australia and more than 100 throughout the United States—all by air. As a result, I knew that someday I would write a story about flying to a remarkable place. Then seven months ago, my husband came up with the wonderful idea of tackling one that involved time travel as well. It seemed that the perfect opportunity to turn my creative juices loose had presented itself with the completion of my Threads series. Thus, I went to work, creating this romping adventure/romance with an unexpected twist or two.

  Now, it is with these final words that I offer my appreciation for taking this journey with me. I’d like to thank you for accepting my vague dreams of perfectibility rather than concentrating on overlooked errors and actual facts, which condition human life. If you believe in the impossible and occasionally the unimaginable, like I do, your dreams will take you to far-reaching places that never fail to impress.

  — KAYLIN

  Other Books by Kaylin McFarren

  Award-winning inspirational suspense novel:

  Flaherty’s Crossing

  Award-winning psychological thrillers in the Threads series:

  Severed Threads

  Buried Threads

  Banished Threads

  Twisted Threads

  Available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and independent bookstores

  www.kaylinmcfarren.com