Hard Landing

by Davies, Shirleen

  “It’s so good to meet both of you,” Annie Sinclair, Trey’s almost stepmother, greeted the newcomers as they walked through the front door. She’d also met Reb once before. Annie and Heath were to be married in six weeks and Trey had already made plans to fly back for the ceremony.

  “Trey,” Heath addressed the older of his two children, “show them where to bed down. Jace and Caroline have invited us over for supper—steak and ribs at six o’clock. Cocktails downstairs in twenty minutes.”

  Trey helped his father pour drinks and hand them out, emptying the contents of a large bag of bar mix into small bowls. He watched as Jesse and Annie made small talk. Good, he thought. It appeared like the two of them were hitting it off just fine.

  “So you’re all training in the same fighter jet,” Heath summarized, after hearing about their assignments. “When do you learn which squadron you’ll be in?”

  “One more month and we’ll complete the training. That’s when they’ll give us our orders.” Reb accepted another beer from Trey.

  “You all train together and live together.” Heath sipped his Jameson and settled back into his oversized leather chair.

  “And ride to and from the base together. Yep, lots of togetherness,” Reb joked and put an arm around Paul, who shrugged it off.

  Heath checked the time. “Guess it’s time we get going.”

  Annie and he watched the four head out to the car. “I think something may be going on between Trey and Jesse,” Annie commented.

  Heath looked at her, surprised at the comment. “Why do you say that?”

  “I guess it’s the way they look at each other and follow the other’s every move, plus a couple of small things that Jesse said. Anyway, I like her.” Annie smiled up at Heath and accepted his quick kiss in return.

  They pulled up to Jace MacLaren’s house five minutes later. The two ranch homes weren’t more than a mile apart. Caroline MacLaren opened the front door and strolled out. She hugged Annie and Heath, then turned toward Trey.

  “It’s about time you got back here for a visit,” she scolded, while wrapping him in a warm embrace.

  “It’s a busy life, Aunt Caroline,” Trey joked before turning toward his friends to make introductions. Just as he finished, a truck slid to a stop and a beautiful young woman jumped out, ran to Trey, and threw her arms around him.

  “I wondered where you were today, squirt.” Trey twirled his younger sister, Cassie, in a full circle. “This is my sister, Cassie. And I might add, she’s off-limits to you two miscreants.” He grinned at Reb and Paul, who’d taken an immediate interest. “Cassie, this is Ryan Cantrell, but we call him Reb. And this is Paul Henshaw.”

  “Hello Reb, Paul.” Cassie offered her hand to each.

  “And this is Jesse Evans. She’s in training with us.” Cassie didn’t mistake the look on Trey’s face when he introduced Jesse.

  “Hello, Cassie. It’s a pleasure,” Jesse said as she reached out her hand.

  “Same here, Jesse.” She turned to Trey. “How long are you here?”

  “Until Monday afternoon, then we fly back to California.”

  “Well then, I guess we best start making the most of it.” Cassie laughed, grabbed her brother’s hand, and pulled him into her uncle’s large ranch home.

  “Jace is out back at the barbeque. Why don’t you men grab what you want to drink and go out to lend moral support,” Caroline suggested, shifting her gaze to the women. “That’ll give us time to catch up, without male interruptions.” She smiled and started into the kitchen.

  Jesse looked around at the massive area, with a high ceiling, that included the living room, dining room, and kitchen. She’d never been much for decorating, yet she couldn’t help being impressed by the different textures and warm colors.

  “What would you like to drink?” Cassie asked from her seat on a stool at the kitchen island.

  Jesse walked up to stand beside her. “A soda would be great.” She took a seat next to Trey’s sister.

  Cassie jumped down, grabbed a soda, popped the top, and handed it to Jesse. “So, tell me about you and Trey.”

  Jesse had just taken a swallow and almost spewed the soda onto the counter. “Uh, Trey and me?”

  Cassie tilted her head and looked at Jesse, not saying a word, just waiting for her to fess up.

  Jesse could see that Annie and Caroline had stopped what they were doing. They were as interested in her response as Cassie. She looked down at her soda, set it on the counter, and folded her hands.

  “Okay, you’ve found us out. The man out there isn’t really your brother.” The three other women looked at each other, then back at Jesse. “He and I are alien clones, sent here to infiltrate the MacLaren ranch and infect all the cattle and horses.” Jesse raised her eyes to the women, keeping her face impassive. “We’re partners in crime. I’m sorry we didn’t tell you right off.”

  Cassie burst into laughter, followed by Annie and Caroline. “That’s the best response ever.” She grinned and hugged Jesse. “You and Trey deserve each other.”

  Trey could hear the laughter as he walked through the patio door. “What’s going on in here?” He stopped next to Jesse and put a hand on her shoulder.

  “Jesse just told us about the two of you,” Cassie said, hoping he’d take the bait, which he did.

  He looked down at Jess, who avoided his gaze. “Well, we were going to tell you—just hadn’t had a chance, right?” he asked Jesse as he took her hand in his, bent down, and gave her a quick kiss.

  “Yes!” Cassie said and pumped her arm once in the air.

  Jesse just stared at him, then burst out laughing as the others gaped at them.

  “What?” Trey looked around, clearly baffled.

  “Nothing, Trey,” Annie responded. “We’re just happy to see you two together.” She turned her attention to Jesse. “And I hope you know we expect you at our wedding in six weeks. Assuming you can get the time off, of course.”

  Jesse dropped her eyes to their joined hands. Besides their two roommates and a few others at the base, the only other people who knew about them were the women in this room, and she assumed the men outside would learn of it—if Trey hadn’t already told them. She had only her father and grandmother, no true understanding of the dynamics of a large family and how this type of life worked, but she’d like to try.

  “I’d love to come, Annie. Thanks so much.”

  Trey squeezed her hand, aware of her struggle with including people in her life. She’d been considered somewhat of a loner until they’d gotten together. Now he could see her break out of her lifetime pattern and accept more people into her closed life. It all felt right.

  Chapter Two

  The following day, Cassie and Trey gathered the horses, and packed an enormous lunch before everyone set off for a long trail ride that would take them through a small portion of the ranch. Heath and Annie took the lead, with Jace and Caroline at the back. The others were spread out between, with Trey and Cassie moving between the riders, making sure everyone was doing all right.

  Reb had ridden the last time he was at the ranch, and Trey knew Paul had experience from summers at his uncle’s ranch in Montana. Jesse was the only one who’d never been on a horse, or around one, as far as Trey knew.

  An hour into the ride, Heath pulled up to let everyone stretch and drink water.

  “What do you think?” Cassie asked Jesse, who stood, stretching, already feeling muscles she didn’t know could ache.

  “It’s beautiful out here. Trey talks about the land, how it goes on forever. It was hard to grasp how he felt, until now—it’s breathtaking.”

  “Yes, it is. We all hope he’ll decide to come back once his flying commitment is up.” Cassie knew she’d be back working for one of the family companies after college. She wanted to share it with Trey, as well as her cousins Blake and Brett, when they were ready.

  Jesse didn’t respond. She knew Trey had talked about coming back, that he wanted her with him,
but she just wasn’t ready to make that decision. Ranching was as foreign to her as living in a crowded city was to Trey. Besides, her family, such as it was, still lived outside New Orleans. It was a place that held both good and bad memories for her, yet it was still her home.

  Her daydreaming ended at the sound of loud, laughing voices. She walked closer to Reb, Paul, and Trey so she could make out what they were saying.

  “All I’m telling you is to sink more into the saddle. You bouncing up and down like a pogo stick is about to make me crazy.” Paul had said his peace and now took a long swallow from a bottle of water.

  “I’ll have you know, I took riding lessons at home and did quite well,” Reb replied.

  “Yeah, and when was that? When you were three?” Paul shot back.

  “Five. But it’s all right here.” He pointed to his head. “Muscle memory.”

  Paul laughed. “Well, if you’re relying on your gray matter, then at least I know where the problem is,” he snorted and put the empty bottle back into his saddlebag.

  Trey just stood by, listening. It was rare that Paul uttered more than a few words around people he didn’t know well. He hardly spoke to the others in their training squadron, yet he was one of the best instinctive pilots Trey knew. The fact that he’d spoken this much with his family listening indicated his friend was relaxed and felt comfortable here.

  “If you guys are through giving each other grief, it’s time to head out,” Heath called from his position atop his horse, Blackjack. He shifted his gaze to Annie. “You set?”

  “I’m set,” she replied and glanced to the others. “Looks like they’re all ready.”

  “All right. Over the hill toward the Old Gulch and lunch,” Heath’s words drifted over the group as they ascended a rocky path to continue their ride.

  The day progressed, ending with a tired group of riders collapsing in the large, great room at Heath’s. Reb and Jesse spent considerable time in the hot tub, soaking their aching muscles after five hours in the saddle. Jockeying a thirty-two-thousand pound jet was one thing. Jockeying a flesh and blood, sixteen-hundred pound quarter horse was quite another.

  After dinner, Trey loaded them into his dad’s truck to show off the sights of Fire Mountain at night. The main area Reb and Paul were interested in was the old downtown. The courthouse stood in the center of a four-acre parcel, with businesses facing it from the streets on all four sides. At one time, during Trey’s great-great-great-grandfather’s day, there were more than twenty-five saloons and his family owned several of them. Ten remained, none owned by the MacLarens and all bearing different names than in the late eighteen-hundreds.

  “We’ll start here,” Reb pointed, “move to each one, then decide which is best and finish our night there.” He didn’t wait, just pushed the swinging doors open and marched inside.

  The other three shared a look. They’d been on these missions before—not one had turned out well for Reb. They followed him into the saloon, already knowing the night would be an adventure.

  Each place had its own atmosphere, specialty drinks, music, and clientele. The first was a large western bar with dark wood, country music, and a good-sized supper crowd. They had one drink and moved on to the biker bar next door.

  Old vinyl floors, dim lighting, a large beer and hard alcohol selection, and an aging juke box playing sixties and seventies rock and roll, welcomed them as they took seats at the varnished bar. It was much like an old bar they frequented close to the base.

  Reb and Paul wandered to the back for a game of pool, while Trey and Jesse nursed their drinks.

  “I’m glad you came,” Trey said as he put an arm around Jesse’s waist to pull her closer to him. He leaned over and nuzzled her neck.

  “Fire Mountain is a beautiful place. Not anything like where I grew up.” Jesse turned to place a kiss on his mouth, then straightened, staring into the mirror at the back of the bar. “Your family is great.” She watched his reflection in the mirror.

  “Yeah, they are. I’m lucky to have them. No matter what, I know I can count on them being there for me.” He chuckled. “Even my squirt sister.”

  “You mean especially Cassie, don’t you?”

  “Guess she is pretty protective. Funny, as I recall I was the one protecting her while we were growing up. I guess times change.”

  “She worries about you—that much is clear. You’re the only one not near the ranch, with a life outside of Fire Mountain.”

  “Except for my cousins up north, you’re right.” Trey sipped his drink and watched a group of bikers walk in and settle at a table against the wall. One uncle, Rafe MacLaren, Heath’s middle brother, had taken his family and moved north to Colorado, finally settling in Montana a few years after Trey was born. He didn’t know the whole story but knew a rift had developed between the brothers. No one had heard from Rafe in years.

  There was also another group of MacLarens that lived in Nevada and northern California. He’d only met them once when several had traveled to Fire Mountain on their way to a cattle convention. Trey had hoped to connect with them while he was in California.

  “She wants you to come home when your obligation is up.”

  He set his glass down and fixed his gaze on her image in the mirror before turning his eyes to hers. “And you? Could you live here, with me, after our flying obligation is over?”

  Jesse stared back at the man she’d fallen in love with over the last year. It was never supposed to be this way. She’d had no intention of having a relationship with a fellow pilot or developing such strong feelings for someone else. Now that it had happened, she wasn’t sure what to do about it.

  “We both understand how tough being married to another pilot would be. Just look at Pete and Anita.” The other female pilot in their training group in Texas had been assigned to the base in Virginia Beach, while her pilot husband, Pete, was with them in California. “I understand we could put in for the same duty station, but we both know there are no guarantees.” She emptied her glass and set it on the bar.

  “That didn’t answer my question.” Trey’s eyes bore into hers now. He wanted to hear her commit—to him, to them, to some type of life together.

  She was saved from answering when she saw Paul approach and take a stool next to hers.

  “I swear that redneck was a pro pool player before he joined the Navy. Boy’s got the damnedest instincts I ever saw.”

  Reb followed him, pocketing some bills and smiling at his opponent. “Don’t take it so hard. You can get it back at the next place.” He slugged down the rest of his beer and headed for the door before turning back. “Well, you guys coming?”

  They ended the night at a small western bar with a loud band, college-aged crowd, and TV screens on every wall. The place was similar to the ones they’d frequented in Corpus Christi, packed with people lining up outside to enter. Country music blasted out onto the sidewalk, drawing more people inside. Trey often frequented the place when at home, and he knew most of the regulars.

  “Hey, Trey,” the bartender called and waved, between pouring drinks and filling beer mugs.

  “How’s it going, Charley?” Trey called back. “My friends—Reb, Paul, and Jesse.” His gaze shifted to his friends. “This is Charley. He’s been here since my dad started coming in.”

  “Good to meet you, folks. Doubt you can find a seat—pretty big crowd tonight.” Charley nodded to a tall, slender, young man at the door. “Setup a table near the back.”

  “Sure thing.”

  “Follow him. He’ll take care of you,” Charley said and in an instant was back to the throngs of people requesting a drink.

  “Guess it pays to know people,” Jesse said and followed Trey to their table. No one seemed to mind that another table was being wedged in or that four newcomers took the seats.

  “Pays to know someone in a small town country bar, that’s for sure,” Trey replied and took a stool against the wall.

  No sooner had they ordered drinks th
an Reb and Paul took off, searching for fair game in the middle of the crowd. The band finished their set and the DJ filled in the break with lower decibel top forty country tunes. Trey wrapped an arm around Jesse’s shoulders and watched the happenings around them. The crowd was his age. He wondered why he felt so much older and somewhat out of touch.

  “You know, you still never answered my question,” he whispered in her ear.

  “About what?”

  He leveled his gaze at her, knowing full well she knew what he was asking.

  She’d switched to soda about two bars before and tipped the glass back for a long sip before setting it down and wrapping her hands around it. “I don’t know, Trey. We still have a lot of years left. There’s plenty of time to decide.”

  “That’s not what I’m asking,” Trey persisted.

  Jesse looked into his eyes, knowing what he wanted to hear, yet not quite being able to say it. “I love you. Isn’t that enough for now?”

  He was silent for a long moment, considering her words. “Guess it’ll have to be.”

  Chapter Three

  Naval Air Station, California

  They’d been back at the base a week. It had been a good—no, a great—trip. Everyone had enjoyed their time away and had already committed to inviting themselves back on their next long weekend. They got no argument from Trey’s family.

  The four had returned to their routine, finishing the training program before being assigned to their specific squadrons. The odds were slim that they’d all be assigned to the same carrier, but at least for the foreseeable future, they’d all still be flying out of California.

  Heath and Annie’s wedding was planned for the weekend after Trey expected to get his assignment. His plans were set. Robert would pick him up on Friday afternoon and he’d return to base on Sunday. The only question was whether Jesse would accompany him.

  “So, what’s for dinner, Reb?” Paul asked as he drove the four home on Friday afternoon. “Please tell me it’s not more fried chicken and okra. You must know something other than that.”