Sam couldn’t stop smiling as she washed and dried the empty carafe along with the dishes and then put them away. “I’m not saying anything other than the man’s very good with his hands.”
“I knew it!” Maria groaned into her mug. “You’re right. I’m so jealous. Sexy bastard has nice big hands, too. Surely, you’ll elaborate?”
Sam snickered, but remained quiet while her friend watched her secure the cabin and check the hearth to make sure the fire was completely out.
The one for the vintage pilot still simmered.
“I will tell you this, an airplane isn’t the only thing he can take to new heights.” Sam couldn’t stop the satisfied smile from claiming her lips as she double checked the bathroom.
“That’s it,” Maria said, washing out her cup before placing it back in the cupboard. “I’m putting a time-shifting pilot on my Christmas list.”
“Would that be before or after the firefighter?”
“Bite me.”
They were still laughing as they walked toward the helicopter and its newest fan.
***
Mitch wasn’t sure what he’d expected. The feeling of absolute freedom, and complete euphoria from flying in what resembled a plastic bubble, caught him by surprise. The Corsair’s take off pinned him back in his seat, but this…this sensation of weightlessness as they lifted straight up was incredible. And the view? Panoramic. Beautiful. Every angle amazing.
Just like the pilot.
His attention switched gears. Samantha Sheppard had some pretty amazing angles, too. And not just her luscious body. She was beautiful, funny, intelligent and kind. He watched her movements carefully. One hell of a pilot, too. Flying this baby looked challenging. She used her feet and hands, her movements precise and sure. The woman was in complete control, aware of the instruments, gears, her surroundings, her passengers, even taking time to play tour guide.
He returned his attention to the vista below. The Curecanti National Recreation Area. Samantha mentioned the park through the headsets they’d all donned to block out noise from the engine and rotation of the blades. They’d also sported sunglasses to combat the sun’s glare. What he viewed below was amazing.
His gaze bounced around the scenery. The combination of wilderness, water and sky was spectacular. The Curecanti was a series of three reservoirs along the Gunnison River. Samantha told him the reservoirs were a destination for water-based recreation high in the Rocky Mountains. Maybe they could drive there someday and walk the trails.
“So, what do you think?” she asked.
He turned toward her, opened his mouth, but Maria spoke up from the back.
“I think you should wake me up when we get there, mom.”
The reply was accompanied by an audible yawn.
Mitch smiled and watched Samantha roll her eyes.
“I was talking to Mitch.”
“Ah, sure, she’s got a man now, so old reliable Maria has to take a back seat.”
Samantha’s shoulders lifted. “Well, it’s only fitting since you’re in the back seat.”
“And whose fault is that?” Maria’s voice rose in his ears.
He could see why the two of them were friends. They had an easy report that spoke of battle-worn camaraderie. His heart rocked in his chest, and he glanced from Samantha to Maria whom he could barely make out behind them. The two women had definitely battled together in a war.
“It’s your fault,” Samantha was saying. “You’re the one who climbed in there.”
“True. I wanted to take a nap.”
“Then do it.”
“God, give her a little sex and she get so bossy.”
He snickered.
“Good night, Maria.”
“Good night, Gracie.”
Samantha’s gaze met his again, big smile on her face. “Okay, Mitch.” She emphasized his name. “You want to take over for a bit?”
Take over? “Hell ya.”
“I thought so.” She laughed. “Okay, you take the stick. It’s not much different than the Corsair.”
“You’re wasting your breath,” Maria chimed in. “He’s a guy. He knows how to handle a stick.”
“Maria!”
“What? I’m trying to sleep.”
“Liar.”
“I heard that.”
Samantha stuck her tongue out.
“I heard that, too,” Maria claimed.
“That’s it.” Samantha twisted in her seat, and the helicopter still remained steady as she let go of the stick to thrust her hand toward the back. “Give it to me.”
“Isn’t that Mitch’s job?”
“Maria! Give me the damn headset.”
“Fine. If you two wanted some alone time, just say so. Now, maybe you’ll quit waking me up,” Maria grumbled, thrusting the headset forward.
Mitch’s cheeks hurt. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d smiled so much. Those two women were something else. He grabbed the headset and stored it.
“All right, now, as I was saying.” Samantha sighed and turned to him. “This stick is the cyclic. It changes the pitch of the blades and controls direction. You take that and keep this heading, and I’ll worry about the throttle and rest.”
“Roger.”
She sent him a smile. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
Samantha shifted her hand up the stick, holding on at the very top, giving him room to take over. Once his fingers curled around the cyclic, she let go.
“She’s all yours.”
The adrenaline flowing through his veins burst into flight as he controlled the helicopter’s movements. Mitch smiled in pure enjoyment. Blue skies as far as he could see. No other crafts. No Zeroes to worry about blowing them out of the sky. Nothing but nature at its best. And the most beautiful woman next to him.
He turned to her and his smile widened.
“It’s something else, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Incredible,” he replied. “Is the Phantombird like this?”
She shook her head. “Not exactly. The lift is similar, but it’s an aircraft not a chopper.”
“Must be incredibly powerful.”
“Yes, very.” She nodded, but didn’t elaborate, and he didn’t push, knowing there wasn’t much more she could say. Besides, he was content with his current mission to fly them to Shep’s airport.
Shep’s airport.
Mitch was suddenly and uncontrollably envious of his friend and the decades of pleasure the man had enjoyed. Maybe now, he’d be able to do the same. Sucked he hadn’t been able to enjoy it with Shep.
A warm hand settled lightly over his. “Helicopters were my grandfather’s favorite,” Samantha said, seeming to know his train of thought.
“I can see why.”
Mitch stared at her a moment, unable to see her eyes, but knowing compassion was there. He returned his attention back to the scenery.
They finished the rest of their flight in a companionable silence, her hand still lightly touching his, until they were a mile from their destination. Samantha took over, and before long, he was staring down at a small airport that wasn’t so small. He had expected one runway, one hangar…at least, according to the photos he’d seen.
“Well, what do you think?”
“It’s bigger than in the photos.”
She smiled. “Yeah. That was one of my grandfather’s older albums. We’ve expanded since then.”
“I’ll say.”
“We have several runways—two for takeoff, two for landing and two for taxiing. And over there is where we’ll land. It’s called a helipad.”
He fell silent as she maneuvered them over four hangars, one runway and a parking lot. Touchdown was smooth and efficient, and bespoke of hours and hours of flight time. After flipping several switches, she powered down, and they were both hanging up their headsets when a soft snore sounded from the back.
Samantha’s gaze met his and they chuckled before she turned in her seat and smacked her friend on the
knee. “Hey, sleeping beauty. We’re here.”
Maria’s eyes fluttered open. “That was some smooth flying, Amelia,” the dark-eyed beauty said with a yawning stretch, giving her red curls a shake.
“Make that Charles,” Samantha corrected, nodding to him. “Mitch flew. I only landed.”
“Oh.” Maria stilled and stared at him, grin widening by the second. “I guess you really are good with your hands.”
Samantha slumped back in her seat and groaned. “I knew I should’ve left you at the cabin.”
Mitch found himself smiling at his red-faced captor. “Tell her that, did you?” When she nodded, he leaned closer to touch her heated cheek. “Is there anything else you want to tell her, or do we need to come up with something new?”
“Um, hey…hello? She is right here.” Maria waved her hand. “And she is going to need some popcorn if you two are going to keep this up.”
“Popcorn? Who needs popcorn?” Samantha asked, and surprised him by leaning forward and kissing him full on the lips.
Hell, he didn’t need any encouragement, he was still coming down from his adrenaline high, and Samantha’s mouth was exactly what he needed. Cupping her face, he deepened the kiss, skimming her tongue with his own.
“Okay, fine. Great. Don’t worry about me,” Maria grumbled. “I’ll just be back here ready to self combust. Like I did last night. At least then, I had mechanical help.”
Samantha broke the kiss with a jerk. “Jesus, Maria.”
“What? Oh, speaking of mechanics, quick, open the door. I think I saw that fine specimen of a mechanic working on the other chopper.”
Samantha looked at Mitch and shook her head, smiling as she opened the door. By the time he joined her in front of the helicopter, Maria was already halfway across the tarmac, waving to said mechanic.
“Is that what she meant by mechanical help?” he asked, noting Samantha’s blush returned full force.
“N-not exactly. Um…” she stammered, grabbing his hand. “I’ll explain later. Right now, let me introduce you to Jensen. He’s a good guy.”
How good? Cripes, they sure grew them big in this century. The guy was solid like a bull. He let her lead him toward the others. “Let me guess, former Marine?”
She smiled, but shook her head. “Not quite. Former Navy SEAL.”
Seal?
Mitch stopped and gave a half chuckle. “Did you say seal?”
A blubbery mammal from the Arctic came to mind. Surely the Navy could’ve come up with a better name.
“Yes, it stands for sea, air and land. They are a Special Forces group established by President Kennedy in 1962. Very elite. Which means they usually see a lot of stuff. The fact Jensen’s a man of few words says he’s definitely seen his share.”
Ah, that made more sense. And she was right. He could tell by the guy’s guarded expression and sturdy, almost battle-ready stance he’d been through hell, and probably never left. Talking to Maria, the mechanic wiped his hands in the shirt he discarded, no doubt due to unseasonably warm temperature.
As they neared, the man turned his attention to them, his sharp blue gaze missing nothing. Mitch got the impression the guy had him sized up so accurately he could tell Mitch things he didn’t even know about himself.
“Hi, Jensen.” Samantha released him to pull the strapping mammal into a hug.
“Sam.”
Mitch watched the two, wondering if they had a history, but neither their gaze nor their touch lingered, and the embrace lacked sexual tension. Samantha and Jensen were just friends. The fact made him unreasonably happy. He knew she’d had other lovers, he was just glad Navy wasn’t one of them.
Will I be the last?
God, he hoped so. Try as he might, Mitch couldn’t shake the feeling something was chasing him. Something tangible, yet not there. Something like…time.
He wasn’t from this century. Could he really be allowed to stay?
His gaze strayed to the beautiful woman who risked life and limb, and possibly others’ lives to save him. It’d only been five short days, but the connection they shared went well beyond. Cripes, he didn’t want to leave her. He’d fight tooth and nail to be with the sexy pilot. His Anna from memories of a past life. His Samantha from right here and now.
She turned to him and smiled, her warmth reaching out to him, chasing away the invading chill.
“Mitch, this is Jensen,” she introduced, her fingers curling around his, squeezing tight. “Jensen, this is Mitch.”
For a guy in a military branch named after a cute sea creature, he had one hell of a strong handshake. The sharp gaze was back, too.
Mitch held the SEAL’s stare, although the man was intimidating, he held no malice or threats. His gaze was clear and steady with a hint of warning: Don’t hurt the woman. She was a friend.
Roger that, he conveyed with his own stare, and after a few seconds, Jensen released him with a nod.
Still holding his other hand, Samantha gave him another squeeze. “Mitch is a former Marine pilot.”
Former? Damn. He hated the sound of that. Although, technically he really was no longer a Marine…and no longer in the war. But he sure as hell couldn’t go through life without piloting.
“You know what they say, once a Marine, always a Marine.” Jensen nodded again. “Once a pilot, always a pilot.”
Mitch smiled, warming up to the Navy guy. “True.” The mechanic was all right.
“Aunt Sammie!”
A young boy of about four-years-old with a dark crop of hair and even darker eyes came barreling out of the nearest hanger, followed by a pretty brunette. Sister-in-law and nephew.
“Carson!” Samantha rushed forward and scooped up the sprinting toddler into a kissing hug. “How’s my favorite future pilot?”
Carson? Mitch scratched the bridge of his nose. Huh. Shep must’ve shared stories of the squadron with his whole family. Curious, but not enough to question Samantha on what exactly his friend had revealed, Mitch kept his mouth shut. He was in no hurry to discover which of his buddies never made it off that damn island.
“Great.” The little boy smiled. “Jensen said I could sit in the chopper while he works.”
“Terrific,” she replied with equal fervor. “But before you do, I’d like you to meet Mitch.”
Big brown eyes studied him closely. “Do you like to fly?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Good. Then you can teach me.”
Mitch’s brows rose. The statement caught him off guard. With all the pilots around…related pilots, why had he chosen him? Besides, he didn’t know if he’d ever be able to legally fly again.
“Carson, what did we tell you?” The pretty brunette asked as she neared.
“I have to wait until I’m sixteen,” the little boy recited, a frown souring his joy. “But, Mom, that’s a long time from now.”
“Actually,” Samantha said, regaining her nephew’s attention. “That’s just enough time to learn helicopters and airplanes inside and out, like I did.”
“And you’re a great pilot,” Carson gushed.
“Yes, I am.”
“And humble too,” Maria muttered, low enough for only Mitch and Jensen to hear and smile.
Carson twisted a handful of Samantha’s hair in his little hand. “That’s why you’re going to fly in outer space someday.”
“Yep.”
The young boy looked into Samantha’s eyes and said, “Me, too,” with all the conviction of a child whose world had no limitations.
“I know it.” She kissed his cheek before setting him down. “So, off you go. Have fun in the chopper.”
“And try not to get too dirty,” his mom added.
The petite brunette waited until her son disappeared into the helicopter before turning to face him and Samantha. Her brown gaze ran over him in an efficient second before she stepped forward, hand out.
“Hello. I’m Jenny.”
“Mitch.” He shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, Jenny.”<
br />
She turned to Samantha and smiled. “Wow. I’ll…ah…go tell your dad and brother you’re here. They’re up in the loft. As you can imagine they’re very anxious.”
“Loft?”
“Yeah, they’ve spent the last few days getting it ready for Captain…Mitchell…Mitch,” Jenny informed, then turned and rushed to the hanger as fast as her pencil skirt would allow.
Cripes. They spent the whole week getting what ready for him? He didn’t want to be a burden. His gaze swung back to Samantha. Her shoulders lifted, confusion clouding her eyes.
“I’d better get back to it.” Navy nodded to him before he turned to his tools.
“Just remember, Jensen,” Maria said, walking backwards toward the hanger with them, gaze intent on the bare-chested mechanic. “You need help with anything at all, you let me know.”
“Thanks, but I’m good.”
Grumbling, Maria turned around and fell into step with them. “I know you’re good, that’s why I offered.”
“Maria, when are you going to learn, he’s not interested.”
“It’s not right. All that prime beef shouldn’t be going to waste.”
Samantha shook her head. “He’s got stuff to deal with.”
“Yeah, I know. PTSD.”
“What’s that?” Mitch asked, following them into a hangar.
“Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,” Samantha replied. “It’s a condition suffered after a trauma. A lot of service men and women deal with it after a war.”
“Ah…from what they’ve been through.”
Most of the Marines he knew fell into that category. Not just Marines. There were plenty of soldiers, and even a few RAF pilots he’d met on furlough in Australia that would fit the diagnosis.
Samantha grabbed his hand and pulled him along, barely giving him the chance to take in the helicopter and an interesting looking small plane. He’d love a closer look. Maybe later.
“So, what exactly did you tell your father about me?” he asked, following Sam’s lead up a set of stairs running along the far wall.
“Everything.”
His gaze snapped to Samantha’s. “And he believed you?”
“No.” She laughed. “Not at first.”
“But when I came back the other day and corroborated the same details Sam had given them over the phone, they had no choice.” Maria shook her head and sighed. “Boy, did they put me through the fourth degree. Sat me down on a chair in the middle of an empty room…wouldn’t let me have my one phone call.”
10 Timeless Heroes; A Time Travel Romance Boxed Set Page 218
