Flight Risk (Antiques in Flight)

by Nicole Helm

  Callie took the list, smoothed it out and read over the cities and mileages.

  “I don’t get it.”

  “I could transfer to a field office closer. I guess she’d feel better if I was somewhere within driving distance, and I get that.”

  Callie’s whole face brightened as she looked at the piece of paper. “It’s brilliant.”

  “You’re joking, right?”

  “You’d still be in the FBI and Shelby would feel better. No guilt. It’s not perfect, but I have to admit Shelby’s got something here. It’s a great compromise. You should do it.” She looked up and smiled.

  It caused a stabbing pain in his heart to think she could be so happy with him far away, even if it was closer than Seattle. “What if I want to be here?”

  Her smile died. “Why are you holding on to that?”

  “Because I’m not convinced it’s a terrible idea anymore.” Why was she so convinced it was?

  “There will be women in every one of these towns willing to sleep with you.”

  “Don’t do that. You know as well as I do that sex with you isn’t like sex with anyone else.”

  She blinked down at the paper, then carefully folded it back up.

  He took the outstretched paper, tried to keep the snap out of his voice and failed. “You know what? It’s my decision. You’re not interested in past September, so your opinion doesn’t matter.”

  “Right.”

  He was a little rewarded by the frown on her face. Arguing with her wasn’t going to get him anywhere. He had to prove to her she was wrong, and it would take a lot of time and a lot of effort and some covert manipulations, but he’d get her there.

  He maneuvered one of her legs behind him and then crawled over, gently nudging her down into a prone position. He watched her mouth try to fight against the upward curve, but eventually she gave in to the smile.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Ending this conversation on a high note.” He let his lips cover hers, his body cover hers.

  The front door swung open. “From Trevor’s car in the drive and his coat on the porch, I imagine I know what happened here last night, but I’m keeping my eyes shut until you can assure me all private parts are covered.”

  Callie worked her way into a sitting position. “Nah, we’re having crazed sex in the middle of the living room as we speak.”

  “Oh, well then.” Em grinned, dropped her hands off her eyes. She tossed Trevor his suit coat. “If this is going to be a regular thing, we’re going to have to set some ground rules.”

  “What is it with you women and ground rules?” Trevor flung his suit jacket over his shoulder. “I have to get home. Not sure how long my ‘won’t be home tonight’ text is going to hold Shelby over.” He leaned down and kissed Callie. He could have forgotten all about Em seconds later.

  “Ugh. Rule number one. No PDA.”

  Trevor chuckled but before he could escape, Callie pinched his ass. Hard. “Hey!”

  “Sorry, couldn’t help it. I don’t have a lot of opportunities to make Em gag.”

  Because she was smiling, because despite all they’d talked about she looked happy, Trevor left feeling happy too. Callie had never been easy, and this wouldn’t be any different.

  But he wasn’t walking away come September. And neither was she.

  “So?”

  Callie slid off the window seat and moved into the kitchen, avoiding Em’s dopey grin. “So, what?”

  Em threw her arms around Callie’s shoulders, gave a squeeze. “So, you finally did it. Yay!”

  Yay? Well, actually, it was quite a yay. A really yummy yay. “You didn’t exactly make it home yourself.”

  Em grinned and snatched the mug of coffee from Callie’s hands. “Nope, had a little yay of my own. He might not look it, but Pete is pretty smooth.

  Callie gave a baffled laugh. “Congratulations.”

  “Please tell me Trevor is everything he looks like he’d be.”

  Callie stared at Em. Though they both knew each other’s relationship histories, they’d never really shared stories. Not like this. Callie had been too embarrassed of most of her stories and jealous of Em’s serial monogamous relationships.

  But here they were, talking about sex with men who mattered. Maybe her relationship was temporary, but it still mattered. Callie poured herself a cup of coffee, smiled. “Yeah, he’s everything he looks like he’d be.”

  Em sighed dreamily. “Lucky us.”

  Callie looked down at the black liquid in her mug. “Yeah. Lucky us.” Well, she would be lucky for a month or two more anyway. Her smile faded at the thought.

  “Uh oh.”

  “What?”

  “Second thoughts already?”

  “I’m not having second thoughts.” Callie scowled over at Em who was stretched out on the window seat, gracefully sipping her coffee in the pastel blue bridesmaid’s dress she’d worn last night.

  How Em could make the morning after look so put together was downright unfair. “Last night was great. Really, really great.” But her own buzzword haunted her. Temporary.

  “Then do me a favor, Cal?”

  “What?”

  Em sat up, fixed Callie with a stern stare. “Enjoy the hell out of it.”

  Callie laughed, plopped next to Em. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Hey.”

  Callie bobbled on the stepladder but managed to catch herself. She shoved bangs out of her face and tried not to look like such a fucking spaz.

  “Hey.”

  Trevor grinned, causing her to scowl. She had to act normal. Nothing had changed between them. They were still friends. Friends that, for the next two months, could have sex whenever they had an inclination.

  Man, did she have an inclination. Especially now that she knew every inch of what was under the baggy gym shorts and grimy T-shirt.

  Swallowing, Callie moved unsteadily down the ladder and pushed the bangs out of her face again. She’d only had them for two days and she already regretted letting Em talk her into cutting them.

  Callie stepped off the ladder, but she kept it between her and Trevor, though not sure why. Maybe because everything in her body screamed at her to cross the floor to him. Luckily, her brain was functioning. For now.

  “What’s up?” She tried to look normal, but she no longer had any idea what that looked like, so she fiddled with the irritating hair hanging over her eyes instead.

  “I finished up for the day, thought I’d stop by make sure you didn’t have anything you needed me to do.”

  Oh, she could think of something he could do. “No, I’m good out here.”

  “Stearman completely finished?” He nodded toward the plane visible through the door to the hangar.

  “Yeah, all polished up and ready for the fly-in.” Ready to sell. But she didn’t say that out loud, because she didn’t want to think about it.

  “Okay, can we cut the bullshit now?”

  “Huh?”

  “Go out with me.”

  “Trev-”

  “Dinner, a movie, go to the park and make out like we should have done in high school.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  Why not? Because spending extra time with him made her nervous. Because every time she was around him she had to repeat to herself over and over again that the only safe way to deal with Trevor was to be sure he was heading away from Pilot’s Point in September.

  An irrational part of her had thought maybe finally having sex would make that easier. Thinking about the “will we won’t we” all the time had made it this all-encompassing thing. Now she realized it had been easier when she’d been so focused on avoiding getting physically wrapped up with Trevor. Crossing that line opened up her mind to think about far more dangerous things.

  In weak moments, really, really weak moments she thought about what it might be like for him to stay, and it all but crushed her heart. Because
no matter how many short-term scenarios were perfectly cozy and enticing, inevitably her imagination cracked it in two with the long-term reality.

  She’d never be enough to keep him. Callie scowled at that thought. No, that wasn’t right. Pilot’s Point would never be enough to keep him. This wasn’t about her.

  “How long am I supposed to wait while you come up with some fake excuse?”

  “I wasn’t coming up with a fake excuse. I was just…” Thinking. Pining. “Fine. But just dinner. We’d never agree on a movie in a million years.”

  “What about the making out at the park?”

  Callie rolled her eyes, feeling exactly like a teenager. Or what she imagined a normal teenager would feel like. She never had been normal. “Negotiable.”

  “I’m fairly confident in my negotiating skills.”

  “Go home. Wash up. I’ll meet you at your house at seven, okay?”

  “Yes, as long as you promise to wear appropriate date attire.”

  “This is not a date.”

  “Oh yes, it is.”

  Hands on her hips, she gave him a disapproving scowl. “Trevor.”

  He mocked her stance and tone. “Callie.”

  “I really don’t know what I could possibly see in you.”

  He let his hands fall off his hips and grinned. “Do you want me to make you a list?” And then he was stepping toward her and the small stepladder between them wasn’t enough of a barrier.

  “You go ahead and make your list. On your way home.”

  He stepped around the ladder and there was a part of her that wanted to retreat, that was afraid if he touched her enough times the voice of reason in her head would completely disappear.

  His hands moved around her waist, gently pulling her to him. “It’s not particularly easy working all day out there knowing you’re banging away on your airplanes in here.”

  He didn’t need to touch her, sometimes his words could kill that voice of reason too. Instead, the voice of reason morphed into a very naughty voice. Why should I be banging on airplanes when you could be banging on me instead?

  Yikes. “We shouldn’t… We should have a line here, you know? Not mix work with other stuff.”

  His head bent toward hers, but he slid his lips against her cheek rather than her mouth. “Why? You afraid I’ll talk you into having sex in an airplane?”

  She couldn’t help laughing because the image was absurd. “Yup, that’s exactly it.”

  He pulled his head back, his hands moving from her waist to her face. She was such a sucker when he did that, looking at her with those intense blue eyes. And then his mouth met hers, a lazy, seductive kiss full of promise.

  He pulled away so quickly her head spun. “I’ll see you soon.” He strutted to the door with a stupid cocky grin on his face.

  She waved him off only breathing a sigh of relief once he’d left the shop and she could take a full breath again.

  There was no reason to rush home and get ready. It wasn’t a date, just a get together. Hanging out. She didn’t need to put on makeup or wear anything besides her normal jeans and T-shirt.

  Half an hour later, she found herself in a short black skirt and a borrowed top from Em. Since Em was a little bit rounder, the shirt was a little baggy, but that was okay. Callie wasn’t trying to look super sexy.

  Just casually sexy.

  Callie gathered her purse and keys while Em sat on the couch curled up in the corner with a book.

  “Where are you two going on your date?” Em placed the book in her lap, smiled dreamily.

  Em’s obvious romanticism of the situation had Callie bristling. “It’s not a date.”

  Em’s nose wrinkled. “Then what is it?”

  “I don’t know. It’s just…”

  “You’re sleeping together, and you’re going to go out to dinner together. I’d call that a date.”

  “Look, don’t get your romantic hopes and dreams pinned on this, okay? Trevor and I are just…”

  “You keep saying just. Just what?”

  That was the problem. Callie didn’t know. The more she tried to come up with the right terminology for what they were, the more she regretted letting this whole thing happen.

  “It’s not permanent. Trevor and I agreed whatever happens between us beyond friendship is just a…” There was that just word again. “A temporary thing.”

  Em rolled her eyes before sticking her nose back in the book. “I know whose idea that was.”

  “Don’t start.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it.” Em discarded the book again and slid off the couch, all graceful hurt. “My talk about letting down your guard and letting people in obviously fell on deaf ears when it came to Trevor. Well, I give up.” She sauntered off to her room in an unusual huff.

  Which only served to make Callie more unsure and antsy. She should call and cancel. She should tell Trevor this whole thing was a mistake and they never should have slept together and maybe they would be better off meaning nothing to each other at all.

  Middle ground was slipping through her fingers. It seemed no matter what happened between them, it was too little or too much. Too little would be the smart thing, the right thing.

  Callie stood at the door and stared at it. In the end, she couldn’t do the right thing.

  Meaning nothing to each other was the worst-case scenario, and she wasn’t ready to go down that road. Surely there was a middle ground road hiding around somewhere. She just had to find it before things got too sticky.

  Callie drove away from AIF and into the heart of Pilot’s Point. She pulled up to the Steele house the same time another car did, and when Dan got out of the driver’s side, Callie felt even more like a foolish teen. On a sigh, she stepped out of the car and pulled at the hem of her skirt a little.

  “Well, hey, Dan.”

  Dan smiled in cheerful greeting. “Hey, Callie. What are you doing here?”

  Callie had to fight to keep a pleasant smile on her face. “Oh, Trevor and I are going to, um, hang out a bit.”

  He looked down at her skirt, looked away quickly, and then blushed. “Oh. Cool.”

  Callie rolled her eyes. If she couldn’t fool Dan, there wasn’t much hope in fooling anybody.

  “I want to thank you for letting me help out at AIF. It’s been really awesome, and we never would have done it if you hadn’t tricked us into it. But it’s practically been the best part of my summer.”

  Callie knew what that meant. Shelby had been the best part of his summer. Callie fought off the grimace and kept her lips curved upward. Foolish, hopeful teen love was enough to make anyone a little sick to their stomach.

  “I’m glad. You’re welcome to volunteer any time. We’ll always need help. Breaks. Next summer. Whatever.”

  “Thanks!” His exuberance and excitement were infectious and Callie didn’t have to fake her smile anymore as they stepped up onto the porch. “Man, I can’t believe we’ll be leaving in three and a half weeks. Everything has gone by so fast.”

  Three and a half weeks. Mid-August. Shelby would be gone and Trevor would be free to focus on his choices. Seattle. A Midwest field office. Pilot’s Point.

  Then in September he’d make his choice. He’d either ruin everything by staying, or he’d rip her heart out by leaving. Maybe sometimes, against her will, thoughts popped into her head like Trevor staying and things going on as they were. Winter when things at AIF were slower and they’d be able to curl up by the fireplace and…

  She sighed and pressed a finger to the doorbell. Her heart would be ripped out either way. Picturing things that would only make it harder was a bad move. It was absolutely best to know when so she could prepare for the heart ripping instead of getting lost in some fantasy and then having the rug pulled out from under her.

  Dan hit the nail on the head. Everything had gone by so fast. So fast Callie didn’t know which way was up anymore.

  Everything seemed to right when Trevor answered the door and half of the worrie
s in her head got drowned out by the eagerness in his smile and the fact that, for right now, he wanted to be with her every bit as much as she wanted to be with him.

  Didn’t she used to be good at ignoring things? At putting up walls? Why not put up a wall around the end result and enjoy the here and now? She’d done that once, and maybe it hadn’t always been the best way of dealing with life, but it seemed like a hell of a good idea tonight.

  “Isn’t this special, Shelby? Both our dates are here.”

  Shelby appeared next to Trevor, and she didn’t gag or insult Callie. Instead, she seemed pleased Trevor had called Callie his date.

  Must be some weird trick of lighting.

  “We’ll get out of your way,” Shelby said in a sing-songy voice as she pushed past Trevor. “Don’t wait up. We won’t be home until late.”

  “Midnight.”

  “One-thirty.”

  “You’re not home by one I get one of the guys at county to send a patrol car after you.”

  “Whatever.” She flounced away on Dan’s arm, but Dan looked back at Trevor with a look of panic.

  “One,” he mouthed.

  Callie bit back a chuckle until the teens were in the car. “That’s sweet.”

  “What?”

  “That little protective moment you just had, and the fact Dan is still such a wimp that he’s scared of you. You realize once they go off to college you won’t be able to dictate what time she gets home?”

  Trevor grimaced. “You’re mean.”

  “Yes, I am. Remember that.”

  “If I was afraid of a little meanness I would have kicked you to the curb a long time ago, Calloway.”

  “Do not use my full name.” She poked him in the ribs, but he grabbed her hand and held it so any irritation immediately petered out as his warm hand closed over hers.

  “Any ideas on where you what to go to dinner?” He pulled her inside the entryway. “We could drive out farther if nothing in Pilot’s Point sounds good. Anything in Heartland or Gwenview?”

  “We don’t need to go to Heartland or Gwenview. Hunan Wok here is good.” She laughed when, as expected, his whole face twisted with disgust.