Jet Blue (WeHo Book 5)

by Sherryl Hancock

  “If I mess this jacket up, Devin will kill me…” Skyler said, still tempted by the need to smoke.

  “So take it off and hang it over there,” Jet said, pointing to a tall arrangement of flowers.

  “Got it,” Skyler said, unbuttoning her jacket and doing as Jet had suggested.

  Skyler put the cigarette between her lips and Jet lit it for her. Skyler took a deep drag and closed her eyes in near ecstasy.

  “You are the best friend I’ve ever had…” Skyler told her.

  “What does that make me?” Jams asked, coming up behind the two.

  Skyler laughed. “My copilot.”

  “Is that better or worse?” Jet asked.

  “Neither,” Skyler said, grinning.

  “So you’re really gonna put off your honeymoon to be there on Monday?” Jams asked. “You know I can meet this liaison and give you a full report.”

  “I know,” Skyler said. “But I just want to get the full lay of the land…”

  Jet and Jams nodded. LA IMPACT as a whole was adding an aviation group to their arsenal. They’d gotten lucky and received an offer of assistance from a local military operation. They were meeting with the liaison that Monday to go over what options they had and how the liaison would work with them. Skyler and Jams were making the move into law enforcement in as much as helicopter use would allow. It was taking a big change for them, but they felt it was time.

  “Better get this show on the road,” Skyler said when she finished the cigarette.

  Jet extended her hand to Skyler, who pushed it aside and hugged Jet tight.

  “You’ll do fine,” Jet said, smiling as she hugged Skyler back.

  “I know,” Skyler said. “I’m glad you’re happy, Jet.”

  Jet pulled back, looking at Skyler. “I am, and I owe you for that too.”

  “Nah, just be happy,” Skyler said.

  “Working on it,” Jet said, nodding.

  Jet went back to her seat and a few minutes later the wedding began. Jams was standing up for Skyler and Devin hadn’t bothered with bridesmaids. Devin’s father was walking her down the aisle to give her away to Skyler.

  When Devin appeared at the end of the aisle, Skyler felt her heart flutter. Devin wore a Pnina Tornai wedding gown that was shorter in the front, and long in the back. It was a strapless gown that was covered in appliques that sparkled and winked as she walked toward Skyler. Her hair was done in a loose up-do that left curled tendrils loose around her face and shoulders. Her makeup was dramatic and done in a way that made Skyler think that she was definitely the luckiest woman on the planet. Devin’s eyes shined brightly as she looked at Skyler, her smile pure love.

  The vows were exchanged, bringing tears and a little bit of laughter to everyone. The reception was held in a two-story room with vaulted ceilings and an incredible amount of flowers and crystals and purple lighting. The evening went far too fast and before long there were only a few people left. Mostly their core group that always hung out together, including Sebastian.

  They were all sitting around one table, drinking and smoking and talking.

  “This was an amazing wedding,” Zoey said, sitting next to Jericho who nodded in agreement.

  “Yeah, you did a great job,” Xandy told Devin.

  “Thanks,” Devin said, smiling, her bare feet on Skyler’s lap, while Skyler rubbed them where Devin’s wedding shoes had caused red spots. “But a very expensive wedding planner handled most of it.”

  “Pays to pay someone sometimes,” Kashena said, grinning.

  “Be quiet, you made me keep it to a minimum,” Sierra said, swatting Kashena on the arm.

  Kashena only laughed.

  “You both looked so gorgeous!” Cat said, smiling.

  “And I love that dress Devin! I think I need one like that…” Jovina said, letting her voice trail off as she looked up.

  “Ohhhhh….” Quinn said, grimacing.

  “Quiet you,” Xandy said, poking her girlfriend.

  “Damn…” Jericho said, shaking her head at Quinn.

  “I think you should be careful here too, Jerich,” Quinn said, nodding toward Zoey.

  Jericho turned to look at Zoey. “Hi,” she said, smiling with a faked kind of innocence.

  “Don’t hi me,” Zoey said, her look pointed.

  “Ouch,” Jet said, grinning, her hand in Fadiyah’s.

  “Well, I think it was a wonderful wedding,” Ashley put in.

  “It’s one of the best I’ve ever been to,” Natalia said.

  “This is my first,” Raine said, grinning.

  “Hmmm…” Natalia said, her look mischievous.

  “Ohhhh…” said a few of the group together.

  Raine looked pensive. “What did I say?”

  “Hablaremos más tarde,” Natalia said to Raine.

  Raine nodded.

  “Wow…” Jet said.

  “What did she say?” Ashley asked Jet.

  “That they’ll talk later,” Jet said.

  “Run, Raine, just run,” Sebastian told the girl.

  “Hey! Callete gringo!” Natalia exclaimed, grinning all the while.

  Sebastian laughed, leaning back in his chair and putting his arm around the back of Ashley’s chair.

  Jet had noticed that Sebastian had been especially attentive to Ashley all evening. He hadn’t been pawing her or anything, which relieved Jet greatly. In pushing Ashley at Sebastian, she had been just a little concerned that she’d misjudged Sebastian, thinking he was a complete gentleman. Part of her had worried that she’d need to rescue Ashley from him at some point, and she wasn’t sure how that would go over with Sebastian, Ashley or Fadiyah. It was a very odd situation to be in, and she knew it. She was happy to see that she’d been right about Sebastian. She also thought they looked damned good together.

  It was a great night for everyone.

  ***

  She smoothed back her hair, and checked her makeup again in the car mirror, just to be sure it wasn’t overdone or smudged. Everything looked fine. She couldn’t believe how frigging nervous she was! Her phone rang then and grinning she picked up the call on the car’s Bluetooth.

  “Hi!” she said, knowing exactly who it was without even looking at the display, she always knew when to call…

  “Hi,” came the response. “How are you doing over there?” asked a warm voice.

  “I’m nervous as hell!” she responded, shaking her head.

  “You are going to do fine, honey, you know that.”

  She took a deep breath, blowing it out, glancing in the rearview mirror again. “I know, I know.”

  “Then get in there,” was the warm response.

  “I love you,” She said.

  “I love you, too, babe,” came the reply.

  Taking a deep breath she climbed out of the car and settled her cap on her head, making sure the brim was right at her brow level. Her uniform was pressed, her boots were shined and she looked as sharp as she possibly could. Walking a few steps she stopped and reached inside her gear bag for the cigarettes waiting there. She’d been smoking since her last deployment, it calmed her nerves. She knew she needed to quit, but hadn’t managed it so far.

  Lighting the cigarette she leaned against her car and did her best to let the smoke calm her. She had no idea she was being observed.

  “Think that’s her?” Skyler asked, as she and Jet walked past the parking lot.

  “Gotta be, how many military personnel you think show up here?” Jet replied.

  “When did they start letting Playboy bunnies into the military?” Skyler asked, grinning.

  “I dunno,” Jet said, her tone sly. “But she’s definitely hot…”

  “Let’s get in there,” Skyler said, shaking her head.

  She walked inside the building and signed in. The security guard directed her to the room where her meeting was being held. Outside the room, she shifted her neck around, hearing it pop. Glancing through the door window she saw there were a lot of p
eople seated in the room, so she imagined that she was one of the last to arrive. She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, then reached for the door.

  Walking in, she was the picture of military precision and efficiency. She walked to the podium and when everyone quieted down she smiled.

  “Good morning. I’m Captain Shenin Devereaux-Hancock, most people just call me Dev, and I’m your new Air Force Aviation Liaison.”