by JoAnn Durgin
Cassie could only nod, amazed. Chloe wasn’t even quite six years old.
“Then I’m going to pray, too.” Marching ahead of her, Chloe opened the side door and scooted inside.
“Let the little children come to Me.” Humbled by this child’s deep faith, Cassie followed her into the kitchen. When I grow up, Lord, I want to be bold like Chloe. Josh walked toward his daughter and took her hand as the others moved to make way for Chloe in their prayer circle. Joe Lewis, the toddler version of his dad at only a little over two years old, stood between Sam and Lexa, holding his mama’s hand. Marc carried Gracie and Natalie followed him into the house, and the group made room for them.
A lump rose in Cassie’s throat and tears formed in her eyes. She glanced around the circle as they all clasped hands. When Sam began to pray, she lowered her head and closed her eyes, trying to concentrate.
“Lord, hear our prayer,” Sam said. “We ask for Your watch care now over Landon, Amy and Mitch. We don’t know what’s happening, but You do. Keep them safe, Father. Wrap Your special hedge of protection around them and the plane bringing them to Houston. We pray for Landon’s skill at the controls, and help calm their hearts. Above all, help them to know that whatever happens, You are always in complete control. You are sovereign.”
A tear squeezed out from the corner of Cassie’s eye and slipped down her cheek. She brushed it away while beside her, Rebekah slipped her hand from hers so she could do the same. Sniffles came from a few of the women and more than one of the men grunted or cleared his throat as one by one, they lifted their prayers.
This was TeamWork. Being there for each other, no matter what. In the best of times, and the worst.
Lord, hear our prayer.
Chapter 7
Mitch thought the rumbling and shaking would never stop, but the aircraft finally came to a shuddering halt. A quick glance confirmed they’d touched down on a remote airstrip and then skidded off the runway. Even though it had only been a few seconds, it seemed as if everything happened in slow motion. Almost like a dream. Lifting his head from his knees, Mitch groaned and then unfolded his stiff limbs from their hunched-over position.
Landon dashed through the plane, straight to Amy. After unhooking her seatbelt, he scooped her in his arms and rushed to the door. He unlatched and then kicked it open with one foot while hollering over his shoulder for Mitch to follow. “Hurry up, in case we blow.”
That’s all Mitch needed to hear. Grabbing his suit jacket, he jumped out of his seat. He’d never bolted anywhere so fast, and that included his hundred meter winning sprint at a Pennsylvania statewide track meet in high school. The silence was eerie and dust swirled around the plane as he bounded down the metal steps and jumped to the ground from the fourth step. Made his workouts in his overpriced Manhattan club worth the cost.
Giving Amy a quick kiss and hugging her tight, Landon turned his attention to him. “You okay?”
He nodded. “I think so. Do what you need to do. I’ll take care of Amy.”
“Thanks.” Landon dug his phone from the inner pocket of his leather jacket. “I need to call the FAA and report the incident. They’ll have to come out and investigate. There’s bound to be a lot of paperwork.” He stepped a few feet away to make the call.
Mitch turned to Amy and they stared at one another.
“Are you in shock?” she said, appearing dazed.
“Don’t think so.” He raked his hand through his hair. “A little shook up. You okay?”
Tears welled in her eyes and her lower lip trembled. “I’m not sure.” She tugged down the sleeves of her sweater and crossed her arms. “All I know is, I’m so cold I’m shaking.”
“We made it. We’re fine.” Enfolding her in his embrace, Mitch pulled her close. He figured he needed it as much as she did. “I’ll hold on as long as you need me and Landon can take over.”
“Thanks.” Leaning into him, Amy sniffled. “In spite of my lecturing, you’re a great guy.” She patted his chest. “The best. Thanks for putting up with me.”
“I wouldn’t let just anyone harass me, you realize. You’re special that way.”
“He couldn’t land at an airport. It wasn’t safe for us or any of the other aircraft. That’s why we’re here.” Easing out of his arms, Amy narrowed her gaze and surveyed the rural landscape.
“Makes sense. You don’t owe me any explanations. I’m incredibly. . .grateful.”
“Me, too. I guess I’d better call Sam and Lexa and tell them what happened.”
“That’s a good idea.” A hint of a grin escaped, and it felt good. “You might ask them to send the TeamWork posse to come and get us. Wherever we are. Landon might be able to give Sam the coordinates.”
Amy reached into the outside pocket of her purse—she’d grabbed it when Landon hauled her from her seat—and pulled out her cell phone. Bless her heart, her hand shook as she made the call. When she glanced his way, he gave her what he hoped was a reassuring wink.
Glancing down at his once crisp white dress shirt and suit pants, Mitch grimaced. He started to smooth the shirt but dropped his hand. Lost cause. Stretching his neck right and left to ease out the kinks, he massaged his aching muscles. He’d be sore tonight and probably worse in the morning, but—focusing on the positive—they were alive.
~~**~~
The sound of a ringing phone broke the silence at the exact moment Josh ended their time of prayer. Cassie exchanged stunned looks with the other ladies. Startled into action, Sam ran one hand across the front of his tunic. “Where are the pockets in this thing?” His tone was gruff and impatient.
“It’s not your cell. It’s the home phone.” Lexa darted across the room and peered at the ID screen. “Amy’s cell phone number.” Grabbing the phone, she ran back to Sam within seconds, and he wrapped his hand around his wife’s much smaller one.
Cassie’s heart stuck in her throat. Unable to move, she could barely breathe. Lexa pushed the button on the phone. “Amy Warnick, please tell me it’s you and that you’re safe and sound in Houston.”
~~**~~
Mitch stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Landon and stared at the remains of the downed plane. Judging by the visible damage, its flying days were over. Nothing was smoldering and—to his untrained eye—a fire seemed unlikely. Not that the absence of a fire was any comfort to Landon. Poor guy must be hurting. He’d always found it amusing how Landon spoke about his plane with such affection, to the point of naming it Madelyn, both his mother’s name and Amy’s middle name, curiously enough. Now, seeing the worry and exhaustion in the other man’s expression, he rested his hand on his shoulder.
“I’m sorry about Madelyn, buddy. I know how important your Cessna is—was—to you. I guess this means I’m indebted to you for the rest of my natural born days. You missed your chance to do me in. A less-skilled pilot would have killed me for sure.” His attempt at humor once again fell flat, and Mitch fought the surge of deep emotion. “Thanks, man.”
“That’s a compliment I never thought I’d hear, but I’ll take it,” Landon said. “The damage to her underbelly is too extensive. I don’t think she can be repaired this time.” Running a hand through his thick dark hair, he blew out a breath. “I don’t have the heart to look. I need to wait until the FAA arrives, anyway. I hope you didn’t have anything important in your luggage. Sorry about that, but I’m thankful we made it without any major damage to any of us. One of God’s miracles.”
Mitch glanced his way. “Need a hug?”
“Yes, but not from you. No offense.”
“None taken.”
Landon nodded in Amy’s direction. “Look at her. We crash landed and the first thing she does is call Sam and Lexa to let them know we’re going to be a little late to the party.”
“Amy’s always been the micro-organizer in the family. God love her.”
“He does, Mitch. And so do I.” Slapping him on the shoulder, Landon strode toward his wife. Extracting the cell phone from her hand, he spo
ke a few words to the person on the other end before hauling Amy into his arms. He pulled her as close as humanly possible and kissed her with such passionate abandon that Mitch turned his head. Current circumstances warranted the desire for that touch, that intimate connection. For a few fleeting seconds, Mitch wished he had a woman beside him to kiss like that. If nothing else, his dating experiences of the last few years had taught him that he didn’t want just any woman beside him, but the right woman.
Brushing his leather shoe across the hard dirt, Mitch recalled his earlier thought. With firm resolution, he dropped to his knees and kissed the ground. Oh, man. Bad idea. Spitting out a pebble, he swiped the back of his hand across his mouth. Maybe he was in shock. He sat back, the heels of his shoes digging into his backside, and raised his eyes heavenward.
“Thanks again for sparing us. I owe You a big one, if that’s even the right thing to say. Look, Lord, I know I haven’t exactly been a faithful servant the last few years. I hope You understand. Part of the whole mind is willing but the spirit is weak thing. An excuse, yes, but it is what it is. You know me and my heart better than anyone. If You’re trying to reinforce Amy’s point about me coasting in life, I get Your point. Trust me. You’ve got my attention. But, as You are my witness, I’m never getting on another plane—large or small, commercial or private—for the rest of my life.”
Chapter 8
Two Hours Later
Headed upstairs to change, Cassie hesitated. From the raised, animated voices coming from the kitchen, she knew Amy and Mitch had finally arrived. Based on Amy’s report, the plane was a total loss, but by God’s providence, they’d been spared physical harm.
Sam and Kevin had darted off—not bothering to change out of their costumes—to retrieve the weary travelers. In one way, that mental image was amusing and helped lighten the situation. Lexa mentioned that Sam planned on staying with Landon to meet with FAA officials to file the formal, written report. Kevin’s mission was to bring Mitch and Amy back to the house, maybe with a stop to the ER to get them checked out first.
Cassie started back down the stairs. After all the earlier talk about Mitch, she was nervous about seeing him again. Had Amy been talking to Mitch about her? She couldn’t imagine the emotions he must be experiencing after surviving a crash landing. Inhaling a deep breath, she wound around the stair landing and through the living room. She paused outside the swinging door for a few seconds before giving it a light push.
Winnie, Natalie and Lexa had their arms wrapped around Amy as tears streamed down their faces. Marc and Kevin stood to one side talking in low tones with Mitch. Taller than she remembered, Mitch’s dark hair was mussed, his white dress shirt was wrinkled and his slacks were smudged, especially on the knees. Still, for having survived a crash landing, both Amy and Mitch appeared to be in good spirits.
As Cassie watched, Amy moved over to Marc and the ladies turned to Mitch with open arms. After only a moment’s hesitation, he walked into the circle of their embrace. As he hugged each of the women in turn, Mitch’s gaze fell on hers. Her breath hitched when she glimpsed the deep emotion in those gray-green eyes, uncannily similar to Amy’s.
Lowering her gaze, Cassie waited as Amy finished her conversation with Marc and then she wrapped her in a tight embrace. “God kept you in the palm of His hand today, my friend,” she whispered. “Love you, and I’m so thankful you’re okay. This hug is from Gayle and Marta, too. They had to leave, but they said they’ll see you tomorrow for the picnic.”
“Love you, too, Cass.” Amy smiled through her tears. “The whole thing’s so unreal. I thought the plane would never stop, but you should have seen Landon. He managed to bring us down safely without landing gear. Then my big strong hero jumped out of the cockpit and swooped me up in his arms. I was so proud of how calm he was under pressure.”
Cassie plucked a tissue from a box on the counter and dabbed it lightly over her friend’s cheeks, absorbing the dampness. “Landon was your hero a long time before today.”
“You’re right,” Amy said, sniffling, her gaze encompassing Cassie from her hairline down to her shoes. She wiped away a few remaining tears and her countenance brightened. “I’m sorry we missed the party, but aren’t you the most fetching wench in the land? I was hoping it’d be a surprise that Mitch was coming with us for the weekend.” She shrugged. “Guess that’s kind of a moot point now.”
“A well-intentioned court jester tipped me off, but his sister also did a fine job of dropping hints. Speaking of which, Josh and Beck are upstairs with the kids, and they’ll be down in a few minutes.”
Cassie inhaled another quick breath. “Amy, I’m sure your brother is a great guy, but. . .” Was it insensitive to bring up the topic now? She didn’t want to hurt her friend’s feelings, but neither did she want to give her false hope. “I’m happy with my life, but I get the feeling everyone’s trying to fix me up with Mitch. I don’t need a man to make me feel complete or whatever, and especially not one who works with money in New York. No offense, but I’m not overly fond—”
“Of money? Or maybe New York?” an amused male voice said from behind her. “Surely not. . .men?”
Cassie’s gaze fell to the floor. Mitch. Did he have to be standing right behind her? She bit her lower lip, unsure whether to be appalled, offended or charmed. Heat warmed her cheeks as she slowly turned around. So much for feeling sorry for him after what he’d endured. Seemed his purported sarcasm had returned full-force. His comment about men didn’t sit well. Determined to shake it off and give him the benefit of the doubt, she raised her chin and met his gaze head-on.
Don’t rush to judgment.
“Mitch, stop it or you’re going to be in trouble from the start,” Amy said. “Cassie, you might remember my wayward brother from the wedding. He’s actually a nice guy if you can get past the sarcasm.”
One thing Cassie wasn’t prepared for was how the man’s smile made her traitorous pulse jump. Talk about roller coaster emotions. Fine, she’d play along. For now. Placing one hand across the bodice of her dress, she dipped in a low curtsy. “I beg your pardon, my lord. I spoke out of turn.”
Taking her hand, Mitch waited as she rose to her full height. He stood at least a half-foot taller than her, even in her heels. Mitch’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “Forgive me. Almost coming face-to-face with Jesus must make me punchy. It’s good to see you again, Cassie.” His gaze quickly swept over her. “You look terrific, but I’m afraid I left my knight gear at home. My sister didn’t mention a medieval theme for the weekend.”
“Only for the party this afternoon. Knight gear is otherwise optional.”
“I’ll let you two get acquainted,” Amy said before slipping away.
Not thinking about what she was doing, Cassie leaned closer to Mitch. A few faint freckles were sprinkled across the bridge of his nose. For some reason, it surprised her but also hinted of the little boy he’d once been. Made him more approachable somehow. “You’ve got them, too.”
“What?” A generous grin tipped the corners of his mouth. “Cooties?”
“Freckles,” she said.
“Yeah, I’ve always had them. You?”
“No, I just paint them on for effect.”
A gorgeous smile framed perfectly aligned white teeth. “I say if God gave them to you, might as well accept and make the most of them. At least on you they’re pretty cute.”
This man was fun. Cassie didn’t want him to be fun. She didn’t want to be attracted to him, but he was much more handsome than she’d remembered. Seemed a near brush with death hadn’t dampened his flirting skills either. Charisma practically oozed from him. In an odd way, the rumpled look really worked. At least it worked on her. No, this couldn’t be good.
Cassie broke out of her musing. “My sentiments exactly…about the accepting them part. If you don’t mind the observation, you don’t seem the type to stand on a trading floor staring at a wall of stock quotes all day. You seem too. . .well, you’re certainly not s
tuffy.” She swallowed, ruing how unsophisticated he must find her. Compared to most of the professional women he knew, she must seem like a plain country bumpkin.
“That’s because I don’t. It’s only a very small part of my day. Making money—for myself or others—isn’t what I’m about. Sure, it’s my job, but it’s not about greed or making the rich even richer. It’s more about helping people secure their future through sound investments.”
“I didn’t mean to imply otherwise.” Lowering her gaze, embarrassed, she turned to go. “If you’ll excuse me—”
“Cassie, wait. Please.”
She experienced the odd sensation of being touched although he hadn’t laid a finger on her.
Mitch stepped closer, lowering his voice for her ears only. “Based on what you said to Amy, you’re aware these fine people are hoping to pair us off this weekend.”
Cassie noted a few covert glances directed their way from across the kitchen. “I’m aware.”
“How do you feel about that? Are you interested in getting to know each other better this weekend? As anything more than TeamWork friends?”
“Are you always so forward and brash?”
“Usually, especially after—”
“The plane crash. Right.” She shook her head. “The truth is, I can’t imagine you’d be interested in getting to know me better. We come from completely different worlds. You live in a world of sophistication and”—she grasped for words—“stocks, bonds and mutual funds.” It took everything in her not to roll her eyes. She didn’t even know how to speak this man’s language. If she said much more, he’d definitely know she was nothing more than an uneducated hick from the sticks. Certainly nothing about hedgehogs—or any other kind of hog—would come out of her mouth.
“All a state of mind.” Walking around her in a slow circle, his gaze encompassed her gown and long braid.
“Please stop.” She could feel her cheeks pinking from his appraisal. “I’m not a doll on display, and what you’re doing is making me dizzy. It’s like an Alfred Hitchcock camera trick.”
