Red Wine and Roses

by SJ McCoy

  Piper’s heart sank. That meant Cameron would be going, too.

  “At least we will be if Chelsea ever manages to get herself ready,” added Mr. Hamilton with a frown.

  Cameron punched his arm. “Give her a break, Dad. You only decided you were leaving ten minutes ago.”

  Piper looked up at him, wondering if he’d just called her over to say goodbye. He smiled down at her. “Dad got a call he has to go back and handle, but I’m staying until tonight.”

  Relief washed through her. Mrs. Hamilton smiled at her. She seemed to understand how she felt. “Yes, we didn’t want to steal Cam away from you this early in the morning. You two should enjoy the day together. We’ll send the plane back tonight.”

  Cameron smiled and nodded. He looked pleased. Piper smiled back. She was pleased, too, and she didn’t see any point in hiding it.

  Chelsea came trotting down the stairs with her bag over her shoulder.

  “There you are,” Mr. Hamilton scowled at her.

  “Take it easy, Dad.”

  Piper had to wonder what the dynamics were in their family. Mrs. Hamilton caught her eye. “Don’t worry, he’s not being mean. Chelsea and her father are just too much alike.” She smiled. “Girls and their daddies. Are you like that with yours?”

  Piper shook her head. She realized Cameron and his dad were both looking at her waiting for her answer. “I never knew him.”

  “Oh. I’m sorry.” Mrs. Hamilton looked contrite.

  Piper smiled “Don’t be. My mom and I did just fine.”

  Chelsea reached the bottom of the stairs and joined them. “What are we standing around for? Let’s go if we’re in such a hurry.” She looked at Piper and gave her an apologetic smile. “Are you coming?”

  “No.” Piper shook her head rapidly.

  “I’m not either,” said Cameron with a grin.

  “So why do I have to go?” Chelsea scowled at her dad.

  “Because I need your help, young lady.”

  Cameron grinned at Piper. Whatever was going on didn’t seem like it was anything too serious. She relaxed a little. “She’s right. You should get going,” he said.

  Mr. Hamilton rolled his eyes and looked at Piper. “These two keep me on my toes. I hope you’re going to be on my side?”

  Piper raised an eyebrow, not understanding what he meant.

  Mrs. Hamilton smiled. “We’re guessing you’ll be coming out to see us. He’s trying to rope you in to be his ally when you do—since the three of us like to gang up on him to get our way.”

  Piper had no clue what to say. She was hardly expecting to be going out to visit them. But Mr. Hamilton was smiling at her encouragingly. He seemed like a great guy. She smiled at him. “I’ll be your ally anytime you need one.”

  Cameron groaned, and Chelsea laughed. “What have you done?” she asked.

  “Evened up the numbers a little,” said Mr. Hamilton. “It’s about time I had someone on my side. Now can we please get going?”

  Cameron kept his arm around her shoulders as they watched them make their way through the stragglers in the lobby and out to the front door.

  “How are they getting to the airport?” she asked. It seemed like the easiest question she could go with.

  “Gene came for them. He’s their pilot, but he tends to act as their driver, too, when they travel.”

  Piper nodded as if she understood. She didn’t. She couldn’t imagine having a pilot rather than being the pilot. Even that was a stretch. Being a pilot—one who got to fly real live people around—was still very new to her, and it was a huge step up from what she’d been doing until now. She had a feeling that this Gene guy who flew for the Hamiltons—and drove for them—would have looked down his nose at her when she was flying cargo.

  “Are you hungry? Are we going to get brunch?”

  “I am. I’m starving.” They made their way inside and joined the line at the buffet. It seemed Cameron was just carrying on as if all the weirdness hadn’t happened between them this morning, and they were going to spend the day together and hang out. She was grateful for that. It was what she wanted, and she didn’t want her hang-ups and misgivings to spoil things.

  ~ ~ ~

  They found a seat at an empty table and Cameron smiled as he watched Piper tuck in.

  “You really were hungry, huh?”

  He was relieved when she smiled back. “Yeah. I don’t know what it was, but somehow I worked up an appetite.”

  He laughed, hoping that she was referring to last night.

  “Listen,” she said, “I’m sorry I weirded out on you this morning.”

  “That’s okay.” He was surprised and pleased that she brought it up.

  “It really isn’t. Can we start again?”

  He raised an eyebrow.

  “I mean start fresh from the point where you said you’d like to spend some time together, get to know each other? I’d like that, too. This morning I was a little overwhelmed to be waking up with you. I was feeling a little insecure. I told you it’s been a while since I’ve dated anyone, and I figured it might be easier to just bow out.”

  Cameron nodded. He understood how she felt. “That’s okay. I understand. I can hardly hold it against you, can I?”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I’ve been just as bad. I was blowing hot and cold with you. The last couple of weekends, I wanted to see where this might go, but then I kept talking myself out of it.”

  He was relieved when she smiled. “Yeah. You did leave me wondering a couple of times.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry. I haven’t really dated anyone in a while either.”

  He watched her face. It looked like she was about to argue with him, but then she seemed to change her mind. He thought she understood what he meant. There was a difference between sleeping with someone and dating them. “So, what are you saying?”

  “That maybe we should try it.”

  “Dating?”

  He nodded. He liked the idea. He wasn’t sure how it’d work out, but hell, a lot of couples just saw each other on the weekends when they lived in different places.

  She smiled. “Okay.”

  “Did you two finally get it together?”

  They both looked up to see Cole and Laura standing there. Cameron looked at Piper, and she smiled and gave him the slightest nod.

  “Yeah,” he said with a grin.

  Cole gave him a stern look. “You’d better be good to her. She’s my wife’s best friend and my best pilot.”

  Cameron laughed. “No pressure then?”

  “No, no pressure at all,” said Piper.

  “Yes, there is,” said Laura. “You’d better be good to him, too; he’s my new brother-in-law.”

  Cameron laughed. “Thanks, sis. What time are you guys leaving?”

  “We’re heading out soon. We’re just making the rounds saying our thank yous.”

  “Did you see Mom and Dad?”

  “Yeah. We told them we’ll come over for dinner when we come back.”

  “Awesome.” Cameron knew how much his parents would love that.

  Cole turned to Piper. “And you know what you’re doing next week?”

  “Yep. I’m going to be in the office with Rochelle Monday and Tuesday, and then I’m flying for Jack and Pete Wednesday and Thursday.”

  “Great,” said Cole. “We’ll see you next weekend, then. Will we see you?” he asked Cameron.

  Cameron grinned. “Yep. I’ll be here.”

  Chapter Ten

  Piper rested her head against Cameron’s shoulder and stared out at the water. They’d hung out at the lodge for a little while after Smoke and Laura had left, and then they’d come back over to the Summer Lake resort. She’d promised him a boat ride this afternoon, and he’d been keen to take her up on it.

  They’d zipped up and down the lake for a while, and now they were just drifting, enjoying the afternoon sun.

  “Tell me about your family?”

  She
looked up at him. “I don’t have any.”

  “I know, but you did. This morning you told my mom that you never knew your dad. What was it like, growing up?”

  She made a face. “It wasn’t glamourous. I grew up in a trailer house with my mom.”

  He nodded, and she wondered what he must think of that. She already knew he’d grown up in some big fancy estate in Napa Valley. “Were you happy, though?”

  “Yeah. I really was. I didn’t know that we were poor. Mom made sure I didn’t feel it. I always felt like I had everything I needed. I didn’t always have what I wanted, but I learned fast that you have to work to earn what you want.”

  He smiled. “I learned that one early, too.”

  She had to wonder if he could understand what it had been like for her. She used to work the early shift at the diner before school, and then go straight back there once classes were out. She doubted he’d had to do anything like that.

  He looked down at her. “What are you thinking?”

  She shrugged.

  He sat up and turned her to look at him. “I bet I can guess.”

  She hoped he couldn’t.

  “Are you thinking poor little rich boy?”

  She laughed at the way he said it. “Yes, if you must know. I was.”

  He nodded. “Fair enough. I know I’ve had it easy in life in many respects, but Dad made us work for everything. We all had to work the fields and learn before we were allowed anywhere near the offices. When I started in the office, he had me doing data entry for months before he’d let me do anything useful. I didn’t just walk in and get handed everything.”

  She laughed. “I bet you never worked shifts doing manual labor either.”

  “I did. That’s what I said. We all had to work in the fields. Chelsea loved it so much she never wanted to move into the offices. And no, we weren’t just out there watching and helping out. We worked the same hours for the same pay as all the other workers.” He smiled. “But I wasn’t trying to get into competition with you over who worked hardest as a kid. I wanted to know what your life was like growing up.”

  “It was good. Laura was my neighbor and my best friend. We went to a great school; we had a lot of friends.” She shrugged. “It was good. I always thought I’d get out of there one day. I thought I’d get to see the world, but not because there was anything bad about the place, just because I wanted to see more, to explore.”

  “And how did you get into flying?”

  “That was my dad.”

  “I thought you never knew him?”

  “I didn’t, but I heard a lot about him. He used to fly crop dusters over all the farms around town. He was like a legend.” She smiled. “I always had this romantic notion about who he was, and I wanted to be like him. I bugged the guy who took over when he died to let me go up with him. It was awesome. Over time, he taught me to fly and then he let me fly by myself, and soon I was helping out. I was lucky when I started applying to colleges. They were offering scholarships for the aviation programs, trying to bring in more women. I got a full scholarship and got all my ratings while I was in school. From there, it was easy to get a job flying cargo.”

  “Wow, so you’re a self-made woman?”

  She laughed. “Yeah, but I haven’t made much.”

  “Maybe not in terms of money, but you’ve made a great career for yourself.”

  “I guess I have. I would have argued that one with you a couple of weeks ago; flying cargo for ten years doesn’t feel all that great.”

  “But now you get to do it all. You get to be a flight instructor and fly a corporate jet, and charter flights, too.”

  She looked up at him with a grin. “Yep. I’m so excited. But anyway, enough about me. Tell me more about you?”

  ~ ~ ~

  “What do you want to know?”

  “Everything.”

  He smiled. “Give me a clue. Where should I start?” He was used to fielding questions about himself. Whether it was interviews for magazines or from women who wanted to get to know him before they slept with him, the questions were usually the same—about his career and the future for Hamilton-Groves.

  “What makes you happy?”

  That caught him off guard. He thought about it.

  “Don’t you know?”

  “Lots of things.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like …” Damn, he really didn’t know.

  She sat up and looked at him.

  He laughed. “Don’t look so shocked. I guess I’ve never really thought about it. It’s enough that I am happy. I just haven’t thought to question why. I don’t know, spending time with my family makes me happy. I love my folks, and Chelsea and I are close. We always have been.” He smiled. “I’m very happy that Cole’s getting closer to us all again, and that he’s got Laura now. I like her. Knowing that I’m growing the company makes me happy. I’m happy that it’s more like a big family than a business. A lot of people depend on Hamilton-Groves for their livelihoods; it makes me happy that I’m helping them grow their futures.”

  “But what about little everyday things, things that you do? What makes you smile, what makes you feel good?”

  He thought about it. “One thing I do that makes me feel really good, is that I spend time at the hospital whenever I can.”

  “What for?”

  “I hang out with the kids. The company donates a lot to charities, and we donated the children’s wing at the hospital. That’s great and everything, but it’s just money. The feeling you get when you spend time with the kids when you can make them laugh and see them smile again,” he nodded. “That makes me happy.”

  “Wow. You really are a good guy, aren’t you?”

  He shrugged. “I try to be.”

  She blew out a sigh. “You don’t need to try; it’s just who you are. I can tell. You really are too good to be true.”

  He chuckled. “You’re just not aware of all the downsides yet.”

  That made her smile again. “No, I guess not.”

  “Well, I’ll be back next weekend, and you’ll no doubt begin to discover my flaws.”

  She laughed. “I doubt you have any.”

  “We all do. I’ll just have to keep coming back till you learn enough of mine that you don’t want me to anymore.”

  “That may take a while.”

  He smiled. “I hope so.”

  “What time do you have to leave?”

  He sighed. He didn’t want to think about heading back yet, but he knew he should. “Soon. I don’t want to leave it too late; it’s not fair on Gene. He already flew my folks home, and now he’s come back just for me.”

  Piper smiled. “It’s nice to know that you private jet people have some consideration for your pilots and their families.” She laughed at the look on his face. “I’m only teasing you, and it’s true. I am glad you’re like that. There was one guy at the airport at home who flew for a family, and they were horrible to him. They were constantly changing their plans and leaving him waiting around. I know plans change, but they’d forget to tell him that they were staying an extra night, and he’d call them when they didn’t show up when they said they would—to see what time he could expect them, only to be told they didn’t need him and that he wouldn’t be getting home to his wife and baby until the next day.”

  Cameron nodded. He knew too many people like that.

  “Anyway, the point was, we need to get you back.”

  He started up the engine and let the boat putter along. He wished he didn’t have to go.

  When they got back to the resort, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they walked back up the jetty. “Are you going to call me? Let me know how your week at work is going?”

  She smiled up at him. “No, but I’ll tell you all about it if you call me.”

  He laughed. “Okay, I’ll call you then.”

  She laughed with him. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m just trying to save myself some agony. If I’m supposed t
o call you, I’ll wonder if you really meant it and whether I should, and I’ll put it off and generally drive myself nuts.”

  “Ah. Okay. I’ll call you. Tomorrow night at eight?”

  “Yes, please.”

  ~ ~ ~

  The next morning Piper showed up for work way too early. She couldn’t sleep. She was excited to get started, and she couldn’t get Cameron out of her mind. She needed to though, and she was hoping that getting settled in her new job would help with that. There was so much to learn, so much to do.

  “You’re early,” called Rochelle from the front desk as she pushed her way in through the main doors. “Not too early for coffee though.” She pointed at the full carafe on the counter. “Do you want one?”

  “I’d love one, thanks.”

  Once they each had a coffee, Rochelle led her through to the office in the back. “I’m so happy you’re here. It’s great to have another woman around.”

  “I’m so glad to be here—and to have a friend on my side.”

  “I don’t know how you survived doing cargo for so long. Those guys have a reputation for being complete assholes.”

  “And it’s a reputation they’ve earned. This is a great move for me. I can’t wait to learn everything, so teach me everything you can about the place. I want to learn. I don’t want to be one of those pilots who just comes in and flies out. I want to be a part of the team.”

  Rochelle grinned. “Good, because you’re going to be. Smoke and Jason have set things up so that you’ll get to do some of everything these first few weeks, and then you can meet with them and talk about what works best—what you enjoy and where you’re most needed.”

  Piper grinned. “I love it all. I love instructing, I’m excited to fly the corporate jet—and I’ve known Jack all my life, so I won’t be intimidated thinking that the passengers are high-powered businessmen.”

  Rochelle laughed. “I wouldn’t have thought you’d have a problem with those.”

  “Why not?”

  She laughed again. “Err, maybe because you had one very high-powered businessman following you round like a puppy all weekend.”

  Piper dropped her gaze. “You mean Cameron?”

  “Yeah, or are you seeing any other billionaires that I should know about?”