Reckless Rogue

by Davis, Mary

  Was there another pilot in town whom she’d spoken to and who had everything Pete needed? “So where did you find all of this?”

  “Around. Shall we get started?” She was purposefully being evasive.

  Pete continued to be amazed all morning. He would ask for a tool, and Lizzie was right there to hand him the right one every time. He might be able to leave tomorrow after all. No. He should let the dope and glue dry at least overnight, maybe two. . .just to make sure.

  At midafternoon, Ivan strolled across the field. “You’re still here!”

  “I had a little trouble with deer.”

  “Can I go for a ride?”

  “Not today. Jenny still has some damage. It might be a couple of days before she’s in good flying shape. I’ll stick around and make sure you get another ride before I leave.”

  “Really?”

  “Sure.”

  “Ivan, you’ve got to be hungry. I’ll take you home.” Lizzie left and surprisingly returned a half an hour later, alone, with food for Pete and Fred.

  “Here. I brought these for you, too.” She tossed him an armful of tarps.

  He caught them, and a rush of breath pushed from his chest. “What are these for?”

  “One’s for the nose, one the tail, and the other two are for the wings.” She pointed to each section of his aeroplane.

  He raised an eyebrow in question.

  She took a deep breath and held out her hands. “Don’t you feel the change in the weather? The temperature is going to drop tonight. I didn’t want Jenny to get cold.”

  He stared at her. Was she serious? He babied his craft, but to think it might get cold was taking it a bit far. “Lizzie, she doesn’t get—” He cut himself off when she cracked a smile and struggled not to laugh.

  “I was pulling your leg. I thought if you covered most of it, it would keep the deer away. I brought rope, too, to tie it down.”

  She was amazing. He’d never met a doll like her.

  “I can’t stay long, but if we hurry, I can help you get her covered.”

  He dropped the tarps to the ground. “I can manage later. Come over here.” He stepped over to the wing.

  “What?”

  “Just come here. I want to show you something.”

  She cocked her head to the side. “Tell me what it is first.”

  “I have to show you.” He patted the aeroplane near the wing. “Over here.”

  She finally came over and faced the connecting point between the fuselage and the wing. “What is it? I don’t see anything.”

  He put one hand on the wing and the other on the body of the craft. “Turn around, and I’ll show you.”

  She turned in place, and he leaned closer.

  “What are you doing?” She put a hand on his chest.

  “I think you know what I’m doing.”

  “Would you kiss a lady without her consent?”

  “If I thought that was the only way to get a kiss from said lady. “ He leaned some more.

  And before he knew it, Lizzie had dropped down and scuttled under the wing. He couldn’t believe she’d done that.

  “Patience,” he heard her call from the other side of the wing.

  He came around and saw her climbing into her automobile. He ran over and stepped up onto the running board as she pushed the starter and the engine growled to life. “Will patience get me what I want?”

  She looked up at him and smiled. “It might.”

  “Then I shall be long-suffering.”

  She giggled.

  “You don’t believe me? I shall be so patient everyone will think a new unusual tree has sprung up in the field. That is how long I’ll wait.” He stepped off the running board and gave her a deep bow.

  Her smile changed from a simple flirtatious one to something else. His heart skipped a beat, and something opened up inside him that he knew only she could fill. And he regretted pressing her for a kiss and chasing her away. He wanted her near him so he could drink in her zest for life. A zest he’d thought he’d had.

  Five

  The next two days, Lizzie helped Pete with the repairs and then just stayed and talked with him while everything dried. He didn’t seem to be in a hurry to get the work done.

  Lizzie ran her hand along the repaired wing. “I think everything is dry.”

  Pete came over, reached an arm around beside her, and felt the dope on the canvas shell. “Feels dry.”

  She looked up at Pete, and he smiled down at her, his brown gaze wrapping her in a longing embrace. If he tried to kiss her right now, she’d let him.

  “Lizzie, you really surprised me the last few days. You seemed to know everything to do to fix my aeroplane.”

  She drank in his compliment. She knew he threw compliments around to girls to charm them, but this was a real one. One he hadn’t given lightly. “It wasn’t really that hard.” She wasn’t ready to tell him her secrets. It was better to keep him guessing and wanting to know more.

  “I know, but most dolls don’t have the faintest interest in aeroplanes or how they work.”

  He was fishing for information, but his hook was going to come back empty. A small pang of jealousy surprised her at his mention of other girls he’d met. “They were only interested in the dashing pilot.”

  He gave her a cocky smile. “Who wouldn’t be?”

  “Me.” She turned and walked away. She’d sized up Lieutenant Pete Garfield from the get-go. He used his charm, boyish good looks, and his tales of adventures to interest the ladies. She’d seen it while he offered rides to paying customers. He was polite and cordial to the men, but he openly flirted with the ladies.

  He grabbed her hand and pulled her to a stop. “Hey, don’t try to fool me. You’re interested in me. I can tell. I can always tell.”

  She wouldn’t feed his ego by telling him he’d grown on her. “Maybe I’m only making you think I’m interested so you’ll let me pilot your Curtiss.”

  He shook his head. “You can give up on that dream. Why don’t you ask the other pilot to let you fly his aeroplane?”

  “Other pilot?”

  “The one you got all the supplies from.”

  He was fishing again. He didn’t need to know just where she’d gotten everything. At least not yet. “Are you jealous?”

  He released her hand, took a step back, and cleared his throat. “Of course not.”

  He was uncomfortable now. She liked throwing him off balance. “You said I surprised you. Do you like surprises?”

  He took a step toward her. “Maybe.”

  She tipped her head back a little to look up at him. She sighed. He certainly was handsome. “I have something else that will surprise you.”

  “What?”

  “Let me fly your Jenny, and I’ll show you.” She liked teasing him about flying his aeroplane. She didn’t really expect him to let her fly it, but she did still hope.

  He just stared at her.

  Was he actually contemplating letting her in the pilot’s seat?

  He cleared his throat. “Shall we see if the tail’s ready?”

  She nodded, and he turned away. She took in an unsteady breath before joining him by the tail.

  “She’s ready to fly. You want to go up with me to test her out?” She was about to ask to fly it herself when he added, “In the front seat.”

  She folded her arms. “What if I say no unless you let me fly her?”

  “Since you’re not going to fly her, you can either ride up front or stay on the ground.”

  “Maybe I’m bored with just riding along.”

  He leaned toward her and whispered, “I promise to make sure the ride is anything but boring.”

  He’d done it. He’d pulled a smile from her when she was trying so hard not to look as eager as she was. “You drive a hard bargain.” She climbed up into the front seat and secured the belt across her lap.

  ❧

  Pete climbed up onto the wing at Lizzie’s side, holding out the extra
leather helmet and smiling triumphantly. She hadn’t tried to sit in his seat. . .this time.

  “Lieutenant Pete Garfield, don’t think you’ve won. I fully intend to fly your aeroplane.” She pulled the helmet onto her head.

  He had no doubt about it. He just wasn’t sure how much longer he could put her off. From the first time she sat in the pilot’s seat, something deep inside him had known she’d fly this aeroplane. He just hoped he had the good sense to leave town before that “something” rose to the surface and got the better of him.

  He leaned in and tugged on the edge of her belt. “I don’t want to lose you up there.” He climbed into his own seat and adjusted his belt.

  Fred barked and rose up on his haunches.

  “We’ll be right back, boy. Go on. Wait by the Tin Lizzie.”

  Fred backed up when Pete started the engine.

  He rolled the aeroplane forward, checking the wing and the tail, then he pushed the throttle hard and sped over the bumpy ground and was soon airborne. He circled the field, keeping an eye on the damaged wing. It seemed to be holding up, as was the tail. He banked right then left, climbed and dove. Jenny felt good. She was performing as well as ever.

  He pushed the throttle hard right and flew with the wings up and down, a sort of sideways roll. He straightened out, then pushed Jenny into a steep climb, turned, and raced back to earth, leveling out before he got too close to the ground. Lizzie couldn’t possibly be bored. But just to make sure, he performed a roll.

  Clunk.

  He felt it as well as heard it. He pulled out of the roll as the engine wound down and the propeller stopped. His gut twisted. This was not good. The camshaft had broken. It had happened to him before—a year ago—but that time he was flying alone, and the good Lord had provided a field Pete could quickly glide to and land on. Today he’d been showing off for Lizzie and had drifted too far away from the field.

  The day he’d arrived with Finn, he’d circled the town to find the best place to land. Most of the area was covered with orchards. Precious few landing opportunities.

  In his head, he calculated the distance from the field and his altitude, with the seven-to-one glide ratio of the Jenny. He thought he could just make it if those apple trees on the edge of the field were a hair shorter. But did he still have a seven-to-one ratio with the added weight of Lizzie? He had only one option. Try. Lord, I could use a little help here.

  This is no time to panic. Take control of the craft and bring her down safely. He could do it. He had the skills. He’d never killed anyone and wasn’t about to start today. Did Lizzie even realize they were in danger? Lord, please don’t let her be frightened.

  Her rote knowledge wouldn’t give her insight into the purr and tempo of the engine. And hopefully she’d just think he was trying to impress her with a power-off landing.

  Sweat from his brow dripped into his eyes and stung. He wiped it away and focused on his target. Keep her level and glide at as low a decline as long as possible. The field was in sight, but he was too low. The last couple of rows of trees and his Jenny were about to become a pile of kindling.

  He tried to pull the nose up to gain just a little lift.

  No good.

  They would hit the trees any second now.

  He felt a branch tug at the left wheel. Suddenly, a burst of an updraft lifted Jenny over the trees and dropped her. She missed the trees but hit the ground hard. He hoped the wheels stayed attached.

  Jenny rolled to a stop.

  He took a deep breath and could feel his heart hammering the back side of his ribs as though it wanted to escape.

  Lizzie climbed from her seat and onto the wing. “That was great! I wasn’t a bit bored.”

  He wanted to say I told you so, but all he could manage was a stiff nod. She jumped down, and he climbed out and down and then kept walking. Away. He didn’t want to look at Jenny. She’d almost killed Lizzie. He raked his hands through his hair and hunkered down somewhere in the middle of the field. But he shouldn’t blame Jenny. It wasn’t her fault. Actually, Jenny was the reason they were both alive. Her broad double wings had carried them down. It was that piece of junk OX5 engine poor Jenny was saddled with. It was no good. None of them were. He guessed he’d pushed the good Lord long enough with it. He needed to use some of his saved money and replace it. He’d meant to. But when it was just himself, he’d trusted in the abilities the Lord had gifted him with to compensate for the engine’s weaknesses. He’d been frugal with his money and saved every bit of his stunt pay rather than gambling it away as fast as he earned it like so many freewheeling pilots did.

  “Pete, what’s wrong?”

  He shot to his feet and turned. Lizzie’s soft voice behind him startled him as much as if it were a gunshot. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  He could still feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins. “You didn’t scare me.” He started walking toward Jenny. He wasn’t quite sure why, but he stopped and turned back to Lizzie. “The camshaft broke.”

  She cocked her head to the side and pinched her eyebrows together.

  “That could have been our last flight,” he said.

  “But you can fix it, right?”

  He grabbed her by the shoulders. “We could have died. You could have died.”

  She smiled. “You’re not much of a daredevil if one little mishap scares you so bad.”

  She was trying so hard to make him feel better he had to smile. It didn’t bother him so much to risk his own life, but it was a whole different thing to risk hers. “Lizzie, I’m sorry I put your life in jeopardy.”

  She laughed. “You’re not in control of the universe. God knew that was going to happen and got us down. I’m the one who wanted to fly. You didn’t make me.”

  “You’re not mad at me?” He was afraid he’d scared her off of flying forever.

  “How could I ever be mad at you? If it weren’t for you, I’d never have flown. Even if it wasn’t in the pilot’s seat.” She turned her smile more coy. “If I help you get the parts you need to fix her, will you let me fly her?”

  Yes, he would. He just wasn’t going to let her know that yet. “No one flies my Jenny but me.”

  “We’ll see.” She turned and sashayed off.

  Ivan waltzed up. “I’m ready for my ride.”

  Pete didn’t take his eyes from Lizzie’s retreating form. “Sorry, not today, buddy. I broke a camshaft. She won’t be going up for quite some time.”

  Ivan moaned and kicked the ground. “I get all the bad luck.”

  “Say, Ivan, does Lizzie have a beau?”

  “No,” the boy said, downtrodden.

  “No one she’s promised to?” He tore his gaze from Lizzie climbing into the Tin Lizzie. “Your dad hasn’t made arrangements for her to marry, has he?”

  Ivan squinted up at him like Pete was a touch crazy.

  That was a relief. Pete shook his head. What was he thinking, looking at Lizzie like he’d like to stick around forever? As soon as he fixed Jenny, he’d steal a kiss and fly away as fast as he could.

  Six

  Lizzie lay in bed the next morning, unable to sleep any longer, thinking about what Pete had said. They both could have died yesterday. That was a scary thought, but the Lord had seen to it that Pete’s skills and experience got them down safely. She’d thought Pete was just showing off. At the time, she’d chalked it up to his boast to keep the ride from being boring.

  Dawn was just beginning to gray the horizon. Today she would really surprise Pete, and he’d have to let her fly his aeroplane after all the help she was going to give him to fix it . . .again.

  She got up and began her chores, starting with laundry. She wasn’t going to be able to go see Pete for some time. If she started now instead of after she took Daddy to work, maybe she could have everything washed and hanging to dry by noon.

  She was taking the first clothes from the washing machine and cranki
ng them through the wringer when she heard Daddy get up. She left the clothes and went to the stove to start breakfast. She had another load washing in the electric wringer washer by the time she left to take Daddy to work.

  ❧

  By midmorning Pete was tired of waiting. He pulled himself up from under the wing and brushed the dirt from his trousers. Lizzie had always come long before now, except when she had church. That was the one thing gypsying across the countryside didn’t afford him, time in church. But he had his Bible that he read regularly, and he prayed. Still, it would be nice to be inside the walls of a church and have people who cared about him all around. Maybe someday he’d settle down and have that.

  Lizzie had said the flight was fun and it didn’t seem to bother her, but her absence this morning told him that, after the danger she’d been in yesterday had sunk in, she was scared. He was so glad he’d not allowed her to fly. That could have been a real disaster. Not that either of them would have been around to know it.

  He patted his leg for Fred to come and pointed his feet toward the two-bit town he’d landed near. He had no idea where Lizzie lived. Would he see her in town? If he did, he’d hide because he’d know for sure she was avoiding him and he didn’t want to embarrass her.

  Cashmere was a quaint little town of a few hundred people. He walked the main street past a warehouse, a general store, a restaurant, the post office, and a few other businesses.

  He stopped at a five-and-dime store, arrested by a display in the window. Aplets: The Confection of the Fairies. Around the sign were boxes of the treats and cutout cardboard fairies. Ivan said that Lizzie helped make Aplets. Then he saw it, a photograph of the Aplet fairies: four dolls dressed up in gossamer gowns and wings. He leaned closer and banged his forehead on the glass. That one looked just like Lizzie. Lizzie in wings. A poor fairy who couldn’t really fly.

  He continued to the other end of town and roamed the residential streets. No Lizzie. He was more disappointed than he’d thought he’d be. Now he really wanted to find Lizzie and make sure she was all right. No other doll had caused these feelings in him. No other doll had been as interested in aviation. He had to be careful what he said around her because she was so knowledgeable. She almost knew his Jenny as well as he did.