“Get out!” she said, throwing her legs over the side of the bed and pulling down the sweatshirt she’d been sleeping in.
“Lindsey, please, tell me what happened. Tell me why you’re having nightmares where you’re begging for your life.”
She crossed her arms. “Did you say you broke down my door?”
“It was locked,” he replied.
She pushed past him. “You had no right.”
She hurried down the stairs, and her light footfalls tapped an angry rhythm.
He met her in the kitchen. She examined the broken door, wearing only a sweatshirt and a pair of tiny boy short panties. Despite her angry outburst, the image of her sweet ass encased in white cotton sent a jolt of desire straight to his cock. He tried to shift his stance and hide the evidence of his arousal, but he’d timed it all wrong. Lindsey turned her attention away from the door just as he adjusted his rock-hard cock.
Her eyes darted from his crotch to his face. “Is that all you want?”
He started to answer, but she stopped him.
“I know it was a long time ago, but I thought you cared for me. I thought you loved me. I gave you my…” She lifted her chin and shook her head. “You could have called the community center. You could have left a message. I didn’t even know what town you lived in. I didn’t know your aunt’s name. You knew I’d be in Langley Park for that last weekend. You could have tried!” She raised her gaze to the ceiling and ran her hands through her hair. “Forget it. Forget it all. Just go, Nick. Leave!”
“No,” he said, holding his ground. “Do you know what it was like getting off that bus, thinking I was going to get to see you in a few hours only to find my mom nursing a black eye and my father standing by her side? My mom caved again to my father’s demands. Believed his lies, again. The kindest thing that man ever did for us was to die young of a heart attack. You have to know, Lindsey, I didn’t want to leave you.”
“But you did, and you could’ve tried to contact me, but you didn’t. Did you?”
His mouth went dry. She was right. He hadn’t tried.
How could he make her understand that before that week with her at Camp Clem, he was on track to become just like his dad. That summer, he’d slipped into the same patterns as his father—the cruelty, the aloofness. He hadn’t physically abused anyone, but that darkness was inside him, entwined with his DNA like a ticking time bomb. He hadn’t believed that his mother was going to leave his father until Lindsey helped him see a better life was possible, an alternate route that didn’t end with him turning out like his father. She made him believe he could be a better person. But when he had gotten off that bus and seen his parents, all the light and love Lindsey had infused into his soul was overshadowed by the darkness of a future that included a life with his father.
“No.” The word tasted bitter and charred. “I didn’t try to contact you.”
Lindsey gave him a barely perceptible nod. She was bathed in moonlight, and his heart clenched. That’s how he’d fallen in love with her, wrapped in the humid summer air, the sounds of the night all around them. And the moonlight. Illuminating her smile, sending silver streaks in her dark hair. And her eyes. Even in the darkness they entranced him, owned him, haunted him.
She moved past him and held the door open. Her lip quivered.
“Lindsey,” he tried, but even to his ear he sounded defeated.
“Go,” she breathed. The cold night air clung to the word with an icy grip.
He flinched. Her whispered command sliced through him like an ice pick.
His feet moved, but the rest of his body screamed for him to stay. It wanted her lips, her sweet scent, her delicate touch. But his feet won, and the cold March breeze whipped through him as he walked the short distance to the carriage house. He had left the door open. It swung gently, tapping the frame with each gust of air. He stopped short of entering and rested his head against the door frame. His body ached, but it wasn’t from the cold air. Lindsey’s soft sobs had followed him outside. Each whimper cut into his heart like a thousand shards of glass.
12
Lindsey clasped and unclasped her hands. After a moment, she crossed and then uncrossed her legs.
Settle down.
She glanced around the sitting area of Hangar 12, the main building that housed the offices and pilots’ lounge for the Kansas City Downtown Airport. An impressive glass window spanning two-stories looked out onto one of the airport’s runways. A small single-engine plane taxied by the window, light reflecting off the tail. She liked these smaller, regional airports. While they were always busy with flight training and corporate jets coming and going, the proximity to the action was what she loved best. Planes and helicopters were parked so close, you could reach out and run your fingers down their sleek surfaces.
She let out a breath. Even after sixteen years apart, airplanes always reminded her of Nick.
After her encounter with him last night, she had woken early. There was no time to dwell on the past. She had to start creating a future for herself and her child. She called Terry and scheduled a time for him to repair the door and upgrade all the locks. Then, she followed her godmother’s advice and visited the camera shop in the town center.
It had been such a long time since she had talked shop, but as she handled the different Nikons and Canons, her life as a professional photographer came back to her. She chatted with the shop owner for more than an hour. Focal range and ISO performance. Using a crop camera versus a full frame. A spark she hadn’t known in years lit a fire of excitement that pulsed through her veins.
Lindsey settled on a Canon. Her potential job was working for the local Chamber of Commerce. Several cities and Chambers had contracted with her over the years, and she had a good idea of what they would be asking her to do in Kansas City. This kind of photography called for equipment that could capture the vastness of a cityscape as well as the intricacy of a ladybug resting on a blade of grass.
Along with the Canon Digital SLR camera, she purchased several lenses and filters along with other accessories she would need. The owner kindly threw in a camera bag which was helpful because starting from scratch didn’t come cheap. She had spent nearly ten thousand dollars. But these were the tools of her trade. As the shopkeeper swiped her new credit card belonging to Lindsey Davies, she said a silent prayer of thanks to her mother for leaving her the means to start over. She had met many women at the shelter who, after being saddled with children and no way of providing for them, were often forced to return to the home of their abuser.
Two pilots strode past her, and each gave her a polite nod. Her equipment sat neatly in the camera bag on the small side table of the airport’s seating area. She ran her hand across the bag’s strap but shot to attention when the sliding glass doors of the building opened, and a man with whiskey-colored eyes and dark hair entered the lobby.
“It’s not him. It’s not Brett,” she whispered.
The man walked by and gave her a curt nod.
A slight woman dressed sharply in a midnight blue pantsuit entered the lobby and met her gaze. “Miss Davies?”
Lindsey blinked once, then twice. This was the first time anyone had addressed her this way. “Yes, that’s me.”
“I’m Brenda Chen,” the woman said.
After stepping out of the camera shop, Lindsey had received a call from Ms. Chen, the Vice Chair of the Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors. Rosemary had undoubtedly sung Lindsey’s praises to her and the other board members, and Brenda had suggested they meet that day at the Downtown Airport.
“Thanks for meeting me on such short notice,” the woman offered with a warm smile.
A plane came in for a landing, and the women turned to watch.
“It’s a beautiful airport and quite busy,” Lindsey said.
“It’s the second busiest airport in the state,” Brenda replied. She settled into a chair and gestured for Lindsey to do the same. “I wanted to meet here because this is where
the board would like you to start.”
“I’ve got the job?” Lindsey asked. She heard the note of excitement in her voice and tried to tamp it down by keeping her face neutral.
“Mrs. G shared your work with the board. Everyone loved it. Those aerial shots of Charlotte and Omaha were breathtaking. We would like you to do for us, what you did for them. Plus, we’d like to expand the campaign. In addition to the aerial work, we wanted to highlight some of the local attractions in the area that people don’t know about like the Langley Park Botanic Gardens.”
“Wow,” Lindsey said.
Brenda pulled an envelope from her tote and handed it to Lindsey. “Half of the board had your godmother as their third-grade teacher. While we know she loves all her students, a recommendation from her is quite another thing. It says something to have an endorsement from Rosemary Giacopazzi.”
Lindsey straightened. It was an offer of employment complete with benefits and a generous salary. She read the letter three times before it sank in. In a matter of hours, she had found a new home and a new job. She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “I accept your terms and truly appreciate this opportunity.”
Brenda smiled and handed her a business card. “Excellent! Call Kellen in Human Resources. She’ll get you squared away with our healthcare plan, 401K plans, and all the employment forms.” She paused. “If you’ve got some time today, I was hoping to introduce you to the airport’s Aviation Director. He’s retiring in a few days. You won’t be working with him for very long. But I thought he’d be the best person to help get the ball rolling.”
“My entire day is free. I’m happy to be at your disposal,” Lindsey said, making a mental note to thank her godmother. None of this would have been possible without her.
She followed Brenda up a staircase to the second floor. They paused and looked out the window as a sleek corporate jet taxied to a stop.
“Mrs. G said you’d spent a summer here when you were a teenager.”
Lindsey shifted her stance. “Yes, I did. I worked at the Community Center’s Kids’ Camp.”
“My boys went to camp there last summer. It’s still one of the best programs in the state. I’m sure you have a lot of good memories of your time here.”
Lindsey nodded. All those memories contained Nick. But he wasn’t just a memory anymore. He lived here, too. For Christ’s sake, he lived in her backyard. But it wasn’t permanent. He would find a place and move out of Em and Michael’s carriage house. She would focus on work and…
Her baby.
It was the first time the thought of the tiny human growing in her belly didn’t send a pang of fear spasming through her chest.
“I’m glad to be back and living in Langley Park permanently,” she said, finding her voice.
“Brenda! It’s good to see you.”
A gentleman with a broad smile and cropped silver hair shook Brenda’s hand.
“Are you sure you’re ready to retire Artie?” Brenda asked.
“Oh, yes! The missus and I have been planning on starting a vegetable stand the minute the ink is fresh on my retirement papers.”
“Lindsey,” Brenda said, “this is Artie Bartnik. He’s been the Aviation Director for…”
“For a very long time. Almost twenty-nine years,” the man said, finishing Brenda’s sentence.
Lindsey shook his hand. “That’s quite an achievement.”
“This airport has grown and changed so much since I’ve been here,” Artie said, gazing out at the runway. “But the energy, the people, the love of aviation, that’s what keeps this place so special.” He shifted his gaze from the runway and gave Lindsey an appraising look. “You must be the new photographer.”
“Yes, I’m Lindsey Davies.”
There, she had said it. Maybe soon, she would believe it.
“Nice to make your acquaintance, Ms. Davies. Are you pretty well versed in aerial photography?”
A tingle of excitement cartwheeled down her spine. This was the real interview. “I’ve shot Las Vegas, Chicago, Rome, Cairo, and London. In those locations, I was wearing a harness and hung out of a chopper to get the best images. In Miami, Austin, Omaha, Charlotte, and Atlanta, I opted for an aircraft. I like the Cessna Skyhawks. Four seats. Plenty of room for gear.”
“Things ever get dicey?” Artie asked, his expression carefully neutral.
Lindsey knew what he was asking. There are photographers out there who ask pilots to push the limits and break the rules to get a shot. She wasn’t one of them. “No, anytime weather rolled in, or the aircraft was due back, I always deferred to the pilot’s judgment.”
“No hot dogging it when you’re at three thousand feet?”
“No, sir,” she answered. “As I said, the pilot’s in charge. I’ll always defer to his or her call.”
Artie looked over her shoulder. “That should be music to your ears, Nick. Come and meet Lindsey Davies. You two are going to be working together.”
Nick couldn’t move.
What was Lindsey doing here? And why the hell would he be working with her?
He composed himself and joined the group. He recognized Brenda Chen from the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce. Artie had introduced him to her after he was hired to take over as Aviation Director. They had discussed a multifaceted campaign to promote the Kansas City area nationally and globally. They wanted to highlight the Downtown Airport as well as other places that weren’t as well known. There had been talk of some aerial photography work, but Nick wasn’t aware the Chamber had hired Lindsey.
Artie waved him over. “Brenda, Lindsey, this is Nick Kincade. He’s going to be taking over as Director of Aviation.”
“Yes,” Brenda said, shaking his hand. “We’ve met. It’s nice to see you again, Nick.”
He exchanged pleasantries with Ms. Chen but kept Lindsey in the corner of his eye. The color had drained from her cheeks.
He reached out to shake her hand like they were strangers. “Miss Davies, it’s nice to meet you.”
She stared at it, and her eyes flicked to his. He tried to read her. She had wanted him last night. In that intangible place between sleep and wakefulness where only unfiltered honesty dwelled, she’d revealed that she needed him.
Aren’t you going to kiss me?
Those words. Lindsey’s words clouded his mind before he fell into a fitful sleep. But he couldn’t escape her. He dreamed of her. A twisted, disjointed jumble of Lindsey smiling in the glow of the lantern light that morphed and contorted into her sprawled out on the Foursquare’s kitchen floor, sobbing as darkness pooled around her, flooding the room and drowning out her sobs.
She shook his hand but didn’t meet his eye. “Likewise.”
“Are you sure you’re the right person for this job, Ms. Davies?” he asked.
She flicked her gaze up to meet his. The color returned to her cheeks, and an angry slash of crimson peeked out above her collarbone. “Why wouldn’t I be the right person?” Her words were as sharp as a knife’s edge.
“Do you know Kansas City well?”
She gave him a tight smile. “I spent some time here when I was younger.”
“You don’t think it would make more sense to hire a photographer who’s more familiar with the area?”
“Are you from around here, Mr. Kincade?”
She was playing the game.
“I spent some time here when I was a teenager, too.”
She cocked her head to the side. A slight movement, but he’d noticed it. “So, it’s your expertise and understanding of aviation and how airports function all over the country that made you a top candidate for the position of Director of Aviation here in Kansas City?”
He nodded. She was laying a trap. He could feel it, and he liked it. He saw the spark in her eye. The same spark she’d had when she was sixteen. She wasn’t scared of him. The woman he was face-to-face with now wasn’t the person who’d arrived in Langley Park, timid and frightened like a cornered animal.
“I’ve done aerial photography projects in cities all over Europe, North America, South America, Australia, and Asia. I’ve shot the indigenous Maori people of New Zealand and the Pech in Honduras—and that’s just the tip of the iceberg, Mr. Kincade. So while I may not have lived in this area long, it’s safe to say, I know cities, and I know people. I know their energy, and I know how to capture that on film.” She let out a breath. “I bet it’s kind of like how you know all the intricacies of airports, just not this one in particular.”
No one said a word as the muffled sound of a helicopter flying overhead filled the void.
After it passed, Artie let out a full belly laugh. “Brenda, I think you and the board have picked the perfect photographer to capture our fair city. You’ve certainly got my support, Ms. Davies. It’s comforting to know there will be someone willing to go toe-to-toe with the airport’s new Aviation Director.”
Lindsey smiled. “I’m just here to do my job.”
Artie clapped his hands. “Let’s get Lindsey up in the air. It’s a beautiful day. I’m sure one of our flight instructors can take you up for a little loop around the city.”
“I’ll take Ms. Davies. In fact, I insist on it,” Nick said. There was no way in hell she was going up with anyone but him.
Brenda’s face lit up. “I think that’s a great idea, Lindsey. We can meet later in the week to go over the campaign in more detail.”
Lindsey’s expression went deceptively neutral. “I’d hate to inconvenience Mr. Kincade.”
He pinned her with his gaze. “It’s no trouble, Ms. Davies.”
“I’ll see Brenda out and let the boys know to gas up your Skyhawk, Nick,” Artie said, gesturing for Brenda to go ahead of him.
Brenda shook Nick’s hand then turned to Lindsey. “Enjoy the flight. I’ll be in touch. Don’t forget to get everything squared away with Human Resources. Your healthcare and other benefits begin today.” She paused, and a satisfied smile stretched across her lips. “And I agree with Artie. We couldn’t have picked a better photographer for the job.”
The Complete Langley Park Series (Books 1-5) Page 62
