Sixteen

“Considering all that’s happened today, I didn’t think you’d show up, Bobby.” Bliss turned the Open sign to Closed, then shut the door. “Are you sure you still want to take me flying?”

“Are you kidding? Nothing improves my day like taking one of the planes up.” He paused. “Say, I never asked you how you liked flying. You’re not one of those white-knuckle types, are you?”

She shook her head. “Are you kidding? I’m fearless.”

After making the short drive out to the airfield, Bliss got a look at the plane Bobby planned on taking her up in. If only she could retract that claim of being fearless. Rather than the sleek jet or deco-styled vintage aircraft she envisioned, the body of the yellow plane was barely larger than her car.

“She’s a 1946 Piper J3C Cub,” he said proudly. “And not just any J3C.”

Bliss tried to keep the quaver from her voice as she replied with a casual, “Oh?”

“That’s right. My father bought her from an outfit in Memphis right after he purchased this property here.” He lovingly patted the school bus yellow plane. “She was the first in the fleet. I thought we’d lost her once when we couldn’t get a radio signal, but some excellent research by my buyer turned her up in a hangar over in Alvin, Texas.”

“Is that right?” Bliss swallowed hard. “It must mean a lot to you.”

Bobby gave her a strange look. “Well, of course,” he said. “The first person Dad put in the passenger seat after he bought this beauty was my mother. Now I’ve got the plane back, and it’s been completely restored.” He gave Bliss a look. “I’d be honored if you’d take that ride with me today.”

How could she say no?

Bliss took Bobby’s hand and smiled. “Thank you,” she said. “I think a ride would be lovely.”

“No, Bliss,” he responded. “You’re lovely.”

She tore her attention from the plane to her host. “I’m going to be honest,” she said. “I’ve never flown in a plane so small. Would I sound like a fool if I asked if it’s safe?”

“Yes, it’s safe.” Bobby pulled her into an embrace. “I wouldn’t think of putting you at risk.” He paused. “I know it’s been quite a day, what with Landon’s surprise return and the fire, but I just want you to know I think the world of you.”

Think the world of me? What does that mean?

“Well, Bobby,” she said as she looked up into his eyes. “I think the world of you, too.”

“Okay.” He frowned. “I’m an idiot. That’s not what I wanted to say.”

Her heart sank. First a compliment, then a retraction?

“What I wanted to say, Bliss, is that I care deeply for you. Very deeply.”

“You what?” She felt as if the breath had been knocked out of her. Did she dare hope she hadn’t misunderstood?

Bobby nodded. “I can’t remember a time when I didn’t feel this way about you. I know I’m making a fool of myself, but I don’t want to end up like Landon.” Bobby paused. “He has so much regret for the time he lost. I don’t ever want to have anything to regret about us.”

“Us,” she said. “I like the sound of that.”

“You do?” He laughed. “Now that’s something to celebrate.” He gestured to the plane. “We don’t have to take her up. I’ve got plenty of planes to choose from. Or we don’t have to fly at all. I can always take you back to the Java Hut.”

“No,” she said, “this one’s special. I’d be honored.”

“Bliss, I think I love you,” he said as he lowered his lips to meet hers.

When the kiss ended, she looked up into his eyes. “I think I love you, too,” she said.

“Right now I could fly without a plane—I’m so happy. I’ll settle for taking you for a spin in the Piper, though. Right this way, Miss Denison.”

Bobby helped her into her seat, then took over the controls. While Bliss smiled to hide the butterflies in her stomach, Bobby brought the engines roaring to life, then turned the little plane toward the runway.

“You sure?” he shouted over the din.

“Yes, I want to fly with you.”

He shook his head. “No, I mean are you sure you think you love me?”

It was Bliss’s turn to shake her head. “No,” she said.

“No?” He let off the throttle and the plane coasted to a stop. “But you said—”

Bliss laughed out loud. “I don’t think I love you, Bobby. I do love you. Now take me flying.”

The little plane rolled down the length of the runway before taking a running leap into the air. Before long, Tratelli Aviation and the Latagnier Airstrip were growing smaller and the clouds seemed close enough to touch. By the time he’d circled downtown twice, then brought the plane down for a landing, Bliss realized she loved flying almost as much as she loved Bobby Tratelli.

When the Piper Cub rolled into the hangar, Bobby shut off the engines, then helped Bliss out of the plane. “I think you told me something up there, but I’m not sure I heard you right. Did you say you loved me?”

“Life’s too short to miss out on telling someone important things. Isn’t that what you said earlier today?”

“I believe I said something like that.”

She smiled. “Then kiss me, Bobby, before another minute passes us by.”

Before their lips met, however, Bliss passed out cold.

❧

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Bobby,” Mrs. Denison said. “You had no idea the excitement of flying combined with the changes in altitude might aggravate Bliss’s condition.”

“I had no idea she had a condition.”

Bob felt as if he’d been strung up on a wire and left to hang there. One minute he held Bliss in his arms, and the next he was calling for an ambulance, then phoning her mother. Now this.

The woman he loved more than life had a condition. Worse, no one would tell him what sort of condition.

“She loves me, you know.” He slid Mrs. Denison a sideways look. “I deserve to know.”

“Bliss needs to be the one who tells you, Bobby.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry. I wish I had a better answer, but this story is not mine to tell.”

He rose and began to pace, feeling more and more like a caged animal as the hours ticked by. When a doctor finally appeared, Bobby didn’t know whether to punch him or hug him.

“How is she?” Bliss’s mother asked.

“She’s stable,” he said, “but I must tell you; I don’t think we’re capable of dealing with this here. I’m going to recommend she be held overnight until her specialist can determine a course of action. We may have to transport her, but if we do, I’m going to expect she will be sedated. The least movement and the—”

Bob clenched and unclenched his fists as the pair continued to discuss Bliss’s health. Finally, he could stand it no longer. “Can I see her?”

“I’m sorry, family only.”

He looked over at Mrs. Denison. “With her dad gone, you’re the one I’d need to clear things with. I’m asking for your daughter’s hand in marriage. What do you think, Mrs. Denison?”

“First off, I think the two of you are well past the age where you need to be asking for my blessing, but I certainly do grant it.”

He gave the doctor a level stare. “There, now I’m family. Satisfied?”

A few minutes later, a nurse led him down the maze of corridors until he reached Bliss’s bedside. She lay sleeping, her face partly hidden by the machines attached to her.

As he walked toward Bliss, an image came to him of another woman lying in another hospital bed. Karen.

Bob swallowed hard. “I can’t do this, Bliss,” he whispered. Whatever’s wrong with you, I can’t watch you go through it.”

He turned and walked out of the room, past the waiting room, and into the night. Vision blurred, he walked right into Landon. Bob rubbed his eyes. “Sorry.”

“How’s Bliss?” Landon asked.

Landon held up the card Bob had given the old man. “When I couldn’t get you on your cell, I called the office. They told me you were here.”

“What did you do, walk?”

“No, I hitched a ride as far as the highway. From there it was a matter of finding a delivery truck heading for the airport.”

“You went to a lot of trouble.”

He shrugged. “I’d say it was about time I started doing that, don’t you think?” Landon looked around. “Were you leaving?”

“Yeah” came out gruffer than he intended.

“So Bliss is going to be all right? That’s a relief. I told Neecie I would call her when I knew something.”

“You told Neecie? Does that mean you and Neecie have talked since I dropped you off in New Iberia?”

His old friend looked sheepish. “We talked, all right. I’m going over there tonight. If the kids’ll have me, I want to learn how to be their dad again.”

“That’s great, Landon.” Bob raked his hand through his hair and tried to keep his mind on Landon and off Bliss. “Just don’t expect too much at first. It was hard on the kids when you. . . They thought you weren’t ever coming back.”

“I know,” he said softly. “I know. I’ve been asking God to close the door if I’m not supposed to walk through it. I think He wants us to be a family again. I’m humbled for the second chance.”

Bob slapped his friend on the back. “Hey, I wish you and Neecie all the happiness. In fact, what if I was to offer a little vacation for you all, courtesy of Tratelli Aviation? I’ve got a plane heading for Hawaii this time next week. Might as well be carrying people along with the furniture.”

“Furniture?”

“I promised Yvonne I’d help her move. It’s a long story.” He waved away further questioning. “Anyway, if Neecie and the kids want, they can go with you. I’d suggest you be on the plane either way. I’ve got some connections at the terminal in Oahu if you need work.”

Landon seemed to understand Bob’s meaning. “I appreciate that.” He shook Bob’s hand, then walked toward the hospital entrance. He’d almost reached the doors when he stopped. “Hey, Bob.”

“Yeah?”

“You never said how Bliss is doing.”

“Go see for yourself.” With that, Bob strode to his truck, ready to drive out of Bliss’s life. He started the engine, pulled out of the lot slowly, and caught sight of Landon storming toward the truck.

Bob veered away from the crazed man, threw the truck into park, then opened the door. “What’s wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with you?” Landon yanked Bob out of the truck. “I got ten steps into the lobby when it hit me—”

“Hey, let go of me.” Bob shrugged out of Landon’s grasp. “What’s your problem?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing.” His breath was coming hard now, his eyes narrowed. Landon looked ready to pounce at any moment. “You were running, weren’t you?”

“Running? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m talking about Karen.” Landon poked him in the chest with his finger. “Let me guess. You took one look at Bliss and remembered Karen in a hospital bed. That’s why you were in such a hurry to get out of here.”

Bob didn’t bother to deny it. Neither did he bother to defend himself. The truth was the truth, ugly as it might be. Rather, he turned his back and climbed into the truck.

“Go ahead, Bobby. Run if you think that will work. Hey, but a wise man once told me that if you don’t learn anything else in life, you need to learn that who you are is who you are no matter who’s looking.”

The reference to his dad made Bob wince. “What does that have to do with Bliss?”

“I’m going to let you figure that one out on your own. But, hey, remember how you felt today when you saw me standing in Bliss’s kitchen? I’m sure you weren’t thinking how great it was to see me first thing, were you?” He paused. “No, you were thinking what a creep I was for walking out on someone who loved me.” Landon pointed to Bob. “Well, right now, I’m thinking the same thing about you.”

Bob got all the way home before he realized he’d left his house keys in the hangar when he traded them for the keys to the Piper. Irritated, he turned the truck toward the office, only to find a light on in Amy’s office when he drove past.

Letting himself in, he strode down the hall to find the vice president of Tratelli Aviation sitting calmly at her desk. “Hi, Daddy,” she said.

“Oh, honey, you’re a sight for sore eyes,” he said as he lifted his daughter into an embrace. “I can’t believe you’re home.”

“I’m home,” she said slowly, “but I’m not sure you’re going to be so happy to see me when I tell you my news.”