“What’s more, while performing this unique job, she’s flying a unique plane. It’s a tricycle affair that reverses the order of things. . . . You do everything wrong and it comes out right. In a plane of this sort, it’s impossible to nose over. It simplifies landing no end. You just land, it takes no skill.”
—Boston Evening American
January 1936—Hastings, Michigan
Nancy didn’t mind the blustery winter day in the town of Hastings, Michigan, where her parents’ new home was. After all, she’d picked the date of January 11 to marry Robert MacLure Love. The First Presbyterian Church of Hastings was decked out in evergreen boughs and a variety of white roses and calla lilies. All the who’s who were here—mostly because of her parents and Bob’s parents. As the day approached, Nancy had thought more and more of her brother. How she would have loved for him to meet Bob. How her brother would have been so excited about his sister getting married, and how his enthusiasm would have brightened all the wedding preparations.
“Let me fix your veil,” Alice Hirschman said, standing next to Nancy, where she surveyed her appearance in the mirror in the bridal changing room at the back of the church.
Nancy dipped her head as Alice adjusted the short tulle veil attached to her small white cap.
“There.” Alice stepped back. “Now tell me what you think.”
“Perfect,” Nancy said.
Alice had arrived a couple of days before the wedding to help with preparations. Somewhere out in the wedding audience was her now-fiancé, John Hammond. Other guests had already arrived and were seated, including her cousin Georgina; Robert’s widow, Alison, who was serving as her matron-of-honor; and Bob’s sister, Margaret, who’d come all the way from Tucson, Arizona.
“Great. Here’s your bouquet.” Alice ceremoniously produced the bouquet of white orchids and lilies of the valley.
Nancy took it and held it against her waist. Her dress was a princess cut, made of satin, with a high cowl neck. The long sleeves were fitted, and a train extended behind her. She’d never felt so regal and stuffed into a dress at the same time.
“What’s wrong?” Alice said. “You’re dead quiet.”
Nancy dragged in a breath. “Nothing’s wrong. I think I’m overwhelmed.”
Alice’s brows slanted. “In a good way or a bad way? Are you having doubts about marrying Bob?”
“No, nothing like that. You know I don’t like all the fanfare around this. I mean, this dress cost my parents an arm and a leg.”
“I thought you paid for half of it.”
“I did.” Nancy bit her lip, then quickly remembered not to mess up her lipstick. “So, a half arm and half leg.”
Alice tilted her head. “Today’s your day, Nancy, and it’s all right to wear beautiful things. Everyone wants to celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime event, or, at least, it had better be once. You and Bob have been dating forever, and we were all getting tired of waiting.”
Nancy smirked. “You’ve been dating Hammond for even longer.”
“Yes, but that’s different.”
“How?”
“Okay, it’s not different, but Nancy, just enjoy the day. Enjoy being spoiled. Enjoy some frippery.”
Nancy understood Alice’s point, but the weight of her brother’s absence remained. “I miss him.”
Alice squeezed her hand, not having to be told that Nancy was referring to her brother. “I know you do. He’s watching from wherever he is.”
Nancy nodded, blinking back the tears gathering in her eyes as she looked down at the diamond ring she’d worn for over three months. The sparkle and size still dazzled her, but Bob would not let her complain about it. Neither would Alice. “My ring really does look pretty with this dress.”
“See? It was all meant to be.” Alice met her gaze in the mirror and winked.
Was it all meant to be? Nancy had quit the Airmarking Program at the end of November. Three months of straight traveling and not being around Bob had been harder than she’d ever imagined. Even when she was wearing her engagement ring. Yes, it cut down on the men outright asking her to dinner, but it hadn’t cut down on her aching heart. And now she was about to pledge a lifetime of loyalty to Bob Love.
She should be happy, ecstatic, but she could only think of all the things that were missing. Like her brother. And Bob’s brother.
A tap sounded at the door, and her mother opened it, poking her head inside. “Ready, Nancy?”
Beyond the door, organ music played softly.
“She’s ready, Mrs. Harkness,” Alice announced, then grinned at Nancy.
Her mother stepped into the room, her eyes wide. “You look lovely, dear. I can’t quite believe the day has arrived. You are still so young.”
Nancy was nearly twenty-two, and although her mother had married at age twenty-six, not everyone waited that long.
Nancy drew in a breath. “I’m ready. Where’s Daddy?”
“I’m here.” Her father stepped into the doorway.
Her sister-in-law, Alison, joined him in the doorway. She looked beautiful in her ankle-length, gray, crepe dress, accented by an aquamarine sash, and topped with a gray velvet hat.
Now it was starting to feel very real—seeing Alison ready to precede her down the aisle, and seeing her father dressed up and waiting to take her arm to escort her.
Father smiled at her and held out his hand. Nancy walked forward and slipped her hand over the crook of his elbow. Father bent to kiss her cheek. “Ready?”
“Ready,” she whispered.
Alison and Mother disappeared into the chapel. Mother must have signaled to the organist because the music switched to Lohengrin’s “Wedding March.”
This was really happening . . . They entered the back of the chapel and began to walk up the aisle as the music and scent of roses and lilies floated around them. People on both sides in their finery blurred together, because Nancy could see only the man standing up at the front of the church, a few steps ahead of the minister.
Bob Love was all smiles.
Her heart lifted and felt lighter already. Bob had waited for her as he’d promised, and she’d also kept her promise of not keeping him waiting for too much longer. The year of 1936 was starting off with flowers, music, family, and promises. And would be followed by a cross-country plane trip. Bob’s idea. But Nancy wouldn’t mind seeing other parts of the country, especially since she planned on flying at least half of it. Bob had flown up in a Staggerwing, which was currently waiting for them in Chicago.
Her father delivered her to Bob, who grasped her hand. She found that holding on to Bob’s hand was one of her favorite things, and right now, it made her feel anchored.
The minister welcomed the congregation somberly, then quoted scripture about the institution of marriage. His words seemed to both last forever and be over faster than she’d expected. No one objected, and after the final prayer, they exchanged vows and rings. Bob kissed her, but she barely felt his touch before they were swept into everyone’s congratulations.
Exiting the church, Nancy and Bob waved at all their family and friends. He pulled her close as they moved through the people lined up outside, then he paused and tugged her into a searing kiss as everyone cheered. She definitely felt that one.
She hugged her parents again, then Alison and her boys, and Bob’s parents. His mother’s eyes were rimmed in red, and looking at her only made Nancy feel like crying too. Finally, Nancy hugged Alice before she turned to Margaret, whose dark-auburn hair set off the pale blue of her dress.
“You’re an angel for marrying my brother, Nancy.”
Nancy grinned. “I’ll keep him on his toes.”
All the other goodbyes and well-wishes blended together, and Nancy doubted she’d be able to remember half of them.
They climbed into a limo he’d hired, and blessed silence fell as the doors shut and they pulled away from the church.
Nancy leaned back on the cool leather, her pulse skipping. She was finally married—they’d truly tied the knot.
“Which hotel are we going to, Mr. Love?” she asked. Bob had refused to tell anyone where he was taking her. He’d said he didn’t want any pranks.
“It’s a surprise, Mrs. Love,” he murmured, settling an arm about her shoulders.
“Still?”
“Still.”
She nestled against him. He linked their fingers and brought her hand up to his mouth and pressed a kiss there.
“I can’t believe we really did it,” she said.
“I can’t either,” Bob said, his other hand tightening around her. “I wondered if I’d be in my thirties before you walked down that aisle.”
She elbowed him, and he chuckled.
“Well, you have me now, Bob. What are you going to do with me?”
“I have many, many plans, sweetie.”
“Starting with Cheyenne?”
“No, we’re not leaving for two days.”
She straightened. “What? I thought you were in a hurry to get in the first leg today.”
Bob moved his arm and cradled her face with both his hands. “I’m not rushing anything. We’ll spend two nights in the hotel. After, we’ll fly out of Chicago.”
“Oh. That’s a surprise.”
He kissed her softly, and her eyes slid shut. “I have a few more on the way,” he murmured.
Bob remained true to his word, and two days later, they arrived at the Chicago airport and boarded the Staggerwing. They’d already decided that Bob would fly the first leg to Omaha, then Nancy would fly from Omaha to North Platt.
It was thrilling to fly a route she’d never been on, and she was pleased to see Bob writing her married name in his pilot logbook.
When they landed in North Platt to refuel, Nancy said, “It will be dark if we continue to Cheyenne.” She’d never flown in the dark before, but Bob had no such reservations.
“It’s only two hours to Cheyenne, and I know you’re not afraid of the dark.”
Nancy scoffed. “No, but flying in the dark is another matter.”
“Trust me.” Bob grasped her hand and kissed her cheek.
“I trust you—you know that. I just don’t have experience in this.”
“Better to learn now with a brilliant pilot next to you.”
Nancy smirked.
On their way to Cheyenne, she stared out the windscreen, marveling at the moon and the stars and the tiny pricks of light on the earth below. The exhilaration coursing through her reminded her of her first few times flying. When her soul had felt like it was flying too.
“What do you think of night flying?” Bob asked her after they landed in Cheyenne.
“I love it.” She smiled up at him, and he pulled her close.
“You might be the only woman at the Sportsmen’s Association dinner.”
They were heading to Frontier Park as guests of the Wyoming Sportsmen’s Association.
“Is that where we’re eating tonight?” Nancy asked.
“Yes. I hope you like elk meat.”
She shrugged. She didn’t care much, as long as she was with her new husband. “I guess I’ll find out. Lead the way, Mr. Love.”
Nancy was, indeed, the only woman at the dinner, but she felt secure knowing that she was a married woman in the crowd of men. Bob introduced her over and over as his wife, and that felt surreal in and of itself. The evening dragged but mostly because she was tired. Flying all day had taken more out of her than she’d expected, so she was only too happy to retire for the night.
They spent the following day touring Frontier Park. Bob got it into his head that they could fly from Cheyenne to Albuquerque, New Mexico, without stopping.
“The fuel tank isn’t big enough,” Nancy said as they both worked on the precheck—Bob looking things over and she double-checking everything.
“We’ll be coasting with the tail wind,” Bob said as he examined the rudder’s trim tab.
“It’s over four hours to Albuquerque,” she said.
“And?”
“And we’ll have to stop to refuel, so we need to plan that out. Call the airport in advance to let them know we’re coming.”
“We’ll make it, sweetie.”
Nancy straightened and folded her arms. “Bob, this is foolish. We need a plan. You’re not a cowboy, and this plane isn’t a horse.”
He straightened as well and fully faced her. “I’ve flown planes all over the country, so I think I know what this Staggerwing can do.”
He might have more flying experience, but she still knew they couldn’t make it that far on one tank of fuel. She grabbed one of the maps and snapped it open, scanning for the airfields along their route. She began to circle the ones that had fuel stations.
“I thought you trusted me,” Bob said, an edge to his voice.
She looked up to find his blue eyes stormy. “It’s not about trust. It’s about reality.”
His jaw flexed, but instead of arguing again, he finished the rest of the precheck in silence.
Nancy climbed into the cockpit ahead of him, keeping the map prominently on her lap. Maybe it annoyed him, and if he was right, she could apologize. Maybe . . . But she’d bet her diamond ring that they wouldn’t make it.
About thirty minutes into the flight, Bob broke the thick silence between them. “You don’t have to use your finger to follow the route.”
Nancy didn’t know she could feel even more irritated, but it happened. “How about you focus on flying, and when that fuel gauge is on fumes, I’ll point you to the nearest airfield.”
He snapped his attention back to the windscreen.
Nancy felt only more annoyed when Bob took a few detours, as if tempting fate. He buzzed over a long, twisting river. He tipped the wings back and forth when there was a wild horse herd below.
If she hadn’t been feeling so anxious about the decreasing fuel gauge, she might have enjoyed the scenery.
As it was, the fuel gauge continued to drop slowly but surely until it dropped lower than any fuel point she’d ever had on a plane.
“Bob, we need to land,” she said above the rumble of the engine.
He opened his mouth, likely to argue, then he noticed the gauge. He had the good sense to look surprised. A moment passed, then two, both in silence. “Let me see the map.”
She handed it over, and he scanned the markings she’d circled.
Nancy pointed to a small town. “Otto has an airstrip.”
Bob handed the map back. “Guide me in.”
So, she did. She might be highly annoyed with the pilot next to her, but they set emotions aside to make the forced landing a safe one. Fortunately, the minuscule airport had fuel they could buy, and after taking off again, thirty minutes later, they were in Albuquerque.
As they carried their bits of luggage into the motel room that Bob had rented, Nancy wondered how long her new husband’s pride would last.
He set the bags down and scrubbed a hand through his helmet-matted hair. “Do you hate me?”
She turned to face him. His height seemed to dwarf the small room. “Only a little bit.”
Relief flooded his eyes, and he smiled.
She smiled back.
“Sometimes, I’m a knucklehead.”
“That’s an understatement.”
He shut the door and walked toward her, his eyes holding her gaze. “Am I sleeping on the couch?”
“I thought about it, but there isn’t actually a couch in this room. What did you pay for it?”
He chuckled. “Not much, and now I’m glad.” He moved closer, and she slipped her arms about his neck. Peace with her husband was much better than what they’d experienced today.
“You were right, sweetie, as usual.” His hands moved around her waist and along her back.
She lifted up on her toes and kissed the edge of his mouth. “You really shouldn’t ever forget that. I already have a souvenir from one plane wreck.”
His gaze shifted to the gray streak in her hair. “It’s distinctive, but I agree, one souvenir is more than enough.”