He kisses the top of my head.“I have a little house there.It’s not much, but the view can’t be beat, and it’s on the quiet side of the island.Jasmine is with Summer for the whole weekend.So how about we trade in the paradise of Yosemite Ranch for the paradise of Catalina?”
I look up into the stunning violet of his eyes, lighter than usual in the early light.“Are you sure?You don't have to take me anywhere.You don’t owe me anything.”
“Oh, my beautiful Emma.I owe you everything.And this is purely selfish on my part, because I want to whisk you away while I can.Because the second everyone knows we’re together, leaving in secret will be a thing of the past.”
“How will they know?”
“Because I plan to tell them—as long as that’s all right with you.Do you mind?”
Do I mind?
I laugh.I laugh with a full heart, so bright and joyful that I don’t recognize it as my own.“What should I pack?”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t worry.I'm a great pilot.”Declan says this and pretends to be so drunk he can’t touch his own nose.
Finn punches him in the arm.“Next time you try to scare her, I'll punch you in a different part of your anatomy—not that you’re using it for anything.”
Declan jumps out of Finn’s reach.
“The good news is that I’ve never been on a plane,” I tell Declan.“You could be the world’s worst pilot, and I wouldn’t even know.”
“The passenger of my dreams!”
He disappears into the cockpit.I look around.All I can compare this to is what I’ve seen on TV and online.It isn’t a tiny two-seater, but it's not a huge commercial jet, either.It’s somewhere in between.There’s leather couches and chairs.I see cocktail tables and a kitchenette and a bar.The bathroom is toward the front of the plane, and Finn just told me there’s a bed in the back, and wiggled one eyebrow.
Declan just tried to give me a rundown of aerodynamics and the principles of lift and speed.I nodded a lot, but I still don’t get it.So I'm a little suspicious of what’s about to happen.
Finn wraps his arms around me and gives me a kiss.The kiss doesn’t serve to make me less nervous.It just makes me want to get naked in a hurry, but there's no way I'm getting naked in front of Declan.
“No PDA, you crazy kids.”Declan has stepped back into the passenger area and he’s smiling at us.“Aren't you two supposed to be a secret?”
Finn lets me go, outstretches his arms to his sides, and leans his head back.At the top of his lungs, he yells, “Emma and I are together!Hear that, world?Together!”
Declan arches an eyebrow.“Finally!I can’t handle secrets.That’s why the Navy gently steered me toward transport instead of intelligence.Are we ready to go?Things have been super busy at the ranch, people flying in and out.I’ll be bringing someone back with us on the return.”
Finn ignores him, and so do I.He takes my hand and brings it to his lips.We sit on the couch, gazing into each other’s eyes.
I don’t even notice when the plane roars to life and start taxing down the runway.
“All right, gang.Air Declan’s about ready to roll down the runway.Buckle up.”
He disappears into the cockpit again.He announces over the intercom that we need to prepare for takeoff.Finn double-checks my seatbelt.
“It’s not a long flight,” Finn reassures me.
“Because we’re going to crash?”
Finn laughs.“Declan doesn't crash unless it’s on purpose.After you fly with him a few times, you can ask him about the time he crashed on purpose during the air show in San Diego, but don’t ask him about it until then.It's not for someone who’s afraid to fly.”
“Is there booze on this flight?”I ask.I’m not a big drinker, but I think an alcoholic drink would go a long way during this flight.Finn pushes a button on the table next to him, and a bar rises up.
“Something sweet or something with a kick?”he asks.
“Something with a big kick.A kick in the head.”
“A girl after my own heart,” he says, and I believe him.
