Emmitt attended to a few details on the dash as he continued. “You probably feel pretty guilty now for making me do all of this, right?”
As he shut everything down, switching levers and checking gears, Sloane sensed a near relationship between him and this helicopter he’d purchased for the inn. The way he wiped it down, almost lovingly, keeping if free of dirt and debris.
“Are you a, how you say, clean freak by nature?” she couldn’t help but ask.
That earned a laugh. “Not at all. Just ask Andie. I’m not great at tidying up after myself. I rarely had to do it as a kid.”
“What, did you guys have afemme de menage?”
“Did you saymenage?”Emmitt squeaked.
“Femme de menage. A cleaning lady.”
Emmitt’s head was lowered as he worked, but at her question, he looked up at her through his dark lashes. It was a look that seemed to say,come on, you already know the answer to that.“You guessed it,” he said unrepentantly. And that was just it, he didn’t come off as bragging or boastful. Just honest.
“This thing is my baby,” he continued. “I’ve dreamt of flying for years. I didn’t picture myself giving tours in some small town or anything,” he said with a shrug, “but I don’t know, I think it fits.”
There it was again, his natural, easy nature. Not trying to impress or be somebody he was not. She liked that.
“I think it fits too,” Sloane said. “I mean, you are creating this memorable experience for your guests, right?”
“Right,” he agreed.
“The fact that you love it so much, that you have this passion for what you are doing, it will make their experience all the better, no?”
Was it just her, or were his cheeks warming beneath her compliment?
“What I am trying to say,” she continued, “is that the guests who climb into this helicopter are very lucky. They will be in qualified hands where safety is concerned, but they will also have the pleasure of drinking in your contagious energy and your love for The Homestead.”
Sloane felt the truth of her own words to the core. Emmitt was special. And she almost envied anyone who would get to step into the aircraft after her and enjoy his company. Because it wouldn’t always be her, would it?
“Thank you,” he said, sincerity in his deep voice. “I bet you’re wishing you’d have cut my instruction time about now. You’re already this comfortable in my cab and we’re only on our second round.”
His statement unsettled her. Was he still trying to schmooze her into shaving hours off his time? She thought they were past that. “If Icoulddo that,” she said, leaning in to shorten the gap between them, “would you really want me to, Emmitt?” She held his gaze, willing him to give the answer she hoped to hear. Could he sense the potential between them too? For Sloane, it was undeniable.
Her heart thumped harder as she waited for his reply.Please, Emmitt, say no.
At last, he gave her the subtle shake of his head. “No,” he admitted.
The tightness in her shoulders went lax. Her heart picked up a rapid new beat.
“I’m glad we have all this time together,” he added.
A rush of butterflies spiraled through her tummy.Good. So was she.
Sloane might not have said so aloud, but she sensed he could read it in her eyes. They stayed that way—close, unmoving, lingering in the heavenly spell of chemistry that made Sloane feel like she could take flight on the blissful sensations alone.
“Well, I hope you’re hungry,” Emmitt finally said, breaking the silence. “I’ve got a dinner for two about to be delivered to my cabin.”
“Sounds marvelous,” she said.
Last night at the close of their evening, Emmitt asked if she’d like to make dinner after their sessions a regular—they both had to eat after all. With as well as their first night had gone, Sloane agreed. Inwardly though, she had reserved the right to stop them at any time if she so desired.
But she didn’t imagine it would come to that. If things continued the way they were now, Sloane would just keep wanting more. And oh, how she wanted more. She thought back on her dream, the way Emmitt’s mouth consumed hers in a heavenly kiss. Sloane was inwardly determined to make that a reality; she had to know if it would be as good as she’d dreamt it would.
As the night went on, Sloane was pleased to find that she and Emmitt’s connection only grew with each passing hour. After dinner, Emmitt surprised her by breaking out some boardgames and cards he’d borrowed from the inn. Between the dinged-up boxes and battered cards, it was plain to see the well-loved classics had lent a lot of joy over the years. Each game spoke of friends and family bonding, where TVs and devices were all but forgotten. It seemed to be a theme at The Homestead—letting go of life’s busy distractions for some good old-fashioned fun.
Along with bonfires, live music, and wonderful buffets, the inn’s weekend gatherings offered events like square dancing and bingo. Sloane hadn’t known what a whimsical place this would be, and she was thanking the stars above that she had wound up there.
