Mattie turned, her body and face relaxed. When she caught sight of his stance, her muscles froze, but her eyes... her eyes turned that beautiful molten gold.
“Mattie, would you do me the honor of marrying me and becoming my lifelong partner?”
For once, Mattie was speechless. She brought her hands to her throat and nodded once, then twice, then thrice. Suddenly, she launched herself at Leo and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Yes! Oh yes! I will!” Her expression reminded him of when she flew... pure joy. They both burst into laughter. Leo leaned forward and captured her mirth with his lips. Mattie sank into the kiss, making it long and deep. Luckily, they weren’t at a public beach but at a private stretch in front of the massive beach house that Vera owned.
Sweet power roared through Leo, filling him. He’d gotten comfortable with strong emotions. Leo no longer fought them but had learned instead to embrace them. Life with Mattie was simply fuller. It was as if he’d been living in a black-and-white photograph, and Mattie had brought a kaleidoscope of color into his existence. It didn’t mean he didn’t have bad nights occasionally and that images of Alfred’s last flight didn’t sometimes flash into his mind. But he’d learned to talk to Mattie about it and to even call up Walt after one of his episodes. And during the good moments, he’d learned to accept joy.
Reluctantly, Leo pulled back from Mattie. He should have budgeted time in his proposal for a rather thorough celebration. Unfortunately, the warm glow of sunset had taken on a smoky tone with hints of blue, gray, and purple.
“I have another surprise.” He pushed back a red curl from the center of Mattie’s forehead.
Her eyes widened. “Another? I think the last one is going to be hard to top.”
“How would you like to fly through the stars?” Leo shifted back on his haunches, and Mattie did the same.
“You mean night flying?” Mattie bounced a little, straightening her spine, looking a bit like one of the prairie dogs they’d encountered out West. Then she sank down on her knees, her expression serious. “Doesn’t that bring back difficult memories for you?”
Touched she’d remembered, Leo leaned forward and laid his hand gently on her bent leg. “It’s time I created new ones, Mattie. Happy ones. With you.”
Mattie remained still as she earnestly searched his face. “Are you certain you’re comfortable with the idea? Itisdangerous.”
“Vera is arranging to have the whole airstrip lit up like it’s a carnival, and according to the Weather Bureau, the night will be clear.” Leo squeezed her knee. “And most importantly, we haveyourRadioNavigator installed onyourFabin. It might be best for me if we don’t go far, but I want to watch you soar like a nighthawk.”
“I’ll be at the controls, then?” Mattie asked. “You’re the one who’s been grounded for weeks with a broken leg.”
“I’ve already piloted a plane in the darkness, but I haven’t seen your expression when you’re zooming among the constellations.”
Mattie leaped forward, her mouth once again finding his. He groaned at the delicious onslaught. His muscles went wonderfully lax as passion spread through him, hot, slow, and downright intoxicating.Somehow, he managed to find the strength to push through the miasma of pleasure enveloping him.
Breathing hard, Leo lifted his mouth from hers. He could only manage a quarter inch or two, but it was enough. “We need to hurry if you want to fly off into the sunset.”
“But we’ll kiss later?” Mattie asked, her expression downright impish.
“Count on it.” His words came out in a rough growl, and Mattie’s smile turned flirtatious. Before he could succumb again to temptation, he stood up. After dusting the sand from his bathing suit first, he offered his hand to Mattie. She took it, and he helped haul her up.
Hand in hand, they ran the few yards to the cabana, where their flight suits awaited them. As Leo slipped into his trousers in his own dressing area, a smile slid across his face as he realized he was looking forward to the night trip with anticipation. Mattie had awoken so much in him. He’d given her his heart, but if it hadn’t been for her, he wouldn’t have had one to share in the first place. Loving Mattie was his true and very best adventure.
Mattie pressed the side of her face against Leo’s back as they sped toward the airstrip on Vera’s motorcycle. They were less than five minutes away, and if it weren’t for the chance to fly at night, she would have told Leo that they should just zoom along the coast instead. It was the closest thing to soaring without leaving the ground, and Mattie had the added bonus of holding Leo tight... and exploring his muscles. She could feel their taut ridges shift under her fingertips while his strong deltoids flexed beneath her cheek. Even cooped up with a broken leg and a cumbersome cast, he’d kept in shape, which wasn’t surprising considering all the maintenance work Leo had still managed to do. The stubborn man had insisted on hobbling around and balancing on one crutch.
When they reached the airfield, Leo parked the bike. After reluctantly unwrapping herself from him, Mattie stepped off the motorcycle. Scanning the tarmac, Mattie curled her lips upward when she caught sight of her bright-yellow Fabin looking every inch as shiny as the actual sun. She loved the plane.Herplane. The one she’d earned. It wasn’t on loan from her brothers or even purchased by Vera. The title was in her name: Mattie McAdams. She’d christened it theAmazon’s Prizeafter the famous female warriors of antiquity and had arranged for the name to be scrawled in big orange letters on the torpedo-shaped fuselage.
And she’d be soaring in it with the Flying Flappers. Although Mattie was earning enough cash from endorsement deals and royalties from the RadioNavigator to help her brothers restart the McAdams Family Flying Circus next season, they had collectively made the decision not to reband. Their father was enjoying operating the flight school year round, and Jake had rejoined him now that the money situation had improved. Otto and Will loved their jobs with the Airmail Service, and Mattie and Leo... well, they’d found their place in Vera’s troupe.
“Did you have theAmazon’s Prizefueled up?” Mattie asked.
“You bet.” Leo finished securing his motorcycle and held out his hand again. She wrapped her fingers around his, and they fell into a momentary silence. As they walked toward her Fabin, a thought struck her.
“You know,” she said slowly, “you never did tell me what you called your Nieuport and SPAD during the war.”
Leo grinned down at her and swung their entwined fingers. “You haven’t figured it out by now?”
“Nope.”
“Mattie’s Spirit, both of them.” He flashed an even broader smile. “’Course I never told anybody, but the name meant a lot to me. When I started to feel lost, I’d think of you and your courage... and your light. And I got through.”
Mattie’s heart did five barrel rolls in a row. “I... I meant that much to you, even back then?”
