“Leo!”
The sound of Mattie’s cheerful call sent twin bolts of pleasure and guilt through him. She walked as she always did, with a bounce in her step that he swore he could feel echoing in his heart. Vera had insisted on buying Mattie new cotton shirts and trousers. Tailored for the female form, no longer did her clothes hang loosely about her. The better-fitting clothes made her seem bolder than ever, and the sight of her looking so comfortable and confident made something inside him turn over.
When she reached him, her grin faltered. “What’s wrong?”
Damn.He never could hide from her. But he wasn’t ready to tell her this particular secret. Maybe he never would. He didn’t know if that made his guilt worsen or lessen.
“Nothing,” he lied. “You just caught me thinking. That’s all.”
She cocked her head as they moved toward the private room Vera had booked for all of them to use to try out Mattie’s prototype for the first time. “Are you certain? It’s not like before?”
He knew, without her saying more, that she was referring to his unease at bunking down in Vera’s castle.
“It’s getting better, especially since I’m with you. You’ve always had a way of setting me at ease, Mattie.” He realized as he spoke the words how true they were. Already he was feeling less trapped by his old man.
Mattie led him to the private lounge. When they walked onto the balcony, she spread her arms wide, reminding Leo of an airplane about to lift off. “I’m glad this hotel isn’t in the center of town but the edge. I’ve missed the country air. The sky is beautiful tonight.”
Leo scanned the pink sky and fields of corn, alfalfa, and oats that seemed to stretch on forever in the rosy, gold-tinged glow. “It sure is.”
“What do you smell?” Mattie asked. It had become kind of a game for them since the night in Vera’s garden—Mattie pushing him to notice something about their surroundings. And playing it had become easier.
Leo sucked in his breath, too, and the smell of freshly cut alfalfa filled him. The sweet scent helped force away some of the lingering chill his father’s unexpected appearance had caused. Instead light, almost frothy emotions tripped through Leo’s heart. Being with Mattie felt like spring—an awakening of sorts with little buds of emotions unfurling.
“A farmer must have just harvested the field.” Leo leaned next to Mattie, letting his shoulder brush against hers.
Her eyes looked as golden as the sun dipping below the horizon as she reached for him. Their lips met, wonderfully hungry and urgent. Emotion swelled through Leo, deep and sure. He drank in the sensation,letting the sense of happiness simply absorb into him and chase away the last remaining darkness that his father’s visit had left.
They broke apart slowly, like two people emerging from deep, blissful slumber. Mattie’s pink lips tipped upward. “I do like this new development in our relationship.”
“So do I,” he admitted.
“In the spirit of it, would you help me with my newest stunt? I’ve convinced Vera to let me soar through Sunset Rock Canyon before our show in Troy, Wyoming. I’ll be flying just in time for the ten o’clock train. I wanted to know more about the topography so I can really stun my audience.”
Leo’s first instinct was to stiffen. He’d flown through the perilous, twisting gash in the rocks when the McAdams Family Flying Circus had performed in Troy. Mattie had always wanted to buzz through the gorge, too, but her brothers had always refused.
“To be that person, I also had to be willing to release her too.”John Kunkle’s words during the Flying Flappers’ first performance in Platt, Michigan, flashed into Leo’s head.
Leo swallowed. “Do you want me to help you time your stunts so they’re most visible from the passenger cars?”
“I was hoping you’d offer.” Mattie reached into her back trouser pocket and unfolded a well-worn United States Geological Survey map.
Leo bent over her shoulder and jabbed his finger at a bend in the canyon. “Right here the railroad tracks go through a tunnel. If you time it right, you can be in position so that your plane is the first thing that the rail passengers see when they reach the other side.”
Mattie turned and kissed him. Rather enthusiastically.
“Good thing I rented the entire balcony and lounge for a private party!” Vera announced as she bounced into the room, holding Ruby.
Leo leaped from Mattie, his face burning. Even Mattie pinkened as she ignored Vera’s observation.
“Why are you dressed in glad rags?” Mattie asked in an obvious attempt to change the subject. “You’re not going out on the town, are you?”
“And miss the demonstration of your RadioNavigator? Heavens no. This is a celebration of your success, so I chose party clothes.” Not only had Vera donned a blue-and-green dress with a beaded design of peacock feathers, but she wore a glittering headpiece of rhinestones.
“You did? For me?” Mattie’s voice rose a little higher than normal.
“Of course, darling.” Vera settled in a chair with Ruby on her lap. “I’ve even ordered the hotel’s ‘special tea’ for us all to drink.”
“But you don’t know if it will even work. I’ve run a few tests, but...”
