“And that made us all think about how we’d frozen everything in time,” Will explained. “That we thought we were all memorializing Alfred, but what we were really doing was burying his memory along with the pain. We need to honor him by remembering him, talking about him, like you and Leo did in that article for theAviator’s Gazette.”
“He’d want you to wear these today,” Jake said, his hazel eyes shiny with emotion as he lifted Alfred’s helmet and goggles from Otto’s hands and placed them in Mattie’s. “And he’d want you to fly.”
It seemed like Mattie had turned into a watering pot. A few tears splashed from her eyes as she pulled her brother’s old safety equipment over her head. Then she stepped forward and gave her father and each of her siblings another hug. They all held her fast and tight, and she could feel the love in each embrace. When she’d gone down the line, she stepped back, and they all stood there, bleary eyed and awkward, as if not completely sure what to do with all the emotion they’d stirred up.
Her father finally cleared his throat, his tone more gravelly than ever. “You’d better get going, Swift. You’ve a race to win.”
She breathed in deeply, collecting herself and gathering the strength and support her family was offering. “That I do!”
This time when she hugged her brothers, there was joy too. She started with Will and worked her way up to her father. He held her the longest and said softly, for her ears only, “Thank you for your weekly letters, Swift, even after we argued. I’m glad you and Leo finally saw what was right under your noses. He’s a good man, Mattie. A good choice.”
Mattie pulled back, startled. Had Leo told him? Her father must have read the question in her eyes, because he gave a slight negative shake of his head.
He’d known. Her dear quiet, observant pa had known, but he’d let her find her own path on her own time schedule. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
“Thanks.” Her whispered word to him was for more than just his approval of Leo or even his insight. It also was for teaching her to fly in the first place and then giving her the freedom to really soar.
After saying goodbye to her family, she headed straight toward the Fabin Flyer designated as hers for the race. In order to promote the upcoming event, the company had allowed her to fly the new bird in several performances by Vera’s Flying Flappers.
As Mattie neared her aircraft, she caught sight of Leo seated in a chair beside the Fabin. Despite the plaster cast encasing his right leg, Leo had insisted on spending the night camped out, his head under the engine bay, his feet pointed toward the cockpit. He’d assigned Vera to watch over Mattie’s meals in case Crenshaw tried to lace it with something to make her mildly ill. Mattie had eaten prepackaged food instead of dinner from the lodge’s dining room. She would have thought Leo’s precautions excessive if Crenshaw hadn’t nearly succeeded in creating a literal death trap in California.
Although Leo had probably not slept the entire night, he looked not only awake but alert. His blue eyes softened as he caught sight of Mattie. The rest of the Flying Flappers were crowded around the aircraft too. John and Alice had brought their children. Little Milly perched on her father’s shoulders as Carrie and Sadie explained the Fabin’s designadvances. Oblivious to the excitement, Ruby had fallen asleep in Vera’s arms, and her rather loud snores occasionally punctuated the women’s descriptions of the plane.
“Other aircraft have radiators that stick out, which cause the plane to slow down.” Carrie waved her hand in the air, tracing the Fabin Flyer’s sleek torpedo shape. “The smoother the surface is, then the more smoothly the air flows around it. Less drag is produced, and the machine’s aerodynamics are improved.”
“The body is a monocoque, which means that there’s no frame,” Sadie explained. “The wooden skin creates the strength of the plane. That’s why it’s a tube instead of a box. The shape also helps with the aerodynamics that Carrie is talking about.”
Mattie ran her eyes over the efficient little Fabin. With stubbier wings than the Jenny and a powerful motor, it could zip and dive through the sky. Sometimes when Mattie did tricks in the JN-4, she felt like she was coaxing the aging trainer like she would a tired old mare. But the Fabin skipped along, frolicking with the ease of a new filly.
Mattie headed over to Leo and placed her hand on his shoulder. Since the news rags seemed intent on labeling them as sweethearts no matter what they did, they had begun to show a degree of affection toward each other in public.
Leo glanced up at the touch and laid his hand on top of hers. He searched her face, his lips flat with concern. “Did you sleep last night?”
“Enough,” she said truthfully. “I tossed and turned some, but I cobbled together enough to be clearheaded. I bet you didn’t sleep a wink.”
His muscular shoulder moved up and down under her palm as he shrugged. “I’m not the one racing.”
Neither of them mentioned Mattie’s nervousness, but they both knew that the competition weighed on her. Instead, she lifted her finger and lightly tapped Leo’s clavicle. “Thank you for the extra cheerleaders. I feel like a varsity athlete now.”
He craned his neck back to regard her curiously. “Cheerleaders?”
“I ran into my family,” Mattie explained.
Leo frowned, a new worry drifting across his already tense features. “Your brothers weren’t supposed to rat me out.”
“Otto blabbed.”
Leo groaned. “I should’ve come up with a special threat for him. He always squeals.”
“If you want to keep something secret, it’s safest not to tell him.”
Leo stretched his head back even farther to study her closely. “You’re not mad?”
“Not at all.” After glancing around to make sure no one was watching them, especially a newsman with a camera, Mattie brushed the quickest of kisses on his lips. “I like having my own personal yell leaders. Do you think I should get Vera to buy them matching boater hats and uniforms?”
“It would have to be in a bold color—puce, perhaps, or maybe fuchsia? There’s also bright yellow or orange.” Leo’s lips quirked, and the sight of his smile caused a gush of hot liquid pleasure to bubble through Mattie. She loved how his spirits had lightened over the past few weeks.
“Vera would probably insist on cherry-red uniforms.” Mattie laughed at the image of her brothers dressed in gaudy, matching outfits, but she sobered quickly. “It was very sweet what you did, Leo. Thank you for sending them those articles.”
