Page 51 of Air Affair

In the meantime, he needed to pay attention to the plane he was piloting. As his mind wandered, he had veered slightly off course. He needed to adjust quickly and avoid any further mistakes if he was going to make it to Philadelphia before he ran out of fuel. Focusing his attention, he made a beeline for his destination. His engine sputtered as he was landing, but he made it.

The flight to D.C. the next morning was full of turbulence and left him little time for reflection. It was a relief when the journey was over. When he landed in D.C., though, O’Donnell was waiting for him.

“Hawley, just the man I wanted to see. I’d like my ten dollars please.”

Hank took off his flying cap and ran his hand through his hair. “What ten dollars?”

“I’ll have you know I danced with Ann Prince twice and made her laugh five times. I think I have more than earned my money, thank you very much.” He held out his hand expectantly.

Reluctantly, Hank pulled out his billfold and handed over the crisp bill.

“She’s moving to Merrick in two weeks,” O’Donnell said. “I offered to help her move. I said you and Pritchard would help too. You don’t mind, do you? It wouldn’t be right to make her pay for movers, a war widow like that.”

Hank let out his breath slowly. He was always ready to lend a helping hand to a friend in need, but with everything happening with Rory, he was irritated by the assumption. “Thanks for volunteering me like that. It was really considerate of you.”

“My pleasure.” O’Donnell grinned. “You seem like you need to do some good deeds to make up for coveting another man’s fiancé.”

“They aren’t engaged anymore.” And I’ve done more than covet, but no need to go into details.

“Oh? Do tell.” O’Donnell’s eyes were wide and round, and his grin grew almost too wide for his face.

“She broke it off once and for all, and now her family is furious with her.” And she’s staying in my house. What on earth am I doing here when she’s there?

“I take it this has something to do with you, you heartbreaking sonofabitch?”

Hank sighed and stared at the ground.

“Oh, Hank,” O’Donnell said in a falsetto. “You’re so dreamy. I’ve run away from my filthy rich family because I can’t live without you. Marry me, Hank. Say you’ll be mine forever and ever and ever…”

“Shut up, O’Donnell. Just because she left the last guy doesn’t mean she wants to marry me.”

O’Donnell gasped in delight. “No, but you want to marry her. I can see it in your eyes. Oh, this is too good to be true. Hawley caught in the parson’s trap! Who’d’ve thunk it?”

Blood rushed to Hank’s cheeks. He was blushing like a schoolgirl.

Lowering his voice to a mocking baritone, O’Donnell said, “Marry me, princess. Forget your family and your gobs and gobs of money. Come live in my tiny cottage with me and let me poke you ’til you’re bowlegged.”

In a flash, irritation turned to fury. “Enough, O’Donnell. Don’t you dare talk about her like that!”

“All right, all right,” O’Donnell said, backing up with his hands up. “I mean no disrespect to Princess Belmont. Only to you, Hawley.”

With a slow exhale, Hank let it go.

“I take it this means you won’t be going out with Pritchard and me this evening?” O’Donnell asked.

“No, I will not. If you’ll excuse me, I have to make a call to my sister.”

O’Donnell walked off whistling like the self-satisfied prick he was. He loved O’Donnell, but sometimes the man went too far.

And now he had a proposal to plan and a family to tell about it.

19

Rory had three days to figure out a job and a place to live before Hank came back and did something foolish like proposing.

The last thing she wanted was for Hank to ask for her hand out of a sense of obligation, but he seemed to be hinting that he might. He seemed the noble sort who would feel he had to take care of her, having contributed toward her ruined reputation. But she chose to do the things that ruined her reputation, and the last thing she wanted was to jump from the infantilizing confines of her father’s mansion to the arms of a man who thought he could fix things for her. She was Rory Belmont, and she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself.

She woke up from her nap in the late afternoon with her mind spinning with plans. Her first call was to Evelyn.