Page 25 of Plane Passion

Common sense said he was right, but she didn’t want to concede the point. “I bet I could. After all, somebody had to fly that route for the first time and map it out, so it is possible. If they could do it without a map, I could do it with one.”

It would have been unwise in the extreme for her to attempt to take the lead rather than following Ernie, but the thought of letting him win this argument made her teeth clench.

He leveled a warning look at her. “This isn’t a game, Aldrich. I know we don’t like each other, but that doesn’t mean I want to see you die. Mistakes cost lives. And I’ve been to enough funerals to last a lifetime.” All mischief was gone from his face. His playboy pilot mask had dropped, and grief over lost friends was written in every feature.

He was right, of course. She shouldn’t have even been joking about going rogue. It was heartless, given how much loss he and the other men in the airmail had endured. “I’m sorry. I promise I’ll behave.”

At some point soon, she would need to strike out on her own and beat his record but not on her first time flying the route. She needed to know the lay of the land if she wanted to fulfill her deal with Mr. Burleson. But the clock was ticking.

“Good.” Ernie sat back in his chair and crossed his arms, a frown fixed on his usually cheerful face.

“Is this the route you took when you broke the record?” Maybe it would cheer him up to talk about his success. Also, it would be helpful to glean any secrets she could about how he made that flight.

He raised an eyebrow. “Trying to figure out how to one-up me, Aldrich?”

“Always.” She grinned, making the mistake of meeting his gaze again. God, he was obnoxiously handsome.

He sat back and smiled, more than a little heat in his gaze, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. “What would you do if you beat me?”

Grab you by the lapels and kiss you into submission, then climb on top of you and ride you into the stratosphere.

Nope. Nope. Nope.

Thinking of Ernie that way would only lead to madness. If he was getting under her skin, it was only because she was readjusting to celibacy after Barney. She’d get used to it in time. After all, she’d been perfectly happy in her solitude before Barney came along. She just needed to focus on her friends and what it would mean to them if she succeeded and opened the airmail to lady pilots. Ernie was off limits.

“I’d go out and celebrate with Katherine and Gertie,” she said at last.

“Right. Your aviatrix friends who think I’m arrogant.” He grinned like it was a compliment.

“They aren’t wrong. You are insufferable.”

“True, but I’m also charming.”

A little too charming. “No, you’re not.”

He shook his head. “Lie all you like, Aldrich. It doesn’t change the fact that you think I’m handsome.”

“Damnit! I was really hoping you didn’t overhear that.” Deep down she knew he had, but she’d wanted so badly to be wrong. “Don’t go reading anything into it. You may have a pretty face, but I judge a man by his actions, not his appearance.”

“Admit it, you can’t resist me.” His smoldering gaze and mischievous grin made her want to throw things at him…or climb over the table and pounce on him. “Aww. Look at that blush. You definitely like me, Aldrich. You just can’t help yourself.”

Enough was enough. “Quit it, Prichard, or you’re going to get us both fired.” She glanced at the door. Mr. Dickson could walk in at any time, as could any of the pilots. It was a minor miracle that they’d had the room to themselves for so long.

“All right. All right. I was just teasing.” He sat back and put his hands up. “I promise never to mention your little schoolgirl crush on me again if you don’t.”

“I don’t have a—” She shut her mouth and narrowed her eyes. “You’re delusional.”

“Am I?”

There was no good answer, and her face was so hot that she had to fan herself. “For the love of God, Pritchard, knock it off.” She needed to get away from him, and fast. “I’m going to the breakroom for a drink of water. When I get back, we’re going over the route from Bellefonte to Chicago. Got it?”

Rising without meeting his gaze, she turned and fled the room. Instead of heading for the breakroom, she went to the washroom and locked herself in. Turning on the faucet, she splashed water on her face.

Goddammit. She could not let Pritchard get under her skin like that! If she was being honest with herself, she did have a stupid, schoolgirl crush. He made her pulse race faster than an airplane engine, and it was totally unacceptable. She couldn’t afford to be attracted to Ernie for so many reasons.

First and foremost, the future of women pilots for the airmail, and possibly of the entire airmail operation, depended on keeping her distance. As much as Mr. Burleson needed her, she knew he would throw her out in a hot minute if she broke his rules, ruining women’s chances of flying the mail for years to come. Second, she had sworn off men after things went south with Barney, and she had no desire to entertain an attraction to anyone, least of all Ernie. Third, he was the most insufferable, irritating, arrogant cad she’d ever met, and he was not worth her time.

Drying her face with a towel, she breathed deeply. She could do this. Now that she’d calmed herself, she could get some water, go back into that map room, and finish learning the route. After all, she was a professional, and she had no intention of letting him wind her up like that ever again.