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“No,” she answers stiffly.
My jaw drops.No?For a second, I think I hear her wrong. Or maybe she’s even messing with me. But then she turns her attention back out the windshield.
Huh.I can’t believe she just turned me down. Guess there’s a first time for everything.
Lucky for her, I don’t give up easily.
Chapter Six: Hunter
Staring out the plane’s windshield, trying to ignore the rapid thumping of my heart, I can’t believe Knox Beckett just asked me out and I turned him down. Apparently, he can’t believe it either because the look on his face can only be described as flabbergasted.
I have a feeling I’m one of the rare few women to tell him no. Hell, maybe I’m the first. But I’m proud of myself for sticking to my guns and saying no.
It takes a minute for his ego to regroup. “Think about it.” He places a hand over his heart, giving me his best puppy dog eyes. “And before you say no again and hurt my very fragile feelings, why don’t you tell me how you became a pilot?”
Fragile feelings?I try not to roll my eyes.
“I didn’t have a big family. My mom died when I was young, so my dad raised me. He was an engineer and taught me everything I know about mechanics.” My voice catches and I take a breath before continuing. “We used to take things apart and rebuild them together. He encouraged my interest in flying and I was a licensed pilot by the time I was seventeen.”
“Wow. That’s amazing.”
The sincerity in his voice catches my attention, and I glance over. He actually looks impressed, and I can’t help but smile. “He was the best.”
“Was?” he echoes.
My chest tightens and I swallow down the rising emotion. “He passed away a few years ago.”
“I’m sorry. It sounds like you were extremely close.”
“He was my best friend,” I say quietly. “I miss him every day. Flying always makes me feel closer to him.”
I press my lips together, not sure why I’m telling him all this, and suddenly feel very vulnerable. A warm hand touches my arm, and I don’t pull away.
“Sounds like he was a good man,” Knox murmurs, voice deep and comforting. “And he encouraged you to follow your dreams, which means he believed in you and wanted you to be happy.”
“He did,” I say softly. Clearing my throat, I lock my emotions down. Now isn’t the time to get weepy and bare my soul to this man who I barely know. Yet, strangely enough, we’re having a moment, so I decide to ask him about his family. “What about you?”
“Two amazing parents who’ve been married for thirty years and counting. And five older sisters who never hesitated to knock me upside the head.”
“Five?” I echo.
“Yep. I’m not complaining, though. They kept me respectable, and they certainly still keep me in line. When you live with that many women, you learn a lot.”
Tilting my head, I glance over at him. “And what did you learn?”
Before he can answer, his phone starts buzzing. “Excuse me,” he murmurs, reaching into his pocket to pluck it out. “Beckett.”
Giving myself a mental shake, I pretend to check an instrument reading, but really, I’m listening to his side of the conversation.
“What?”
Surprise fills his voice, and I study him closely. But he has a good poker face.
“Yeah, sure,” he responds, then looks at me. “I’ll ask her.”
He hangs up, turning his full attention back to me, and I’m curious what he’s going to say. Maybe he needs to be dropped off somewhere else. Or maybe—
“That was Addie,” he tells me, “and we have a bit of a problem.”