Page 3

Chapter 2

When life gives you crosswinds, apply rudder pressure.

Colin glanced up from his computer as Mari Kim stalked into his office looking as if she was ready to pick a fight. Which was basically her expression all the time around him.

Not around others though. Oh no, she smiled for everyone else, it seemed.

And he was her brother’s best friend. Once upon a time they’d been friends too. Or friendly. But then for whatever reason she’d decided she hated him.

And just an hour ago he found out that she’d swiped a land deal out from under him. Which, fine—business was business. But he knew this was personal for her, which made the swipe even more annoying.

“Please, come on in,” he said dryly as she marched to the front of his desk and sat down in one of the chairs as if she owned the place.

She crossed her legs, looking way too smug. And he hated how much he liked that expression on her. To be fair, he liked everything about the woman. She was all wild energy and confidence, and it was one of the sexiest things. He’d never met anyone like her. “How’s business? ”

He narrowed his gaze slightly as he leaned back in his chair. He worked with two other pilots—both former military like him—and they were thankfully not here to see whatever this was because they’d give him shit about it forever. Unlike Mari, who was strictly a contract pilot who took jobs, he’d created a company with contracting and teaching in mind. If he didn’t think she’d kick his teeth in, he would offer her a job. Or hell, a partnership. He’d be lucky to get to work with someone of her skills.

But that was very much off the table. “Good. Why are you here?”

“Spoke to Jeremy Ackerman today.” There was something in her tone he couldn’t quite read.

“Okay. And?”

She narrowed her dark eyes at him and leaned forward slightly. In a simple gray T-shirt, jeans, and blue and yellow sneakers, she looked like she always did. Gorgeous. Her dark hair was pulled up in a short ponytail—she’d recently cut off about eight inches and looked even more stunning.

“He said you had interesting things to say about me.”

Interesting? “I told him that you have a good reputation, tons of repeat clients, and that when you went fully contract a bunch of your clients followed you.”

She snorted, clearly not believing him. Which annoyed the hell out of him.

“You don’t believe me?”

“He made it sound like you were saying unflattering things about me.”

Yeah, well Jeremy Ackerman had been a jackass and not someone Colin wanted to work with, so he actually believed the guy had insinuated something else. “Well, I didn’t. I would never do that. Your reputation speaks for itself anyway.” And if Ackerman couldn’t see that, that was on him.

She shoved up from the chair, her expression still disbelieving. “Sure.” As she stormed out of his office, Oliver, one of his partners, walked in.

His way too good-looking friend of almost twenty years did a sideways glance at Mari as she strode past him. He wanted to tell Ollie to keep his eyes to himself, but then his friend said, “Hey, got a sec?”

Nope. “Hold on. Mari, slow down!” He hurried out into the hangar—his office was at the back of the hangar tucked away out of sight, but for the most part the hangar was always open.

She ignored him, moving fast for someone so short. She’d always been like that, a ball of energy who never quit.

“What the hell is your problem with me?” he demanded as he caught up to her.

“So many things,” she growled as they stepped out into the sunshine and she slid her aviators on. She still didn’t look at him, simply kept going toward the attached parking lot.

He gritted his teeth. He was sick of her hostility. He’d done nothing to deserve it.

“Hey, Colin!” Gino, one of his other partners, called out as he jogged across the parking lot.

Colin ignored him, following Mari to her Jeep. “Seriously, Mari, can you hold on?”

At her door, she turned to look up at him. Then she jumped up onto the running board so she was taller than him. Because of course she did. “What?”

“What’s your problem with me? Why the hell would you think I’d talk trash about you to some stranger? Or to anyone for that matter,” he gritted out, even though he was trying to stay calm. It bothered him more than he wanted to admit that she could think that about him. He loved her whole family.

“Well it wouldn’t be the first time.” She ducked into her Jeep and slammed the door in his face as he stood there blinking at her .

Wait, what? But she was already pulling out of her spot.

And short of jumping onto the back of her vehicle and clinging to the spare tire like a lunatic, this conversation was clearly over.

“Damn, who was that?” Gino jogged up next to him, his gaze following after Mari’s Jeep.

“None of your damn business,” he growled, stalking back to the hangar.

“Oooh, so was that Evan’s sister Mari, then?”

Colin shot him a sharp glance.

“I’m not asking because she’s Korean.” He held his palms up. “I’m asking because you have that same look… You know what? Never mind, I don’t even want to get involved in whatever this is. I’m meeting a potential new student here in half an hour, so I’ll be in the hangar if you need me.”

Irrationally annoyed—at everything—Colin pulled out his cell and texted Evan, Mari’s oldest brother. You free tonight?

Yeah. Want to come over for dinner? Carmen’s mom is making paella tonight so there’ll be plenty.

I’ll be there. He didn’t even have to think twice. Evan’s mother-in-law had recently moved into their guest house and she’d taken to cooking for the family more nights than not. Even if she wasn’t cooking, he’d be there. Because he was done with this and wanted answers.

***

Colin cleared his own plate as well as the others as Carmen halfheartedly protested. “You guys invited me over. Sit.” He also needed a moment away from Evan and Carmen as they cuddled against each other on the outdoor seating.

He adored the two of them, was happy his best friend had found the woman for him. But every time he saw them together so ridiculously in love, it reminded him that he was alone. Which he’d never cared about until recently.

He’d lived a full life and had no regrets, but now that he was back in New Orleans, near Mari…he couldn’t help but think about “what if.” So damn many what-ifs where she was concerned. He’d wanted her forever, but she’d made it clear she didn’t feel the same.

So he’d had to box up his feelings and pretend they didn’t exist. And he’d never said anything to anyone, not even Evan.

But that box he’d closed up tight had popped open and he was having a hard time putting the lid back on. Wasn’t even sure he wanted to anymore.

He loaded up the dishwasher and only left the kitchen once Carmen’s mom came in and actually shooed him out with a dishrag.

“This is why you’re always welcome,” Carmen said with a laugh when he came back out with a pitcher of water and topped her off. “And I know you cleaned up the kitchen.”

“Until your mom kicked me out.”

“I don’t know how she has more energy than me.”

“Probably because you’re growing a human.” Evan kissed the side of her head.

She laughed lightly, then stood up, stretched. “I’m going to keep my mom company while you two talk about whatever it is you came by to talk about.” She gave Colin a pointed look before heading back inside.

“That woman is psychic.” He stretched his legs out in front of him as he looked out at the sparkling pool.

“Probably, but it doesn’t take a psychic to know something’s up. What’s going on? You’ve been tense all night.”

Now Colin was second-guessing himself, but shoved that aside. “Mari stopped by the hangar today and was angry at me.” Something he was still annoyed about since he hadn’t done anything to deserve her ire.

Evan snorted. “What’s new?”

“No, this was different. She thought I was essentially talking shit about her to this potential client. So what’s the deal? I’ve never pushed before, but why does she dislike me so damn much?” Or hate him. But he couldn’t make himself say the word. Even if she swore she did for reasons he couldn’t fathom.

Evan paused for a moment, glanced out at the glittering pool. Their neighborhood was in the Garden District and was relatively quiet most of the time, tonight no exception. “I don’t know,” he finally said. “I think it’s just you both have strong personalities. That’s all.”

Colin was pretty sure his friend was holding something back, but wasn’t going to push. Normally he would since they were best friends, but Mari was Evan’s sister. There was a line he didn’t want to cross. He certainly wouldn’t want to talk about his brother to anyone so he understood. “Okay.”

But Evan continued. “My sister holds a grudge, that’s all I’ll say. So while it might be a personality thing…she also might be angry about something. She shaved Joseph’s eyebrows right before prom because…of something. I don’t even remember.”

“He dated one of her friends, then broke up with her days before prom to take someone else.” Colin liked their younger brother, but figured Joseph had deserved the shaved eyebrows. Probably worse.

“Oh right. Shit, I forgot he did that. Well, at least she never shaved your eyebrows.”

Colin laughed lightly, but it was forced. There was no way this was a personality thing. She was angry at him for something specific, had to be. And he was going to figure out what it was and fix their relationship.