Chapter Six
Smoke stuck his head around the door to Jason’s office. “So, what do you say? Do you want to hire her?”
Jason nodded. “I think she’ll work out great. She’s good people. Rochelle loves her, and it’ll be nice for her to have another woman around the place. We are getting a bit overloaded on testosterone with all the guys.”
“You can say that again.”
“Yeah, but more importantly, she’s a damned good pilot. She can fly anything we’ve got on the line, from the Cessnas up through the Lear. She can cover any of the charter flights, and she can step in on Phoenix flights if we need her to.” He nodded. “It makes all kinds of sense. Do you have any reservations?”
Smoke shook his head. He didn’t, did he? He liked Piper. There was no questioning her abilities as a pilot. Jason was right, she and Rochelle had hit it off, and of course, Laura would be thrilled. So, what was the nagging doubt in his mind? He pursed his lips when he realized what it was. “No.” He said. “I don’t. We should offer her the job and get to work on drawing up a contract.”
“Great. Are you going to tell me what you’re worried about?”
Smoke smiled. “You know me too well.”
“And that’s as it should be. We’re partners. If something’s bothering you, I need to know about it.”
“Yeah. It’s nothing that affects the business. It’s just when Cameron was here at the weekend, he and Piper seemed to take a liking to each other.”
Jason smiled. “And that’s a problem?”
Smoke shrugged. “I guess not.” It really wasn’t any of his business. If he was going to hire Piper, he didn’t have any say over her personal life. And he sure as hell shouldn’t want to interfere in his brother’s personal business. He, of all people, knew how badly that could turn out. “I’ll give her a call and let her know.”
He headed back to his own office but stopped when he heard his name being called.
“Hey, Smoke.” He turned around. It was Luke. Luke had been one of the first students who’d come to the flight school. He’d already had his private pilot’s license and had come out here to take his instrument training. He was a good pilot and a good guy. Smoke and Jason had offered him a job, and he’d willingly stuck around. He’d since earned his commercial license, and his new goal was to get enough hours of pilot-in-command time to be able to apply for private jet jobs. Smoke was happy to keep him around in the meantime and was considering the possibility of hiring him when he was ready.
“What’s up?”
“Nothing’s up. I just,” he looked over his shoulder, “Angel told me about your plans over at Four Mile. I wanted to say congratulations.”
Smoke smiled. “Thanks, and don’t worry, it’s no big secret or anything. Jason and Rochelle know; I just haven’t had time to tell everyone else yet. You’re invited if you want to come.”
“Thanks. I’d love to, but I’ll cover here if you’d rather I do that?”
“Thanks, but you don’t need to. We’re going to shut down for the day. I’d like everyone to come to the wedding.”
“Great, in that case, I’ll be there.”
Smoke nodded. “It’s a shame Angel will be working.”
Luke shrugged. “It’s a shame, but it’s nothing new. It seems we can never get our schedules to match up.”
“That sounds like Laura and me when we first met. Hang in there. If you want it enough, you’ll figure it out.”
“I suppose. We haven’t even been out yet.”
“Damn! I want to ask what’s taking you so long, but it was months before Laura and I went on our first date.” Smoke smiled as he remembered the night he’d picked her up in San Francisco and brought her here to the lake for Missy’s birthday party.
“That gives me hope then. I keep wondering if I should just give up on her. I know she likes me, but work always comes first for her.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that. You’ll figure it out.”
“I guess.” Luke checked his watch. “Work comes first for me, too. I’d better get back to it.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“Do you have any flights booked in Papa Charlie this week? Any chance I could get some right-seat time?”
Smoke shook his head. “Sorry. I don’t have anything on the schedule.” Luke needed to accumulate as many hours in the cockpit as he could to move forward in his career. The right seat was the second-in-command and those hours would help him. “I’ve got a busy week next week; I’ll see what I can do about taking you along. Oh, and we’re going to hire Piper. You should be able to call shotgun with her once she gets going. That should help.”
“Awesome. She seemed great.”
“She is. She’s a damned good pilot, too. Okay. You get back to it. I need to do the same.”
Smoke had just sat down at his desk when his cell phone rang. He rolled his eyes. It seemed like everyone wanted to talk today, and it was stopping him from getting anything done.
“Jack. What’s up?”
“Hey, Smokey. How you doing?”
Smoke chuckled. “I’m doing fine, or I would be if I could ever get on with any work.”
“I won’t keep you. I just wanted to ask if you’ve thought about a stag night?”
“No. I hadn’t.”
“Are you going to?”
“Probably not. There’s not enough time. I’ll be gone most of next week.”
“Aww, but Pete and I were talking about it, and we want to organize something for you. When do you get back?”
“I was hoping it’d be Thursday, but it’s looking more like it’ll be Friday afternoon.”
“So, we do something Friday night.”
“I don’t think so. I get married Saturday afternoon. That just sounds like it’s courting disaster to me. There’s not enough margin for error in twenty-four hours.”
Jack laughed. “We’re not talking wild debauchery, just a few us getting together. You, me, Pete, Nate, Ben, Dan. You know, the gang? And I thought the guys from the airport too. And if we do it Friday night, Cameron will be here, right?”
Smoke sighed. “I suppose, but I’m not going anywhere. We can go to Giuseppe’s or something like that, but I’m not going to Vegas or doing anything crazy.”
“Relax, Smokey. It’ll be fun. You can’t say no.”
“I suppose not.”
“Great. Should I get on it then?”
“Yeah. Thanks, Jack.”
“My pleasure. See ya.”
As soon as he hung up, his phone rang again. “Oh, for fuck’s sake!” Smoke snatched it up. “What?”
“Sorry, darling. Is this a bad time? Should I call back later?”
“No, sorry, Mom. I thought you were Jack again.”
“Oh dear, are you cross with him?”
“No. He’s just being Jack. You know what he’s like.”
“I do. He’s wonderful. Your father and I are very much looking forward to seeing him and Pete. Cameron said they both seem well and happy and that their wives are very nice. It’s still hard to believe they’re both married now and even harder to believe that you’ll be joining them so soon.”
“I know. It can’t come soon enough.”
“I can’t wait. That’s what I’m calling you about. We’d like to come up on the Friday night if that’d be all right with you?”
“It’s fine with me, Mom, but I have to warn you. That’s what Jack was just talking about—arranging a stag night for Friday night.” He smiled. “I hadn’t even thought about one, but apparently Jack and Pete had.”
“I’m so happy they’re your friends. “
“Yeah, me too. What do you think? Do you reckon Dad would come?”
“Oh. I’m sure he’d love to. If you want to ask him. You don’t have to.”
“I know, but I’d like to.” He was remembering how much he’d envied Pete in Vegas when his dad came out on the stag night. “It’d mean a lot to me. And don’t worry, it won’t be anything wild.”
She laughed. “I’m sure he’d like it if it were! Do you want me to ask him?”
Smoke sucked in a deep breath. “No, thanks. I’ll call him myself.” He’d gotten a lot closer to them both in the last couple of years, but it was easier to talk to his mom. It was time to make an effort to break through the friendly, but unquestionable distance that still kept him and his dad at arm’s length. “What about you and Chelsea?”
“I’ll be fine. I do like it at your lake. I think it’d be fun to rent a little cottage or something from your friend, Ben. I can sit and enjoy peace and quiet while you boys go out and live it up.”
He smiled at the thought. “I’m sure Laura would like you to go on her bachelorette party if she’s having one. Like I said, the subject hadn’t even come up until Jack called a few minutes ago.”
“Well, I’d like to if she’s having one and if she wants me there, but I would never impose.”
“You wouldn’t be imposing, Mom. I’ll get her to call you when she figures out what she’s doing. And you didn’t answer me about Chelsea.”
“That’s because I don’t know what she’s up to. She said she’s excited to come, but she said she’ll make her own way up there and we’ll see her on the Saturday.”
“Is everything okay with her?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps you should call her and see?”
“Yeah. I will.”
“I’ll let you go, darling. It’s sounds like you’re busy, but I did want to ask you to think about something.”
“What?”
“We’d like to give you a wedding gift.”
Smoke frowned. He knew she wasn’t talking about silverware or a dinner service. He waited.
She took his silence as a refusal. “We want to.”
“Thanks, but we don’t need anything. We’ve already set up house.”
“Now, Cole.” He had to smile. It was the same tone she’d used when he was a little kid.
“Yes, Mom?”
She laughed. “You know full well what I mean. We’d like to give you a really useful gift.”
“Like what?” He dreaded to think what they might have in mind. When he and Anabel were engaged, they were going to give them one of the wineries, complete with a six-bedroom house.
“We don’t know. That’s the point. We’d like you to talk it over with Laura and tell us. And don’t be obstinate. You know I’m talking about a house, maybe something in the Bay area so you’d have a place to stay when Laura has to go there. Or a winery, if you’d like one. There must be a nice estate near your lake.”
“We have a house, Mom.”
“I know, and it’s lovely, but it’s not very big, is it?”
He shook his head with a rueful smile. “It’s all we need. We’re happy.”
“I know. I’m sorry. We just want to contribute to your happiness. A vacation villa somewhere?”
He laughed. “We never get time to go on vacation.”
“I know, but I wish you would.”
“We’re taking a week off after the wedding to go on a honeymoon.”
“Where are you going?”
“We don’t know yet. We haven’t had chance to talk about it.”
“Well, you know you can use any of the company’s properties.”
“Thanks.”
“Okay. I really will shut up and let you go now.”
“Okay. Love you, Mom. Bye.”
He hung up and leaned his head back against the wall. He was supposed to be getting back to the roster and setting up lessons for next week, but his head wasn’t in it now. He needed to call his dad about the stag night. He needed to call Laura about a honeymoon. They should book something soon, and he didn’t know where she wanted to go. They’d talked and talked about getting married in the Mediterranean, and he’d thought they’d honeymoon there—maybe rent a villa by the beach. That was a long way to go for just a week, though. He sighed. He’d have to figure out some way to compromise with his parents over a wedding gift. He didn’t want to refuse completely. That would feel too much like pushing them away. On the other hand, he didn’t need or want them to buy him a house. He’d have to talk to Laura and see what she thought. Maybe she’d like the idea of a vacation house on a Caribbean island?
~ ~ ~
Laura drew in a deep breath as she stepped out onto the sidewalk outside the hotel. She’d spent most of the time since she arrived here cooped up inside, either in her hotel room or at Lawrence’s house. She’d grown to really like the guy. He was a big guy with a big personality. Larger than life, and he’d even said he wanted the ring for Shawnee to be larger than life. He was a big name in country music, and he was known for making big gestures. Laura had spent a lot of time talking with him about whether that was what his proposal was about.
She smiled when she saw him step out of the limo. They’d arranged to meet to go for a walk. She wanted to get to the heart of what he really wanted before they continued coming up with designs that they only tore up after half an hour.
“Hey. Do you really want to walk and talk or should we get back to the drawing board?”
“I want to walk and talk. I don’t want to go near pencil and paper again until we get clear on what you really want.” Her tone was sterner than she’d intended; she knew he’d probably talk her into sitting down to draw again if she didn’t stand her ground.
He looked crestfallen. “Are you thinking about firing me?”
She laughed. “No, I’m not thinking about that at all. I just want to make sure that you’re clear about what you want before we go any further. Not what design you want, but what you want the ring to say.”
He cocked his head to one side and looked for all the world like a big dog trying to understand what his master was telling him.
She slipped her arm through his and started walking. “I mean, every time we sit down and get started, you talk about the circumstance of your proposal. You want to do it on stage while the two of you are on tour next month. I understand that, but you’re talking about the ring and how it will look. You’re not talking about Shawnee and how she will feel. I don’t really care what the crowd will think. I care what she’ll think. If I’m honest, when I’m designing an engagement ring, I think of the bride-to-be as my client as much as the hopeful groom. I know you want to make a big statement, but she’s the one who’s going to wear that ring every day for the rest of her life. She needs to love it; it needs to speak to her—not to the crowd of fans. Who’s more important to you?”
He stopped walking. He looked grim. Was he angry? Maybe she’d gone too far, but she had to tell him how she felt, how she worked. She couldn’t compromise herself just because he was famous. She waited, wondering if he was about to fire her.
“Dammit, girl. Why didn’t you spell it out for me like that from the beginning?”
She laughed. “Because I want the ring to be what you want. I thought we could figure it out between us, but every time we try, you confuse yourself and me by having two conflicting aims. You talk about giving Shawnee a ring that she’ll love, but you also talk about giving your fans a moment that they’ll love. I don’t think it’s going to be possible to do both of those things, and honestly,” she was going to have to say it, “if you really want this ring to be a stage prop, then that’s what you should have, but I’m afraid I’m not the one to do it for you. I’ll help you find someone better suited.”
He stared at her for a long moment, then started to laugh. “Damn, I like you, Laura. You say it like you see it, and you won’t back down.”
“Thanks. I have to be true to myself. But then, so do you, and I don’t want to talk you down from something big and gaudy if that’s what you really want.”
He laughed again. “Big and gaudy? That’s how you see me?”
“Not you, no, but the kind of ring you want.”
He blew out a big sigh and started walking again. “I think you got me bang to rights. You opened my eyes when you said I’m looking for a stage prop. I think I got a bit carried away about proposing to her on stage with thousands of fans watching. It’s not as bad as it sounds though. I want you to know that. The reason that’s so important to me isn’t because it’s so public; it’s because that’s where we met and it’s where we both love to be. She was a backup singer, and I played bass back in the day. We’ve been together on and off all these years, and now we’re finally at a good place. I want her to be my wife, and I know that it’d be special to her if I propose like that. She loves the fans; we both do. We know we wouldn’t be where we are without them. It’d mean a lot to both of us to share that moment with the people who’ve put us where we are and supported us all the way.”
Laura nodded. “Now we’re getting somewhere. Now I understand. I still don’t think it needs to be a big in-your-face kind of ring though. It doesn’t have to be all big and glittery for the fans to see. The cameras will zoom in and do close-ups, won’t they?” He nodded. “So, tell me what’s important to her? What does she like, what special little things do the two of you share?”
He shrugged. “I just told you. Music. The songs. Performing. Making people happy. It’s all either of us has ever done. We struggled in the early days, both of us, but we hung in there till we made it.”
Laura nodded. “Just like Carson wants to do.”
“What?”
“Oh, sorry, I was thinking about Carson. The driver. He seems determined.”
“He is. That’s why I hired him. Too many kids come here and bust their asses between dead-end jobs and playing every dive that’ll let them on stage. They burn out before they ever get a break. Carson’s talented. I hired him on so he can work a regular job for decent pay and have time to chase his dream.”
“You’re a good man, Lawrence.”
“I try, but what’s Carson got to do with my ring?”
“Nothing. Just hearing you talk about your struggle reminded me of his struggle. I guess that it’s a universal struggle for anyone who’s brave enough to chase their dream. Shawnee must have been the same way too.”
“Yeah, she’s got more determination in her little finger than most men can muster in a lifetime.”
“I can’t wait to meet her.”
“You two will get along. I just need to think up some story about who you are. I can’t exactly tell her you’re my jewelry designer, can I? I don’t want her guessing.”
“You don’t need to worry about it. I find that keeping as close to the truth as possible is the best way to go. I’ve been in this situation before where a client has wanted me to meet his intended without telling her who I was. I’d like to be honest and tell Shawnee who I am and what I do, and that I’m working with you to design a necklace or a bracelet or whatever she might like.”
“I like it.” He grinned. “I like your style too. The more lies you tell, the more lies you have to tell to cover them up, and that never ends up going anywhere good.”
She laughed. “That sounds like the voice of experience.”
He gave her a sheepish grin. “In my younger, dumber days, of course.”
“Of course.”
They reached the corner and Lawrence pointed to a coffee shop across the way. “Do you want a coffee?”
“I’d love one.”
Once they were seated inside, Lawrence smiled. “It’s funny I feel lighter and more relaxed about this whole thing now. But I still don’t know what this ring should be like. I want it to be unique, and I want it to mean the world to her.”
“It will be. Now you’ve given me a whole bunch of ideas to work with. I’ll go back this afternoon and do up some sketches. Then, whenever you’re free tomorrow, let’s get together, and I’ll run my new ideas by you.”
“Okay. And tomorrow night you’ll meet her at Clay’s place.”
“Yes, that’ll help me refine my ideas, too.”
“Yeah. I guess we both had it wrong.”
“About what?”
He smiled. “I said you didn’t need to meet her. And you said you wouldn’t need to stay all week.”
She smiled. “Yeah. We were both wrong, but you know I can’t stay past Friday, don’t you?”
His eyebrows knit together. “You were wrong about that, too. You have to stay. We’re not going to be done by Friday.”
“We can get as much as we need, but I do have to go.”
“Why?”
She smiled. She didn’t like to discuss her personal life with her clients, but Lawrence needed to know. “I’m getting married a week from Saturday. My fiancé is going to be home this weekend, but he’ll be away most of next week. I need to see him, and we have a million things to do.”
“Why didn’t you say so? Of course, you have to go. We’ll figure something out.”