To Julie’s amazement, Felix threw himself into the idea of venturing up in the air in one of the small planes they’d seen in the flyer. It was all he could talk about the next night at dinner at the Reinhards’ sprawling Tudor-style estate in the foothills at the edge of town.

Every time Julie brought Felix here, her stomach filled with butterflies. So many memories—the flagstone terrace where she and Savannah used to do their homework, the little cottage where she’d lived with her mom, the woods filled with birch and pine. She knew every inch of the property except for the Reinhards’ private quarters, where she was never allowed.

Adam and Priscilla Reinhard were a “power couple” who owned houses in Jupiter Point, the Bahamas, and Dallas. He was an investor, she was a marketing genius, both were lean and sleek and sharp-eyed as sharks. They’d always been generous to Julie and her mother, but she’d never felt comfortable with them. Even as a teenager, and Savannah’s best friend, she’d sensed the distance they liked to put between them and those with less money. Not only that, but their generosity came with strings. Julie was expected to help the new cook, clean up after parties, run errands, and so forth. She’d never minded, because without the Reinhards, she would have been adrift after her mother died.

But now, as an adult, it didn’t feel right. She’d chosen to stay close to Savannah and Felix. That didn’t mean she was his nanny, or some kind of paid caretaker. Yet sometimes she felt that way around the Reinhards.

Like now.

“Have you contacted Savannah about this?” Priscilla asked from the foot of the 1840s Victorian dining table. She had a passion for antiques, in a good investment kind of way.

“I will, of course, but she trusts my judgment when it comes to Felix.”

A server came in with a platter of rare, juicy roast beef, its rich scent making Julie’s mouth water. When her mother had cooked for the Reinhards, Priscilla had tried every diet from macrobiotic to paleo. So far, this meal seemed fairly normal.

“The idea of Savannah being the final say on anyone’s judgement is debatable,” Adam Reinhard said in his wry way. His illness had turned his face gaunt and colorless, but he still had every ounce of his acerbic manner. Julie was starting to suspect his ailment wasn’t that serious, he was just using it as an excuse to get Felix to visit.

“You shouldn’t say mean things about my mom.” Felix forked a piece of roast beef into his mouth and chewed in the sloppy way he knew his grandmother despised.

“I’ve known Savannah a lot longer than you have.” Mr. Reinhard always hit back when he felt attacked, no matter the age of his attacker. “And if you think that was mean, the ladies have been spoiling you.”

Felix stared stonily back at him.

Julie cleared her throat. “I looked at the school schedule, and I think the best day for the flight would be this Saturday. That’s only a few days away, Felix. We can spend that time learning everything we can about Cessnas.”

“I already started. It’s a 206, and it holds six people, including the pilot. It has a flight range of five hundred and sixty-three nautical miles and a cruising speed of one hundred and forty-four knots,” Felix rattled off.

They all stared at Felix, while Julie hid a smile. The Reinhards weren’t used to Felix’s thirst for knowledge yet. When he glommed onto something that interested him, he soaked in details and information like a human supercomputer.

“Six people, you said?” Priscilla asked. “Well then, plenty of room for us as well.”

Adam looked at her askance. “Us? Are you referring to you and me?”

“We’ll make it a family outing,” she declared. Her black hair was now cut in a bob, with one dramatic silver streak allowed to remain.

“I’ll have to check with Knight and Day,” Julie began, before Priscilla interrupted again.

“I’m sure Ben Knight will be happy to accommodate you.” She added just enough emphasis on “you” to make Julie flush.

“This invitation didn’t come from Ben. It came from Sarah Moore, Ben’s niece. Or sister-in-law, or something along those lines. I’m not entirely sure of the connection. At any rate, she and Felix have struck up a sort of friendship, right, Felix?”

But Felix had now checked out of the discussion. He was probably dismayed at the thought of the Reinhards joining them.

She tried again. “It might be less stressful if it was just me and Felix.”

“Ben will be there, correct?” Priscilla nodded briskly. “I’d feel more comfortable keeping an eye on things. With all the baggage between you two, I’m not confident it’s safe.”

“Baggage? Plane? Good one.” Adam gave a bark of laughter.

Julie gave her a puzzled frown. “Ben was a pilot in the Air Force. I’m sure it’s perfectly safe.”

“Nonetheless, I think it’s best. You’d like to get out, right, Adam, now that you’re feeling better?” Priscilla didn’t wait for his answer. “It’s settled, then.”

Julie forced a smile at the older couple. The Reinhards were used to getting what they wanted, which was often annoying. But maybe this plane flight would be a good way for them to connect with Felix, which was her purpose for being here, after all. “Saturday, then. It’ll be fun.”

Well, maybe. At any rate, with more people around, maybe she’d have less chance of embarrassing herself in front of Ben. Maybe.

Back at the tiny apartment she’d rented, Felix dove into more Cessna research while Julie took a quick shower. The streaming water gave her the sense of being swept back in time by a fast-moving river. Spending time at the Reinhards brought back so many intense memories.

Her mother had been a free-spirit gypsy type who’d used her cooking skills wherever she wandered. But once Julie reached the age of ten, Mom had decided they needed to be in one place. The job with the Reinhards had seemed perfect. When she and her mother had first moved in, Julie had been terrified of the Reinhards. She’d stayed away from the big house and played in the woods by herself, climbing trees and making up adventure stories.

Then one day, when she was eleven and Savannah was twelve, Savannah had “run away from home,” which meant fleeing into the woods in tears. She’d wound up huddled under one of Julie’s favorite fir trees, near the tree fort Julie had created from fallen branches and moss. So Julie had invited her in. From then on, they’d been best friends. The Reinhards didn’t like it at first, but when they discovered that Savannah was a lot happier with a playmate, they relaxed and gave Julie the run of the estate. She tagged along for tennis lessons, piano lessons, country club outings.

Then came Ben, which was the first serious setback in Julie and Savannah’s friendship. But since Savannah always had boys in love with her, and she’d seen Ben as basically a new toy, they got past it. Then Julie’s mother had died just before Julie’s junior year. Right away, Savannah had vowed that Julie would always have a home with them, her parents be damned.

Julie had passed through that year in a blur—leaning on Ben during her grief—and then had come that panicked call from Savannah.

Which led to the end of her and Ben. Forever.

She turned off the water and toweled dry, squeezing the water from her hair. Thinking about Ben made her stomach cramp. And it made even more memories come flooding back.

Ben had been so sweet when her mother died. He’d held her and let her cry. He’d made her a big card with snapshots and little quotes of things Mom used to say. He’d helped her write the eulogy for the small church service, and made sure all their friends went. He made contact with her mother’s family back in South Carolina. He’d even called her father for her. Her father worked for the Coast Guard in Alaska, and she hadn’t seen him in years. He’d awkwardly offered to move her up there.

That had at least made her smile.

Ben had done so much. He was amazing. She always figured it was because he was so close to his own mother. He knew how to be there without being annoying.

This was bullshit, this not talking and avoiding each other. Ben was too important in her life. She had to talk to him.

Before she could think about it too much, she wrapped herself in a bathrobe and went to find her bag. On her cell phone, she looked up the number of Knight and Day. This late, she doubted that he’d be there, but she could at least leave a message.

“Knight and Day, Ben speaking,” he answered. His voice had deepened since she’d been gone. It had more of a sexy edge to it, a playful baritone that sent pleasurable shivers up her spine.

“Um, hi, Ben. It’s Julie.”

A shocked pause followed. “Hey, Julie.”

She couldn’t read his tone at all. Damn it, why had she done such a boneheaded thing as to call him? Now that he was on the phone, she didn’t know where to start. I used to love you so much? I missed you? You’re so sexy it physically hurts me to look at you?

Uh, no. “I’m calling about the flight tour. Sarah’s invitation.”

“Right.” Had his tone cooled a bit? She couldn’t tell. “Did you figure out a good time? I’ll check the books.”

“Saturday. Anytime you have open will be fine. But there’s something else, Ben.”

It was strange how his name felt so right in her mouth. “Problem?”

“It’s the Reinhards. They want to come along.”

“Ah.” Ben had no big love for the Reinhards, she knew. They’d always been standoffish with him. “Well, with Sarah, Felix, you, me and the two of them, we’ll have just enough seats. That should be fine.”

“Great. Well. I guess we’ll see you Saturday.”

“See you then.” He hung up.

Tears started in Julie’s eyes. Oh my God, so awkward. Would they ever be able to have a normal conversation? Her hand hovered over the phone. There was so much she wanted to say to Ben. Too much for a phone call. But maybe she could call back and arrange a time to talk. Make an official “date.”

Or maybe an “appointment” would be a better term.

She quickly dialed again, but this time she did get the answering machine. “You’ve reached Knight and Day Flight Tours. Please leave a message.”

Leave a message, leave a message… Hi Ben. This is Julie again. I can’t stand the fact that we can’t even talk to each other. You were my best friend, the only boy I’ve ever really loved, and I’m so sorry for leaving the way I did, and if you could only understand what happened, I think you’d forgive me, so please can we get together and talk? And by the way, every time I look at you, my heart does this funny flipping thing and I want to touch you so badly it’s a miracle I haven’t thrown myself into your arms by now.

Yeah, at least he’d get a laugh out of that. Maybe Magenta Girl would get a few chuckles out of it too. Or Tobias, if he was the one who picked up the message.

Just in case she got too tempted, she buried her phone under her pillow and went to play video games with Felix. And get her ass kicked, of course.