Operation Reunion by Justine Davis Page A

better because he was keeping to his word, and worse because it was clearly an effort. She realized with a sinking feeling that he thought this was going to be as fruitless as every other trip she’d made and that he was only coming with her because he’d promised her this one last chance.
    She looked around the interior of the plane again, hoping for distraction. She and Dane had once taken a flight to Victoria, B.C., on a seaplane that had been even smaller than this, and she’d loved it. Much better than the helicopter that Dane had seemed so enamored of.
    The young man who had been working on that helicopter was at the controls of the plane now, with Quinn in the copilot’s seat. Somewhat to her surprise, Hayley had come with them.
    “I’m the unofficial flight attendant,” she said with a grin, handing out sodas.
    There was no separate cockpit, so she was able to turn and hand a can to Quinn and offer one to Teague, who declined. Hayley’s seat and the empty one next to her backed up to the pilot’s, whereas Kayla’s and Dane’s faced forward. The cabin was finished nicely, with leather seating and large, rectangular windows, and there was plenty of room for Dane’s long legs to stretch out.
    “Nice,” Dane said.
    “Quinn’s other toy,” Hayley said with a smile. “He wanted a small jet, but Charlie slapped the purse strings shut on that.”
    Dane had been looking back at the cabin, but now he leaned forward to study what he could see of the instrument panels. It looked horrifyingly complicated to Kayla, although not much different than the big-screen gaming system his friend and partner Serge had. Dane had such an affinity for things electronic she wouldn’t be surprised if he could figure most of them out simply by watching them long enough.
    “It’s pressurized?” Dane asked after a minute or two studying one section of the controls.
    Hayley nodded. “Quinn was able to justify to Charlie the need for a pressurized cabin with all the mountains around us.”
    “I thought only jets were pressurized.”
    “This is the single exception in small planes. And that,” Hayley said with a laugh, “is the sum total of my knowledge, I’m afraid.” She gestured toward the front. “You want more, you’ll have to ask them.”
    Dane smiled. “I will.”
    “Maybe on the way back you can sit up front.”
    “That,” Dane said, his eyes alight, “would be exceptionally cool.”
    His excitement made Kayla smile. For a moment she wondered if he’d come along as much for the plane ride as for the search for Chad. And why not? she asked herself. She was glad he was enjoying the flight—it made her feel less guilty.
    “Who takes care of Cutter when you have to leave?” Kayla asked.
    “Usually our neighbor, who adores him. Or he stays with Rafe, another of our team, when he insists.”
    “The guy or the dog?” Dane joked.
    “The dog,” Hayley answered, sounding dead serious. “I think he knows Rafe’s in a rough patch right now because he’s been spending more time with him. Plus, the man has never had a dog, so Cutter’s determined to introduce him to the joys.”
    Both Dane and Kayla blinked.
    “I know, I know,” Hayley said with a laugh. “But believe me, hang around Cutter long enough, and you’ll start thinking that way, too.”
    The plane bounced slightly, as Quinn had warned them it might as they went over the mountains. Kayla shifted in her seat to look out the window. The movement, and a physical awareness that stopped just short of soreness, reminded her in a very personal way of what had happened between her and Dane the moment they’d set foot in her house last night. It wasn’t that they hadn’t had wild, hungry sex before, but nothing quite like that. From the beginning Dane’s intent had been clear, he’d wanted to drive her crazy and he’d succeeded.
    Admirably.
    She felt her cheeks heat at the memory and was glad her face was turned away at the moment. Only the sure