will burn less fuel than the Jenny drawing a crowd. Lots of things could be easier.” Then Henry added, “At least until Cora gets tired of the whole business and goes home.”
Gil’s shrug of surrender was accompanied by a raised brow. “I doubt anything to do with Cora Haviland will make life easier.” Then he turned and walked back toward Cora. “Call the damn dog.”
“We have a deal? I’m in?”
Gil crossed his arms over his chest and gave a curt nod.
She whistled for Mercury, retrieved the rope, now covered in nettle burrs, and held it behind her back awaiting verbal confirmation.
Apparently, Gil couldn’t quite bring himself to say yes. “Just don’t expect special treatment because you’re a woman.”
She stood there for a long moment, her eyes narrowed with suspicion and her mouth pressed tight. “You’re tricking me somehow.”
Gil gave her a take-it-or-leave-it look.
Henry waited, fighting his urge to open his mouth and give a nudge.
Finally, she handed over the tie-down rope.
As Gil climbed up on the wing to stow the last of the gear, he asked, “Do you have a map?”
“No.” She stepped toward the plane with her hand out.
He climbed into the cockpit. “A shame.” Taking a look at his own map, he held it high enough to make a show. Then he signaled Henry to prop the engine. “See you in Crawfordsville, Miss Haviland.”
Maybe, Henry thought, I should ride with her. A woman alone . . .
By the time he looked her way, she’d already scooped up Mercury and was trotting toward the motorcycle.
A s Gil tied down the plane and the last customer motored back toward Crawfordsville, thunder rumbled in the west. Gil glanced at the sky, then grinned wickedly at Henry.
Henry looked away, knowing Cora was about to wipe that smile right off Gil’s face.
She glanced without concern at the clouds tumbling over one another in the sky. “Just so I’m not being favored with special treatment, Gil, you can ride the motorcycle to the hotel. Henry and I will walk. It’s the Crawford Hotel, right on Main and Green. Reservations in my stage name, Cora Rose.”
Henry had been surprised when she’d told the hotel clerk her name. When he’d sent a questioning look her way, she’d quietly put her heel on top of his foot and pressed. Later when he’d asked why she hadn’t used her real name, she’d gotten snippy. “Cora Rose is my real name,just not all of it. Besides, I can be whoever I want now. Don’t mess it up.”
“So you’re hiding?” The instant those words had come out of his mouth, he’d regretted them. He needed to be careful about asking questions that could be turned back on him.
“I’m reinventing, leaving the old behind.”
“So you’re not worried that your uncle will come looking for you?”
“Seriously, Henry. Uncle Clyde doesn’t want me to be miserable; he doesn’t even like Mother. She’ll be angry for a while. But she’ll figure out something, she always does. The only difference is now she can’t sacrifice me to get it.”
“But if you’re of age, how can she make you marry someone even if you stayed?”
Cora had huffed, “My God, you don’t know anything! She’d make every day so miserable, eventually I’d either have to get married or leave. I didn’t have enough money to take off on my own. If I got a confining job as a teacher or secretary, I might as well be married. I was still working things out. But then, opportunity landed in Uncle Clyde’s pasture. I’m Cora Rose because I want to be, not because I have to be.”
Henry had left it there. She was right, he had no idea what living in a rich, or once-rich, family was like. And before he’d met Cora, he’d never given a thought that some women might not like their place in life. It was all quite confusing.
Gil’s voice was icy when he said, “Reservations?”
“Yes. I made them while we were in town getting gasoline. And after we’ve cleaned up and had dinner, we’re going to
Gil’s shrug of surrender was accompanied by a raised brow. “I doubt anything to do with Cora Haviland will make life easier.” Then he turned and walked back toward Cora. “Call the damn dog.”
“We have a deal? I’m in?”
Gil crossed his arms over his chest and gave a curt nod.
She whistled for Mercury, retrieved the rope, now covered in nettle burrs, and held it behind her back awaiting verbal confirmation.
Apparently, Gil couldn’t quite bring himself to say yes. “Just don’t expect special treatment because you’re a woman.”
She stood there for a long moment, her eyes narrowed with suspicion and her mouth pressed tight. “You’re tricking me somehow.”
Gil gave her a take-it-or-leave-it look.
Henry waited, fighting his urge to open his mouth and give a nudge.
Finally, she handed over the tie-down rope.
As Gil climbed up on the wing to stow the last of the gear, he asked, “Do you have a map?”
“No.” She stepped toward the plane with her hand out.
He climbed into the cockpit. “A shame.” Taking a look at his own map, he held it high enough to make a show. Then he signaled Henry to prop the engine. “See you in Crawfordsville, Miss Haviland.”
Maybe, Henry thought, I should ride with her. A woman alone . . .
By the time he looked her way, she’d already scooped up Mercury and was trotting toward the motorcycle.
A s Gil tied down the plane and the last customer motored back toward Crawfordsville, thunder rumbled in the west. Gil glanced at the sky, then grinned wickedly at Henry.
Henry looked away, knowing Cora was about to wipe that smile right off Gil’s face.
She glanced without concern at the clouds tumbling over one another in the sky. “Just so I’m not being favored with special treatment, Gil, you can ride the motorcycle to the hotel. Henry and I will walk. It’s the Crawford Hotel, right on Main and Green. Reservations in my stage name, Cora Rose.”
Henry had been surprised when she’d told the hotel clerk her name. When he’d sent a questioning look her way, she’d quietly put her heel on top of his foot and pressed. Later when he’d asked why she hadn’t used her real name, she’d gotten snippy. “Cora Rose is my real name,just not all of it. Besides, I can be whoever I want now. Don’t mess it up.”
“So you’re hiding?” The instant those words had come out of his mouth, he’d regretted them. He needed to be careful about asking questions that could be turned back on him.
“I’m reinventing, leaving the old behind.”
“So you’re not worried that your uncle will come looking for you?”
“Seriously, Henry. Uncle Clyde doesn’t want me to be miserable; he doesn’t even like Mother. She’ll be angry for a while. But she’ll figure out something, she always does. The only difference is now she can’t sacrifice me to get it.”
“But if you’re of age, how can she make you marry someone even if you stayed?”
Cora had huffed, “My God, you don’t know anything! She’d make every day so miserable, eventually I’d either have to get married or leave. I didn’t have enough money to take off on my own. If I got a confining job as a teacher or secretary, I might as well be married. I was still working things out. But then, opportunity landed in Uncle Clyde’s pasture. I’m Cora Rose because I want to be, not because I have to be.”
Henry had left it there. She was right, he had no idea what living in a rich, or once-rich, family was like. And before he’d met Cora, he’d never given a thought that some women might not like their place in life. It was all quite confusing.
Gil’s voice was icy when he said, “Reservations?”
“Yes. I made them while we were in town getting gasoline. And after we’ve cleaned up and had dinner, we’re going to
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