his chest expanded as he lifted the wrap, the odor of the cookies filling his nostrils. God, how he’d missed home cooking. Judging from her cookies, Cam would bet his right arm that Molly was one fine cook.
As he sat munching a cookie, savoring it, Cam reflected back on the past year. In some way, Molly’s appearance had awakened him from the deep freeze his emotions had been stuck in. Meeting her on the beach Friday night had been a surprise. An endearing surprise. On Sunday, when he’d taken Miracle for a walk, he’d looked for Molly, but she hadn’t been there. A terrible kind of loneliness had stalked him the rest of the day, and he’d been unable to shake it off.
He took another bite of cookie. “You truly are an angel from heaven, Molly.”
* * *
Cam entered a filling classroom several hours later to give his lecture and overheard Martin speaking.
“Hey, Bard, who made these cookies?”
Lee was stretched out, books open on his desk. “Molly made them.”
Cam was standing at the lectern, arranging his notes, when Martin got up and threw the cookie he’d been holding into the wastebasket at the front of the class.
“You got a problem, Martin?”
“I just got rid of it.”
Cam held Martin’s narrowed gray gaze. The pilot’s chin was solid, his teeth clenched. “See me in my office after lunch.”
“Yes, sir.”
Though angry, Cam made sure his face and voice didn’t relay his personal feelings. Martin might dislike Molly, but to openly show that kind of disrespect, not to mention wasting a homemade cookie, was unforgivable. Especially in front of twenty other students. He was glad Molly hadn’t arrived in time to see Martin’s reaction.
* * *
Martin showed up at Cam’s office at exactly 1300. Cam invited the pilot in, ordering him to shut the door.
Martin came to parade rest in front of Cam’s desk. Cam held the pilot’s fixed gaze.
“What’s your problem with Ensign Rutledge?”
“She’s a woman, sir. An incapable, bumbling woman.”
“Oh?” The word came out silkily, with a lethal edge to it.
“On both flights she’s been assigned to me, she drops the damn pencil, the knee pad and God knows what else before a test. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“She’s not incapable.” Cam recalled the library incident with Molly. When nervous, she dropped things and ran into things. He was sure she’d be very nervous flying with Martin, who obviously disliked her.
“We disagree, sir.”
“Look, Martin, you’re going to have to put aside your personal prejudice and try to get along. Surely this isn’t the first time you’ve run into a situation involving working with a person you didn’t like. You have to make it work.”
“Is this little talk all because I threw her damn cookie into the wastebasket?”
Cam shook his head. “Just the straw that broke the camel’s back, Mr. Martin. What has you so set against a woman in our business?”
“Where I come from down in Texas, women are good for one thing, and that’s flat on their back.”
“Real redneck, aren’t you?”
“Yes, sir. I am. And I don’t make no bones about it. Usually, I can keep my personal opinions out of my career because there are very few broads involved with it. I can’t help it if Rutledge managed to get here on her back.”
Cam’s hand tightened on the arm of his leather chair. He stood slowly. “Martin, let me make it real clear to you—back off and start treating Ensign Rutledge with respect. I will not tolerate your attitude, nor will the commandant, if this gets to his attention. Do you read me loud and clear?”
His eyes flashing, Martin came to attention. “Yes, sir.”
“Dismissed,” Cam growled. He stood there, breathing hard after Martin had left, anger boiling through him. The stupid bastard really believed what he said. Should he alert the commandant to the deteriorating situation? Or would this talk with Martin force the pilot to cool off and back down?
A pile of
As he sat munching a cookie, savoring it, Cam reflected back on the past year. In some way, Molly’s appearance had awakened him from the deep freeze his emotions had been stuck in. Meeting her on the beach Friday night had been a surprise. An endearing surprise. On Sunday, when he’d taken Miracle for a walk, he’d looked for Molly, but she hadn’t been there. A terrible kind of loneliness had stalked him the rest of the day, and he’d been unable to shake it off.
He took another bite of cookie. “You truly are an angel from heaven, Molly.”
* * *
Cam entered a filling classroom several hours later to give his lecture and overheard Martin speaking.
“Hey, Bard, who made these cookies?”
Lee was stretched out, books open on his desk. “Molly made them.”
Cam was standing at the lectern, arranging his notes, when Martin got up and threw the cookie he’d been holding into the wastebasket at the front of the class.
“You got a problem, Martin?”
“I just got rid of it.”
Cam held Martin’s narrowed gray gaze. The pilot’s chin was solid, his teeth clenched. “See me in my office after lunch.”
“Yes, sir.”
Though angry, Cam made sure his face and voice didn’t relay his personal feelings. Martin might dislike Molly, but to openly show that kind of disrespect, not to mention wasting a homemade cookie, was unforgivable. Especially in front of twenty other students. He was glad Molly hadn’t arrived in time to see Martin’s reaction.
* * *
Martin showed up at Cam’s office at exactly 1300. Cam invited the pilot in, ordering him to shut the door.
Martin came to parade rest in front of Cam’s desk. Cam held the pilot’s fixed gaze.
“What’s your problem with Ensign Rutledge?”
“She’s a woman, sir. An incapable, bumbling woman.”
“Oh?” The word came out silkily, with a lethal edge to it.
“On both flights she’s been assigned to me, she drops the damn pencil, the knee pad and God knows what else before a test. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“She’s not incapable.” Cam recalled the library incident with Molly. When nervous, she dropped things and ran into things. He was sure she’d be very nervous flying with Martin, who obviously disliked her.
“We disagree, sir.”
“Look, Martin, you’re going to have to put aside your personal prejudice and try to get along. Surely this isn’t the first time you’ve run into a situation involving working with a person you didn’t like. You have to make it work.”
“Is this little talk all because I threw her damn cookie into the wastebasket?”
Cam shook his head. “Just the straw that broke the camel’s back, Mr. Martin. What has you so set against a woman in our business?”
“Where I come from down in Texas, women are good for one thing, and that’s flat on their back.”
“Real redneck, aren’t you?”
“Yes, sir. I am. And I don’t make no bones about it. Usually, I can keep my personal opinions out of my career because there are very few broads involved with it. I can’t help it if Rutledge managed to get here on her back.”
Cam’s hand tightened on the arm of his leather chair. He stood slowly. “Martin, let me make it real clear to you—back off and start treating Ensign Rutledge with respect. I will not tolerate your attitude, nor will the commandant, if this gets to his attention. Do you read me loud and clear?”
His eyes flashing, Martin came to attention. “Yes, sir.”
“Dismissed,” Cam growled. He stood there, breathing hard after Martin had left, anger boiling through him. The stupid bastard really believed what he said. Should he alert the commandant to the deteriorating situation? Or would this talk with Martin force the pilot to cool off and back down?
A pile of
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