migraine? G’s, noise, and adrenaline would do that. “The AAA casing smacked into my canopy,” Grace finally replied. She helped herself to leftover pizza.
Bruce shot a look over at Bear. They had both seen a lot of crashes. What she wasn’t saying suggested a lot.
Wolf returned with two glasses. “A pilot special. Diet Coke, cherry juice, two cherries, and a dash of vanilla. They didn’t have hazelnut.”
She tasted hers and nodded her approval. Wolf slid a glass over to him. Grace looked at him and winked. Bruce sampled his more cautiously. “Pretty good.”
She chuckled.
“Have you already got a room for the night?” Wolf asked.
“Yes. I brought my toothbrush this time. It’s a short stop; I’m on the 0800 propeller hop back to the GW .”
“I suppose you’re going to sleep in rather than join me for an early breakfast.”
Grace turned Wolf’s arm to look at his watch. “Absolutely.”
Bear leaned back and exchanged a silent look with the other SEALs. Dasher rose moments later. “Speaking of the time, we’re taking off at 0700. My boss will get annoyed if I’m flying with less than four hours sleep.”
Cougar got up and hauled Pup to his feet. “Grace, I’m going to put the child to bed. It’s past his bedtime. Next time we get a chance to visit remind me to fix you a SEAL special.”
“I’ll do that. Night, guys.”
Bear leaned over and handed her a blue free calling card. “Make sure Wolf calls Jill before you send him to bed.”
“Glad to, Bear.” She looked over at Rich, who also rose. “Thanks for hauling Wolf home safely rather than leaving him in the sandbox.”
“I owed him a few,” Rich replied easily. “Good night, Gracie.”
The table cleared out and left only the three of them. Wolf started clearing the table, putting the glass bottles in the blue recycling bin, setting them carefully inside, not tossing them.
“You can ask,” Grace commented, leaning back and watching Wolf. Bruce got the feeling she had momentarily decided to forget he was here. Her attention was on Wolf, and there was a quiet focus to how she was watching her cousin. If Bruce could have left without disturbing the two of them, he would have.
Wolf stopped moving bottles, turned, and just stared at her. “There’s blood on your flight boots.”
“Nosebleed, not mine,” Grace replied easily. “We had a deck hand get hurt when an oxygen tank cart slid and slammed him into the tower.”
“And the flight? How close was it really?”
“Only my own errors. I nearly stalled out. The slotted flaps and aileron got chewed up. She could have sustained a lot more damage and still been airworthy.”
“You aren’t supposed to be getting yourself shot down.”
“Don’t pick a fight at 2 a.m.”
“What was I supposed to tell your dad?” he bit out.
“‘Frank, she was doing what she loved’?” Grace leaned over and caught his face in her hands. “Relax. I’m going to grow old with you. You’re family. You’re stuck with me.”
“You—” Wolf leaned forward and smacked a kiss on her nose. “Gidget, go to bed.”
“Are we okay?”
“When I get my heart out of my toes.”
She slipped the blue card Bear had given her into his pocket. “Go call Jill.”
Wolf glanced over at Bruce. “I’ll see her to the dorm,” he promised.
“What time is it there?”
“Nine a.m.”
Wolf got to his feet. “I’ll go call Jill.”
Grace placed her hands on the back of his chair as she watched him leave, then leaned forward to rest her chin on her hands. “Did I handle that right?”
Bruce had no idea. “How close was it really?”
“Minimal flight controls. Ninety degrees and rolling over, crashing altitude. I couldn’t eject even if I wanted to.”
“You willed the plane to fly.”
“Muscled and babied it back.”
He slid her one of the remaining water bottles that hadn’t been opened yet. “You handled it just fine.” Sometime tomorrow he’d try to get over the impact
Bruce shot a look over at Bear. They had both seen a lot of crashes. What she wasn’t saying suggested a lot.
Wolf returned with two glasses. “A pilot special. Diet Coke, cherry juice, two cherries, and a dash of vanilla. They didn’t have hazelnut.”
She tasted hers and nodded her approval. Wolf slid a glass over to him. Grace looked at him and winked. Bruce sampled his more cautiously. “Pretty good.”
She chuckled.
“Have you already got a room for the night?” Wolf asked.
“Yes. I brought my toothbrush this time. It’s a short stop; I’m on the 0800 propeller hop back to the GW .”
“I suppose you’re going to sleep in rather than join me for an early breakfast.”
Grace turned Wolf’s arm to look at his watch. “Absolutely.”
Bear leaned back and exchanged a silent look with the other SEALs. Dasher rose moments later. “Speaking of the time, we’re taking off at 0700. My boss will get annoyed if I’m flying with less than four hours sleep.”
Cougar got up and hauled Pup to his feet. “Grace, I’m going to put the child to bed. It’s past his bedtime. Next time we get a chance to visit remind me to fix you a SEAL special.”
“I’ll do that. Night, guys.”
Bear leaned over and handed her a blue free calling card. “Make sure Wolf calls Jill before you send him to bed.”
“Glad to, Bear.” She looked over at Rich, who also rose. “Thanks for hauling Wolf home safely rather than leaving him in the sandbox.”
“I owed him a few,” Rich replied easily. “Good night, Gracie.”
The table cleared out and left only the three of them. Wolf started clearing the table, putting the glass bottles in the blue recycling bin, setting them carefully inside, not tossing them.
“You can ask,” Grace commented, leaning back and watching Wolf. Bruce got the feeling she had momentarily decided to forget he was here. Her attention was on Wolf, and there was a quiet focus to how she was watching her cousin. If Bruce could have left without disturbing the two of them, he would have.
Wolf stopped moving bottles, turned, and just stared at her. “There’s blood on your flight boots.”
“Nosebleed, not mine,” Grace replied easily. “We had a deck hand get hurt when an oxygen tank cart slid and slammed him into the tower.”
“And the flight? How close was it really?”
“Only my own errors. I nearly stalled out. The slotted flaps and aileron got chewed up. She could have sustained a lot more damage and still been airworthy.”
“You aren’t supposed to be getting yourself shot down.”
“Don’t pick a fight at 2 a.m.”
“What was I supposed to tell your dad?” he bit out.
“‘Frank, she was doing what she loved’?” Grace leaned over and caught his face in her hands. “Relax. I’m going to grow old with you. You’re family. You’re stuck with me.”
“You—” Wolf leaned forward and smacked a kiss on her nose. “Gidget, go to bed.”
“Are we okay?”
“When I get my heart out of my toes.”
She slipped the blue card Bear had given her into his pocket. “Go call Jill.”
Wolf glanced over at Bruce. “I’ll see her to the dorm,” he promised.
“What time is it there?”
“Nine a.m.”
Wolf got to his feet. “I’ll go call Jill.”
Grace placed her hands on the back of his chair as she watched him leave, then leaned forward to rest her chin on her hands. “Did I handle that right?”
Bruce had no idea. “How close was it really?”
“Minimal flight controls. Ninety degrees and rolling over, crashing altitude. I couldn’t eject even if I wanted to.”
“You willed the plane to fly.”
“Muscled and babied it back.”
He slid her one of the remaining water bottles that hadn’t been opened yet. “You handled it just fine.” Sometime tomorrow he’d try to get over the impact
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