The Flying Cross Ranch Romances Volume One

Chapter 6

"I can drive my own car, son."

"So I"ve heard. I hear you can fly a plane, too. But even the best pilots still need to be cleared for duty before they get back in the cockpit or behind a wheel."

Father Matthews didn"t argue with his son. The man never argued. Just like always, he sat back and allowed his sons to experience the boons or consequences of their decisions.

When Charlie had wanted to speed on a country road, after Father Matthews said it was against the rules, the old man sat back and didn"t say a word when the State Trooper pulled them over and gave Charlie a $150 speeding ticket. Neither did he give his son a penny toward the fine.

When Charlie decided he wanted to follow in his father"s footsteps and go into the Air Force, his father sat back and smiled peacefully. He said nothing about the practical jokes that often cost Charlie clean underwear or the callout challenges that left him with a b****y nose that were hazing rituals of Basic Training.

To this day, Charlie obeyed speed limits on the road. Though he had broken the sound barrier in the air. He"d also earned the Flying Cross medal along with the respect of his fellow airmen. He took the lessons and the licks, just as his father taught him.

That was Haran Matthews"s way. And Charlie loved the man for it. Father Matthews had somehow known that his boys wouldn"t take to a hovering parent. But not one of them balked at having him as their copilot.

Charlie was in the driver"s seat now as he pulled into the hospital parking lot. When he climbed out of the truck, his father followed suit. Father Matthews walked a bit slower, his shoulders a little slumped, but he managed to get into the hospital on his own power. All the while, Charlie hovered over him.

"Charlie Matthews, you"re back."

Charlie looked up as one of the nurses broke from the reception desk and circumvented the line formed there to come over to him. She was blonde with porcelain skin that looked like it would burn if she got too close to the windows.

"It"s me; Tina Billings. I was two years behind you at Honor Valley High."

"Right. Tina. Hey, long time." Charlie flashed a quick smile at the woman who he had no clue of ever meeting before. Certainly not ten years ago when he was consumed with thoughts of and stolen moments with Savy. "We"re here for my father"s appointment."

"Look at you, all grown up."

That threw Charlie off guard. Didn"t she just say she was younger than he was? "Thanks, Tia. You, too. About my dad—"

"It"s Tina." She wrapped her fingers around his biceps and squeezed. "You filled out in all the right places, didn"t you?"

Charlie glanced over at his father. Of course, Haran Matthews said nothing. He simply stood to the side, barely hiding a grin at his son"s discomfort.

"Is this your father?" Tina raised her voice and enunciated as she turned to Father Matthews. "Hello, Mr. Matthews. How are you today?"

Turnabout was fair play. Charlie grinned widely, saying nothing as Nurse Nia treated his dad like he was an invalid. For his part, Father Matthews looked over the woman"s shoulder, like he was playing the senile role she"d cast for him.

"You"re such a good son, Charlie." The nurse fixed her sights back on the younger Matthews. "You"re going to make a good father."

"Yeah, probably because I was raised by a good man. The one standing here who just had a heart attack a couple of days ago. You think we can get him a wheelchair?"

"I don"t need a wheelchair, son. I see Dr. Nelson down the hall. I can get to his office all by myself. Why don"t you stay here and talk with your old friend."

Grin restored, Father Matthews whistled as he made his way down the hallway. Charlie would"ve cursed the man if he didn"t know for sure that God was on Father Matthews"s side. Watching his father, Charlie couldn"t help but wonder if his steps weren"t as sure as they"d always been? Did his shoulders droop a bit? Was that a hunch in his back?

The guilt that Charlie had been harboring since learning of his father"s condition while he was hundreds of miles away washed over him again. He"d been gone for such a long time this time. But it couldn"t be helped. There had been orders. If his father had taught him anything, it was that a soldier should excel at his orders.

So Charlie had. And with each mission accomplished, he"d been given another. And then another.

Now his flying days were over. This was his new mission. His final mission. To get his family"s house in order. That would start with his father, and it would end with the woman he loved.

"So, what do you think?"

Charlie blinked. He looked down to see that Nurse Telia had a hand on his chest and another snaking around his neck. He"d missed the entire thread of the one-sided conversation she"d been having with him. Likely because he"d forgotten she was even there. Because there was only one woman Charlie Matthews had ever been interested in for his whole life.

And there she was.

Like he"d called her to him, Savy James came in through the sliding glass doors of the hospital. Like every single time Charlie had seen the woman, beginning all the way back when she"d been an eight-year-old girl with ashy knees, dirt under her fingernails, and a mean purse to her lips, she took his breath away.

Her tan skin that reminded him of spun gold. Her raven curls that no comb could ever tame. Those long legs that outpaced him when they were young had mesmerized him as he grew up. Even with her long legs, she wasn"t a tall woman. Savy came up to Charlie"s chest, right where his heart beat. It kicked into high gear at the sight of the first person to ever make it race.

He"d planned to go to Bright Horizon"s in the morning. Probably later tonight, after he"d made sure his father was snug in bed. Now he wouldn"t have to wait. She was here. In front of him. Within his reach.

Charlie took a step toward her. He didn"t get far. Something was holding him back. Something was holding onto him.

Charlie couldn"t tear his gaze away from Savy to find out what. Those charcoal-gray eyes landed on him. Even from across the room, he felt the electricity zap between them. Above, the fluorescent light flickered. Outside, the sun broke through clouds.

Savy held him still with her gaze. Or maybe the world held still around him. Charlie didn"t know. He didn"t care.

What he did care about was the frown on Savy"s face. Why was her gaze narrowing? Why were her lips pursing?

Charlie knew every look and quirk of this woman"s face. She was upset with him. But he hadn"t done anything. He hadn"t even said a word. It was far too soon in their reunion for her to be angry with him.

There was usually the breathless moment when they came back into each other"s presence. Followed by a moment of awkwardness. Then there was kissing.

Oh, he wanted to skip straight to the kissing. It was his favorite thing to do in the world. Flying was a distant second to the weightless joy he found against Savy"s lips.

Charlie wanted to take flight. But something was holding him down. Finally, he looked over and remembered the excess baggage hanging off his bicep.