Chapter 2

Chapter Two

KYLEN

"Okay, sweetpea, I have to go, but I'm going to see you soon."

"But…"

"I have to get on the plane," Kylen told his daughter.

Her small sigh made him smile. "But…are you flying today?"

He wasn't flying today. It felt almost like some sort of cosmic punishment. It was supposed to be his first weekend back on the job, but here he was, giving up his shifts because the universe was not on his side. His shift had been cut short by a phone call from the ER saying his gran had been brought in. It had been a whirlwind of calls and messages trying to figure out what the fuck was going on, and ultimately, Kylen had been forced to abandon his post because, once again, no one in his family was willing to help him out.

Kylen had been a commercial pilot for ten years, but the last two, he'd been working less and less because life was currently kicking him in the ass.

He was one of three siblings in a huge family, all of whom refused to do their part in taking care of his aging grandmother. And two years ago, he'd gotten a call because his gran had been found in a golf pro shop demanding to buy a container of potato salad. And when they'd gotten her to understand they didn't sell potato salad there, she'd picked out a polo shirt and tried to pay with her laundry card.

Kylen had been home that day, so he'd driven down to get her, and it was in the moment where she didn't recognize him right away that he'd known. Something was wrong. The Big Bad Thing that happened to people in his family at her age had struck.

Several doctor's appointments, scans, and tests later, and it was confirmed. Alzheimer's. His parents were in Seattle for a few months, and it was no surprise at all when they both refused to cut their trip short to take care of her. He told them he was considering a memory care facility, something that the doctors suggested, but his mom and sister both acted like he was condemning her to the Cuckoo's Nest hospital with Nurse Ratchet at her side.

His mom insisted Kylen buy a bigger place instead and hire a round-the-clock in-home nurse to take care of her. It was a lovely thought, but his gran was living off her social security payments, and Kylen made decent money, but not private live-in nurse kind of money.

He made ends meet, but he was also a single dad. His salary once upon a time would have left him sitting pretty, but the economy was in the fucking toilet, and raising a kid was getting more and more expensive. Last month, the tax assessment raised his mortgage payments by almost a hundred bucks, and his last trip to the supermarket, he felt like offering them a fucking limb along with the three-fifty he'd forked out for two weeks.

It was only going to get worse the older Flora got. For now, she was five and ate like a bird. But puberty and growth spurts were on the horizon. She'd already outgrown her last set of shoes, and her pants were riding high up on her ankles.

Now, with having to take off more and more work because his gran was spiraling, he was starting to panic. He couldn't afford to lose his job, but he couldn't afford to do what his mom insisted, and the guilt was eating at him. The last time he'd spoken to his mother, she'd made sure to imply what a disappointment he was—amongst other things.

His stomach twisted with sadness and fatigue. He was in a tunnel right now, and there was no light ahead. "Can you put Mommy on the phone, sweetpea?"

"Fine. Bye. Love you," she said, her tone sharp before silence fell.

For a moment, he thought Flora had hung up, but a second later, Daniela's laughing voice came through the speaker. "Why is she mad now?"

"She always takes it personally when I'm not flying the plane." Kylen leaned back in his seat and glanced around at the other passengers waiting to board. It was always weird not being part of the crew.

"Did you hear from Gran's team?" Dani's voice was kinder than anyone else's had been that day. The ER nurse assigned to his grandmother had been short and snappy with him when she explained her condition—a broken hip and a possible concussion—and she was entirely dismissive of how worried Kylen had been because people his grandmother's age died from falls like that.

And when he'd gotten a hold of his gran's home-health nurse, the woman had been so defensive he couldn't get a word in. All he really knew was that she'd fallen and busted her hip, she had a concussion, and she'd been on the floor for at least twenty minutes before the nurse had shown up—which, by his calculations, meant she was late.

He'd deal with that later. Once he dealt with coming home and making sure his gran survived the surgery.

"No new updates," he told her. "But thanks for being there."

Dani had no obligations toward him. Not really. She'd been his failed bisexual experiment. He was drunk and horny, she was there and willing. The sex had been fine, but he felt pretty confident the next morning any attraction he had to women was aesthetic only.

It was supposed to be a one and done.

She'd even taken Plan B, but the universe had decided for them that they were meant to be in each other's lives forever. Dani mostly worked overseas at her London office, and after a long, difficult few weeks, Kylen asked her to keep the baby. He wanted a family, even one that wasn't entirely traditional. Their agreement was that Dani would be involved as much as she wanted, and Kylen would be the primary parent.

She agreed, and now he was.

Full-time.

All on his own.

He had no regrets, but it was lonely. And it was exhausting. And life would be a little easier if everything else wasn't falling apart. The only thing that helped was that Dani loved Flora, and somehow, she'd become one of the most important people in Kylen's life.

"Babes?"

He blinked back to the present. "Sorry. I…I think I'm in a funk. "

She sighed quietly. "I know. But listen, I'm going to have takeaway ready for you as soon as you get in. You can have a long bath. I brought you some Lush restock so you can soak your little toesies in lavender."

"Maybe we should get married," he told her.

She laughed. "Oh, darling, I'm pretty sure both my boyfriends would take issue. And I'd prefer a husband who wanted to fuck me. Not one who's technically capable of it."

"Fair," he told her, rubbing his face. "Sorry to be in a shitty mood."

"Don't apologize. Just get it all out before you get home. Flora's been anxious to see you."

He always did his best to leave his baggage at the door. Flora hadn't asked to be born into a social disaster. "I will."

Dani cleared her throat, and he knew that sound. He braced himself. "Erm. Also. Your sister's come into town. Sent by your parents, I think. She was up my ass again about you proposing to me."

"Fuck's sake," he muttered. They'd been doing this since Flora was born. His parents even sent Kylen his other grandmother's engagement ring. They'd all accepted when he said he was gay at fifteen, but it was obvious now they never believed him.

If he had a boyfriend, it would be a lot easier to deal with, but that wasn't happening. Gay men his age were picky enough, and having a child made him a social pariah. He hadn't had a date in almost five years, and his prospects weren't looking any better now.

An announcement over the intercom startled him, and he realized they were calling for boarding. "I've gotta go. See you in about five hours?"

"We'll be here, darling. Fly safe."

He hung up and tucked his phone into his pocket, then slipped past the flight attendants to use his pilot privilege to board first. Normally, he wouldn't have minded waiting, but today, he needed the perk.

He was in business class and settled into his window seat, stretching his legs out in front of him. He closed his eyes and listened as the passengers slowly began making their way on. He wished he could speed up time. He just wanted to be home. He wanted to see his daughter and his best friend and make sure that his gran was going to make it through all this.

He was already losing her to the disease burrowing holes into her mind. He wasn't ready for that to be cut short because she'd fallen and her care team had failed to show up on time.

Grief settled in his chest like an old friend, and he tried to breathe through it. He had a mantra once—whatever happens happens. It just wasn't enough this time.

"Shit."

Kylen heard the whisper before something fell on his shoulder, then tumbled into his lap. It was a phone. He picked it up, then turned his gaze up and lost his breath. One of the most gorgeous men he'd ever seen in his life was hovering over him.

The man had wide, nervous eyes and a smile with a dimple in each cheek. He was wearing a button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and ink decorated his skin from wrist to elbow.

He continued to stare until Kylen realized he was still holding the man's phone. "Uh. Sorry. This is yours."

The guy's smile widened, his dimples deepening. Fuck, he was so hot. He cleared his throat. "Yeah, thanks. I want to promise I won't disaster all over you for this flight, but I probably will. Also, this is my first time in first class, so…"

"Business," Kylen corrected absently, then flushed. He wasn't trying to be rude. He just did that sometimes. "We don't get all the perks of first class on this flight."

"Still better than I've ever had. The woman at the counter could tell I was freaking out," he babbled as he sat and quickly put on his seat belt with shaking hands. The poor bastard. "She whispered there was an upgrade, then she gave it to me. Wasn't that so nice?"

"It was," Kylen said with a smile. Fuck, this guy was charming. Like some sort of small-town country boy with a slight hint of an accent to match. "It's not my first time, so if you have any questions, let me know."

"Is it obvious I'm out of place? Like…being the poor one?"

Kylen blinked, then burst into laughter. "Honey, breathe. No one cares what's in your bank account. They care that we don't hit too much turbulence between here and home. I'm Kylen, by the way." He offered his hand.

The man took it. His palm was very warm and very soft. He gripped Kylen gently, like he was afraid to squeeze too hard. "I'm Dallas."

"Were you born there?"

"Hmm?" He looked confused, then rolled his eyes and shook his head. " Oh , no. I grew up in Tennessee."

"Like Dolly Parton," Kylen said.

Dallas's grin widened as he took his hand back and laid his palm flat on his sizable thigh. "Yeah. We all love her, of course. But, uh…no. My parents were really into naming their kids after cities. My brother got saddled with Bronx. Luckily, they stopped at two, or God knows what else my momma would have come up with."

His momma. Jesus. Kylen's stomach squirmed in ways he hadn't felt in a long, long time. There was likely no chance in hell this guy was queer, but that wouldn't stop him from looking. And maybe flirting as far as he could get away with.

Kylen felt the familiar sensations of the plane doors closing, and it felt odd to be in the seat instead of in the cockpit. If he'd been flying today, in this moment, he'd be sipping his pre-flight ginger ale and telling his co-pilot his latest dad joke from the daily email he got.

"Hey, Dallas?"

His seat buddy looked up, cheeks pink from nerves. "Yeah?"

"What did the ocean say to the shore?"

Dallas frowned at him. "Uh…what?"

"What did the ocean say to the shore," he repeated patiently.

Dallas licked his lips. "I don't…know?"

"Nothing. It just waves."

Dallas blinked, then his lips twitched, and then he coughed. "Was that…"

"My daily dad joke. Normally, I tell them to my coworker, but I got called home early." Kylen shifted a little in his seat, wishing he could put it back. He peered out the window, then looked over at Dallas. "Hey, did you want to swap?"

Dallas looked panicked. "Oh. God , no. No, I…thank you, but I'm fine."

"Some nervous flyers find it easier if they can see what's out there," Kylen pressed.

Dallas pursed his lips and shook his head, then took a breath. "I want to be the last person to know if the wing is on fire."

Kylen couldn't help his laughter. "Oh, honey. The wing is not going to catch fire, okay? And if it did, you wouldn't be the first person to notice. We're well in front of it."

Dallas tried for a smile, but it was obvious he was too deep in his anxiety to manage it. "Right. Yeah. No, that's…" There was a loud whoosh, and the lights flickered. He jumped and gripped the arm of the chair.

"Just the ventilation system switching over from outside air to inside air," Kylen said softly. He never had to do this, and he might have been annoyed if his seat companion was less adorable. "Do you want to talk and keep distracted, or do you want me to tell you what all the sounds are for."

Dallas swallowed heavily, then cleared his throat. "Um. How do you know what's going on with the plane?"

"Because I've flown this plane," Kylen said, and when Dallas lifted a brow at him, he laughed again. "I'm being serious. I work for this airline. I was meant to be flying today, but it got cancelled."

"Wh-why? Why cancelled? What happened?"

Kylen bowed his head and took a breath. "My gran fell. She broke her hip and got a concussion. She's old, so she's…it's…not great for her. She's going into surgery, and I'm trying to get back there in case anything happens."

Dallas immediately looked horrified. "Oh my God. I'm so sorry. Here I am dumping all this shit on you when?—"

"No," Kylen interrupted. He reached over and squeezed Dallas's shoulder briefly. Instead of tensing, Dallas relaxed and leaned into him a bit, so Kylen didn't pull back. "I don't want you to be nervous, but it is taking my mind off things. I'm happy to help."

Letting out a shaking breath, Dallas nodded. "I don't want to talk about plane stuff, but will you promise to tell me if something actually is wrong? I—" There was a loud thump, and Dallas looked like he wanted to cry. "I want to be prepared if something's actually wrong."

"I promise, but this plane is in excellent shape, okay?" Kylen abandoned all pretense and took his hand. Dallas squeezed his fingers—again, far too gently for a man his size. "Squeeze harder. I'm not going to break."

Dallas looked down, then flushed. "It's a habit. Uh…I teach little kids, and I have a newborn at home, so I'm trying to, you know, be careful all the time."

Kylen's heart sunk even as he glanced at the man's hand for a sign of a wedding ring. It almost looked like he had an indent, but he might have imagined it. Either way…yeah. There was no road to a quick fuck with this man.

"I get it," Kylen said after a beat. "How old is your baby?"

Dallas reached into his pocket with his free hand and turned on his screen. There was a photo of a very small, wrinkly-faced baby. "This was taken months ago. She's actually not a newborn anymore. She's going to be a year soon."

Kylen's heart melted at the look on Dallas's face. He remembered it well. "I miss that age."

Dallas looked at him, his expression unreadable. "You have kids? You and your…wife…?"

"Not wife," Kylen said with a smile. "Not anyone, actually. One-night stand kind of went wrong. But also right, I guess, because I wouldn't change it for the world. My daughter's five. She's getting ready for kindergarten."

Dallas's smile widened. "That's what I teach. Such a weird age."

Bursting into laughter, Kylen squeezed his hand. "It really is. One minute, she's sleeping on my shoulder, sucking her thumb like she did when she was a baby, the next, she's back-talking me like she thinks she's sixteen."

Dallas covered his face with his hand. "I am so not ready for that." After a breath, he looked over. "What, um—" But then the dings began, and he paled, biting his lower lip so hard Kylen was afraid he was going to break the skin.

"Relax. They're starting takeoff prep. Keep holding my hand," Kylen said softly. "Pay close attention. This isn't your first flight, is it?"

"I flew here to visit my brother," Dallas said, his voice trembling. "But I got to take a Xanax because he was driving."

"Well, I've got you." Kylen squeezed his fingers harder. "This is a short flight, a good plane, and a great crew. And I also know where they keep the good cookies, so if you can breathe through it until we're in the air, I'll have a nice treat for you."

Dallas laughed, even as his body continued to tense. "You could be a teacher."

Kylen smiled at him and shook his head. "Nah, hon. I'll leave that to the experts like you."

Dallas relaxed by the time they'd reached altitude, and Kylen distracted him by showing him his app that was tracking the flight, the air traffic, pockets of turbulence, and any storms on the horizon. He liked the way it made Dallas's eyes light up.

The man had a mind like a scientist.

"Why didn't you go into some kind of STEM?" Kylen asked, putting his phone away.

Dallas took a sip of his Sprite. "I can't do math. I mean, I can, but it tends to get all jumbled in my head like radio static. And when I push through, I'd get these terrible migraines. Teaching little kids came easy to me."

Kylen hummed softly. "I wish I'd followed what was easy to me instead of listening to my parents."

"Helicopter mom?"

"She's not the easiest person to know. And my sister took after her, so she's always in my fucking business." Kylen squeezed his fingers around his ginger ale. "They set their expectations for me really early on, and I felt like if I didn't meet them, I'd lose everything. It was…hard. I came out when I was fifteen, and I thought I was going to get disowned. My mom literally had a wedding book put together that she planned to give to my future fiancée."

Dallas's brows shot up. "That's…wild."

"Yeah," Kylen said from behind a laugh. "That's one word for it. Anyway, my parents took it…okay. I mean, they weren't happy, but they weren't cruel about it. But after my daughter was born, they kind of took that as permission to try and set me up with women. Like my one drunk fumbling negated the fact that I knew who I was and who I wanted to be with."

Dallas's cheeks were pink. "Sounds rough."

Kylen's shoulders hunched. "Sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable."

"What?" Dallas choked a little. "God, no. I'm so fucking bad at this. And at the risk of sounding like one of those guys, almost all my best friends are queer. And so is my brother. I just feel bad, and I've always sucked at showing sympathy. It's like, I feel it here"—he touched his pec—"but somewhere between there and my mouth, it just gets all knotted up."

Kylen relaxed. The way Dallas had been casually affectionate with him, he would have been surprised if the man was a raging homophobe, but it was harder to tell these days. Men in their generation were embracing their softer side, but they hadn't entirely let go of their prejudices. Some of the shit he'd heard come out of the mouths of the younger flight attendants would have gotten someone's ass kicked for bigotry back when he was their age.

But he could breathe a little easier now. "Sorry. I still get nervous coming out."

"I get it. But we're cool. I swear. And I'm sorry your parents suck."

Kylen waved him off. "It is what it is. If I had a boyfriend, I feel like my life would be a thousand times easier. My sister just showed up at my daughter's mom's house, and I have a feeling she's trying to ambush me with another date. Or she's trying to convince me to marry my daughter's mother, who is definitely not into the idea of having a gay husband."

Dallas pulled a face. "Yikes."

"Yeah." Kylen rubbed at his eyes. "We have this family reunion thing we do every year. It's coming up in a few weeks. We rent a bunch of cabins and glamp for a week. Last year, my sister brought along her coworker and promised the poor girl I'd be into her. I didn't even realize it until day four when she crawled into my bed in the middle of the night."

"Jesus," Dallas breathed.

Kylen rolled his eyes. "She left crying, and everyone called me an asshole."

"Maybe you should make up a guy," Dallas said. "You know, like, a Canadian boyfriend?"

Kylen laughed again. "They'd totally smoke out the lie. Trust me. They're like amateur PIs. It's the worst. "

Dallas grimaced. "Well, I hope they go easy on you. And I hope?—"

The plane began to shake. Kylen quickly grabbed Dallas's hand again and linked their fingers together.

"Just air pockets?"

Kylen smiled. "Just air pockets. Tell me more about your daughter," he said when he realized Dallas was still on the verge of panic. "Is she sitting up yet?"

"Oh God," he groaned when the plane hit another wave of turbulence. He cleared his throat. "Yeah, she is. She's practically walking. I think she's a little genius, and it scares the shit out of me."

Kylen sat back, stroking Dallas's knuckles, listening to him babble, and found himself wishing he could have this all the time. Maybe not this man. He didn't fuck with the straights. Too much heartache.

But someone like him. Someone easy, and simple, and kind.

It felt like, though, that was just too much to ask for. His dating record was bleak, and men ran the moment they found out he was a parent. So, he realized, he'd have to take moments like this when they came along. Because God only knew when he'd have something real.