Chapter 38

38

DEAN

I pulled my truck to a stop outside the dorm and waited. Sarah appeared a minute later wearing her flight suit and carrying her ugly green duffel bag. She grinned when she saw me and hopped in.

"Ready?" I asked.

"So ready!" She was practically vibrating with excitement.

This was her chance to literally fly.

"Nervous?" I asked her.

"Excited. You?"

I chuckled. "I haven't decided yet. But don't you dare try and show off up there. I'd like to make it to London in one piece. And I don't want to take a swim in the Atlantic. Giant squids are real."

Sarah laughed, her face lighting up. "Don't worry, Dean. I'm not planning on getting us lost at sea. And if any squids bother you, I'll make calamari out of them."

She radiated this energy that made everything seem possible, even crossing the Atlantic in a tiny plane. It was contagious, and for a moment, I let myself believe in it too. We spent the next hour prepping the plane and going through safety procedures. Sarah's professionalism was comforting. She was meticulous, checking and rechecking every little detail, not missing a thing. She might be impulsive in a bar fight but she was strict about flying.

"Okay," she finally said, standing on her tiptoes to stow her duffel bag in the plane. "I think we're ready." She slid past me, her hand brushing mine for a moment before she settled into the pilot's seat. I felt a jolt right to my heart.

"All right," I said, stepping in after her, settling into the co-pilot's seat behind her.

"Ready?" she asked me again, her voice steady and strong.

"Ready." I nodded. "Do your thing."

The T6 was an aircraft I was familiar with. I had flown one myself countless times and taught others how to fly. But I still felt a nervous flutter in my stomach as Sarah powered up the aircraft. She pulled the starter. The engine roared to life with a shudder that ran through the entire plane. I watched her hands move over the controls with confident ease. It was clear this wasn't her first time at the controls of a T6.

She flicked a glance over her shoulder at me, a coy grin playing on her lips. "Hold on to your hat, cowboy." And with that, she pushed forward on the throttle, and we were off, the sensation of speed and power thrilling even for a seasoned pilot like myself.

The runway below us disappeared, falling away as the plane shakily ascended. Sarah's hands were steady on the controls, her eyes focused ahead. She was in her element up here, her confidence radiating through each maneuver she executed with practiced ease. The woman was born to fly.

I watched from my seat, feeling a surge of pride and fondness for this woman who defied all odds. She was strong, capable, and independent. She was easily the best young pilot I had trained. And by far the most enchanting.

We continued to climb higher, the landscape below growing faint. I kept a close eye on things, watching the way she handled the controls and how steady the plane was. Although I was the passenger, I had to stay alert just in case something went wrong.

She gave me a thumbs-up. "Settle in," she said through the headset. "It's going to be a long flight."

The roar of the engine filled the cockpit as Sarah expertly guided the T6 through the skies. I sat behind her, watching her every move. Her hands were steady on the controls, her eyes sharp and focused. It was a thrill to see her in her element, completely at ease despite the long flight ahead. Other pilots I had flown with were constantly checking and rechecking things and acted like the plane was going to nosedive at any second.

They couldn't do that on a real mission. They would never make it home.

"Alright, Sarah," I called over the headset. "Let's run through some scenarios. What do you do if your oil pressure indicator comes on?"

"Monitor the gauge closely, reduce power to lower the oil temperature, and divert to the nearest airfield if the pressure continues to drop," she replied as if she was talking about the weather.

"Good," I said, nodding approvingly. "What about a hydraulic failure?"

"Switch to the emergency hydraulic system, and if that doesn't work, prepare for a gear-up landing," she responded, her voice confident.

I grinned. She was sharp and capable, with a strong understanding of the aircraft. She had an instinctive feel for the T6 and a knack for making quick, accurate decisions. It was clear she had put in the work, and it was paying off. It was just like our first flight together when I cut the engines. She was prepared for my questions.

As we flew over the Atlantic, she adjusted the altitude and speed with ease, navigating through minor changes in temperature and winds without needing much input from me. I could see her glancing at the instruments, her mind always a step ahead, anticipating and reacting. I had no doubt she was running through scenarios in her mind and deciding how she was going to respond. It was smart. It was what I did when I was flying.

"How are you holding up back there, old man?" she teased, glancing over her shoulder with a smirk.

"Just making sure you're not falling asleep on the job," I shot back. "Wouldn't want to have to take over and show you how it's done."

She laughed, the sound filling the cockpit. "In your dreams. I've got this."

As we approached London, the familiar skyline coming into view, I felt a swell of pride. She had handled the flight beautifully. I had no doubt she was destined for great things. We touched down smoothly on the landing strip. She brought the aircraft to a stop with practiced ease.

I unbuckled my harness and climbed out of the T6 and turned to see her climbing down after me. "Sarah, you're going to have one hell of a career. I wouldn't be surprised if you break a few records along the way."

She beamed at me, that smile almost bringing me to my knees. "Don't worry, old man. I'll be polite when I smash your records to dust. We all have to fall from grace sometime."

I laughed, shaking my head. "You'll pay for that later, you know."

She winked, a mischievous glint in her eye. "I hope so."

We headed toward the hangar, our banter light and easy. It was moments like these that reminded me why I loved flying, why I loved teaching. Seeing someone like Sarah, with so much potential and drive, it reignited my own passion for the sky. I was itching to get into the cockpit of a jet and experience a few G's. I missed flying.

"So, what's the plan for our time in London?" she asked as we walked.

"I thought we could take some time to explore the city, maybe grab a nice dinner or two."

"Sounds good to me," she said. "Any recommendations for dinner?"

"There's this little Italian place I know," I said. "Best pasta you'll ever have."

"Pasta, huh?" she said, considering it. "I'm in."

We waited out front for the cab I ordered. "We are officially off duty," I said.

She looked up at me and grinned. "Oh?"

I reached for her hand. "I'm just Dean and you're just Sarah. We're not airmen. We can just be us."

She nodded, squeezing my hand in return. "I'm looking forward to it, Dean."

As the cab pulled up, I opened the door for her. She slid inside, but not moving all the way across the seat. I got in beside her, giving the driver our destination before we were whisked away into the city. Her eyes were glued out the window.

"This is wild," she said.

"You've never been here?"

I found that odd considering her father's history in the Air Force.

"I think we were here when I was younger," she said. "But I don't remember. It's like everything I've seen in the movies."

"Tomorrow we'll get out and do some of the touristy things if you'd like. The London Eye, the British Museum, Buckingham Palace."

She nodded eagerly. "Sounds amazing."

We spent the rest of the car ride talking about what to see first. I could see the excitement building within her. Her eyes shone with a wonder that mirrored my own when I first visited this city.

"Do you regret not getting to live here this year?" she asked.

I looked at her and thought about my answer. A month ago, I would have immediately said yes. But now it was different.

"No," I answered.

She smiled. "That took you a minute."

"I'm not going to lie. I miss being up in a jet doing some dangerous maneuvers," I answered honestly. "But being here with you, seeing you grow into an amazing pilot? I wouldn't trade it for anything."

For a moment, silence hung in the air between us. "Just seeing me grow into an amazing pilot, which I kind of already am."

I rolled my eyes. "So humble."

"But you're cool hanging out in Columbus just because you want to be able to say you trained me?" she pushed.

I knew what she was getting at. I just wasn't sure I was ready to get into the feelings and all of that just yet. I knew how to handle jets, not these complicated feelings. "I like spending time with you," I said. "Like you said, it's a fine balance."

"That's fine." She smiled. "We don't have to get into the dirty details. We'll just enjoy London. See where this goes. No reason to push it."

The rest of the ride to the hotel was spent in relative silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts. I couldn't shake off the feeling of contentment that washed over me. After the separation and then the divorce, I thought I would end up alone. I married the military and that was my life. But maybe the key was finding someone who understood my passion for flying.

She understood it and it gave us something in common. We could help each other and push each other to do better.

Our hotel was nestled in the heart of the city. We were welcomed into a vibrant lobby that pulsed with life. I paused before approaching the front desk.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I reserved a single room, but if you want to get two separate rooms, I'll take care of it," I said.

She grinned. "Do you really think I crossed the pond with you to sleep alone?"

I smiled. "I wasn't sure, and I didn't want to assume."

"Can we check in now? I'm starving. Our in-flight meal was a little lacking."

I laughed and took her hand. The in-flight meal had been a bag of trail mix each. I leaned in and dropped a kiss on her cheek. I planned to remedy that. We each carried our duffel bags that declared we were military. But they didn't know we weren't supposed to be sharing a room. We were completely anonymous here.

I quickly handed over my credit card to the hostess at the desk. I had splurged on a luxury room with a giant soaker tub. She would probably appreciate being able to take an actual bath after living in dorms the last four years.

As we stepped into our suite, she gasped, darting to the balcony overlooking the city's impressive skyline. I simply stood by the door, watching her as she took in the view with starry-eyed fascination. Sarah was the best sight in the whole city just then, and I hoped the moment would last forever.

"Is this real?" she mumbled, eyes wide, her hand reaching out to touch the cool glass of the balcony. "It's too beautiful."

"I thought you'd like it," I said, trying to keep my voice casual despite the fluttering in my chest.

"Uh, yeah!"