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Authors: Nancy Herkness
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dancing at Robbie’s predicament.
“She meant the ladies like me,” Robbie said, keeping it simple.
“Well, I already knew that,” Kayleigh scoffed. “You’re the police captain. You keep ladies safe.”
He saw the shadow that fell over Holly’s face and knew she was remembering what had happened with her rat bastard of an ex-husband. Robbie was aware that it embarrassed her to know he had witnessed the ugliness, but the truth was he felt guilty for not realizing what was going on sooner. Someday maybe he’d meet Snedegar in a dark alley and see how the scumbag liked having the tables turned on him. Not that he planned to travel to Mexico to track the man down. He felt it was good riddance to bad rubbish. But there was always a chance the dirtball would come back.
And he planned to be ready.
Kayleigh dropped their hands and skipped ahead to chat with the farmer.
“No, I’m not telling you who Teresa’s mom is,” Holly said with a laugh in her voice.
“I could figure it out in about thirty seconds,” Robbie said. “I know every family in Sanctuary.”
“You don’t sound especially happy about that,” she said.
She saw too much. “It’s a small town,” he said, keeping his voice neutral. He glanced sideways to find her scanning his face as though she were debating something. For a long moment he found himself unable to look away as her lips parted. His pace slowed.
The thump of helicopter rotors broke through the heat building between them, and he dragged his gaze upward to focus on the chopper beating its way to the mountaintop helipad of The Aerie. It was a high end Sikorsky, one he’d love to get his hands on the controls of. He’d run through every kind of flying machine parked at the local airport, including the Bell helicopter, in his efforts to escape the confines of Sanctuary for a few hours. He was looking for a new challenge, and this baby would offer that in spades.
Would he still seek the wide open skies once he got to Atlanta? Or would the other challenges it offered be enough?
Hell if he knew.
* * *
Holly saw the longing on Robbie’s face as he narrowed his eyes to track the helicopter across the darkening sky. It was a big sleek machine with red and white lights glistening against its shiny blue paint. She followed it too, trying to imagine what it would be like to ride in an aircraft as casually as you would a car. The highest she’d ever been off the ground was the top of the double Ferris wheel at the West Virginia State Fair.
That was it!
She came to a halt, knowing Robbie would too. As the helicopter disappeared around the mountain, he brought his gaze back to her. She waited until Grady and the girls were rattling the latch of the gate before she spoke. “Will you take me flying?”
She held her breath. He didn’t answer immediately, and she felt the knot of nerves in her chest wind tighter as she hurried to fill the awkward silence. “I’ve never been up in a plane and I’d like to go—” She slammed her mouth shut.
She’d been about to say, “Before you leave.”
He was waiting for her to finish, but all she could do was wave her hand in a vague way.
“Sure thing,” he said. “I’ll take the girls too.”
“No! Only me!” She blurted before he could call out to them. “I want to see what it’s like before I take them up.”
“I’m an experienced pilot.” Robbie sounded as though he might be insulted.
She shook her head. “It’s not that. If we take them, I’ll be watching their reactions. I want to experience it on my own first.” And with him.
The slight scowl drawing his brows together vanished, as excitement made his eyes seem to ignite. “I’d be honored to show you the sky.”
Chapter 7
Holly put down the dinner plate she was rinsing as Claire walked in the door, bringing with her a waft of frigid night air. “You’re front page news, little sister,” she said, waving the local weekly newspaper at
“She meant the ladies like me,” Robbie said, keeping it simple.
“Well, I already knew that,” Kayleigh scoffed. “You’re the police captain. You keep ladies safe.”
He saw the shadow that fell over Holly’s face and knew she was remembering what had happened with her rat bastard of an ex-husband. Robbie was aware that it embarrassed her to know he had witnessed the ugliness, but the truth was he felt guilty for not realizing what was going on sooner. Someday maybe he’d meet Snedegar in a dark alley and see how the scumbag liked having the tables turned on him. Not that he planned to travel to Mexico to track the man down. He felt it was good riddance to bad rubbish. But there was always a chance the dirtball would come back.
And he planned to be ready.
Kayleigh dropped their hands and skipped ahead to chat with the farmer.
“No, I’m not telling you who Teresa’s mom is,” Holly said with a laugh in her voice.
“I could figure it out in about thirty seconds,” Robbie said. “I know every family in Sanctuary.”
“You don’t sound especially happy about that,” she said.
She saw too much. “It’s a small town,” he said, keeping his voice neutral. He glanced sideways to find her scanning his face as though she were debating something. For a long moment he found himself unable to look away as her lips parted. His pace slowed.
The thump of helicopter rotors broke through the heat building between them, and he dragged his gaze upward to focus on the chopper beating its way to the mountaintop helipad of The Aerie. It was a high end Sikorsky, one he’d love to get his hands on the controls of. He’d run through every kind of flying machine parked at the local airport, including the Bell helicopter, in his efforts to escape the confines of Sanctuary for a few hours. He was looking for a new challenge, and this baby would offer that in spades.
Would he still seek the wide open skies once he got to Atlanta? Or would the other challenges it offered be enough?
Hell if he knew.
* * *
Holly saw the longing on Robbie’s face as he narrowed his eyes to track the helicopter across the darkening sky. It was a big sleek machine with red and white lights glistening against its shiny blue paint. She followed it too, trying to imagine what it would be like to ride in an aircraft as casually as you would a car. The highest she’d ever been off the ground was the top of the double Ferris wheel at the West Virginia State Fair.
That was it!
She came to a halt, knowing Robbie would too. As the helicopter disappeared around the mountain, he brought his gaze back to her. She waited until Grady and the girls were rattling the latch of the gate before she spoke. “Will you take me flying?”
She held her breath. He didn’t answer immediately, and she felt the knot of nerves in her chest wind tighter as she hurried to fill the awkward silence. “I’ve never been up in a plane and I’d like to go—” She slammed her mouth shut.
She’d been about to say, “Before you leave.”
He was waiting for her to finish, but all she could do was wave her hand in a vague way.
“Sure thing,” he said. “I’ll take the girls too.”
“No! Only me!” She blurted before he could call out to them. “I want to see what it’s like before I take them up.”
“I’m an experienced pilot.” Robbie sounded as though he might be insulted.
She shook her head. “It’s not that. If we take them, I’ll be watching their reactions. I want to experience it on my own first.” And with him.
The slight scowl drawing his brows together vanished, as excitement made his eyes seem to ignite. “I’d be honored to show you the sky.”
Chapter 7
Holly put down the dinner plate she was rinsing as Claire walked in the door, bringing with her a waft of frigid night air. “You’re front page news, little sister,” she said, waving the local weekly newspaper at
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