Cruz’s mechanical skills or her flying abilities, but Gibb felt insecure without a backup plan.
“I’ll get my tools,” she said and crawled back inside the plane.
Gibb pulled his cell phone from his pocket and walked a short distance away. To the left of the plane lay a thicket of jungle trees, much like those found in the rain forest of Costa Rica. The island might not be big, probably no more than five miles long and three miles across, but it was high. Rocky outcroppings in the middle of the island jutted a good thousand feet into the air. He tried the phone.
No service.
Well, what did you expect way out here in the middle of nowhere? Certainly not cell phone reception. Grunting, he pocketed the device.
Sophia emerged from the plane with a red canvas tool bag. She had her pink cowboy hat fixed firmly on her head. “You’re not going to get cell phone reception.”
“So I figured. Show me how to use the radio. I want to call for help.”
“We’re probably out of range from an air tower,” she said. “And besides, by the time we could get someone out here, I could have the plane repaired.”
“In time to take off tonight?” He eyed the sun dipping toward the horizon.
“Probably not,” she said. “I’m not taking off in the dark. Not from here.”
“What if it’s not an easy fix?”
“Let us cross that bridge when we come to it.”
“Humor me. Let me try the radio.”
“If you insist, but even if you did manage to raise someone on the radio, they’re not going to helicopter Navy SEALs in here to rescue you. They’ll send a boat, but not until daylight. We’ll be here for the night, so chill.”
“I don’t do that very well,” Gibb growled.
“Then make yourself useful.”
“How’s that?”
Her critical gaze skated over him, as she took in his suit. Fine. It wasn’t beachwear, but he hadn’t known he was going to end up on the beach.
“You could help me, hand me tools as I need them, or...”
He didn’t much like the sound of that. Too passive. “Or what?”
“Go gather some driftwood and make a fire.”
He stared at her. “A fire?”
“You do know how to make a fire, don’t you?” She made rubbing motions as if she were using kindling. “Just rub two sticks together and glow.”
Gibb grinned. “Nice riff on Lauren Bacall’s character in Key Largo. ”
“To Have and Have Not.”
“To have what?”
“The movie. The line isn’t from Key Largo. It’s from To Have and Have Not. ”
“No kidding?”
“I wouldn’t lie to you.”
“Maybe. I don’t really know you.”
She drew herself up to her full five foot two. “I am not a liar, Mr. Martin.”
He was putting her off again. “I’ll take your word for it. From now on I’ll assume you’re telling the truth. How do you know so much about old movies?”
“My mother was a movie buff. Sometimes when I’m feeling sentimental, I watch the classics.”
“I wouldn’t have suspected you had a sentimental bone in your body, Amelia.”
“Why? Because I’m a pilot?”
“Because you’re so grounded.”
She laughed. “You missed the part about me being a pilot?”
“I’m not talking about your profession, but rather your personality.”
“Thanks. I think.” She turned and walked away.
He hadn’t made a campfire in so long. When, and if, he ever found himself in need of a fire, he paid someone to make it for him. “What do we need a fire for?”
She stopped and looked at him over the shoulder as if he were the dumbest creature to ever roam the earth. “Light. Heat. Keep the mosquitoes away. To cook dinner.”
“Dinner? Where are we going to get food? Beyond those junk food snacks in the plane.”
She gave him a Mona Lisa smile. “If you’re going to start the fire, I suggest you collect driftwood before it gets too dark to see where you’re walking.”
“I can gather all the driftwood in the world, but how am I supposed to light it without a match or lighter?”
“If you ask
“I’ll get my tools,” she said and crawled back inside the plane.
Gibb pulled his cell phone from his pocket and walked a short distance away. To the left of the plane lay a thicket of jungle trees, much like those found in the rain forest of Costa Rica. The island might not be big, probably no more than five miles long and three miles across, but it was high. Rocky outcroppings in the middle of the island jutted a good thousand feet into the air. He tried the phone.
No service.
Well, what did you expect way out here in the middle of nowhere? Certainly not cell phone reception. Grunting, he pocketed the device.
Sophia emerged from the plane with a red canvas tool bag. She had her pink cowboy hat fixed firmly on her head. “You’re not going to get cell phone reception.”
“So I figured. Show me how to use the radio. I want to call for help.”
“We’re probably out of range from an air tower,” she said. “And besides, by the time we could get someone out here, I could have the plane repaired.”
“In time to take off tonight?” He eyed the sun dipping toward the horizon.
“Probably not,” she said. “I’m not taking off in the dark. Not from here.”
“What if it’s not an easy fix?”
“Let us cross that bridge when we come to it.”
“Humor me. Let me try the radio.”
“If you insist, but even if you did manage to raise someone on the radio, they’re not going to helicopter Navy SEALs in here to rescue you. They’ll send a boat, but not until daylight. We’ll be here for the night, so chill.”
“I don’t do that very well,” Gibb growled.
“Then make yourself useful.”
“How’s that?”
Her critical gaze skated over him, as she took in his suit. Fine. It wasn’t beachwear, but he hadn’t known he was going to end up on the beach.
“You could help me, hand me tools as I need them, or...”
He didn’t much like the sound of that. Too passive. “Or what?”
“Go gather some driftwood and make a fire.”
He stared at her. “A fire?”
“You do know how to make a fire, don’t you?” She made rubbing motions as if she were using kindling. “Just rub two sticks together and glow.”
Gibb grinned. “Nice riff on Lauren Bacall’s character in Key Largo. ”
“To Have and Have Not.”
“To have what?”
“The movie. The line isn’t from Key Largo. It’s from To Have and Have Not. ”
“No kidding?”
“I wouldn’t lie to you.”
“Maybe. I don’t really know you.”
She drew herself up to her full five foot two. “I am not a liar, Mr. Martin.”
He was putting her off again. “I’ll take your word for it. From now on I’ll assume you’re telling the truth. How do you know so much about old movies?”
“My mother was a movie buff. Sometimes when I’m feeling sentimental, I watch the classics.”
“I wouldn’t have suspected you had a sentimental bone in your body, Amelia.”
“Why? Because I’m a pilot?”
“Because you’re so grounded.”
She laughed. “You missed the part about me being a pilot?”
“I’m not talking about your profession, but rather your personality.”
“Thanks. I think.” She turned and walked away.
He hadn’t made a campfire in so long. When, and if, he ever found himself in need of a fire, he paid someone to make it for him. “What do we need a fire for?”
She stopped and looked at him over the shoulder as if he were the dumbest creature to ever roam the earth. “Light. Heat. Keep the mosquitoes away. To cook dinner.”
“Dinner? Where are we going to get food? Beyond those junk food snacks in the plane.”
She gave him a Mona Lisa smile. “If you’re going to start the fire, I suggest you collect driftwood before it gets too dark to see where you’re walking.”
“I can gather all the driftwood in the world, but how am I supposed to light it without a match or lighter?”
“If you ask
Similar Books
