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quickly turned around and scanned his instruments. Being the youngest in the group and new to the airline business, he didn’t fully understand the sometimes flirty nature of pilot and stewardess conversations. Their bluntness incorrectly led him to believe that all of the girls could be his for the asking. That is, if he ever bothered to ask. But Asa wasn’t attracted to women who were as forward as some of the stewardesses, so he’d decided early-on to keep his distance. He didn’t realize their conversations, often laced with sexual overtones, were simply a way to have fun and ease the tension of being far from home.
    Asa turned up the volume on the number one radio and listened to the other airplanes communicating with Gander Control in his earphones. His heart belonged to a college girl back home and he had no intention of putting that in jeopardy.
    When she first entered the cockpit, Sue had planned to sit on Asa’s lap and give him the business. But knowing how shy he was, and after watching how he’d turned abruptly, retreating into his own world, she decided to leave the young man alone. “Do you boys want anything from the galley?” she asked.
    “Thanks, but I think I’m going to wait until breakfast,” replied Ed, as he stood to observe the stars once again.
    “Last chance, Sue. I’m about to take my nap,” suggested G.R. “and those bunks can get mighty chilly.”
    “G.R., I’d say you could use a little chilly air right about now,” said Sue.
    “I love working with you, Sue. Do you know that?” he said.
    “I love working with you, too, G.R. It’s a shame that you’re not thirty years younger.”
    “Then I’d be younger than yo…,” said G.R. before stopping himself. “Then I’d be out of your league,” he added, pleased with his quick thinking.
    “OK, boys, call me if you need me,” said Sue as she glided elegantly from the cockpit.
    The moment things returned to normal, Lars looked at the senior engineer and said, “Sonny was involved with a woman earlier so I left him alone. Do you think I should go back again?”
    “Lars,” said G.R. “if he’s not asking her for a date, then by all means try again. Maybe she softened him up.”
    The engineer’s words made sense. Lars thought about it for a few more seconds and decided to give it another try. As he stood to leave, G.R. added, “And be quick about it. I’m ready for my nap.”
    *
    “As you were saying,” said Liesel in a soft voice.
    “The love of my life, long before I met you, of course, was a girl named Lynn Helms. I mentioned her earlier. She’s the girl from high school who was not only gorgeous, though not as gorgeous as you, but she was also super-smart. Whenever we were together I had to be on my toes. She was on the debating team and could beat the pants off half the teachers,” said John. “Anyway…”

Eight

    “L unch is ready for those of you who can tear yourself away from this airplane,” announced Lynn Pratt, Bill’s wife of many years.
    “What are we having, Grandma?” asked Jack.
    “It’s a surprise,” she replied.
    “Grandpa,” said Lucy, “your neighbor is staring at us again.”
    Instantly, the small group turned to gaze across the cow pasture at the shadowy figure standing inside his home, looking out his bedroom window and wearing no sign of a smile.
    John Tacker never wanted Bill Pratt to move in next door. He despised everything about the man. Who the little crumb-snatchers were that had suddenly taken up residence didn’t much matter. But it did matter that the trio was spending nearly every waking hour of the day working on an old airplane. John knew that nothing good would come of it. Fighting his apprehension, he knew that the time had come to put his foot down.
    Lynn smiled and waved when she saw John standing in the window. A moment later, she watched as her reluctant neighbor ducked back into the shadows.
    “He gives me the creeps,” said Lucy.
    “He’s harmless, dear.