Hold On to Me (Return to Haven 3)

air all about her face.

Which conjured up yet another mental image to add to his ever-growing fantasy list where Jade was concerned.

Cash made quick work of hooking up the winch and easing the plane from the hangar. This wouldn’t be a long trip, but long enough that they’d have to talk, and likely the incident from two nights ago would settle between them until they brought it to light.

Because two nights ago Cash had seen firsthand what happened when Jade became upset and disgraced. It was in that moment that Cash had wanted to slay every single one of her dragons.

Instead, Cash had allowed some asshat to punch him just so Cash had a valid excuse to flatten the guy to the ground. Cash wasn’t typically a fighter, at least not now that he was a grown man. But when he witnessed this jerk making a spectacle of Jade, Cash had lost it—and he wasn’t the least bit sorry either.

It had been an interesting night, and one he didn’t necessarily want Jade to discover. There was no reason to add more salt to her already exposed wound.

Once the plane was in position, Cash took the winch back into the hangar and put it away. Now he was ready to settle in for a four-hour ride. He’d drop her off, refuel, and head back. They could get through this like adults. He vowed to be on his best behavior and not irritate her . . . at least not too much.

Cash had rescheduled his clients for the day and his assistant manager was more than capable of running the gym without him.

As much as Cash loved being a gym owner and personal trainer, he didn’t miss an opportunity to get back into the sky. Flying had been his outlet and stress reliever during his stressful times—like his wife leaving him and his father turning to the bottle to cope with reality.

The extra income didn’t hurt, but he’d fly for free because there was something so peaceful about being up in the clouds. Problems didn’t exist, there was nobody to interrupt you, time passed without a worry, and he was actually looking forward to the long trip.

Cash climbed into the cockpit and settled in. He fastened his belt and grabbed a set of headphones from the center and handed them to Jade. She put her sunglasses on, shoved her hair back, and settled the earpieces in place before adjusting her mic well below her chin—a clear sign she wasn’t in a talking mood.

“So who’s getting married?” he asked, simply because he couldn’t help himself.

There went that vow to not agitate her, and they hadn’t even made it to the runway yet.

Cash concentrated on checking the windows, the belts, his flight log. When she didn’t answer, Cash glanced sideways. He wasn’t disappointed to see those vibrant eyes glaring back at him.

“Are you trying to make small talk?”

He smiled. “I wasn’t trying. I was succeeding.”

“Yeah, well, I’ll have to do enough small talk and smiles this weekend,” she explained as she focused her gaze straight ahead. “I don’t have the mind-set right now.”

Going through the familiar routine, Cash checked the wings and gauges. Even though he knew every single motion by heart, he still double-checked with the list that stayed in the pocket of the door. Most aviation accidents stemmed from lack of awareness or rushing or even omitting preflight checks. Flying may be a fun, relaxing sport, but there was still the need to be safe and smart.

“I take it you’re not chummy with the bride?” he asked as he eased the plane forward.

Jade let out an unladylike snort. “If you knew my cousin Ruthie, you wouldn’t ask that question. I just can’t believe she found someone who’d want to declare ’til death do they part.”

Cash couldn’t help but smile. He reached across and tipped up her mic closer to her mouth, which earned him a swat of her hand.

“Since we’re going to be chatting,” he explained.

Cash lined the plane up at the end of the runway and did one last check of gauges and wings. He announced his departure into the headset and started down the runway. As he picked up speed, he caught from the corner of his eye Jade’s clenched fists and white knuckles.

A gentleman wouldn’t call her on it, but . . .

“I didn’t know you were afraid of flying.”

“I’m not afraid of anything.”

Cash wasn’t going to point out that her teeth were clenched and there had to be nail marks on her palms.

He lifted the plane and started their ascent. Through the headset came her swift intake of breath. If anyone else sat in that seat so close to him, Cash would’ve reached across and offered a comfort squeeze. But Jade was tough and she was proud. She didn’t want to appear weak—just another reason why the other night shouldn’t be brought up.

Jade had always been that way. In school she’d been the tough girl. Rich, but tough. Some mistook her for being snotty or too uppity, but Cash never saw her that way.

Oh, sure, she dressed nice and probably used all the proper forks in the right order, but that was her upbringing. Her parents were wealthy and had high expectations. Which was probably why Jade felt she had to attend this wedding. The woman was loyal; nobody could ever deny that.