Fly Like You've Never Been Grounded (Summer Lake, #4) (11 page)

“Sorry. We're crazy with check-ins and check-outs today. Is Smoke flying?”

“I wouldn't know.”

He gave her a puzzled look, but turned away when they heard someone shout, “Ben!”

Michael was striding across the parking lot towards them. “Who's up for lunch?”

Ben raised an eyebrow at Laura.

“You can join me, if you want,” she said.

Michael grinned at Ben. “Aww, are you too busy, mate?”

Ben nodded, giving Laura a questioning look. “Want me to get you a table?”

“Yes, please.” She gave him a reassuring smile. He was so sweet, looking out for her. And
he
didn't know that Smoke had already moved on to his next victim.

Once they were seated, Laura took a good look at Michael while he ordered. He was a good-looking guy, and that accent was sexy. He wasn't Smoke though, but she had to stop thinking like that.

Once the server had gone, he grinned at her. “Missy gave me a right good talking to this morning, for flirting with you.”

Laura laughed. “I'm sorry.”

“No worries, darl', I'm used to it, she's always giving me grief for something. Always has. I'm the one that's sorry. I didn't know I was treading on some guy's toes, did I?”

She shook her head. “You weren't, though.”

Michael looked puzzled. “She said you were seeing that pilot guy.”

She shook her head again. “We went out a couple of times, that's all.”

Michael smiled. “That's not all though, is it? It's not over yet, darl'. It's written all over your face.”

She looked at him. Was it that obvious? “Okay, if you're so good at reading faces, what does this look mean?” She rolled her eyes then tried to glower at him, despite her lips twitching up into a smile.

“It means....” Michael rubbed his chin, pretending to think hard about it. “I know. It means you think it's over, but you don't want it to be. It also means that you can't decide if you should tell me to wrack off cos it's none of my business, or if you should pour your heart out to me cos you need to talk about it to someone.”

Laura threw her head back and laughed. “I wish I could deny any or all of that, but you really are good at reading faces!”

He smiled, a very genuine smile now.  “I read people, darl'. Not faces.” A shadow crossed his own face. For a moment he looked sad, lost. Then the smile was back. “So out with it. Let's hear your troubles, see if we can fix 'em. What's he done?”

“He's not done anything. At least, he's not done anything wrong.”

The server returned with their food. Michael squeezed lemon over his fish before asking, “So, what's he done that's not wrong?”

“He started seeing someone else.”

Michael looked up at her. “You sure about that?”

Laura nodded and toyed with her salad. “Yeah. I saw him in town with a woman yesterday. Then last night he told Miss he wasn't staying cos he had a date.”

“Ah. Do you know who she is?”

“Nope.”

“Maybe I do. It's a small town. What's she look like?”

“Small. Short brown hair.”

Michael's gaze flicked up at her, then returned to his food. “And when you saw them in town, what made you think she was a date and not just a friend?”

Laura thought about it. “Honestly?”

He grinned. “Not much point in anything else. I'm not asking for my benefit, I'm trying to help
you
figure it out.”

She sighed. “Well, I suppose. If I'm honest. It was just the shock factor and a little jealousy. I was coming back here wondering if I'd see him.”

“The two of you didn't have anything lined up?”

“No. The last time I saw him didn't end well, and the last time I spoke to him he told me to call him.”

“And you didn't?”

“No.”

“Because?”

Oh, what the hell? She'd told him this much and he really did seem to want to help. Like he'd said—she needed to talk to someone. “Because, with Smoke, it's like it's all a game, a competition. Neither of us wants to admit that the other might have the upper hand. Neither of us wants to lose.”

Michael smiled. “So you rather lose him than lose
to
him?”

She pursed her lips, but said nothing.

“You might want to think about that one, darl'. Cos I've got a feeling. This game the two of you are playing? It's a long way from over.”

***

S
moke parked the truck in the square and got out. He waited for Rochelle to pull up alongside.

“I can't wait to talk to Jason,” she said as she got out of the car. “He's going to be so pleased!”

Smoke smiled. “Yeah, I think this could really work.”

“It will! Come on, let me buy you lunch to celebrate, then I need to get back for the kids. My mom can't keep them this afternoon.”

“Do you want to leave it and get back to them? I'm not that hungry.”

Rochelle laughed. “Neither am I! I'm too excited to eat, but I said I'd buy you lunch. Even if we just get a drink or something, we should celebrate. I really want to thank you.”

Smoke nodded, he knew how much the gesture meant to her. Even though he'd rather go home and catch up on some of the sleep he'd lost last night, he didn't want to refuse her. “Okay.”

Ben greeted them at the hostess station. He was looking shifty again; Smoke still couldn't figure the guy out.

“Hey! We're pretty busy today. There are a few high tops free inside though. Follow me.” He started towards the bar, but Rochelle didn't follow.

“Look,” she said. “There's a table free, right by the water, Ben. Can we have that? It's such a pretty day, I really don't want to sit inside.”

Ben came back looking even shiftier now. What
was
his problem? Smoke looked outside to where Rochelle was pointing. Oh.
That
was the problem! The empty table was next to a couple—Laura and that Australian guy.
Damn!
Ben looked at him, giving him the choice of what to do. Smoke shrugged. He wasn't going to run a second time. Ben gave him an apologetic look then led them out onto the deck. Smoke's throat was dry, his heart was racing. He had to get a grip. She was just a woman he'd slept with. No big deal. He'd been in this situation before—many a time.

Laura had her back to them, he couldn't see her face. They were almost at the table before the guy noticed them. He surprised the hell out of Smoke by grinning and then winking at him!
Jesus!
Okay, so you got the girl! Ever hear of being gracious in victory, jerk? Smoke gritted his teeth and nodded curtly. The guy gave the tiniest shake of his head and shot a look at Laura then back at Smoke. What the hell was he trying to say? Laura turned, a smile lit up her face when she saw him, then faded away when she looked at Rochelle.

“Michael!” squealed Rochelle. “How are you? And how's Ethan? The kids are dying to have him over.” 

He stood up and greeted her with a hug. Did
everyone
know each other in this town?

“I'm just great, darl'. And you? And how about that
husband
of yours? Is he flying?” As Michael said that he gave Laura a meaningful look. What was he trying to do? Reassure her that Rochelle wasn't competition? Dumbass! As if Laura would feel threatened by any woman!

Rochelle was rattling on about Jason. She turned and smiled at Smoke now. “And thanks to this guy, we'll have him home a whole lot more soon.” She stopped herself. “I'm sorry, I didn't think. Do you two even know each other?”

“We've met a couple of times,” said Michael, holding out his hand.

Smoke shook it politely, even though thoughts of it touching Laura had him wanting to crush it—and the guy it belonged to. What was this guy's deal? He was grinning at Smoke like they were old buds with some shared secret.

He turned to Laura. “Laura, this is Rochelle. Her family runs the airport.” Smoke watched the two women shake hands. Laura looked put out for some reason.

“And,” continued Michael with that same odd smirk on his face, “I believe you two already know each other.”

Smoke finally allowed himself to meet Laura's gaze. She looked all kinds of mixed up, embarrassed maybe? The little pink stains were just visible on her cheeks.

“Hi.”

Smoke nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

Michael put his arm back around Rochelle. “Are the kids free this afternoon? I'm taking Ethan out on the boat. Any chance your two might want to come? I know Ethan would love that better than being stuck with just his old dad.”

“They'd love to! And I would!”

“Let's go do it then!”

“But I can't go now.” Rochelle looked at Smoke. “We....”

“No worries, darl',” Michael was grinning at Smoke again. “These two will be just fine. Won't miss us one bit, will you guys?” He didn't wait for an answer; he was already walking Rochelle away.  He called back over his shoulder. “This one's on me. Enjoy!”

Smoke stared after him, then looked back at Laura. She seemed to have composed herself a little. He still had no clue what had just happened, but his feet were rooted to the ground. He couldn't bring himself to turn and walk away like the little voice of reason in his head was yelling he should.

“Are you going to join me?” she asked.

He stared at her. What for? She'd just spent the night with Michael. But Michael had just up and left, apparently trying to give Smoke an in. Why would he do that? It didn't make any sense. What made even less sense was that he himself was nodding and sitting down in the chair that Michael had just vacated. He waited for her to speak. This wasn't a conversation he wanted to start.

“So,” she smiled at him then bit her lip.

Jesus!
How could she still affect his body like this? He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He wanted to bite her lips, kiss them, feel her naked body under him again.
Dammit, Smoke, get a grip!
Last night she'd been doing all of that with Michael.

“So?” He kept his face set. Not wanting to give her the satisfaction of seeing all the need and jealousy he felt. If this was her game, she'd well and truly outplayed him.

Her smile faltered. “I thought you might be pleased to see me?”

No. This was not a game he wanted to play. “I don't enjoy leftovers.”

She looked at the plates on the table, confused. “We can order you something?”

He shook his head angrily. “I'm not talking about the food, Laura.”

The pink stains on her cheek were back, her eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I saw the two of you at Dan's place last night. I heard you both come back to the cabin, and you're still with him at lunchtime. It doesn't take much guesswork to fill in what you've been doing in between!”

She did a good job of trying to look offended. If he didn't know full well he was right, he'd be taken in by her act of indignation. She was good.

“Seriously?! You think I slept with Michael? You think I'm the kind of woman who would kick him out of bed in the morning and be coming on to you by lunchtime? And you think I'm such a lousy lay that he would willingly walk away to give you another shot?”

Smoke's absolute certainty started to crack. No. Now she put it like that, he didn't think that was the kind of woman she was. And no man in his right mind would step aside for another guy after sleeping with her. “But I heard you both come back to the cabin last night.”

“Both? I came back alone! In a cab. What makes you think Michael was with me?”

She must be lying. “You weren't alone! I heard
two
cab doors close.” There, let her deny that.

She said nothing, apparently wondering what she could say next. Then her eyes widened in some realization. “You asshole! You heard one door slam twice. I got out and closed the door then realized I didn't have my purse. I opened the door, grabbed the purse, and closed the door again.”

That was plausible. And if she had spent the night with Michael, would he have left like he did just now? Got out of the way? Oh, shit. His absolute certainty was crumbling all around him now. Still. “Even if that's the case. You didn't call me back last week. Didn't let me know you were coming or come see me when you got here. Why the sudden change that you want to play nice with me now?” Ah, that had hit a nerve. She looked away, fiddled with her glass. “Go on. You explained how I was wrong about Michael. Explain how I'm wrong about this. Yesterday you didn't want anything to do with me. What's changed?”

Her blue eyes flashed with anger now. “Alright, you win! Yesterday, on my way back into town, I saw you with Rochelle. I thought you were
with
her. Last night I was just talking to Michael. He's a nice guy, and a big flirt. I thought flirting might cheer me up, especially if you were about to turn up with someone else. Then Miss said you left cos you had a date. I was hardly going to come calling on you both when I got back—and certainly not this morning!”

Smoke was struggling to take all this in. “You thought I was
with
Rochelle?”

She nodded.

Wow! “And you were jealous?”

She bit her lip then nodded again, reluctantly.

Smoke pressed his own lips together, to stop the smile that was trying to break through. “And last night, at the party, flirting with Michael. You were hoping to make me jealous?”

“No! I was just...he was...I didn't....”

She stopped talking as Smoke reached across the table and took her hand. The pink stains deepened and her eyes flew up to meet his when he said, “Cos if you were...it worked.”

***

L
aura stared at him. His gaze was intense—he meant it! He'd been jealous of her and Michael—just like she'd been jealous of him and Rochelle. And it was all just a big misunderstanding. She couldn't help the smile that she knew was plastered across her face. It was okay though, she was pretty sure it matched the one on Smoke's. He squeezed her hand and she squeezed right back.

“So, what now?” she asked.

“I think we have some unfinished business to take care of.”

A ball of fire exploded in her belly and sent waves of heat through her whole body, eventually settling between her legs. He was still holding her hand, his thumb stroking back and forth across her palm.