Total pages in book: 151
Estimated words: 145823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
“Basket is inside the cabin.”
“Roger.”
He disengaged the wire and closed the door, then got the boy out first.
Mercy. He was soaking wet, shaking like a leaf, and his skin was pale against the bright orange of his life vest.
I grabbed one of the blankets and reached for the boy’s hand. When he turned, I offered him a reassuring smile, tugged him closer, then shook the blanket once and wrapped it around him like a cape. “Is that better?” I asked, raising my voice so he could hear me over the beat of the rotors.
He nodded, his eyes wide and pupils dilated. He clutched the blanket close, and Garrett led him to the seat he’d previously occupied.
I handed the second blanket to the father, who took it with a grateful nod. The relief in his eyes was second only to shock as Garrett got them both situated in their seats.
“We’re good to go,” Garrett said over the coms.
“Roger,” Sawyer replied again.
The helicopter pitched forward slightly, then banked left, taking us back to the coastline as Garrett took the seat next to me.
“It’s a good thing we were close. That boat had another ten minutes, tops,” he said through our coms.
“What sank it?” I asked.
“Not my business.” He shrugged. “They’re alive. That’s my business. You did great, Morgan.”
I scoffed. “I sat here and handed out blankets.”
He grinned. “Like I said, you did great.”
The father and son held hands, the son’s head falling to his dad’s shoulder as we flew back to the coast guard station. Ten minutes. That was all that stood between that family and the ocean. Ten minutes and Jackson’s crew.
Ten minutes that Jackson’s parents hadn’t had.
How many lives had he saved? How many kids still had their parents because of Jackson? Or Garrett? Or Sawyer?
Had this been scary as hell? Yes.
But it was humbling.
“You okay there, Kitty?” Jackson asked.
“I’m great.” I really was.
“This is going to get a little complicated, so when we land, just stick with Garrett. I have to do a post-flight. Garrett, take her to the bunk room, would you?”
“You got it,” Garrett answered.
Landing was a blur, and I did as Jackson asked and waited with Garrett. First, I stayed right behind him in the hopes that no one would notice I was there as they off-loaded our evacuees. Lucky for us, we weren’t the center of attention.
An hour after we landed, I sat on the farthest twin bed from the door inside the bunk room, staring up at the clock. My borrowed flight suit, boots, and helmet lay on the bed next to me, ready to be returned to their owners. “Is it supposed to take this long?” I asked Garrett.
“Trust me, it’s fine. We’d have heard about it by now if we’d gotten caught.” He leaned against the door, occasionally looking through the small glass window to the hallway.
“A quick, easy patrol, Morgan.” My voice dropped into a Jackson impression.
Garrett laughed. “That was his plan, trust me.” A knock sounded at the door, and he looked through the glass. “About time,” he said as he opened the door.
Jackson walked in, his flight suit unzipped just enough to reveal the T-shirt underneath. “Thanks, man.”
“No problem.” Garrett gave me a two-fingered salute and walked out, closing the door behind him.
Jackson locked the door, peered through the window, and then came toward me with an apologetic smile. “So that turned out a little more adventurous than I’d hoped.” He sat down next to me, close enough that our thighs touched.
“You think?” I tilted my head.
He grimaced. “I mean, it could have been worse.”
“You could have gotten caught.”
“That, too.” He took my hand and laced our fingers. “I’m really sorry. I never meant for you to get caught up in that.”
God, those eyes. They made me want to swim in them—swim in him.
“I’m okay,” I assured him.
“You sure? Because I’d planned on taking you for a pleasure flight so you’d see just how awesome flying can be, and instead I landed you smack in the middle of a rescue operation.” He faced forward and tensed. “While I’m really proud of the rescue, I fear that I may have failed Operation Reassure Morgan.” The muscle at his jaw flexed.
My heart lurched.
Letting go of Jackson’s hand made him startle, but I flat-out shocked him when I turned and slid my knee over his thighs to straddle him. I settled into his lap like I’d always belonged there and cradled the back of his head with my hands.
“I’m okay,” I promised, looking him in the eye so he’d know I really was. “I handed out blankets and didn’t puke. You saved two people. I call that a win.”
“You amaze me.” He gripped my hips lightly. “But I’m guessing it didn’t do much to calm your fears.”
I slid my hands forward a bit so I could run my thumbs over his cheeks. “Does it terrify me that you fly? Yes. That didn’t change, and I don’t think it’s ever going to.”