“I know. I think I even knew that then. I just didn't know how to get out of it without hurting his feelings. And I really thought I was supposed to many him. I don't know what I'm going to do,” she said, looking out at the horizon. “One of these days everyone's going to want me to grow up and get out of the sky, and then what am I going to do, Nick? I don't think I could stand it.”
“Maybe you can figure out a way to have both one day. A real life, and flying. I never have, but you're smarter than I am.” He was always honest with her. Most of them made a choice. He had made his. And so had she, for the moment.
“I don't see why you can't have both. But nobody else seems to believe that.”
“It's not much of a life for the other guy, and most people are smart enough to know that. Bobby was. So was my wife.”
“Yeah,” she nodded, “I guess so.”
They went back to her apartment after that, and talked some more. And he promised to tell her mother all about where she lived. And afterward she drove him to the airport. She got into the familiar Bellanca with him, and she almost cried. It was like going home. She sat there with him for a long time, and then finally, she got out, once he was on the runway.
He looked down at her with the smile she had known and loved all her life, and she wanted to cry and beg him to take her with him. But they had their lives to lead. He had to get back to Illinois, and she had signed a contract with Desmond Williams. Most people would have died for what he had given her, but a part of her wanted to throw it all away and go home to where life was simpler.
“Take care of yourself, kid. Don't let them take too many pictures.” He smiled at her. He still didn't trust what Williams had up his sleeve. But he felt better about Cassie now that he had seen her. She had her head on her shoulders. And she wasn't being snowed by anyone. She also didn't appear to be in love with Desmond Williams.
“Come back soon, Nick.”
“I'll try.” His eyes held hers for a long time. There was so much he wanted to say to her, but this wasn't the time, or the moment.
“Say hi to everyone… Mom… Dad… Chris… Billy…” She was lingering, wishing he would stay. But she knew he couldn't.
“Yeah.” He looked down at her, wishing he could swoop her up with him. He had wanted to do that for a long time, but he knew now he never would. It wasn't in their destinies. All he had to do was learn to accept that. “Make sure you don't run off with Desmond Williams. I'll come after you, if you do. Course your mama might shoot me for destroying your big chance.”
“Tell her not to worry,” Cassie laughed. That was one thing that she was sure would never happen. “Tell her I love her.” And then as he revved up his engines, she had to shout at him. “I love you, Nick… thanks for coming.”
He nodded, wanting to tell her he loved her too, but he didn't. He couldn't. He saluted her, signaled her to step back, and a few minutes later he was circling lazily and dipping his wings over the Pasadena Airport. She watched him as long as she could, until he disappeared, a tiny speck on the horizon.
12
Exactly two weeks after Nick's visit to LA, Germany invaded Poland, and the world was aghast at the destruction Hitler wrought there. And two days after that, on September third, Britain and France declared war on Germany. It had happened at last; there was war in Europe.
Cassie called home to the airport when she heard, but Nick was out, and her father was taking some passengers
She told him she wanted to go home anyway, and Desmond lent her one of his personal planes for the weekend. She had been planning to go home for a weekend since July, and she never had any free time. Sc this was the perfect opportunity, and no one objected.
She landed at her father's airport late Friday night. She had left L.A. at noon, and got to Good Hope at eight- thirty local time. There was no one there, but it was still light as she came in on the long east-west runway, and taxied to a slow stop. She tied down her plane, and walked to the old truck she knew her father kept there. She hadn't told anyone she was coming. She wanted to surprise them. And she did. She slipped into the house after nine o'clock that night. Her parents were already in bed, and her mother almost fainted when she walked out of her room in her nightgown the next morning.
“Oh, my God!” her mother screamed, “Pat!” He came running out of their room and grinned when he saw her.
“Hi, Ma… Hi, Dad… I thought I'd drop in and say hi.” She beamed at them.
“You're a sly one.” Her father hugged her with a broad smile, and her mother cooed and clucked, made her an enormous breakfast, and woke Chris, who was pleased to see her.
“What's it like being a movie star?” her father teased. He still wasn't completely sure he approved of it, but everyone in town seemed to think it was great stuff, and it was hard to ignore that.
“Nick said you live in a palace,” her mother said, as she looked Cassie over carefully. She looked healthy and well, and other than a good haircut and beautifully manicured red nails, she didn't look any different.
“It's a pretty nice place,” Cassie conceded with a grin. “I'm glad to hear he liked it.”
They sat around talking about her life in Los Angeles for a while, and finally she got dressed and rode with her father to the airport. She was happy to see all her old friends, and Billy gave a huge whoop of glee as soon as he saw her. She put on a pair of old overalls, and walked out to work on one of the planes with him, and half an hour later she heard Nick's old truck drive in. And she looked up and grinned. But he didn't come out to the hangar to see her until lunchtime. She figured he was busy, and she'd see him in a while, but she was happy just knowing that she was near him.
“You guys sure start work late around here,” she teased when she first saw him. “I'm at fourteen thousand by four A.M. every morning.”
“Yeah? How come,” he grinned, obviously elated to see her, “you meet your hairdresser up there?” His eyes danced, and his heart was pounding as he looked at her. His feelings for her were beginning to worry him. Maybe it was just as well she was living in California. Lately, it was getting harder and harder to control what he felt about her.
“Very funny.”
“I hear the Movietone guys will be here at three”- he grinned at Billy and two of the other men-” better get clean clothes on.”
“That'll be a nice change for you, Stick,” she shot back at him, and he leaned against the plane she'd been working on with Billy, and gave her an appraising look. She looked better than ever.
“Did you bring your chaperone with you?” he teased.
“I figured I could handle you myself.”
“Yeah,” he nodded slowly, “you probably could. Want to go have something to eat?” He invited her in an undertone, which was unusual. It was rare for him to take her anywhere. Usually, they just hung out together at the airport.
“Sure.” She followed him to his truck, and he drove her to Paoli's dairy. They had a lunchroom in the rear, and they made good sandwiches and homemade ice cream.
“Hope this'll do. It's not exactly the Brown Derby.”
“I'll manage.” She was just so happy being with him, she'd have gone anywhere and loved it.
He ordered roast beef sandwiches for them both, and a chocolate milk shake for her. All he wanted to drink was black coffee.
“It's not my birthday, you know,” she reminded him. She was still impressed that he had taken her out to lunch. She couldn't even remember the last time he'd done that. If ever.
