Chapter 8
That Sunday would be Margie’s second attempt to get Claire and Mike to spend time together. Margie had found out that Mike borrowed his friend’s seaplane for the weekend, so she suggested that he take them on a scenic tour.
“Sure, we can do that,” he said.
“How many people does the plane fit?”
“Four. Or three very large men.”
“Perfect,” she said. She didn’t bother telling him who was coming, since it would be just her and Claire. Hank had to work, and he wasn’t fond of her matchmaking anyway.
Between the farmers market, whale watching, and a day trip to Lopez Island, she and Claire had so much fun that Margie had a hard time fitting in her wedding duties.
That was next week’s problem, though. Today all she cared about was getting Mike to notice Claire.
When they met him at the dock, Margie was disappointed to see that he hadn’t dressed up at all. He was wearing shorts and a T-shirt that had a tear at the shoulder.
“Did a bear attack you on your way here?” she asked him as she poked a finger into the hole.
He laughed, pushing her hand away. “Whoops. I was working on my car earlier. Sorry. I promise it won’t impact the quality of the flight.”
Claire smiled. “I’m so excited! I’ve never been in a seaplane before.”
“You’re in for a treat. Ladies, what would you like to see?”
They got buckled in and Margie gritted her teeth. She hated everything about being in the plane. She actually felt more comfortable when the plane was in the air than on the water, though. It just didn’t seem right for a plane to float around like that.
The worst was her fear that, at any moment, the plane would plummet from thousands of feet in the sky and drop into the ocean. She insisted on wearing a life vest for the entirety of the trip for that reason.
When they got up into the air, Mike circled around San Juan Island and pointed out various landmarks – the Lime Kiln Lighthouse, Roche Harbor, and the Cattle Point Lighthouse.
Claire asked questions throughout and it seemed like she wasn’t afraid at all. That was good. Hopefully Mike noticed, especially considering her family’s history with planes. Claire was not only beautiful and strong, but also adventurous!
At one point, Mike thought he saw a pod of orcas, but realized he was mistaken. He told them that some of his friends worked as whale spotters, tracking the pods as they moved around the islands.
He then flew over Lopez Island, Shaw Island, and around Orcas Island. Mike had stories about every island, and he seemed to know people everywhere. He was unusually talkative and in a great mood. Maybe he was finally taking a liking to Claire!
Whatever the reason, Margie was glad for it. She wasn’t much for conversation during the flight, despite the fact that normally she could hold a conversation with a watermelon.
Today, however, all of her focus was needed to keep from panicking. She gripped the armrests of her seat so tightly that she started to lose feeling in her hands.
After over an hour in the air, he finally returned them to dry land.
Margie was relieved, and happily regained her ability to speak. “How about some dinner, Mike? Claire loves seafood, don’t you, Claire?”
“I do, but we don’t have to get seafood.”
Mike shook his head. “Sorry, can’t. I’ve got some business to attend to. Have a nice day, ladies.”
“Thank you so much for the flight. It was breathtaking!” Claire said.
“Any time!” he called out over his shoulder.
Margie let out a huff and crossed her arms.
Claire turned to her. “I know what you’re doing, Margie. It’s flattering that you want to set me up with your brother, but I just don’t think it’s going to work.”
“Of course it’s going to work! If he’d just open his dumb eyes and – ”
