Chapter 12
As he headsout to the shed to check on the crop duster, Ian hears gravel popping in the driveway again. Thinking Matt MacKenzie has come back to discuss something else related to his mission, he rounds the house already speaking.
"Mr. MacKenzie ---"
He stopped, feeling as though he'd slammed face first into an invisible brick wall.
Piper stepped from a dark blue, mud splashed Nissan Murano and opened the back door. Ham jumped to the ground giving Ian a suspicious look and placing himself between Ian and Piper. Though he's not growling this time he clearly has trust issues when it comes to Ian.
Piper is dressed in a pair of tight skinny jeans that hug the curves of her butt, battered tennis shoes and an oversize turquoise t-shirt that proudly proclaimsStreetpups Need Love Too!Her hair is scooped into an untidy bun and she's never looked more beautiful to him. And she's driven out here to see him. It must be good news.
"What the hell was my daddy doing out here with you?" She demands. Ham moves closer to her, leaning against her leg. Not baring his teeth but looking like he's thinking about it.
Ian does a mental double-take at her tone. Time to do some fancy tap dancing if he's going to keep her in the dark about his mission.
"I was just on my way to look at my daddy's crop duster. Walk with me and we can talk."
Piper looked at him as though he'd lost his mind. "I'm not walking out in the field with you. I just want to know why Daddy was here. It shouldn't take a minute for you to answer that and Ham and I will be on our way."
He began walking toward the shed in the distance. Once upon a time she'd've been right on his heels. Maybe she would now, too. If she wanted her answers, or at least the story he intended to tell her, she'd be along in…five…four…three…two…
"Ian! Stop walking so fast. I want an explanation."
Ahhh. She hadn't changed as much as she wanted him to think. Still had to get her way and didn't mind slogging through thigh high grass to get it. He hid a smile as her turned toward her.
"Come on, slow poke."
She glared as she caught up to him in the tall grass, trying to brush beggar lice off her jeans. He stifled a laugh.
"Stop being such an ass, Ian. Tell me why my daddy was out here."
"How do you know he was out here? Were you spying on him, I wonder?"
She glared some more and, as though picking up on his mistresses distress, Ham growled low in his throat.
"You're dog doesn't seem to like me." He observed.
"He has very discriminating taste." She retorted.
"That's not the way to get me to tell you what you want to know." He said, pushing aside the last of the tall grass in front of the shed and pulling open the double doors.
The late afternoon sunlight slanted into the structure illuminating just how bad the little plane looked. Covered in dust and cobwebs, it sat in lonely splendor. Waiting patiently for the next time high above the earth. Or at least as high as this kind of plane could fly. He quickly clamped down on thought of a plane that flew ten times as high.
Running a hand gently over the fuselage, he grimaced at the layer of dust on his fingers. He wiped them on his pants and turned in time to catch Piper with a wistful look in her eyes. Was she remembering the time he'd sneaked the plane out and taken her up to see their little world from the sky? There'd been hell to pay when his daddy found out, but it was worth the look of wonder on her face during the flight.
She put on her haughty expression so quickly he almost thought he'd imagine the previous one. Almost. Electricity crackled between them. He felt it. And she must, too. It it were dark, he felt sure it would light up the shed with it's intensity.
He motioned to a splintery, dilapidated looking bench along the wall, eyebrows up in question. She tilted her head, raised her chin and sat. Challenge accepted.
He settled next to her, their thighs not quite touching and the electricity arced between them. How could she not feel it?
He leans toward her, helpless to deny the pull.
"So. What was Daddy doing out here?"
"Huh?"
She places a hand on his chest, pushing him away. "You said if I followed you out here you'd tell me what Daddy was doing here."
