more involved when he saw the fatigue clinging to the delicate skin under her eyes. He didn’t recall seeing any flight requests by AeroFlight for Desert Wings Aviation in the past few days. “So how long have you been here then?”
“A little over twenty-four hours.” Ruth’s attempt at a smile failed to make it past her lips.
“Twenty-four hours? With no sleep?” Noah passed a hand across his face. Regardless what some people thought, he still had feelings. Lack of sleep made people careless and forgetful and maybe even a little overwhelmed. Especially doctors in residency at the hospitals in July. The worst time to be admitted. As if his wife and son had had a choice.
But then again, Ruth’s patients were already dead. Or so the doctors claimed. Bile scraped the back of his throat.
The wail of an emergency vehicle careening along the empty stretch of highway to his left seemed to prove his point. His frustration mounted, but this time he kept his lips firmly shut. Desert Wings Aviation needed this contract.
“I’m used to long hours.” Ruth’s sigh drew an unwanted response from inside the wall surrounding his heart.
She was soft, sweet and vulnerable, in need of his protection. Wrong. So why the sudden need to wrap his armsaround her waist and hold her close? Claim her warmth for himself and breathe in the clean scent he associated with Ruth. There was no way he would even contemplate falling in love again and risk losing her. Noah scanned the horizon. “We’d better get going before that storm decides to circle back for round two.”
Once inside the plane, Ruth quickly buckled herself in the copilot’s seat. Crazy to do so without Noah’s permission? Yes. But she figured seeing what was in front of her might be easier than guessing.
Or maybe not. The tiny window didn’t instill her with much confidence.
Neither did Noah’s unyielding expression as he closed the door. So much for drawing some type of conversation out of him even if her tongue suddenly felt two sizes too big for her mouth. She knew it was crazy, but Noah’s tenderness with her at the entrance to the plane affected her equilibrium.
Maybe she’d be better off in the back with Houston.
“Here. Wear this one.” Noah crouched next to her, a headset in his hands. His expression softened as he gazed at her. She couldn’t see his eyes because of the sunglasses he’d put back on, but she suspected they’d turned from ice to liquid pools of deep water.
His nearness affected her ability to take in oxygen. His fingers caressed a loose curl as he moved it out of the way. Then he placed the headset over her ears, his quickening breath like a gentle whisper. He stared at her as if memorizing every detail.
“Thanks.” She tilted her head slightly and wondered briefly what it would be like to get a chance to know him outside of work. If she had the time. If she wanted to take another chance.
He wrenched his gaze from hers and moved away. He wasn’t interested in her any more than she should be interested in him. If she’d learned anything from David, it was not to get involved with anyone who didn’t share her beliefs, her values or her faith.
Ruth needed to focus on finishing her reports, not Noah.
Still, her gaze betrayed her. She watched, mesmerized as his long, lean fingers wrapped around his own headset and placed it over his ears. She remembered how he gently tousled Houston’s fur and the careful way he treated his dog. She wanted that for herself.
“You decided to learn how to fly after all?” Noah’s voice filled the sudden silence in her ears.
Ruth jumped and adjusted the volume.
“Wrong. I just thought since we were the only ones in the plane that it might be easier to sit up front.”
Because against her better judgment, she needed to draw him out. She wanted to find some of the missing pieces of the Noah Barton puzzle that fascinated her. She pulled out her BlackBerry and a piece of gum from her
“A little over twenty-four hours.” Ruth’s attempt at a smile failed to make it past her lips.
“Twenty-four hours? With no sleep?” Noah passed a hand across his face. Regardless what some people thought, he still had feelings. Lack of sleep made people careless and forgetful and maybe even a little overwhelmed. Especially doctors in residency at the hospitals in July. The worst time to be admitted. As if his wife and son had had a choice.
But then again, Ruth’s patients were already dead. Or so the doctors claimed. Bile scraped the back of his throat.
The wail of an emergency vehicle careening along the empty stretch of highway to his left seemed to prove his point. His frustration mounted, but this time he kept his lips firmly shut. Desert Wings Aviation needed this contract.
“I’m used to long hours.” Ruth’s sigh drew an unwanted response from inside the wall surrounding his heart.
She was soft, sweet and vulnerable, in need of his protection. Wrong. So why the sudden need to wrap his armsaround her waist and hold her close? Claim her warmth for himself and breathe in the clean scent he associated with Ruth. There was no way he would even contemplate falling in love again and risk losing her. Noah scanned the horizon. “We’d better get going before that storm decides to circle back for round two.”
Once inside the plane, Ruth quickly buckled herself in the copilot’s seat. Crazy to do so without Noah’s permission? Yes. But she figured seeing what was in front of her might be easier than guessing.
Or maybe not. The tiny window didn’t instill her with much confidence.
Neither did Noah’s unyielding expression as he closed the door. So much for drawing some type of conversation out of him even if her tongue suddenly felt two sizes too big for her mouth. She knew it was crazy, but Noah’s tenderness with her at the entrance to the plane affected her equilibrium.
Maybe she’d be better off in the back with Houston.
“Here. Wear this one.” Noah crouched next to her, a headset in his hands. His expression softened as he gazed at her. She couldn’t see his eyes because of the sunglasses he’d put back on, but she suspected they’d turned from ice to liquid pools of deep water.
His nearness affected her ability to take in oxygen. His fingers caressed a loose curl as he moved it out of the way. Then he placed the headset over her ears, his quickening breath like a gentle whisper. He stared at her as if memorizing every detail.
“Thanks.” She tilted her head slightly and wondered briefly what it would be like to get a chance to know him outside of work. If she had the time. If she wanted to take another chance.
He wrenched his gaze from hers and moved away. He wasn’t interested in her any more than she should be interested in him. If she’d learned anything from David, it was not to get involved with anyone who didn’t share her beliefs, her values or her faith.
Ruth needed to focus on finishing her reports, not Noah.
Still, her gaze betrayed her. She watched, mesmerized as his long, lean fingers wrapped around his own headset and placed it over his ears. She remembered how he gently tousled Houston’s fur and the careful way he treated his dog. She wanted that for herself.
“You decided to learn how to fly after all?” Noah’s voice filled the sudden silence in her ears.
Ruth jumped and adjusted the volume.
“Wrong. I just thought since we were the only ones in the plane that it might be easier to sit up front.”
Because against her better judgment, she needed to draw him out. She wanted to find some of the missing pieces of the Noah Barton puzzle that fascinated her. She pulled out her BlackBerry and a piece of gum from her
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