“Best mechanic and pilot I’ve ever met.”
Mary seemed to understand what that meant and smiled. “A pleasure to meet you, Nathan.”
“And such a beautiful voice. Do you sing, lass?”
“Like a duck, I’m afraid.”
Glen walked over to the Piper, patted the wing. “Is she ready?”
Nathan shook his head in offense. “You asked, lad . . . here she is. See for yourself.”
Mary caught on. “We’re going to . . .”
Glen gave the single propeller a good tug. “Yep.”
Mary sucked in an audible breath.
“This is the plane I learned to fly in. She’s the plane we all learned in.”
“You mean Jason and Trent?”
Glen nodded as he walked around the wing. “That’s what I meant. As soon as we were old enough to reach the pedals, our father took us up.”
“It’s that old?”
He laughed. “Airplanes aren’t the same as cars. The maintenance and care are meticulous enough to keep them in the air.”
“It’s small.”
“Is that worry I hear in your voice?”
Mary shook her head. “Just an observation.”
She didn’t lie well.
Then again, a woman who didn’t lie . . . even a little white lie, shouldn’t be that convincing.
“C’mon.”
He showed her where to step before rounding the plane and taking his seat. Inside the cramped cockpit, they brushed shoulders.
“This is crazy.”
“You said you wanted to learn.”
Mary grabbed her head with both hands. “But we’re in . . . this.”
Glen looked around. Saw the very basics of controls and navigation. Something to be flown on clear days with little concern for nasty weather, but that could also land safely with a skilled pilot in any condition.
“Where is Miss Adventure?”
“She’s right here . . . just—”
“Good.” He didn’t give her any time for second-guessing. “Put those headphones on and the mouthpiece close to your lips.”
Mary did as she was told and Glen went through the steps of firing up the Piper.
He waved out the window as he put the plane in motion.
The enclosed cockpit was meant for two. There were controls on each side that Mary kept her hands far away from. Unlike any other aircraft she’d been in, even the small space of a helicopter, this felt more intimidating.
“Can you hear me?” Glen’s voice came through the earpiece with a tinny squeal.
“I hear you.”
“It can get loud in here once we get going.”
“One propeller means one engine?” Mary’s question sounded ludicrous, even to her ears.
“I have you, Mary.”
She looked over the wing at the runway as they rolled over it. “Good, cuz I’d like to eventually enjoy my cougar years.”
Glen busted out laughing. “You have time for that.”
He flipped a few switches and the sound in the cockpit increased. The plane followed a white line on the pavement almost as if a massive string were pulling it, increasing in speed as it went.
“See that thing in front of you?”
“The steering wheel?” It wasn’t a wheel, more like a double-handled control for a video game.
“Yeah. Place your hands on it.”
“Okay.”
“Now pull back, slowly.”
She pulled as slow as she could but still moved her hands.
“A little more.”
The plane was speeding down the tarmac now.
“More.”
Mary pulled with a little more effort and the ground beneath them disappeared. She gripped the controls a little tighter. “Oh my God! Did I just do that?”
“Yes you did, Counselor. Now let me have the controls for a minute.”
Glen was smiling from ear to ear. He banked the plane to the left as it ascended into the blue sky.
Mary looked at the ground below as it slowly pulled away. “Feels like a slow-moving car.”
“I remember thinking the same thing the first time I came up.”
“So different from when you’re in the passenger cabin of a jet.”
Glen adjusted a few controls and leveled the plane out. “You ready for your first lesson?”
Mary grinned like a silly schoolgirl. “Seriously?”
“It won’t really count toward a pilot license, but you will see if it’s something you might want to explore.”
“Kinda like driving a car before you get your permit.”
“Exactly. Only up here, it’s hard to get pulled over.”
Mary placed both hands on the steering wheel, joystick . . . whatever the thing was called, and said, “I’m ready.”
Glen let go of his side and Mary took control. The plane dipped and she pulled back on the wheel. “This is crazy. I don’t know if I should keep my eyes on the sky or a dial.”
“Both.” Glen pointed at a dial. “This one tells you if you’re ascending or descending. Try and keep it steady for now.”
Mary found herself watching the dial like a speedometer on a car. She overcorrected the controls a couple of times before forcing her shoulders to relax.
Surprisingly, she wasn’t nervous.
Glen sat beside her explaining more of the controls in simple terms. She knew there was more to flying, really flying the plane, than what she was doing, but this felt easy.