Will was late. He'd left at sunrise on a routine trip to deliver a few cases of the Brambles' stock over the mountains to a distant country that had been clamoring for the stuff. Even without a war going on and other planes trying to shoot him out of the sky, flying a WWI bi-plane was still a dangerous business. Anything number of things could and sometimes did go wrong, and yet, Will hadn't stopped flying. Flying was in his blood. It was what made him who he was, and he never felt so free as when he was soaring high in the sky, the hills and plains and forests of Rhy'Din far below. It was peaceful up there, but it was lonely, too, and as much as he loved flying, there was a piece of his heart that he always left behind whenever he took to the skies. That was the piece that belonged to his wife, Jessamin. And so, as the sun started to set on Rhy'Din and night was closing in and Will still hadn't returned, it became worrisome.
It certainly worried Jessamin. Will had left before she'd woken up that morning, which was a bit of a blessing in itself - she still hadn't told him that she wasn't ill, but it was getting more difficult to explain away the need to vomit first thing in the morning. Today, however, it seemed as though that phenomenon the other ladies had called "popping" had happened far earlier than she had been expecting - there was no way she could hide the curve of her belly, and a quick consultation with Marissa had revealed that the woman's fertility treatment appeared to have worked almost too well. So much for saving the surprise for their anniversary. But as the sun began to set, the anticipation of sharing that surprise was replaced with concern. He was usually home by now. At a loss, and not ready yet to spread her panic around, Jess sat out on the porch, Boots in her lap, and watched the darkening sky, praying for her husband to come home safely.
Maybe it was the prayer that did it or maybe it was just sheer determination, but as the last light in the sky was fading, there appeared a shadow on the horizon that couldn't be mistaken for anything but an airplane. She was dipping a little low and listing to one side, but she was flying, returning her pilot home to the woman he loved, if it was the last thing she did.
Inside the cockpit, Will was giving his first love a pep talk. "Come on, darlin'. Just a little bit farther."
Keeping watch as she was, there was no way Jessamin could miss the stuttering approach of the plane she knew so well. Well enough, in fact, to recognize that she shouldn't be listing at all, and certainly not flying so low. Her heart in her throat, Jess rose abruptly, dropping Boots onto her seat, and ran from the porch, up to the main house. "Mr. Lassiter! Mr. Lassiter, Mr. St.Clair! Something is wrong with Will's plane!"
She was close enough now that the stuttering of the engine could be heard, like a heart that was about to give out but was still too stubborn to quit. Evan emerged from the main house, boots on but no hat on his head, brows furrowed in alarm at Jessamin's summons. Even at the main house, they'd noticed the pilot hadn't returned yet and shared her worry. They'd have heard the whir of the engine and the children would have rushed outside to watch her land, but the skies had been far too silent for far too long.
Evan turned his gaze to the sky, hearing the plane before seeing it on the horizon. He didn't know much about planes or modern contraptions, but he knew enough to know she didn't look right. "She's coming in too low," he murmured in agreement with Jess. "Mare! Best get some lanterns and make it quick!" he shouted, turning to shout orders at the hands and anyone else who was nearby to help. If that boy crashed, it would be on them for sending him on that wild goose chase to begin with.
Behind him, Bill St.Clair was already moving to stamp into his boots, both men not needing to look to know that Marin and Jodie were running for the store to fetch out the lanterns usually held for lighting the orchards in the gathering season. Jess hugged her arms about her waist, watching in panicked concern as Bill and his son took an armful of lanterns each, running headlong for the nearest wide space to mark it out as a safe zone to land.
There was suddenly a flurry of activity, everyone rushing about to prepare for what they hoped wouldn't be a crash landing. Lanterns were lit and laid out in as straight a line as possible in a field that was far enough from the house to hopefully avoid a collision. They didn't have much time, as evidenced by the stuttering whir of the engine that was growing louder by the minute.
Inside the cockpit, Will was fighting to keep her level and praying the engine held out long enough to get him down safely. If he had to, he'd glide her in on a wing and a prayer. The hard part was seeing as the bi-plane wasn't made for night flying, but thankfully, it was a clear night, and as he drew closer to Rhy'Din, he noticed lights on the ground leading the way. They were tiny and dim, barely visible, but unmistakable, and he couldn't help smiling. They must have seen or heard him coming and laid out a makeshift landing strip to point him in the right direction.
Beside the main house, Jess watched in muted horror as the bi-plane struggled toward them, held in place by Jodie's arm tight about her shoulders. She was in no condition to go running into the field with the others, after all. "Please, sweetheart," she whispered softly, her eyes on the dipping plane. "Please land in one piece."
Once the lights were in place, there wasn't much that could be done, but watch and hope and pray. The plane dipped lower in the sky, listing to one side before straightening out, the pilot obviously fighting to keep her level. It was only a matter of luck that the weather wasn't working against him. The little group watched as the plane dipped lower and lower, the engine making a sickly sound like she was going to die at any given moment. Lower and lower she flew, until it became apparent she wasn't straightening out and the engine was sputtering. She dipped lower in the air, her wheels touching the ground, but that wasn't the problem. Without brakes, the problem was hoping she had enough room to stop before crashing into anything that might be in her way. Normally, Will would land her farther out, well away from the house and the barn and the orchard, but without being able to see and with an engine that was dying, that wasn't as easy as it sounded. The plane listed left as her wheels touched the ground, one wing scraping the ground until it was torn clear off, the plane skidding across the field until she landed on her nose.
"Will!" Jess' anguished cry was audible even above the screech of metal shearing, but the members of the Brambles household were already moving. Men and women hurried over to the plane almost before it had stopped moving, wrenching debris away from the cockpit to extract the young man still inside.
It was nothing short of a miracle that the young man climbed out of the wreck, not only alive but all in once piece, but for some minor cuts and bruises. The same couldn't be said for his plane, which was quite possibly beyond repair, but somehow she'd gotten him home. Clearly shaken, Will heard his wife's voice amidst all the confusion and called back to let her know he had survived. "Jess, I'm okay!"
From the house came the sound of Jessamin bursting into relieved tears at the sound of his voice.
Marin laid a hand on her hip as Bill and Daniel worked to disconnect the engine from the fuel source, just in case. "You certainly know how to make an entrance, William."
It certainly worried Jessamin. Will had left before she'd woken up that morning, which was a bit of a blessing in itself - she still hadn't told him that she wasn't ill, but it was getting more difficult to explain away the need to vomit first thing in the morning. Today, however, it seemed as though that phenomenon the other ladies had called "popping" had happened far earlier than she had been expecting - there was no way she could hide the curve of her belly, and a quick consultation with Marissa had revealed that the woman's fertility treatment appeared to have worked almost too well. So much for saving the surprise for their anniversary. But as the sun began to set, the anticipation of sharing that surprise was replaced with concern. He was usually home by now. At a loss, and not ready yet to spread her panic around, Jess sat out on the porch, Boots in her lap, and watched the darkening sky, praying for her husband to come home safely.
Maybe it was the prayer that did it or maybe it was just sheer determination, but as the last light in the sky was fading, there appeared a shadow on the horizon that couldn't be mistaken for anything but an airplane. She was dipping a little low and listing to one side, but she was flying, returning her pilot home to the woman he loved, if it was the last thing she did.
Inside the cockpit, Will was giving his first love a pep talk. "Come on, darlin'. Just a little bit farther."
Keeping watch as she was, there was no way Jessamin could miss the stuttering approach of the plane she knew so well. Well enough, in fact, to recognize that she shouldn't be listing at all, and certainly not flying so low. Her heart in her throat, Jess rose abruptly, dropping Boots onto her seat, and ran from the porch, up to the main house. "Mr. Lassiter! Mr. Lassiter, Mr. St.Clair! Something is wrong with Will's plane!"
She was close enough now that the stuttering of the engine could be heard, like a heart that was about to give out but was still too stubborn to quit. Evan emerged from the main house, boots on but no hat on his head, brows furrowed in alarm at Jessamin's summons. Even at the main house, they'd noticed the pilot hadn't returned yet and shared her worry. They'd have heard the whir of the engine and the children would have rushed outside to watch her land, but the skies had been far too silent for far too long.
Evan turned his gaze to the sky, hearing the plane before seeing it on the horizon. He didn't know much about planes or modern contraptions, but he knew enough to know she didn't look right. "She's coming in too low," he murmured in agreement with Jess. "Mare! Best get some lanterns and make it quick!" he shouted, turning to shout orders at the hands and anyone else who was nearby to help. If that boy crashed, it would be on them for sending him on that wild goose chase to begin with.
Behind him, Bill St.Clair was already moving to stamp into his boots, both men not needing to look to know that Marin and Jodie were running for the store to fetch out the lanterns usually held for lighting the orchards in the gathering season. Jess hugged her arms about her waist, watching in panicked concern as Bill and his son took an armful of lanterns each, running headlong for the nearest wide space to mark it out as a safe zone to land.
There was suddenly a flurry of activity, everyone rushing about to prepare for what they hoped wouldn't be a crash landing. Lanterns were lit and laid out in as straight a line as possible in a field that was far enough from the house to hopefully avoid a collision. They didn't have much time, as evidenced by the stuttering whir of the engine that was growing louder by the minute.
Inside the cockpit, Will was fighting to keep her level and praying the engine held out long enough to get him down safely. If he had to, he'd glide her in on a wing and a prayer. The hard part was seeing as the bi-plane wasn't made for night flying, but thankfully, it was a clear night, and as he drew closer to Rhy'Din, he noticed lights on the ground leading the way. They were tiny and dim, barely visible, but unmistakable, and he couldn't help smiling. They must have seen or heard him coming and laid out a makeshift landing strip to point him in the right direction.
Beside the main house, Jess watched in muted horror as the bi-plane struggled toward them, held in place by Jodie's arm tight about her shoulders. She was in no condition to go running into the field with the others, after all. "Please, sweetheart," she whispered softly, her eyes on the dipping plane. "Please land in one piece."
Once the lights were in place, there wasn't much that could be done, but watch and hope and pray. The plane dipped lower in the sky, listing to one side before straightening out, the pilot obviously fighting to keep her level. It was only a matter of luck that the weather wasn't working against him. The little group watched as the plane dipped lower and lower, the engine making a sickly sound like she was going to die at any given moment. Lower and lower she flew, until it became apparent she wasn't straightening out and the engine was sputtering. She dipped lower in the air, her wheels touching the ground, but that wasn't the problem. Without brakes, the problem was hoping she had enough room to stop before crashing into anything that might be in her way. Normally, Will would land her farther out, well away from the house and the barn and the orchard, but without being able to see and with an engine that was dying, that wasn't as easy as it sounded. The plane listed left as her wheels touched the ground, one wing scraping the ground until it was torn clear off, the plane skidding across the field until she landed on her nose.
"Will!" Jess' anguished cry was audible even above the screech of metal shearing, but the members of the Brambles household were already moving. Men and women hurried over to the plane almost before it had stopped moving, wrenching debris away from the cockpit to extract the young man still inside.
It was nothing short of a miracle that the young man climbed out of the wreck, not only alive but all in once piece, but for some minor cuts and bruises. The same couldn't be said for his plane, which was quite possibly beyond repair, but somehow she'd gotten him home. Clearly shaken, Will heard his wife's voice amidst all the confusion and called back to let her know he had survived. "Jess, I'm okay!"
From the house came the sound of Jessamin bursting into relieved tears at the sound of his voice.
Marin laid a hand on her hip as Bill and Daniel worked to disconnect the engine from the fuel source, just in case. "You certainly know how to make an entrance, William."