I looked away.
“Pete…” Jack warned.
“I’m sorry, Nolan. If I overstepped…”
Focusing back on him, I shook my head. “Nah, you’re fine. No worries, dude.”
Pete stared at me as if he wasn’t sure what he should do or say.
I sighed and dropped my napkin on my plate. For some reason, I felt the need to tell him something about why I had changed course. “Being a test pilot wasn’t part of my original plan, no. I was involved in a plane accident that caused me to lose…”
My voice trailed off. I fought to regain control of my voice. I shook my head and forced myself to go on.
“After the accident, something in me changed. I wasn’t able to control the things that day, and that bothered me. I applied for TPS and got in. Now my job is to make sure that our pilots get a safe and reliable aircraft for their missions, and I take damn pride in it.”
“I know you do,” Pete stated. “I know.”
I could feel Jack’s gaze on me, but I ignored him.
“What are we doing next?” Pete asked. “I know there aren’t any live volcanoes around here, so I’m not worried about hiking up to one.”
This time I let a wide grin grow across my face. “We’re going zorbing.”
Pete moaned and closed his eyes as Jack laughed. The tense moment was gone as quickly as it came.
“I’m not spinning around in a damn ball,” Pete stated. “I saw the video of when you did that in New Zealand. No, thanks.”
“He needs to have his ass run over,” Jack said, laughing.
Pete’s eyes widened. “Run over? What do you mean, run over?”
Jack and I simply looked at him.
“Fuck,” he whispered. “It’s because I thought too much, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Jack and I said at the same time.
I walked up to Pete’s office and knocked on the door. When he looked up, I couldn’t help but smile. “Dude, you still look a little green. You feeling good?”
He gave me a hard stare. “I’m still having nightmares about the fucking zorbing, and we got back a few days ago.”
With a laugh, I made my way into his office and sat down. Pete told me and Jack he was never going on vacation with us again. After zorbing, we went zip lining, then whitewater rafting, and the last day we sat on the beach so Pete could recuperate from the trip. Once we got back to Edwards Air Force Base, he dropped to the ground and kissed it.
“Are all your vacations that intense?”
“Nah, not really.”
He shook his head, then leaned back in his chair. “What’s up, dude? You look like you’ve got a lot on your mind.”
I sat back in the chair, lifted my leg, and rested my ankle over my knee. “I’m heading to Texas for a few days. Long weekend. I don’t have any flight plans set until Thursday.”
Pete glanced at his calendar. “The F-22 pitch test.”
With a nod, I replied, “Yeah.”
“What are you going to do in Texas? Try and milk a bull?”
My brows drew in, and I tilted my head slightly as I leaned in a bit closer. “Milk a bull?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know, I grew up in New York City. But that sounds like it would be a dangerous thing to do. A rush for you. So, of course, you’d try it.”
I was positive my mouth dropped open some. “Dude, you have a PhD. Why would you ask a dumbass question like that?”
Another half shrug. “I know you can’t actually milk a bull, Nolan. Seriously, what are you planning on doing in Texas?”
I shifted in my seat a bit. “Checking on my family’s cattle ranch, and attending my godson’s birthday party. They named him after me.”
“Wow. That’s nice of them to name their son after you. You must be close.”
I nodded. “We are. His dad Truitt is my best friend.”
“I didn’t realize you had a family ranch in Texas. Where about?”
“Boerne, Texas. It’s west of San Antonio.”
“Nice. Well, hopefully you won’t make the small child get on a bull.”
I stroked my chin as I looked up in thought. “You know, I never thought about bull riding.”
He laughed. “You know, I still think there’s a deeper meaning behind why you get up and fly in those planes and go on the vacations that you go on. You are one intense motherfucker.”
My smile slowly faded away.
Pete let his own smile fade.
It was time to get serious. “Look, when you mentioned me having another reason why I became a test pilot…”
Pete held up his hands. “Dude, I didn’t mean to pry. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, Pete. Honestly. I didn’t want you to think I was upset about it. I’m sure Jack probably gave you a stern talking to.”
He lifted a single brow. “He might have told me not to ever mention it again.”
With a roll of my eyes, I let out a sigh. “Jack is like a brother to me. We were in the Academy together and at pilot school. He knows the reason behind it all, but you’re right in a way, Pete. When I go up, I am attempting to right a wrong from my past.”
Pete nodded, and I knew that was the end of our conversation. He didn’t need answers and wouldn’t ask a million questions.
“Jack and I are going out for a few beers,” I said. “You want to join us?”
“That’s it? Just beers? No side trips to bungee jump off a bridge or anything?”
Laughing, I held up my hands. “Just beers. Maybe pizza. We can meet at Joe’s.”
He smiled. “Then, I’m in.”
“Great, see you in what, an hour?”
“I’ll be there.”
“No chicks, it’s guys’ night,” I said as I stood and headed out of his office.
“Nolan?” he called out before I turned the corner.
“Yeah?”
He frowned for a moment and then smiled as he shook his head. “Never mind. See you later.”
As I headed out of the building to my motorcycle, I pulled out my phone and pulled up Truitt’s phone number.
Truitt Carter had been my best friend for as long as I could remember. We grew up together in Boerne, and he had been there for me during some pretty fucked-up moments of my life. He built playhouses—luxury playhouses—for a living. His wife Saryn was our other best friend Ryan’s sister. She had moved from Boerne and gotten married to a douche from high school and had a sweet little girl, Liliana, who was now five. After she and Truitt got married, they had Nolan. I would never forget the moment he called to tell me his son was born, and that he named him Nolan. It meant more to me than he could ever know.
I sat on my bike and sent Truitt a text.
Me: I’ll be able to make it this weekend. Flying in tomorrow and staying until Tuesday. That’ll give me a few days to see y’all and then check on the ranch.
It wasn’t even thirty seconds before he replied. I had already slipped on my helmet as I looked at his text.
Truitt: Dude, you have no idea how much this means to me. We can’t wait to see you.
With a smile, I closed out of his texts and saw I had one from Amy. Actually, I had five from Amy and three missed calls.