Redwood Bend

clips.
“Ready,” she said.
“Let’s do it,” he said, holding the door.
Katie hopped on behind him and they took off down the mountain toward the freeway north to Arcata. Every time they passed a road that led to the beach or up into the mountains, she wondered if that was where he was taking her. Yet it all made sense when he finally pulled into a small, isolated, private airport. Her eyes grew large.
“We’re here,” he said while she just sat there. “Come on, Katie.”
“Is your plane here?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I rented a little Cherokee. Two seater. I’m going to take you up. Ever been in a small plane?”
She shook her head. “Never,” she said in a whisper.
“You said you’d love to learn to fly. I thought you should start with a ride.”
“Oh. Dylan.” She sighed. Tears sparked in her eyes. “You were listening,” she said softly. Oh, God, her heart was going to be broken. “I can’t believe it.”
He was frowning. “Can’t believe what?”
“Tell the truth, Dylan. Are you just trying to get laid? Or did you really do this for me?”
He ran a finger along her jaw. “I thought it was pretty clear, I’m into you. But I did this because I want to show off and I thought it would be fun for you. Wanna go up?”
“I so wanna go up. Can I take my purse?”
He laughed at her. “Yeah, of course. And your jacket. Come on, I have a little paperwork to finish.”
While Dylan shot the breeze with the guy behind the counter and signed off on some paperwork, she sat taking it all in. “She’s all ready for you,” the man said. “Little bumpy out there over the ocean, Dylan.”
He grinned. “That’s the fun part.” Then he turned, and said, “Come on, Katie.”
The Cherokee was lemon-yellow and just adorable. He put her inside while he looked over the airplane on the outside, giving it a preflight inspection. Then he jumped in, checked some of the instruments, cranked it up and taxied out. She let go an excited squeal as they lifted off the ground and he laughed.
Katie certainly wasn’t the first girl he’d taken up for a ride in a small plane, but this ride felt like the first time. Her eyes shone and her grin was infectious. When he turned up the coastline, she was all but hanging out the window, looking at the shoreline, the fishing boats, the rocky coast. He took her inland over the trees and told her to look for marijuana patches or deer.
“How would I know a marijuana patch?”
“Bright, bright green, greener than any green you’ve ever seen. Deer? Self-explanatory. Wanna have some fun?”
“What kind of fun?” she asked suspiciously.
“Want to see the map float?”
Oh, that grin! “Yes!” she said. It was just like the bike—she really liked the sharp turns, the speed.
He took it to a higher altitude, then dropped the plane into a rapid descent and the map floated for a moment, making her giggle. So he made a sharp turn and pulled back on the yoke, loading some G’s on them and she laughed as if he was holding her down and tickling her.
An epiphany was coming into focus. Everyone he dated, briefly dated, was so easy to please. They thought he was the catch of the century—he picked the best restaurants, was the best date ever, sharpest dresser (even covered with motor oil from some airplane engine), and they’d sure been willing to give it up right away. He just realized it hadn’t felt real. They always knew him as the owner of a small aircraft operation or an actor. Celebrity.
Katie was tougher and yet, completely authentic. She had fun on the bike; the flying thrilled her. But she didn’t give in to him. She had rules and held to them.
“Can I try?” she asked.
“Gently,” he said. “Pull back, the plane goes up. Push forward, down. Let’s not turn.”
“Oh, thank you,” she said, and she gave it a try. At first she was careful, gently moving the yoke. But then she got a little more aggressive, laughing as she pulled back, pushed forward.
“Okay, okay, you don’t want to put us into a stall.”
“A stall?”
“As in no engine.”
She let go at once. “You fly. I’ll ride.”
“Good idea,” he said with a laugh. “Let’s look at some boats, look for some dolphins.” And he turned out to sea. They saw birds flying under the airplane, a bunch of dolphins jumping, a few fishing boats and a big yacht. And then the plane started to bounce.
“What’s that?”
“Just a little choppy out here, that’s all,” he said.
She was