Love at First Flight

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Conversation ebbed and flowed in the mess hall as Evelyn eased herself into a vacant chair across the table from two WASP who'd arrived yesterday for training. Cleared by the medical officer, she regretted her decision to attend calisthenics this morning. Intent on proving to herself and everyone else she was fit for duty, she'd tried to outperform the instructor. Bad idea.

Her muscles protested with her every move, but she schooled her features not to wince. She put down her tray with a clatter and smiled at the girls. “I’m Evelyn Reid. Where do you ladies hail from?”

The lanky blonde with a swath of freckles on her face lifted her hand then pointed to the brunette beside her. “Nancy Barton, and this is my friend, Wanda Hilton. We're from Los Angeles, and we were lucky to be stationed together at Gardner. Now we’re both here to get some more planes under our belts.” Eyes wide, Nancy leaned forward. “The bandage on your forehead...are you the pilot who crashed yesterday?”

“Yes, but as you can see, I’m none the worse for wear.” Evelyn sipped her coffee, and her lips twisted. Tepid and more bitter than usual. She set the mug on the table. “There will be an investigation as usual, but it should be open and shut. The engines failed, and I couldn’t get them restarted. Frankly, I’m not impressed with the mechanics here.”

“Really? Why don’t they do something about that? You know, if we girls weren’t up to snuff, we’d be booted out in a flash.”

“It’s not fair that we’re treated differently.” Wanda frowned. “When will these guys grow up and realize we’re here to stay?”

Evelyn spooned vegetable soup into her mouth and swallowed. “Apparently, they think they can change our minds. Anyway, just be careful out there.”

“What were you doing before you joined?” Nancy took a large bite from her sandwich.

“Crop dusting. I’m from Wisconsin.”

“I did a bit of that, but then we opened a flight school for women.” Nancy nodded. “Not too many places would take them as students. Lots of rich ladies, so I hated to give up the business, but it’s important to do our bit for the war effort.”

“Good for you.” Evelyn reached for her coffee mug then pulled back. “You should be able to open up after the war, and with the number of hours you’ll acquire by then, you’ll be in demand.”

“You think so?”

“Sure. Which planes are you here to learn?”

“The BT-13, P-39, and P-40.” Wanda nibbled on a biscuit. “We’ve been ferrying bombers mostly. I’m looking forward to flying the smaller, more maneuverable planes.”

“You’ll love them. Not nearly as unwieldy as the bombers.”

Nancy wiggled her eyebrows. “What I’m going to love is the gorgeous instructors and pilots. Have you seen these guys? Every one of them could be a movie star.”

Wanda giggled and nodded. “You can say that again. I’ve already met a couple of dreamboats. Tall, dark, and handsome. Very Cary Grant.”

“We’re only allowed to look, you know. No dating allowed.” Evelyn finished her soup and pushed away the bowl. “Besides, I don’t have time for a relationship even if we were allowed to go out with these guys.”

“Oh, honey. I’d make time.” Nancy jerked her head toward a table of men near the window. “How do you choose from a collection like that?”

Evelyn pressed her lips together. These gals needed to focus on flying, not their love lives. Don’t they realize how hard it is to be taken as a serious pilot? Prancing around and simpering, trying to grab the attention of the male pilots would ruin their credibility.

“You don’t agree?” Nancy tilted her head.

“No, but I’ve been accused of being too determined and driven. You probably shouldn’t listen to me. I’m not looking for a husband, so you’re welcome to them.”

“I don’t want a husband either, but I wouldn’t mind a good time to break up the monotony.” She snickered. “All work and no play makes Nancy a dull girl.”

“Wanda, too.” Wanda laughed. “I’ve got navigation classes this afternoon. With any luck one of those hunky guys is leading the class. Seems like all my instructors at Sweetwater were old or bald or both.”

Nancy rolled her eyes toward a group of men making their way across the mess hall. “My favorite is the rangy redhead. I’ve got a thing for ginger-haired men.” She winked. “Totally swoonworthy.”

Evelyn froze, her glass of milk gripped in her hand. Jasper. She hadn’t seen him since the crash and had hoped to avoid him, but they both needed to eat, so running into him was bound to happen sooner or later. Why couldn’t it be later? “That one’s got quite an ego. You may want to give him wide berth.”

“Oooh, there’s a story behind those words. Some history perhaps?”

“He barked at me yesterday for not ditching the plane. Like the decision was his to make. Who does he think he is?” She set down her glass with a thunk. “Who yells at someone moments after they’ve survived a crash?”

“Wow, that’s awful. Guess I’ll have to find me a different redhead.” Nancy wiped her mouth. “Well, I’ve yammered on long enough. I want to take a walk and clear my head before class. Nice to meet you, Evelyn.”

Wanda rose. “See you around.”

“Bye.” Evelyn nodded in farewell as the girls picked up their trays and threaded through the tables. She peeked at the clock above the door. Ten minutes until instrumentation class. She had over five hundred hours of flight time, yet the army apparently didn’t think her qualified on instruments. She’d breeze through and show them how wrong they were.

She dropped off her tray and hurried from the mess hall then broke into a jog. If she didn’t hoof it, she’d be late to class, and then who would be ruining the WASP credibility?

Sunshine warmed her back, and she smiled. March in South Texas was nothing like Wisconsin. At home, she’d be hip deep in snow with no crops to dust. She was usually ready for spring well before her northern state lost its grip on winter.

Yanking open the steel door, she trotted through the corridor reading the numbers beside each classroom. One seventeen. She made it. Following a trio of women inside, she dropped into the first available seat, unfortunately front and center. She tucked her purse under the seat, brushed her hair from her eyes, and looked toward the instructor, who scribbled on the chalkboard.

She’d recognize the back of that head anywhere, but the man couldn’t possibly be Jasper. He was a mechanic, and the army wouldn’t tap him to teach class.

The instructor turned and sauntered to her. “Welcome to class, Miss Reid.”

“Ja—I mean, Mr...uh...” Her gaze shot to his shoulder insignia. Captain? “Captain MacPherson. I don’t understand. What are you doing here?”

He winked. “I’m your instructor. Didn’t see that one coming, did you?”

Evelyn frowned. Apparently, he planned to embarrass her. “No. Since when does the army use their flight mechanics to teach instrumentation class?”

“They don’t. I’m a pilot. Just like you.”

“But—”

“But, as usual, you made assumptions based on almost no information.” He surveyed the students. “Be advised that sort of behavior can get you killed.” He turned back to her, his emerald gaze pinning her to the chair. “I’m a licensed pilot who flew my full share of missions across the pond, and now I’m here to teach you people.”

She met his stare with one of her own. So much for avoiding him. Evelyn folded her hands and sent him a curt nod. She wouldn’t spar with him in front of her classmates. It was going to be a long few days until she finished this course.

He walked to the chalkboard and began his lecture.

Evelyn sighed. Nancy was right. Jasper was one good-looking man. He’d been attractive in college, but in the years since she’d seen him, he’d grown more handsome. The angles on his face were more pronounced, and he walked with fluid confidence. Were his shoulders broader? How had that happened?

She blinked. Concentrate, girl. Flunking because you can’t pay attention would be a disaster. Eyes glued to her notebook, she made copious notes. Perhaps if she didn’t look at him, she could keep her focus on the subject matter. Not likely, but worth a try.

Forty minutes later, class ended, and she rubbed the back of her neck. Despite her knowledge about instrumentation, she had a lot to learn. This was not going to be the cakewalk she anticipated.

“Miss Reid, a moment.” Jasper beckoned.

She waited until the room emptied then stood and gripped her notebook to her chest. That way he couldn’t see her heart pounding. “Yes?”

“Look, I know this has all the makings of being an awkward situation, but I’ll do my best to treat you with impartiality. You’re a smart girl. You should be able to pass on your own merit.”

Her eyebrow shot up. “Yes, I should, but it seems you’re not as convinced. As long as you adhere to your promise to be unbiased, awkward won’t enter the picture.” She whirled and marched from the room. Same old Jasper. Sure he was smarter than everyone. Wonder who he’d annoyed to be relegated to teaching female pilots. Bet that stuck in his craw. She raked a hand through her hair. Would he do what he said, or would he fail her just because he could?