Love in the Clouds

Chapter 1 Rafael The clock over the door indicated he still had a few minutes to wrap up, but the glazed look in his students’ eyes confirmed he’d already lost them. He sighed, once again wishing the administration had held the assembly at the end of the day, rather than after lunch. Especially when there was only one period left. The kids never quite got back on track when that happened. “Okay, that’s enough for today. Remember your assignment is due next Tuesday and be ready for the final next Thursday. Talk amongst yourselves, but keep it down.” Amazing how quickly the fog seemed to lift from his students’ minds when given the opportunity to socialize. Anything but learning. He chuckled to himself. He’d been one of those teens. As a teacher, Rafael knew ninth grade was about much more than book-learning—it was a transition year. Fresh out of middle school, their world had opened up to endless possibilities and they were also learning how to navigate the social hurdles constantly popping up. Rafael understood that, and even with all the drama, he still loved teaching freshmen. Most of the time. Not to say he wasn’t internally cheering that school would be out in just over a week. He’d also chosen not to teach summer school, as he had for the last three years, and looked forward to the nice break. The bell shrilled through the speakers, and the kids were out of their seats and out the door in seconds. “Be safe,” he called. “Bye, Mr. Patino,” several of them said. Rafael smiled, eager to leave himself. For the first time in weeks, he was ahead in his planning, had no homework to grade, and anticipated a night in with his remote, a cold beer, and a pizza. His plans would have to wait, though, because he noticed Daisy Warner still in her seat, her petite shoulders hunched, her head down, looking as if she bore the weight of the world. “Daisy?” His voice rang loud in the nearly empty room. “What’s going on?” She shrugged, averting her eyes. The girl had been a source of worry for Rafael since the first day she’d arrived in his class. She rarely spoke, but her assignments were always flawless and turned in on time. The essay she’d written on the current political divide had blown him away, and he’d let her know it had been college-level material. But she was so frail, as if a strong wind would blow her over. While she’d never had bruises or broken bones, Rafael still worried she was being abused and had spoken with Rita, the school counselor assigned to her, about his concerns. Unfortunately, Daisy had never opened up to them, and her mother, the only parent listed on the enrollment forms, had never attended any meetings. The one time Rita had been able to get Daisy to let down her guard, the girl had sworn she wasn’t being abused. From her unkempt clothes, often the wrong size, and her ratty shoes, it was clear she was being neglected. Rafael understood being poor—he’d lived it as child—and wouldn’t hold that against anyone, but her clothes were always rumpled and dirty. At times it was clear she hadn’t showered, either, and he knew some of the kids made fun of her for that. He had strict “no bullying” rules, so it hadn’t been an issue for her in his class, but he knew the halls were a minefield for kids like Daisy. Apparently Social Service’s had been out to her home more than once, finding nothing that could be construed as abuse. According to Rita, the mother worked, there was food in the refrigerator, and the house was relatively clean. Rafael still couldn’t shake the feeling something wasn’t quite right, though. In his eyes, Daisy’s mother was doing the bare minimum required of a parent, possibly less. He knew from experience that was never enough. He settled into the desk next to hers. “Are you supposed to be catching the bus today?” He knew she sometimes stayed for math tutoring. She shook her head. “You want to tell me what’s going on? You can tell me anything, Daisy, I promise.” A sniffle escaped and she finally looked at him, her lashes wet with unshed tears. His heart panged in his chest and he tried to keep the worry from his face. “I broke my tablet.” She made her confession in a shaky whisper. Relief flooded through him. If that was all that was wrong, it was an easy fix. The school district provided students with a tablet during the school year—a great program, allowing a level playing field for all students. “Do you have it with you?” She pulled it from her threadbare backpack, the crack on the screen easily seen. “I dropped it, Mr. Patino. I’m so clumsy. My mom is going to be furious.” His heart fractured as he took it from her and offered a small smile. “You are not clumsy, Daisy. We all have accidents.” Her eyes widened. “But there’s a fee if it’s broken.” Other than the crack, the tablet looked to be in perfect shape. Much better than many others had fared in the hands of students. He’d seen several damaged beyond repair. “Does it still work?” She nodded, sniffling. He rose and made his way to his desk, grabbed a couple of tissues, and brought them to her. As she dabbed at her eyes, he made a decision. “Daisy, I appreciate you bringing this to me. I’m going to take care of it, okay? See me tomorrow morning before classes begin, and hopefully I’ll have a replacement for you.” “But what about the fee?” She chewed her lip and watched him warily. “Let me see what I can do, okay? You’ve taken great care of this and the school year is almost over. I can’t imagine they’re going to make a fuss over it.” She looked surprised, and he smiled when he saw the hope in her eyes. She thanked him as she hurried off. He hurried to clean up his desk, eager to talk to the principal and find out his options with the tablet. Perhaps he shouldn’t have promised to handle it, but seeing the fear on her face when she mentioned telling her mother had triggered something inside. He understood that fear. Just as he’d grown up poor, he’d also been raised by a mom who instilled fear and guilt in him rather than love and acceptance. He stepped out of his classroom into the nearly empty hallway, blue metal lockers lining the walls. His footsteps echoed around him and the strange scents of chemicals from the science lab at the end of the corridor lingered in the air. As he headed toward the stairs, he heard his name, and smiled when he saw Caleb Dodson. “Hey, why aren’t you already on the field?” As the assistant baseball coach at Rain Valley High School for the past couple of years, Caleb had whipped the team into shape. Rafael assumed the man would take over next year when the current coach retired, but as far as Rafael knew, nothing had been decided. Caleb grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m just heading that way. Wanted to know if you heard anything yet.” Rafael raised an eyebrow as they fell into step together. “About?” “I thought today was the day for Dustin.” The words surprised Rafael. “It is. But I didn’t realize he’d told anyone.” “You think Dustin kept it a secret?” Caleb laughed. “Seriously?” Rafael smiled at that. “But he’d said something about not wanting to jinx himself when I asked if he’d mentioned it. Must have changed his mind.” Rafael had thought it silly to keep it secret anyway. His best friend, Dustin, had been working on getting his pilot’s license for quite a while, and it was finally time for his solo flight. “So today, right?” Caleb prodded. “Yes. Could even be in the air as we speak.” His phone buzzed. He plucked it out of his pocket, grinning as he read the text. “Speak of the devil.” OMG. Passed! He tilted the phone so Caleb could read it. “Awesome!” Rafael had a thought as they started down the stairs. “How about tomorrow night we have a surprise party for him at Jack’s? I mean, we’re already heading over there, why not just up the celebration?” “I love it! I’ll double-check with Lucas, but as far as I know, we’re still going.” He shook his head and smiled. “You are the best boyfriend,” he teased. Rafael’s eyes widened and his heartbeat thumped hard in his chest. “Where did that come from? You know Dustin and I aren’t dating.” Caleb rolled his eyes and slapped him on the back. “You guys talk—what?—five times a day? You spend nearly every evening together. You two might not realize it, but trust me, everyone else is pretty sure you’re dating.” Rafael’s heart raced as the implication hit him. He had tried to hide his feelings for so long. “What do you mean ‘everyone’?” “Me, Lucas, some of the guys. Oh, calm down. I’m just giving you a hard time, Rafael. Sort of. I mean, have you and Dustin even thought about it? Your lives are so…enmeshed.” Blood rushed from Rafael’s face as he shook his head. “s**t. Did I get a little too close to home? Do you…I mean, are you in…?” Caleb waved his hand. “Hey, man. I was just talking. It’s none of my business.” Rafael cleared his throat and pushed away any worry, then returned to the matter at hand. “So, you guys are in for tomorrow night?” His voice came out a little rough. Caleb nodded. “We’ll be there.” “Great. I’ll call Jack and see if we can set something up. I’ll text you details,” he added as they arrived at the first floor, less excited about the party than moments ago. Caleb took off toward the field as Rafael texted congratulations to Dustin before heading into the front office to find out what he needed to do about the tablet. A quick check with Brandy told him he needed to see the technology department, not the principal as he’d thought, so he made his way down the hall to a small room near one of the exits. He knocked on the open door and peeked inside, then stepped inside the empty room. He’d been to this room only a few times over the years, usually to get an extra power cord for his laptop if he’d left his at home. Several rows of gray metal shelving filled with cords, monitors, computers and miscellaneous items crowded the small room. He took a seat near the window, assuming that since he’d found the door open, someone would be returning. His phone buzzed again. He slipped it from his pocket, breaking into a smile when he saw Dustin’s name. Dustin: Can you believe I’m a pilot? Celebrate tonight? Rafael didn’t even have to think about it. Rafael: Of course. Plans? Dustin: Since I’ve got to finish an order tomorrow, how about pizza and some beer? He laughed at that. Great minds think alike. Rafael: My place? My treat. Dustin: Thanks! 6? Rafael: Yes. Rafael slid the phone into his pocket. He’d known Dustin wouldn’t want anything big since they both had to work tomorrow, so pizza and beer at home would be perfect. Although, Dustin worked from home and set his own hours, he was diligent about finishing things on time. Tonight they would keep it low-key. Besides, they would celebrate the next night. Most Fridays, their group of friends met at Jack’s Bar. They’d been doing it for several years—a Friday night tradition. Rafael needed to make sure Jack could reserve an area for a private party. He’d also need to contact everyone, figuring a group text would be best. He really was so proud of Dustin. His best friend had always wanted to be a pilot, announcing it the first day they’d met at college nearly a decade ago. And he’d done it! When Dustin had told him he was finally taking lessons at Rain Valley Airport, Rafael had been thrilled for him. As Dustin had worked toward his dream, the guy had been so happy, he was nearly walking on air. Martha Milgrim strode into the room, wearing her sensible shoes, brown polyester pants, and matching cardigan. She looked and dressed older than her fifty years, but she was also one of the nicest people Rafael had ever met. “Hey, there, Rafael. What’re you doing down here?” She also sounded like she’d smoked a pack of cigarettes every day of those fifty years. He rose and clasped her hand. “Hi, Martha. When did you move from the library to this department?” She sighed as he gestured for her to take the seat he’d just vacated. “Oh, I couldn’t move fast enough for Lydia,” she told him, rolling her eyes. Lydia was the school librarian and a lot to handle. “So they shoved you down here?” he asked, appalled. She laughed. “‘Shoved’ is a little strong, but yeah, I ended up here. It’s been a couple of weeks now. Surprised you hadn’t heard.” He was fairly certain the woman couldn’t program an alarm clock, but sure…put her in technology. He doubted she even had a cell phone. “Well, I need to talk to you about a student’s tablet.” He handed over the item. “What do we need to do to replace it?” She ran her hand over the crack. “Been seeing a lot of this. Normal procedure is, the student turns it in, the parent pays the fifty-dollar fine, and then I can get the replacement.” She met his gaze, one eyebrow raised. “But I’m thinking you’re wanting to handle this differently?” “I was hoping we could do this without the parent finding out.” Martha pursed her lips as she considered him. “It’s Daisy Warner’s.” Her face softened. “Oh, that sweet girl. I worry about her.” “Me, too. She’s scared to tell her mother.” Martha clucked her tongue. “I’m not surprised. I’ve met that woman and she is a mean drunk.” “A drunk? You’ve met her?” “I used to work a second job at the small grocers on Bell Road. Daisy’s mom showed up at all hours of the night to purchase cheap vodka. She has a mouth on her, that one. Plenty times I had to call police because I wasn’t about to sell to her. Not when she’d pulled up in a car drunk.” She shook her head. “Didn’t know she was Daisy’s mom until I saw her pick up Daisy from school one afternoon last fall.” So, the mother was a drunk. Rafael made a mental note to have Rita talk with Martha. “So, yeah, you can understand why I want to take care of this. Would it be possible for me to pay the fine? Keep Daisy’s name off the books?” She waved her hand. “Honey, no worries. I’ve got a few new ones and I’ll just switch out the information. You can pick it up first thing in the morning.” “That’s wonderful. Thanks, Martha.” They chatted a few more minutes before he took off and headed home, stopping at the local pizza place and picking up a large ready-to-bake supreme. When he arrived home, he stored the pizza in his nearly empty fridge and decided to do some cleaning before hopping into the shower. He felt jittery and couldn’t figure out why. Dusting and vacuuming kept his mind busy as he ignored the alarm bells ringing in the recesses of his mind. He also called Jack, who promised to save the space in the back for them, then he sent a text to his friends about tomorrow night. Jack had also mentioned how he would take care of the cake, reminding Rafael his sister had a bakery on Main Street. Just as he finished showering, his doorbell rang. A quick glance at his phone told him he was way behind schedule, so he threw a towel around his waist and hurried to the door. Dustin stood leaning against the wooden column on the front stoop, a grin spreading across his face. His dark blond hair was parted to the side in a perfect sweep, and matching stubble covered his jawline. His blue-green eyes flashed as he took in Rafael’s state of undress. “So what? Is this dinner and a show?” His normally husky voice sounded deeper. Heat coiled low in Rafael’s belly and he forced himself to look away. “Shut up and get in here.” Rafael rolled his eyes and ignored the way his heart sped up. Just friends. He wanted to throttle Caleb for planting the seed of hope in his mind. Dustin laughed and stepped inside, holding up a six-pack. “Want one?” “God, yes. Let me get changed and I’ll put the pizza into the oven.” “Don’t get dressed on my account,” Dustin teased, his gaze traveling down Rafael’s chest and stopping at his waist for a moment before shooting him a crooked grin. Rafael flipped him off and his friend’s laughter followed him down the hall and into the bedroom. He closed the door. His heart pounded so hard, like it would jump out of his chest. What the f**k was going on? Caleb’s comment had thrown Rafael for a loop, making him worry he’d been wearing his emotions on his sleeve. s**t, things could get bad quickly. Dustin’s flirtatious teasing had taken him aback. Had Dustin always been that way with him? Was Rafael just now noticing or possibly overthinking? He slumped onto his bed and scrubbed his hand over his face. He wasn’t even sure when he’d started looking at Dustin differently, but somehow his love for him had evolved from friendship to romantic and he had no idea how to deal with it. So he’d done the only thing he could—he’d shoved away his feelings and had focused on staying friends. Dustin had never shown a hint of interest in him, so Rafael wasn’t about to offer up his heart on a platter and not only be rejected, but also lose his best friend. Finally dressed, he ran his fingers through his short hair and checked his reflection. Gray sweats, faded blue T-shirt. Just like he’d worn any other time Dustin had visited. Nothing different about tonight. He found his friend in the kitchen, setting the timer. He flashed a smile at Rafael. “Hey, I put the pizza in.” Rafael grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and popped the tab. “Thanks. I was running behind.” He leaned against the counter and grinned. “So, how does it feel to be a pilot?” Dustin shook his head. “I can hardly believe it, Raf. I passed. I f*****g did it. I’m still kind of…in awe, if that makes sense?” Rafael took a drink of his beer, his other hand braced on the counter. “I never doubted you would do it. Not for even a second, Dusty,” he said, his voice a little thick. “I know. You always told me I could do it. You’ve always been my biggest champion, Raf,” he said, his eyes darkening. Rafael shivered. The way Dustin stared at him set his blood on fire. Without a word, he crossed the small kitchen in four steps. Dustin stood about two inches shorter than his own six-one, and Rafael drew close enough so his friend had to tilt back his head to make eye contact. Strange, but Dustin didn’t try to move away. In fact, he didn’t even break eye contact. His gaze dropped to Dustin’s lips. They stood so close, it wouldn’t take anything to close that gap between their mouths. When Rafael realized what he was about to do, he snapped out of it, awkwardly patting Dustin’s shoulder and stepping back. “Yeah, maybe you should listen to me from now on, huh?” Dustin nodded, swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He took a swig from his can. “Want to put on a movie? Or just watch TV?” Rafael walked into the living area, trying to calm his runaway heart. He plopped into the recliner and flipped on the TV, trying to ignore the damn butterflies throwing a party in his gut. What the hell had just happened in there? Damn, he’d almost crossed the line. He blamed Caleb again. “Hey, so now that I’m a pilot, I’ve got a surprise for you,” Dustin announced. He took a seat on the brown leather sofa beneath a framed poster of Kauffman Stadium; Rafael was a huge Royals fan. He set his beer on the end table and braced his elbow on the sofa arm, leaning toward Rafael, a smile playing at his lips. Rafael arched an eyebrow. “A surprise? For me?” Dustin grinned. “Picture this—you and me flying up to Oshkosh, Wisconsin and spending the week at AirVenture.” For years, Dustin had talked about attending the convention, an annual event where aviation enthusiasts flew in from all across the country to watch air shows, view vintage planes, take workshops, and camp out next to their planes. “Wait. Are you going to rent a plane? Isn’t that kind of expensive?” “Yes, renting would be crazy. But that’s not what I’m doing.” His face broke out in a grin, his eyes crinkling. “Remember I told you I was looking for a plane?” “Yeah?” “I sign the papers tomorrow on a 1976 Cessna Skyhawk!” Rafael was stunned. “Seriously?” “I found one in great condition and got a heck of a deal. Only one previous owner. Just needs a little work…okay, a lot of work…but I plan on doing most of the repairs myself. Want to go see it Saturday? It’s being delivered to the airport, where I’m renting a hanger as of today.” “Seriously?” he repeated. “Raf!” Dustin stood and clapped him on the shoulder. “Come on, man. You going to do this with me?” He wanted to answer, but the warmth of Dustin’s hand spread through him, making it hard to think. He hated that his body reacted so easily around his best friend. Made him feel like a damn teenager. “What’s wrong?” Dustin squeezed his shoulder before he finally let go. His eyes narrowed with concern. “Do you not want to do this? I thought you’d be excited.” Rafael shook his head, the fog finally lifting. “I’m sorry. I think I’m just…stunned. Not about you getting your license. I always knew you would. But you own a plane? Oh, my God, that’s f*****g insane.” Laughter bubbled up. He stood and wrapped his arms around Dustin, hugging him close. “There’s my Raf,” Dustin murmured as he slipped his arms around Rafael’s waist and settled his head on Rafael’s shoulder. Hugging was nothing new between them, but this felt…different. Intense. The timer beeped, and they pulled apart, both chuckling a little awkwardly. Rafael headed into the kitchen to take the pizza out of the oven and pull himself together, thinking he’d bring things out to Dustin, but his friend ended up following him. While he cut the pizza into slices, Dustin moved easily around the kitchen, grabbing plates and napkins. Knowing Dustin was so at home gave Rafael a sense of satisfaction. Neither spoke until they’d resettled in the living room. They ate while debating what to watch, finally landing on Apollo 13, since they were both fans of anything to do with “space.” As the evening wore on, Rafael’s earlier awkwardness melted away until it once again felt like “best friends hanging out.” “So, how was it? Flying solo?” he asked as Dustin returned from the kitchen with another two cans of beer. “Better than I ever imagined. I thought I’d be nervous, but honestly, it was as easy as breathing. Like flying is a part of me now.” He handed a beer to Rafael and sat down. “It’s…well, I can’t describe it. You’ve got to come with me Saturday and see it, Raf. I can’t wait to take you up in my plane. And this summer…we have to go to Oshkosh.” Rafael smiled. How could he not go? “Sounds amazing.” Talk turned to the trip and Rafael nodded along, all the while his heart racing at the memory of that hug. I’d go anywhere with you, Dusty.