No Matter What (The Billionaires of Sawgrass #4) - Delaney Cameron Page 0,48
these families were dealing with on a daily basis, the things Reece worried about were less important than a persistent fly at a picnic.
From the beginning, his goal had been relieving families of one less thing to worry about. What he hadn’t counted on was how much he would get in return. Something happened when you were soaring through the clouds, thousands of miles above the ground. The barriers that usually kept conversation limited to trivialities disappeared. Confidences were shared. Strangers became friends.
His passenger today held a special place in his heart. Harrison had been Reece’s first medical flight patient. The ten-year-old had cystic fibrosis, an incurable disease that affected his lungs and digestive system. Something as simple as breathing was a daily struggle. Along with the limitations imposed by the condition were the side effects of the medication he had to take in order to control its progression. Every few months he had to see a specialist at Emory University. Angel Flights spared him and his single mom the hardship and expense of a ten-hour round trip by car.
After completing his post-flight inspection, Reece strolled into the hangar. His head mechanic was prepping a Cirrus Vision for a charter later in the day. “What are you doing here, Lonnie? Isn’t this your day off?”
The hardworking, red-haired giant removed a rag from his back pocket and wiped grease from his fingers. “I traded with Zeke so I could take Sylvie to the Blake Shelton concert in Orlando yesterday.”
“I thought she said it was sold out.”
“When has that stopped Sylvie? I didn’t ask how she managed to get tickets. It’s better that I don’t know.”
Reece laughed. “Her resourcefulness never fails to amaze me. By the way, I’ll be going back to Miami on Wednesday. I’d like you to come with me. While I’m meeting with the Eagle Air staff, you can get a handle on the backlog of maintenance reports. We should probably bring Sylvie, too. She can start setting up the new accounting system. The one they’ve been using is archaic.”
“How long will we be gone?”
“I’m thinking three days. Because of the limitations of the fleet, they’ve only been operating at half capacity. I’m hoping to get that turned around over the next six months. Finding replacement planes won’t be a problem. I’ve got someone down there working on it already. As far as growth potential in that area, the sky’s the limit.”
Lonnie grinned widely. “You sound like your dad.”
“Probably so. I’ve been picking his brain about the best way to handle the acquisition.”
“How’s he liking retirement?”
“Loves it. I didn’t want him to regret leaving, but at the same time, I’ve been surprised by how easily he was able to do it. I guess he meant it when he said he’d given enough of his life to Diamond Jet. He’s moved on to the next chapter.”
“I’m sure he has, but let’s be honest here. Making that decision was a lot easier given that he had you waiting in the wings. He wouldn’t have handed off his baby to anyone else.”
“I don’t know about that. Love is a powerful motivator. It got someone who hates country music to a Blake Shelton concert.”
Lonnie chuckled. “Can’t deny that, can I?”
“Nope.” Reece glanced at his watch. “I better get going. I’m supposed to be at a neighbor’s house for a Memorial Day party in an hour.”
On the way to his car, Reece got a call from Aunt Leigh.
“Still playing it safe?” she asked, not bothering with the usual preliminaries.
He knew exactly what she was referring to. “It’s only been a few weeks since Robin broke up with Wade. I can’t rush in guns blazing. Do you realize how insensitive that would be? I need to let a decent amount of time pass. Otherwise it looks too much like cause and effect.”
“I admire your restraint, but all this waiting around twiddling your thumbs is a bit superfluous, don’t you think? According to Maxine, the parting of Wade and Robin was a joint decision. They realized they made a mistake. Based on what I know about him, and what you’ve told me about her, I can’t say I’m surprised.”
“That doesn’t mean there aren’t hurt feelings. Wade was clearly upset when I talked to him at Maxine’s birthday party. There’s a good chance Robin is feeling the same.”
“It’s my guess the sticking point was Australia. Moving to the other side of the world isn’t for everyone.”
“It could have been that, or it could have been something else.