could make it.”
The other man smiled. “Jaclyn was very persistent. She countered every excuse I offered. I saw where you bought Eagle Air. When I lived in Miami, I did a few charters with them. I could tell they were skirting the edge of financial trouble back then.”
“That’s what happens when a company is run by someone who only wants to milk it for profits. As you know, profits have to be reinvested to keep the goose laying the golden eggs.”
“The owner’s divorce settlements probably helped influence his business decisions. Paying alimony to four wives and child support for goodness knows how many kids must take a sizeable portion of his income. Did no one ever tell him about a pre-nup?”
Reece laughed. “If someone feels the need for a pre-nup, they should look long and hard at the person they want to marry.”
“You’re assuming you can ever really know someone. I’m not sure that’s possible, especially when large amounts of money are involved. Love has led many a man to ruin.”
“If I believed that, I’d never marry at all.”
Hollis nodded. “Exactly. Maybe that’s why we’re both still single. As much as we want to believe in love, we can’t rid ourselves of the fear that the size of our bank account is what makes us so attractive.”
“There are plenty of women – and men – who don’t care about money. We have several examples here today.”
Hollis’s smile held a touch of cynicism. “Maybe they just got lucky. I need the benefit of your expertise in a different area. I’ve got a Gulfstream G650 that I use for business, but I’ve been toying with the idea of getting something smaller for personal use. Got any suggestions?”
“Volantes has a new model coming out this year with a maximum range of 2,500 nautical miles. That will take you nonstop from here to California. If you’re looking for something that can access more remote locations, AeroJet has a luxury-class private plane that can accommodate shorter and even unpaved runways. It’s a popular option for people looking to avoid the hassle of larger airports.”
“I like the sound of that. My next question is how long does it take to get a pilot’s license?”
“Depending on your schedule and how motivated you are, it can be done in a few weeks. Most people take a few months. You have to log 40 hours of flight instruction time along with a solo flight.”
“How soon can I get into your flight school?”
“My assistant Sylvie is better qualified to tell you that.”
“I’ll give her a call on Monday.”
Reece made a mental note to warn Sylvie that she’d be hearing from her fantasy crush.
Their conversation was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Jaclyn’s nephew Caden.
“Mr. Davies! I was wondering if you could show me how to throw a spiral.”
“Sure thing.” Hollis pointed to Reece. “I’m not the only ex-football player here. Reece and I played against each other in high school. He was one of the few people who ever intercepted one of my passes.”
“Really?” Caden asked, his eyes widening.
Reece chuckled. “Yep. It was the only time I ever got my name in the paper for something good.”
* * * * *
Instead of watching the late show with Gypsy, Reece was sitting in a hospital room on the fourth floor of Baptist Medical. On the way home from Jaclyn’s party, he’d received a call from Wilson. Aunt Leigh had suffered a TIA, otherwise known as a mini-stroke. The two of them had just returned from an evening of bingo at the local VFW when Wilson had noticed her slurred speech and difficulty walking. Ignoring her protests, Wilson had called an ambulance.
Reece blamed himself for not taking Aunt Leigh to see a doctor weeks ago when she first mentioned having tingling, numbness and headaches. Doing so might have prevented what happened tonight. The doctor he’d spoken with described the TIA as a warning sign because they usually occur a few hours to days before an actual stroke. Wilson’s quick thinking had enabled Aunt Leigh to dodge a bullet.
A battery of tests had revealed the problem: a blocked artery in her neck. The cardiologist on staff recommended angioplasty, a procedure in which a balloon catheter is inserted into the blood vessel to widen the artery and improve blood flow to the brain. The surgery was scheduled for tomorrow morning. If all went well, she’d be able to return home the following day.
In between talking to the hospital staff, Reece had kept Addison and