Unexpected Romance: Loved By You, #1

By Eva Winslow

October 1973

 

Laura Brooks is a nervous flier and prefers to keep her feet planted firmly on the ground, yet every year she boards a flight from San Francisco to Hong Kong for a month-long visit with her sister. Her time with her sister is special and this year even more so – she has a brand new niece she can't wait to meet. Excited as she is, she won't breathe a sigh of relief until the wheels touch down in Hong Kong.

 

Charlie Winters is a young co-pilot with only a few more flights before he is promoted to pilot. Flying is his life and he loves traveling around the world. He has always been happily unattached – free to come and go as he pleases. Hong Kong is one of his favorite cites, and he's looking forward to spending some downtime there after the long flight from San Francisco.

 

The uneventful flight turns disastrous when a typhoon prevents the plane from landing at its final destination at Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong. With little fuel left, the captain makes a decision that will put the lives of everyone on board in jeopardy – he makes an illegal emergency landing at an airport in Mainland China. It's 1973 and China does not allow planes to land without permission and without the proper paperwork. The plane is immediately surrounded by the Chinese Military and no one is permitted to get on or off.

 

Charlie's job is to make sure everyone is safe and as he makes his rounds, Laura catches his eye. When it becomes clear they're not going leave any time soon, he enlists her help keeping the passengers calm. The plane sits on the runway for days and as they work together, the attraction between Charlie and Laura grows. Is it the start of something between them, or just the result of their current situation? Will they go their separate ways once they reach the safety of Hong Kong?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Eva Winslow
• Release date: Nov 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201099756

Book preview

UNEXPECTED ROMANCE

Loved By You: Book 1

By

Eva Winslow

Table of Contents

Title Page

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

COPYRIGHT

CHAPTER ONE

October 1973

Call me Anna, hun.

Laura Brooks smiled gratefully at the woman beside her in 5B.

From her window seat, she could see the edges of the Hawaiian archipelago disappearing out from under the plane, the last patches of visible land until Taiwan, and she was quite pleased to have a reason to look in the opposite direction.

The almost six-hour-flight from San Francisco to Honolulu to refuel had been uncomfortable; the second take-off had been more nerve-wracking than the first; the prospect of spending another eleven hours in the air was stifling; and Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Airport was a legendarily difficult landing.

Laura was comfortable with neither small spaces nor heights—why was she on this plane, again? At least she’d been upgraded to first class; not bad for a waitress from Bayview.

And Anna’s friendliness was a welcome distraction. They had spent the initial part of the flight in polite silence, as passengers so often did, but a mild spot of turbulence had Laura whimpering in distress, and Anna had given her a gentle nudge and made introductions.

How did you end up on one of the longest, most stressful flights in the world, Anna? Laura asked; keen to keep up the conversation.

Change of scenery, Anna told her with a small, secret smile that looked like a personal in-joke. I was offered a job at a hotel in Hong Kong—brand new place, real swanky.

That’s exciting. That was worth boarding a whopping eighteen hour flight for. I’m visiting my sister, Clare. She just had a baby.

Anna hummed that perfunctory sound people were expected to make when anyone mentioned babies. And she lives in a whole other continent? That must be difficult for you.

It was. Laura hadn’t even met little Lily yet, having had only mailed photos and baby babble over long-distance phone calls to connect with her. She missed her sister fiercely, was missing out on so much of her new life, and it wasn’t like her waitressing job amassed her enough savings to jet off to Hong Kong every other week. She hadn’t had the funds this time at all, but Clare and her husband had insisted on footing the bill, refusing to take no for an answer. They’d even surprised her with a first class ticket.

She’d find a way to repay them even if they wouldn’t take the money; the ten pounds of primo baby formula in her carry-on was a start.

So what job has you flying halfway around the world? she asked Anna, not wanting to linger too much on missing her sister right now. There would, unfortunately, be plenty of time for that on the return trip.

Beautician.

You must be good to get such luxury treatment.

I’ve cut, styled, and waxed a few famous faces. Anna shrugged nonchalantly, no hint of bragging at all despite Laura burning to ask for details. Got head-hunted by some agent working for the new Furama Hotel and was looking for a reason to get out of the US.

The plane suddenly juddered like a car hitting a deep pothole, and Laura threw a hand out and gripped Anna’s forearm tightly. Oh my God.

Anna chuckled, giving her another soft nudge. You’re alright, hun.

Laura nodded; she was alright, she was alright, she was alright… except nothing could shift the sensation of dread churning away in her stomach. Each new patch of turbulence was more violent than the last, as if they were approaching something terrible. It would lull her into a false sense of security for a while, then strike again just as she’d started to get comfortable.

Anna, at least, was pleasant conversation. They drank a glass of complementary wine or two, enjoyed an inflight meal, and swapped some stories as the sun sank into the blanket of clouds below, turning the sky a burnt orange. They both grew up in San Francisco, with parents struggling to make ends meet and ballgames in the busy streets broken off by honking cars and angry neighbors. Where Laura had started waitressing right out of high school, feeling swept up in the tide of the big city, Anna had known exactly what she wanted to do with her life.

It would have been pleasant, peaceful even, if it hadn’t been for the increasing volatility of the journey.

It’s getting worse, Laura told Anna in a low voice.

She nodded. Yeah, but you need to stop worrying about it before your heart gives out because there’s nowhere to land right now but the ocean.

Laura shuddered. She opened her mouth to sarcastically thank Anna for giving her something else to worry about when the door between the cockpit and the galley opened. It creaked loudly, drawing enough passengers’ attention that a confused murmur rippled around the small first class section, and a tall, slim man in uniform stepped out and gestured sharply to the head steward.

Is that… is that the pilot? Laura asked, her voice cracking.

Anna frowned slowly, sitting up straighter. Three stripes. Co-pilot, maybe?

Is he allowed to leave the cockpit?

I honestly don’t know.

Her sense of dread deepened. The co-pilot had a hushed, hurried word with the steward and then turned around, catching Laura’s eye. Whatever she looked like, whatever anxiety was painted all over her face, seemed to elicit a momentary softness from him. He stared at her for just a handful of seconds, his mouth downturned and his eyebrows creased together, before slipping back inside the cockpit as quick as he’d appeared.

Whatever information had been relayed was now passed to the flight crew, and Laura distinctly caught the phrases not enough fuel and don’t have the right papers.

A shrill ding brought the announcement system to life, a voice crackling through the speakers. We’re sorry for the turbulence out here, folks. We’ve got a storm up ahead, but we’ve flown through plenty of them so there’s no need to panic. Your flight crew will take good care of you.

Then the seatbelt light switched on.

It’s normal when there’s turbulence, Anna said quickly before Laura could open her mouth to immediately do what the pilot’s message had told her not to: panic. Look how calm the attendants are.

They’re trained to be calm, Laura pointed out through gritted teeth.

"Exactly! They’re trained. Do you want me get one for you? Have them tell you to calm down?"

I can’t tell if you’re joking or not, Laura said drolly.

Anna smiled mischievously. Not even that handsome co-pilot? I bet he could make you feel better.

Against all odds, Laura found herself laughing. No, he can stay up at the controls while the plane is flying into a storm, thank you very much.

Her laughter was cut abruptly short as the plane lurched sideways, several of the overhead compartments flying open and bags hitting the aisle, the seats, the passengers. The cabin seemed to compress in on her, small and choking and too delicate a thing to survive the brutality of what was outside. It was as if a great fist was crushing the plane, the metal groaning and rumbling against such immense pressure.

The speakers dinged again, and the pilot told them, We’ve hit that storm, folks, as you can probably tell. Looks like landing in Kai Tak is out of the question now, and we’re going for Shenzhen Bao just a short hop away.

Where’s that? Laura asked Anna desperately.

Not Hong Kong, Anna said and for the first time since the turbulence began, she looked uneasy. Mainland China.

Anything had to be an easier landing than Tak Kai in this storm. She’d done the trip enough times before to feel sick at the sharp turn before the runway, and she couldn’t imagine how suicidal it would be in these current conditions.

The extra minutes of flight time did not feel like a short hop. The storm buffeted them from seemingly all sides, with occasional input from the pilot telling them to keep calm muffled by the orchestra of panicked passengers and ever-increasing turbulence. The plane twisted at odd angles, dipped and rose sporadically, and felt at war with its crew as they leapt from their seats to slam overhead compartment doors shut so the avalanche of luggage couldn’t hurt anyone else.

The sound of children crying echoed from the main cabin behind them, a cacophony of the purest fear that made Laura want to cover her ears and scream to drown it out.

We’re entering Shenzhen Bao airspace now, the pilot informed them.

Laura felt her stomach twist, the urge to throw up rising in her throat as the plane marked its descent with a sudden plummet.

We’ll be on the ground in minutes, Anna reassured her, taking Laura’s hand in hers and tangling their fingers together, her pulse matching Laura’s own rapid, frantic heartbeat.

The need to comfort Anna right back momentarily overrode her own terror, and she tried her best to smile. When we do, I’ll buy us both a celebratory glass of Baiju.

Anna barked a laugh. "Now that might actually kill us."

Everyone has to die of something—her Nana used to say that. Easy for Nana to say, dying peacefully in her own bed surrounded by loved ones and resolutely not a fiery plan crash.

Wish I could call Clare, Laura thought with a horrible pang. Or Mom and Dad. All at once, the thoughts were a deluge, filling her with a kind of grief she couldn’t even comprehend. What if this was it and she never got to see her family again? Never got to meet her niece? Never got to tell any of them how much she loved them?

From the curtain behind her, she heard someone praying, another yelling at people to stop screaming, someone else heaving great sobs.

Laura found herself silent, clinging tight to the memories of her loved ones. If she was going out, it would be like this: stoic with the images of them in her mind. Her Nana would’ve laughed at wailing hysterics, told them no tears and made her own end into one big joke. Laura never considered herself that brave but for Nana, she found herself some small reserve of steel.

The cabin lights flickered off, the cage of metal around them screamed, the pilot said, Passengers and crew, brace for landing.

And then they hit the ground.

***

Laura? Laura!

It came through a fog, the words muffled like she was underwater. It was her head pounding. Or was it her ears ringing? Her vision seemed to blur, moisture falling onto her cheeks every time she blinked.

And then it came back to her in a rush: the plane, the storm, the emergency landing.

They… they’d made it. She was fairly certain she was still alive and kicking, pressing her hands to her chest, her head, her limbs—yup, all there!

She tore at her seatbelt despite the overhead sign still glowing through the hazy darkness of the cabin. Once it was open, she dragged Anna into her arms and started laughing.

Are you—are you okay? she asked, hoarse and stuttered.

Anna nodded. Think so? You?

She couldn’t tell, sheer adrenaline surging through her at the overwhelming realization that she was still alive. All around them, passengers yelled and clutched at each other, the relief palpable and infectious and swelling throughout the plane.

Bags and food trays littered every inch of the floor. It looked like the entire contents of both the galley and the overhead bins had exploded outwards with tremendous force, and dust motes sparkled through the air like the filtration system had taken a beating.

The flight crew got up and began checking on each row of passengers, somehow steady on their feet and with strength enough to start clearing the aisles. Laura was in awe of them; her own legs were jelly as she tried to stand, her shaking hands clutching at the seatback in front of her.

Up ahead, the door to the cockpit opened up with that same creak, and a round of applause rippled out as the pilot and co-pilot appeared.

The senior of the two started to converse with the flight crew, but the co-pilot made his way down the aisle, stopping at the row in front of theirs. Laura hadn’t noticed, but the lady in 4B was quite elderly, and the co-pilot knelt down to speak to her in a gentle, deep yet melodic voice.

Anna moved into the aisle, concerned about her carry-on, while Laura simply watched the co-pilot work his soothing magic on the old woman.

Eventually, he stood, catching Laura’s eye once again.

Real nice of you to do the rounds, she said hoarsely. And after that display of heroics.

He gave her a lopsided smile, just the right amount of teasing mixed with the visible flush of relief. He ran a hand through his hair, dark and streaked with twinkling silver. He didn’t look old enough to be going grey, but it added a kind of sophistication to him that was very appealing—and was she really falling in lust right now? Had to be the adrenaline coursing through her, just sheer life-affirming joy. She couldn’t help it.

Just glad to see everyone’s safe, he replied. It was a rough one.

Laura smiled back, her heartbeat wild in her chest. You couldn’t even tell.

Oh, really? he drawled.

Frissons of reckless warmth curled through her. Very smooth landing. Don’t know what all the fuss was about.

He leaned against Anna’s headrest. It was all a bit overdramatic, wasn’t it?

Laura laughed, impressed at his sense of humor after everything. His hands were trembling ever-so-slightly, though, and it told her everything she needed to know about how much danger they’d been in.

Thank you, she told him sincerely. For… saving us.

He cocked his head, his teasing expression softening. Just doing my job, miss.

Laura. She held out her hand. Name’s Laura.

Charles, he replied, his long fingers enveloping her small ones, his handshake warm and firm.

Charles, she repeated on a breath. It suited him, his youthful features with prematurely graying hair, his air of uniformed austerity with that lovely mischievous edge. Nice to meet you.

The announcement system dinged, and the older pilot stood at the front of the plane with a microphone in his hand. We’re encountering a small problem with our presence here in China, ladies and gentlemen, and we appreciate your ongoing patience.

How much worse could it get? Laura quipped.

Charles chuckled, but then…

His eyes shifted just a few inches left, over Laura’s shoulder and out the window, and his mouth slowly fell into a grimace. She whipped around, blood already running cold, and saw—saw trucks pulling up, dozens and dozens of soldiers streaming out of them with machine guns in hand.

Machine guns pointed at their plane.

Oh, Laura said numbly.

Please remain calm, the pilot called out over the speakers, trying to be louder than the passengers clearly noticing what Laura and Charles already had. If everyone could just remain in their seats!

She couldn’t count them, lost it at thirty, couldn’t comprehend that many weapons, that many bullets. She whipped back around and desperately breathed, Charles?

But he was gone, a rush of navy uniform and silvering hair urgently making his way to his captain.

CHAPTER TWO

Martin threw down the console radio, raking his hands through his thinning hair.

Charlie leaned against the cockpit door, arms folded tight. They’ll get us out.

Didn’t you hear them? Martin shot back. "It’s been twenty-four-hours, and it sounds like