Flying With Charlie

By Hollis Shiloh

Nick needs a new wing walker. Charlie needs a way to escape his hometown. Surprisingly, they work well together. But Nick finds the fiery, vulnerable redhead far too attractive for comfort. He does his best to push Charlie away and protect himself.

Charlie is amazing in the air and desperately drawn to Nick, even when he doesn't want to be. Nick does a good job of being unpleasant to Charlie, convincing himself it's better this way.

 

But if he can't stop, he'll lose the man who's gotten past his barriers and into his brittle heart.

 

Warning: contains angst
Length: 20,000 words

• Language: English
• Publisher: Spare Words Press
• Release date: Aug 28, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223275244

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About the story:

Nick needs a new wing walker.  Charlie needs a way to escape his hometown.  Surprisingly, they work well together.  But Nick finds the fiery, vulnerable redhead far too attractive for comfort.  He does his best to push Charlie away and protect himself. 

Charlie is amazing in the air and desperately drawn to Nick, even when he doesn't want to be.  Nick does a good job of being unpleasant to Charlie, convincing himself it's better this way. 

But if he can't stop, he'll lose the man who's gotten past his barriers and into his brittle heart. 

Warning: contains angst

Length: 20,000 words

Flying With Charlie

by Hollis Shiloh

We have a whole passel of them, the old man was saying.  A whole clan of the redheads, dirt-ignorant and mean with it.  He spat tobacco juice on the ground.  Drunken, fighting, whoring sons of bitches.  Their old man was the worst.  Used to be if they got in a fight he'd whup 'em — but only if they lost.  He trained those boys up to be mean, like they was fighting dogs.  Surprised if any of them done learned to read, they didn't go to school much, that's for sure.  Soon as shoot them as look at them, if I had my choice.

Nick edged subtly away from the old man, so nobody would think he was talking to him willingly.  The old man raised his voice a little louder.  Redheads.  Cain't live with 'em.  I think the red makes 'em mean.  His pig eyes narrowed.  That girl you with, she from round here?  Maybe she's one of 'em.

No, she's from up around D.C., he supplied.  Jill had a fiery temper, but Nick was pretty certain she didn't have relatives here.

Just then the girl in question emerged from the restaurant, her skirts flouncing a little as she walked, her sleek red hair bouncing.  And yep, she still looked mad as hellfire.  The old man chewed and spat again, giving Nick a knowing look, as if to say he'd seen through the lie; he'd spot one of those wicked local redheads anywhere.

Jill...

She whipped around and whirled on him.  "Don't you Jill me, Mr. Goodwin!  You can just get back in your plane and fly on to the next town without me.  You're insane if you think I'm ever walking another wing for you, under any circumstances whatsoever!"

The old man looked interested now.  You fly a plane, sonny boy? he asked.  You was in the War, mebbe?

Nick grimaced; a crowd was drawing near.  Under any other circumstances, he'd be glad to have the crowd and would try to advertise their act.  Any circumstances except Jill leaving him loudly and angrily without a wing walker, without a partner.

Without her, he was as good as dead in the water.  Flyboys were a dime a dozen these days, even in small towns.  He could fly a couple of people, maybe even dust a few crops, but then he'd have to move on — and he likely wouldn't even manage that if she made as big a scene as it looked like she was planning to make.

Sure enough, she stomped a foot in the dirt street and glared at him.  You just head on out!

He tried again.  Oh, but I can't leave you he—

My brother's coming to pick me up, so don't you worry about my poor fragile, female self!  Hmph!  She actually raised her head in the air, nose high, executed a perfect pivot, and headed back into the restaurant.

Scattered laughter followed the performance; one man clapped.  Nick felt his face growing warm under the unpleasant attention.  He turned, shoulders stooped, to follow her and try again.

That went well.

#

Half an hour later, he was sitting even more slumped, hunched over a whiskey, and scowling.  She's a handful, but I need her, he said.

The man next to him nodded sympathetically.  Firecracker in bed.

No, ah...  He bit his tongue.  I meant, for the act.

So you and her never...?  The man raised an eyebrow.  Come on, a body like hers?

It's been strictly business, Nick admitted, trying to look rueful.  It wouldn't do him good to admit more than that.  That he wasn't interested, and probably could've kept her if he'd been able to fake it.  He almost wished he could manage such a thing.

He was starting to feel uncomfortable under the questioning. He finished his drink, paid, and excused himself.  Best not to drink away the meager profits anyway, especially when he'd just lost a major asset.  Say what you wanted about her personality, she was a big draw: daring, flirtatious, and feminine.

He headed out to the plane.  Best sleep beside it, keep guard with his revolver.  It wasn't as though he could really afford a place to sleep anyway.  He headed back to the old barn, but the drink must have dulled his senses at least slightly, because all of the sudden he realized he was being followed, and had been for the last few yards.  He pulled his gun and whirled.  What?  What's going on here?

Easy, cowboy, growled an amused voice with an interesting timbre.  The footsteps stopped.

Come into the light where I can see you.  Why are you following me?  He relaxed slightly, but he kept his gun trained in the direction of the voice.  It wouldn't pay to be robbed by crazy hillbillies.  Maybe they wanted his plane, or thought he had some money on his person...

One or more could be slipping behind him right now.  Oh crap...

A man stepped closer, slowly, and he could make him out by the moonlight, if not very well.  His heartbeat sped up a little; he was a slim, wiry man, not very tall, with the look of a hillbilly about him.  He had red hair.

What do you want? Nick demanded sharply.  I haven't got any money and if it's my plane you want, I won't go down without a fight.

"I don't