Page 69 of Plane Passion

Glancing at Millie, he saw she was smiling at him with an amused twinkle in her eye.

“My dear, you’re embarrassing them,” Mom said, putting her hand on Pop’s. “Would anyone like cake?”

Mom sliced and served Millie’s cake with as much flourish as if it was a prize-winning confection at a fair.

It was with some trepidation that Ernie took a bite. He had no idea what to expect and was determined to praise it no matter what.

He was pleasantly surprised to find it delicious. Much like Millie, it hid surprising sweetness beneath a forbidding exterior.

“Mmm. Millie, this is so good,” he said, looking up to find her watching with avid attention.

She exhaled, and her shoulders relaxed at his words.

“Thank heavens! I’ve never been much good at making things pretty, but I’m glad at least it tastes good.”

“Delicious,” Verity concurred between bites. “Chocolate is my favorite.”

The cake was polished off in no time. Millie looked as proud as if she’d broken his Chicago to New York record.

As the meal drew to a close, Millie glanced sadly at the grandfather clock by the wall.

“I’m afraid I should get home. I have to fly tomorrow. It was so lovely meeting all of you. I hope to see you again soon!”

Millie said her goodbyes, and Ernie walked her downstairs.

In the entryway, alone with her at last, he did what he had been dying to do all evening and kissed her. He’d never kissed someone under his parents’ roof before. He half expected to be struck down by lightning or, just as bad, interrupted and told off. But none of those things happened.

It was the sweetest kiss they’d shared yet, filled with longing and tenderness instead of passion and need. Maybe, just maybe, Millie was the woman he wanted to settle down with. Maybe they could make a life together despite everything against them. His family was clearly charmed by her, and the feeling was mutual as far as he could tell. Who would ever have expected Millie Aldrich to fit in so well with the plain old Pritchards?

As they broke their kiss, he murmured into her hair, “I’m falling in love with you, Millie.”

She pulled back and gave him the saddest look. “I’m falling for you too. Whatever are we going to do?”

He didn’t know, but together, they’d figure it out.

24

Millie spotted the headline as soon as she came into Mr. Dickson’s office. FLYING FEMME FATALE FALLS FOR FELLOW PILOT. Her heart sank through the floor. They’d been caught. And if Mr. Dickson had this, then Mr. Burleson must have seen it too. Her dream of opening the airmail to lady pilots was dead before she even managed to break a record.

Mr. Dickson looked like a teapot about to whistle. His perfectly sharpened pencils were fanned out on his desk, bristling in all directions. Ernie had warned her about Mr. Dickson and his pencils. This was not a good sign.

“Miss Aldrich,” Mr. Dickson said brusquely, gesturing toward the plain metal chair in front of his desk. “Would you care to explain this?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, trying to maintain her dignity, though she had a pretty good idea of what was to come.

“This,” Mr. Dickson said, handing her the Town Tattler issue that had been open on his desk.

Millie glanced quickly through the article. She’d been featured in similar articles countless times when she was dating Barney. If it only named her, she was safe, but she had a sinking feeling this article named Ernie.

And there it was. Ernest Pritchard.

They were discovered.

To make things worse, there was an engraving of her looking longingly over her shoulder at a man who looked just like Ernie. Someone must have snapped a photo of them when they were out.

“I see.” That was all she was going to say until she knew Mr. Dickson’s intent.

“Do you? Do you see?” Mr. Dickson’s brows were deeply furrowed, and his voice was pitched dangerously low. “Did you notice that it mentions the airmail operation?”