Stone Sober

Chapter 15 - Part Two
by Stephanie Williams

 

*****

"So, Sara tells me that you're in love."

Oh God, women! Stone mentally slap himself for telling Sara anything.

"I'm interested...no," he sighed heavily. "I am in love man." Stone just let it out. There was no denying it. He loved Olivia; she wasn't some stop on the way to Timbuktu. She was a permanent fixture in his heart. He wanted her, needed her.

NASA could have called him and told him he was going to be the pilot on the next Space Shuttle mission. It wouldn't have mattered. If Olivia wasn't there to share his joy, then it was all for naught.

"Wow," Jackson said. "She must have been something."

She is something. She's everything, Stone thought.

"And she's from where? Lands End."

"Landing Shores." Stone chuckled in sprite of Jackson’s deliberate misuse of the words. "It's named after an old army landing base. Just outside West Palm Beach. They still have the landing strip and the air trafic...Give me a sec."

Stone handed the controls to Jackson then went to join his passengers.

"Hello, everyone. Is everybody enjoying their flight?"

"Oh, yes, Mr. McLean. In fact I was just telling my husband I wished we did this on our first honeymoon, fifty years ago."

Stone looked at Mrs. Laughlin and her husband. What was it like being married that long – and being that happy?

"Hiiiii. Stone," came to cooing of six party girls.

Stone rolled his eyes skyward. "Hello ladies, he said, still facing the elderly couple. He then took a seat across from Mrs. Laughlin. "Could I ask you something?"

"Sure dearie. You know, I could tell something was on your mind. Call it a woman’s or a mother’s intuition." She patted the seat next to her and looked over at Mr. Laughlin who extended his hand.

"Ask my wife anything, she’ll full of answers," he chuckled.

Stone took a seat and processed to tell him about Olivia and how he felt.

*****

Stone rejoined Jackson in the cockpit and looked out his window. "Where are we?' Stone looked at his flight schedule and radar." They had one more person to pick up; some oil magnet.
"We are approaching Florida," Jackson said. "Should be there in ten. Why? Are we running late?"

"Nah, right on time. There’s a little stop I want to make however."

Jackson looked at the flight schedule.

"It’s not on the itinerary."

"This is your captain Mr. McLean, we have changed our flight plan momentarily. But don’t worry, we should be back on track within the hour." He looked over at Jackson. "Mr. Oil Magnet is gonna have to wait."

"Better call the boys, so we don’t get blasted out of the sky," Jackson said. "Even though this is a private jet, they’re sort of jumpy."

Stone nodded and reached for the intercom. He then looked over at Jackson who shrugged and said, "Hey, it’s you business, I’m just an observer"

"That’s your story and you’re sticking with it." They both laughed.

After about 20 minutes, Stone saw the Landing Shores runway come into view.

Stone sighed and looked over at Jackson. "Man, she better be worth it," Jackson said shaking his head.

She is, Stone thought.

The plane made a perfect landing on the runway and was flying down the old tarmac. Thank God there was enough strip ahead of him.

He looked out the window and saw a crowd of people beginning to gather.

*****

"Hey everybody! This cool looking jet just landed at that old air strip!"

"What!" replied a chorus of patrons at Baxter's. It was the evening crowd and Olivia was just talking her first order when one of the Johnson twins came bursting in.

"Yeah, you should see it!"

Olivia's heart did a back flip. "Stone," she whispered to herself. She looked over at Belinda. She just nodded. She then looked over at Momma Bee., who shrugged. "Could be a coincidence."

But Stone flew commercial airplanes, Olivia thought. But she didn't care. She ripped off her apron and threw down her order pad and pen.

"Hey wait for us, she heard as the rest of the patrons cried out from behind her.

She jumped in her car and drove towards the landing strip.

Once she got there, the air in her lungs was nearly knock out.

On the old worn strip sat a streamline looking jet. It looked like something from that show, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Maybe it wasn’t Stone.

She began walking slowly toward the craft when she noticed the crowd of townspeople scurrying about and a few official looking men waving them off.

Then the staircase arrived and was positioned in front on the plane’s entrance.

Olivia looked around and noticed everyone one else was just as captivated.

The door opened and out stepped what had to be the most beautiful man she had even seen.

She never saw him in his flight suit, but he cut a dashing figure.

He looked out over the crown, then their eyes locked.

She felt giddy. Her Stone did come back. Boy did he come back!

She ran towards the plane as the crowd cheered behind her.

However before she could get within a hundred feet of the craft, two uniformed men approached her.

"Are you Olivia Baxton?"

"Ye…yes."

"May we see some ID please?"

Olivia reached into her handbag and pulled out her ID. The man took it, looked it over and handed back to her. "Is there anything wrong?"

"Follow me ma’am."

Stone saw the object of his desire – being escorted by two FAA Officers

After he explained everything and they checked him, Jackson, and every passenger on the plane, they reluctantly agreed not to make a big stink of it. However, they gave him a stern warning and mentioned something about a huge bill to pay.

But none of that mattered now. Stone was about to be reunited with his new life, his wife to be. He slowly walked towards the trio and noticed the smile that started to spread across Olivia’s beautiful face.

"Stone!" Olivia cried as she ran into his arms nearly knocking him down. An officer was reaching her, but the other one shook his head and let her go.

"I said I would come back," he chuckled as he hugged her and nuzzled behind her ear.

"But Stone." Olivia looked up at the jet and the government officials. "What happened?"

"I was a bit impulsive and forgot that our airways are heavily watched now.

"Stone, you’re crazy!"

"Yeah, crazy about you." He then kissed her hard and passionately, not giving her a chance to say anything else. "I missed you so much, he whispered against her lips. "I have so much to tell you, things I want to share with you."

"I missed you too. I was resigned to…to just forg…."

"Shhh. No Olivia. I don’t want you to forget anything we shared. In fact, I want you to think about the future."

She looked at him confusion coloring her beautiful face.

"I told you before I left that you were not just a passing fancy. That I wanted something permanent with you. What I want to know is if you mind being the wife of a pilot and a very busy corporate magnet?"

Olivia couldn’t believe her ears. "You want to marry me?"

"Yes. Will you have me as your husband? You know there will be times that I’m out of the country for days at a time."

"Where would we live?"

Olivia watched Stone as he thought about it.

"I never had a permanent home Olivia, so why not make it Landing Shores? I see how the people here love you and you have a history here. I want to make a future."

"Yes, yes, I’ll marry you!"

Stone whooped and tossed his cap in the air.

"Oh, Stone." Olivia looked at the smiling faces in the window of the plane. Then looked over at some of the "G" men—all grinning, "I think you better get going, I’m sure by now you’re late."

"Are you doing anything tonight," Stone asked with a wicked grin on his face.

Olivia turned to the crowd. They were all waving her to go. "I guess I’m free."

"Uh, Stone, that flight to Jamaica, and Mister Oil Magnet," Jackson said from the doorway of the jet.

"Hey, why don’t you take care of it? I’m calling in Smity for another jet. He’s on his way to Paris and there happens to be a great jewelry store I want to visit. I want to get you the biggest engagement ring the've got! Then you can show it off to Nola." He winked at Olivia in his arms. "This is going to be a real "private" flight. Got any plans?"

Olivia looked over at the crowd and they cheered her on. "I guess I’m free"

Two hours later, Smity landed the other jet.

"You just missed Jackson," Stone said holding on to Olivia. "He took off thirty minutes ago."

"Solo? Still trying to get him on as partner, eh? You made a big impression on him with this flight I’m sure. You’re all over CNN."

"Oops!" Stone shrugged, "Can’t blame a guy for trying."

They both laughed as he carried her up the staircase and onto the jet.

Once seated, Stone handed Olivia a small package. "What’s this?"

"A little something from another loving couple," Stone said.

Olivia opened it and gasped. "Oh, how beautiful!"

"The Laughlin’s said it’s a good luck shell they picked up the first night of there wedding. They’ve been married for over fifty-five years, so there must me something to it. They hope we have as many good years."

 

Epilogue