“Where have you traveled?” she asked.
“I’ve been to six of the seven continents. I haven’t made it to Antarctica yet, but I’m planning a trip for next summer. Which would actually be Christmastime here. The sun doesn’t set during the summer, so it’s the best time to go.”
“What are you going to do while you’re there? I never thought of it as a place for tourists,” she said.
“I’m going as an electrician.”
“An electrician?”
“A couple of years ago, I spent the summer in London as a mechanic on a private air field. I learned everything I could about how electricity works in planes. Once you have the basic principles down, you can apply it to pretty much any machine,” he said.
“What made you want to learn about the electrical intricacies of an airplane?” she asked. “It seems oddly specific.”
A shadow passed over his features. As he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbed. The sudden change in his demeanor set her on edge.
“I was in a plane crash a few years ago,” he said. “Almost a decade ago now that I think about it.”
“Oh my God.” She placed her hand over her thundering heart. “What happened?”
“I was flying the red eye from Dallas to New York. We took off and everything was fine at first, until the lights flickered in the cabin.” He paused and took a breath. “A few seconds later the power went out completely. We pitched to the right and started falling.”
She reached for his hand and held it. His trembling fingers gripped hers.
“My brother was in the seat next to me,” he continued. “We were on a smaller plane. Two seats on each side of the aisle. He wasn’t wearing his seatbelt, not that it would have mattered much. I was the only survivor. My brother didn’t make it.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said. “I can’t imagine how terrifying that had to have been.”
“I thought I’d known what it felt like to be scared and helpless before that moment, but I was wrong. So wrong…” He interlaced his fingers with hers. “I didn’t know the first thing about fear. The moment we started falling, my brother turned to me. I’ll never forget the expression on his face. Shock, followed by terror, a split second before he flew up from his seat and slammed his head into the ceiling. Sometimes I wonder if he would have lived if he’d had his seatbelt on.”
We were in the center over the wings. I always sat there because it’s the most stable part of an airplane. I had the window seat. The impact knocked me unconscious. But the heat from the fire woke me up. My brother—” his voice cracked. “His neck was broken. I knew right away that he hadn’t made it.”
Her heart broke for him. She couldn’t even begin to imagine the level of horror he’d endured. She leaned over and pulled him into her arms. He clung to her, wrapping her in a tight embrace. As she brushed her cheek against his, soft stubble tickled her skin. She sighed as she sensed his inner torment. Pain radiated from him, awakening her bear. The creature clawed at her chest. She longed to shift so she could protect him. It had been years since she’d been this close to another person. She craved his touch, even if it was born of heartbreak.
“I still think about him every day,” Jack whispered. His soft breath slid down the side of her throat. He released her and sat back. A pensive expression crossed his face. “I try not to dwell on it.”
“It would be impossible not to,” she said.
“I spent a month in the hospital recovering from my injuries,” he said. “It gave me a lot of time to think. At first, I didn’t even want to speak to anyone. But a chaplain came in and sat with me for a few minutes every day. We talked about the impermanence of life. He said my brother was in a better place.”
“He is,” she said.
“I know.” He plucked at a blade of grass. “But it doesn’t make it hurt any less. Do you have any siblings?”
“No. I don’t have any family.”
“Everyone has family,” he said.
“My mom was a meth addict,” she said. “The state took me away from her when I was ten years old. I bounced around a few foster homes, but no one adopted me. The day I turned eighteen, they kicked me out with nothing but the clothes on my back. I’ve been on my own ever since.”
“Wow.” He turned to gaze at her. “So you’ve been alone your whole life?”
“Most of the time. But I do have friends. I’m not a total loner.”
“Do you have a boyfriend?” he asked.