Chapter 1
My pilot husband had to work on Valentine’s Day, so I secretly bought tickets on his flight for me and our daughter, Ruby. We wanted to surprise him.
In business class, Ruby hugged her doll and looked up at me with a big smile. “Mom, can I go see Dad fly the plane?”
Before I could answer, the woman next to us laughed. “Her dad’s the pilot?”
I nodded.
“What a small world,” she said. “My husband’s a pilot too. He’s the top captain at this airline.”
She had this proud look on her face. I just smiled. “Oh, really?”
A few minutes later, my husband’s steady voice came over the intercom.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking.”
My heart warmed, but then the woman leaned in close.
“That’s my husband. Great voice, right?”
I froze.
She flashed the watch on her wrist. Expensive. Flashy.
“He felt bad about missing Valentine’s Day, so he spent half the night making it up to me, gave me this watch, and asked me to fly with him today.”
I stared at that watch.
I knew exactly what it was.
I had given it to Jet two days ago as a promotion gift.
Ruby was sitting next to me, quietly coloring a drawing she’d made for her dad, a wobbly little picture of the three of us. She was the one who insisted on surprising him. That was why I had booked this flight.
“That watch must have cost a fortune, right?” I asked, keeping my voice steady.
“Eh, not really.” The woman, Rose, waved her hand like it was nothing, a little smirk on her face. “My husband pulls in hundreds of thousands a month. This is pocket change for him.”
Hundreds of thousands a month.
I knew exactly what Jet made, even as a top captain. It was nowhere near that.
And honestly, he only got that position because of my father, a director at the airline, who had pulled strings. When Jet’s promotion assessment came up short three years ago, my father still made sure he got the captain title, even though he had mostly been flying as a first officer.
None of that, apparently, had ever come up with Rose.
“Sounds like he really takes care of you,” I said, though I couldn’t stop staring at the watch.
On the back of the case, there should have been an engraving:
To Jet. May every flight be safe. Your eternal love.
It was a limited edition. I had hunted it down across three cities three years ago.
Rose was glowing, totally oblivious to how stiff my face was getting.
“He owes me, honestly. Missing Valentine’s Day? He spent half the night apologizing.”
Last night, Jet had called me sounding exhausted.
“Rachel, I’ve got extra simulator training tonight, and it’s running late. I’m just going to crash at the company dorm.”
“You’re going to be so tired flying tomorrow.”
“For you and Ruby, it’s worth it.”
He had sounded so sincere, I hadn’t questioned it for a second.
Turns out his extra training was in another woman’s bed.