Page 30 of Keeping Laryn
“Yeah,” Laryn said with a nod, after Pyro let go of her.
“I almost shit myself when he cut the engines, dropped four hundred meters, then started her up again and came up behind us,” Edge said with a shake of his head.
“Casper, you’re a crazy son-of-a-bitch, and I’m glad you’re on our side,” Chaos agreed.
“You’re coming with us, right?” Buck asked Laryn. “To Anchor Point?”
“For a while, yes.”
The men all cheered.
“Let’s get going then. Time’s a tickin’,” Pyro said as he looked at his watch.
“Climb on,” Chaos ordered as he turned his back to Laryn and crouched down.
“Pardon?” she asked with a furrow of her brows.
“Climb on,” he repeated. “I’ll give you a ride to Casper’s car.”
She laughed. “I don’t think so.”
“Come on…it’s a victory walk thing.”
“Thank you, no.”
“But—”
“She said no, Chaos,” Casper said firmly, shoving his friend.
Chaos lost his balance and almost fell over, but he managed to keep his feet and snort-laughed. “Fine, but never say I’m not a gentleman and didn’t offer.”
“I’ve been walking on my own for as many years as I can remember. I think I’ll make it,” Laryn told him dryly.
They all headed out of the hangar toward the parking lot, and the mechanics still around called out farewells and more congratulations. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood, and Casper was still riding the high of the complicated maneuvers he’d executed earlier.
As soon as they exited the hangar, he put his hand back on the small of Laryn’s back and led her toward his Taurus. When they got close, she smiled, reminding him how excited she was when she’d first seen his car.
“The two thousand five models have had issues with the engine misfiring at freeway speeds. You experience that?” she asked.
“No.”
“What about the idle air bypass valve? That can sometimes cause engine performance issues.”
“Not with this baby.”
“The camshaft sensor magnet has been known to damage synchronizers.” She was talking more to herself now, and her hand brushed the hood as she walked around the front of the vehicle. Casper had a feeling she was itching to raise the hood and check things out. “Have you ever blown a gasket? Or had white smoke coming from the exhaust? That could be why.”
In response, he walked up to her and took the hand resting on the hood in his own. Without a word, he led her to the driver’s side and opened the door. Gesturing to the seat, he said, “Why don’t you drive and see for yourself how she goes?”
“Really?” Laryn asked, her eyes sparkling with eagerness.
“Wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t serious,” he told her.
She lifted an eyebrow, looking skeptical. “Most pilots I know are control freaks. They would never let anyone else drive their cars. Especially a woman.”
“I’m not like most pilots. And it’s obvious you know more about cars than I ever will. I trust you with my life when I climb into that MH-60. Why would I not trust you behind the wheel of my car?”
Still, she hesitated.
