Page 18 of Viking

“I guess we should talk about it,” Lila says, shifting her wineglass between her hands.

I exhale, leaning back in my chair. “Us working together?”

She nods. “I guess it’s not technically an issue. I mean, I’m not in your chain of command. I’m not even military.”

“But your dad is,” I point out.

Her lips press together for a beat before she nods again. “Yeah.”

Not just her dad.

I glance down, running my thumb along the condensation on my glass. “I know who he is. I met him years ago, at the—” I pause, needing to take a sip of my Old Fashioned. “I met him not long after I started flying. But I’ve never served under him.”

She gives a soft laugh, but it’s almost self-conscious. “Yeah, I kind of figured you at least knew the name. I didn’t tell you in Vegas on purpose. I was afraid it’d scare you off. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been dishonest but…”

We were never supposed to see each other again.

I lift my gaze to hers. “How do you think he’d feel about you dating a pilot?”

I cringe. Dating? Fuck. I didn’t mean to say that.

She hesitates, a glimpse of something unreadable crossing her face. “Honestly? I don’t know.”

“Not exactly comforting,” I joke lightly, trying to keep things from getting too heavy.

She smiles, but there’s something thoughtful in her expression. “I don’t think he’d have an issue with you personally. He’s not the overprotective type. But he’s been in the Air Force his whole life—he knows what the lifestyle is like. The deployments, the risks, the…uncertainty. It’s why he didn’t—” She clears her throat. “I think he’d have concerns. Especially considering what you do.”

I nod slowly, though it wasn’t a question. I can’t blame the guy if he’d rather his daughter avoid this kind of life. Dating a demo pilot would be one thing. But I’m still active duty. I still deploy. I’m still abruptly sent off on missions as needed. And truth be told, I have zero intention of leaving the Air Force. If I can’t fly anymore, they’ll be sending me to command. Group, wing, whatever, but I’m not going anywhere.

“I guess that’s something we’ll have to figure out,” I say finally.

She studies me for a moment, then nods. “Yeah. I guess if you…if we…”

I smile. “If we?”

“Umm if we…go to dinner again?” She doesn’t try to mask the grimace.

“I’d like that, a lot—” I say before she has time to wonder if I’m thinking the same thing.

The conversation shifts after that, lighter but still laced with the complicated reality of our situation.

“So, tell me something you’ve never told anyone,” she says, her voice soft but curious as she leans forward slightly.

I pause, sitting back in my chair, and think. “Alright. Here’s one for you,” I say, shifting forward, my voice dropping just a bit. “I nearly quit flying.”

Twice. But I don’t tell her that.

Her eyebrows lift in surprise. “Really? Why would you want to quit?”

I look down at the flickering candle for a few long seconds before meeting her gaze again. “It was back when I was first learning to fly the F-22. I’d transferred to Nellis, and everything was new. The plane, the speed, the stakes…I wasn’t sure I could handle it. The pressure was crushing. I felt like I was in over my head.”

She studies me, her eyes soft and understanding. “What changed?”

I smile faintly. “One of my instructors pulled me aside and reminded me that every great pilot feels like this at some point. And if I didn’t want to be great, I wouldn’t be there. It stuck with me. I stopped overthinking and just…flew.”

Her lips curve into a small smile, and she nods. “I can see that. You don’t strike me as someone who gives up easily.”

I chuckle softly. “Maybe not now.” I take a sip of my drink. “What about you?” I ask. “Tell me something you’ve never told anyone.”