Page 37 of In Flight

“Me too.” He gives me an adorable quirk of a smile. “You’re just dying to hug me again, aren’t you?”

“No!” I give an unconvincing little flounce. “Of course not. I hugged you once. That’s all the hugs you’re getting.”

He chuckles softly and reaches an arm out to drape behind my shoulders. He gives me a squeeze. “Maybe I need a little more hugging.”

I giggle. I can’t help it. “Nope. You had all you’re getting for now. Serves you right for misreading a nice person’s attempts to offer comfort.”

“You have offered comfort,” he says in a different, softer tone as he pulls his arm back. “Thank you for that.”

“You’re welcome.” My mouth quivers, no doubt revealing my dimples. “I try to be a nice person whether the recipient deserves it or not.”

He’s smiling as he pulls out a bottle of water from his bag and swallows down almost half in one series of gulps.

“Tell me about your grandpa,” I say, picking up my knitting since I can do that while we talk.

“What do you want to know about him?”

“Anything. Tell me one of your favorite memories.”

For a moment it looks like Isaac is going to object, but he doesn’t. He starts telling me a story of when he was ten and he and his grandfather went out on a fishing boat for a weekend. His grandfather wasn’t a soft man, and he made Isaac work hard learning to fish and drive the boat and deal with unexpected turns of weather and waves.

But he was patient. And never got frustrated or angry when Isaac wasn’t a particularly fast learner. And that weekend ended up being one of the best of his life.

“I’m surprised you didn’t pick it up quickly,” I comment idly.

“Why?”

“Because you seem like the kind of person who’s good at everything.”

“Do I?” He preens and then breaks into a smile.

“Yes. You do.”

“Well, I was always good in school. I made A’s without having to try very hard. I got a scholarship to college and then a fairly prestigious fellowship for grad school, and none of it really... strained my abilities.”

“I guess that means you sailed right through.”

“Not exactly sailed. But I didn’t have to work as hard as other people. So yeah, I guess I was good at school, and I’m good at my job, and those come naturally so it never feels like I’m trying very hard. But I’m not good at everything.”

“Were you good at sports?”

A flicker on his face intrigues me.

“Were you?” I prompt. “Don’t tell me you weren’t athletic? You look like you’re in good shape.”

“I run regularly and lift weights at least a few times a week, so I stay in okay shape. I was always good at running.”

“Running? What about sports?”

He narrows his eyes.

“Did you play any?”

“I told you. I run. I ran some track in school and did all right. Nothing fantastic, but decent.”

“So you didn’t play baseball or football or basketball or anything?”

“No.”

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