Page 54 of Love at First Flight

She pulled a stray curl that had swept across her cheek. “Yeah, I’m... trying to get myself in the habit of waking up early. So far, I hate it. My dad was an early riser, you know. Selah’s the same way. You think that’s something that a person can change about themselves?”

“Sure, I don’t think it’s a personality trait set in stone.” He hadn’t been a morning person, either, in his youth, but with his job sometimes requiring an early start, he saw the appeal of doing things while most of the rest of the world remained in their beds. There was something peaceful about it.

Dex took a seat beside her on the picnic table. He wasn’t sure why she was here, but he was interested in what she had to say. He wondered if this might be the closest he could get to figuring out Selah’s brain, as though her sister might offer him a few crumbs and he could snatch them up for later study.

“You’re getting ready for your interview?”

“Yeah, in a little bit, withWake Up, USA.”

“I heard about that. My mom loves that show.”

“You wanna do the interview with me? You are the expert at this sort of thing.”

She snorted a delicate laugh. “Oh no. I’m not risking getting into more trouble with my sister. It’s already hard enough to not screw up things. I just stopped by because... I was hoping to talk to you. But I didn’t know when you were in the park, and, I don’t know, I just came here on a whim.” Hailey scratched at the surface of the picnic table with a fingernail.

“Well, I’m glad you found me. I like talking to you.” He gave her a friendly smile in return.

Her brow lifted in surprise. “You do?” She scooted closer, looping her arm through his and resting her head against his shoulder, as though they were old pals. Dex wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to such a touchy-feely family as the Morenos, but he wanted to.

“You know, my dad was a really great guy. He was a little stubborn and sometimes goofy, but also calm and patient, and he loved flying that damn balloon so much. I didn’t always appreciate it, not like Selah did. She’s a lot like him. The ironic thing is that he was her stepdad. Or maybe it isn’t ironic at all. Maybe she realized before all of us that there are some guys out there who aren’t so great, and he was one of the good ones. He adored my mom. Oh my God, sometimes it was so cringe.” She laughed lightly to herself.

“But even though my dad was a pretty happy guy for the most part, there were some disappointments in his life. Selah, I think, saw it more than any of us. And I wonder if because he loved her most when he didn’t have to, she feels some kind of an obligation to him.” She raised his gaze to him, her light-brown eyes sincere and serious, as though she was trying to push some kind of understanding onto him.

While Dex understood this was some kind of insight into the woman he’d given his heart to, he didn’t understand what hint he was supposed to be receiving. Was Hailey warning him to give up? That Selah had no room in her life other than her obligation to her dad? Or that he should keep trying? He opened his mouth to ask some kind of question, but was interrupted.

“Dex!” the cameraman called to him. “Ten minutes.” The man held up both hands in the air with all ten fingers splayed to reinforce the information.

Hailey released him. “You better go. It’s almost time for your close-up.”

“You gonna stick around?” He was hoping she’d say yes so he could talk to her about Selah further.

“Eh, I think I better head home. My mom and I will watch it together.”

“Oh. Okay. You have a good day then. Say hi to your mom for me.” It might be weird he didn’t pass along a message to Selah, but “hi” seemed insufficient after all they’d been through. He wasn’t sure he was ready to be at this level of casualness yet. Instead, he made his way toward the production crew.

“Hey, Dex!” Hailey called to him. She stood on the wooden bench seat, appearing ten feet tall. Her voice carried over the quietness of the area.

He turned, walking backwards, as he waited for her to finish, holding a hand to his ear.

“You didn’t listen to what I told you the last time. Remember, I told you that Selah will fight to convince you that she feels differently than how she feels. Turns out she may even look indifferent. But then we’re all still a little screwed up.”

Dex didn’t know how to reply to this and simply waved goodbye before turning toward his destination.

“Everything okay?” Jon asked.

“Yeah, fine.” But Dex wasn’t sure if it was fine or what fine looked like. His mind was diving deeply into Hailey’s words and what they meant, especially what it all meant for him and Selah. He barely paid attention to anything else, only to be slammed into focus when a voice popped in his earpiece, some kind of introduction, and then he was scrambling as he stared into the camera like a deer in headlights.

“Hello, Dex? Can you hear us?” the voice came again.

The cameraman made a circular motion with his finger over the camera in a signal for Dex to say something. Jon placed a hand over his mouth in an expression of worry.

“Uh, yes. Sorry. Yes, I can, uh, hear you.” The words stumbled from his mouth.

“Why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself? How long have you been a ranger, and for which park?”

“Um, okay. Well, I’ve...” He cleared his dry throat, wishing he’d used his time more wisely and drank some water. “I’ve been a park ranger for...” His mind was so full of Hailey’s words, he blanked on everything else. “Uh, Jon, how long have I been a park ranger for?”

His friend dropped his head, covering his eyes.

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