Chapter 1

Stringfellow Hawke rolled over in bed and smiled. He couldn't take his eyes off of the beautiful woman in his bed. He wondered how he got so lucky. Just a few short years ago she had breezed right into Santini Air and never left. He was so thankful that she stayed. How she managed to put up with him all this time was a mystery to him. But, she never gave up on him and now here they were, together almost every night. He loved holding her while she slept. Having her there gave him peace and comfort. He knew he wanted it to be that way forever but a small part of him was still holding back, still afraid of that thing he called a curse. He let her in and he wanted to keep her there but marriage, well he wasn't ready for that just yet.

Caitlin opened her eyes to find a set of eyes staring right back at her. She smiled and reached over to pull him in for a kiss. He kissed her back and then rolled her onto her back and jumped on top of her, pinning her down. "Stringfellow Hawke," she yelled. "There's no time for that right now. I have to get out of here soon, remember?"

String looked dejected. "Oh right," he replied. "You're flying out to Doc's place today. Why is that again?"

Cait pushed him off of her and got up from the bed. "He's opening his new tavern a in a few weeks and he wants me to help with special opening night entertainment."

"Why you?" asked Hawke.

"Hawke, we've been through this. I worked my way through college in several taverns and I use to sing a lot during special events. Look, he wants someone he knows to help out. It's just something he and I talked about right after we first met. Don't worry I'll only be gone a few weeks."

Hawke sighed. "Yeah well that's a few weeks too many as far as I'm concerned. What if I come out there next week and join you?"

Caitlin turned the shower on before poking her head back into the bedroom. "You can come but it won't be any fun for you. Doc and I'll be too busy to hang out with you."

Hawke jumped out of bed and followed her into the bathroom. Caitlin had just climbed into the shower and pulled the curtain shut.

"I'm going to come anyway," he said as he pulled back the curtain and stepped in to join her. "Since you won't have time for me later, how about making a little time for me now?" he asked.

Caitlin laughed. "You're incorrigible. What am I going to do with you?"

Hawke grabbed her and pushed her against the back of the shower stall. "Oh, I can think of a few things."

"Hawke!" Caitlin squealed. "You always get your way, don't you?"

String laughed. "Yeah, but somehow I don't think you mind."

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Two hours later Caitlin was on her way out to Doc's place. She was excited about getting to go and do something new. Not that she was bored at Santini Air but the jobs had been slow and she wanted a different kind of excitement. Doc picked her up at the small local airport and took her back to his place where she would be staying for the next two weeks.

"I'm so happy you could come," he said. "This is something I've always wanted to do and I really appreciate your willingness to help."

Caitlin smiled. "I'm excited to help. Of course, I'm not so sure about the singing part that you mentioned. I mean, it has been years since I sang a note."

"Don't worry," he replied. "I've hired some local celebrities for most of the entertainment. It's just that this is a small town and pretty much everyone here is a friend. I promised them I'd sing one song and well, it's a duet."

"Oh boy, I sure hope I know what I got myself into," she replied. "Actually, it sounds like fun. My life has been far too serious lately and it's about time I had a little fun."

"Great," replied Doc. "Ready to go and see the new place?"

"Let's go," said Caitlin. "I can't wait!"

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Meanwhile, back at Santini Air, Hawke was sitting quietly behind the office desk. He'd finished his work for the day but didn't feel like heading home right away.

"What's with you?" asked Dom. "You've been sulking around here all day. It can't be because of Cait. She hasn't even been gone that long. Besides, I thought you liked spending time alone."

Hawke sighed. "Yeah, I always thought I did. She seems to have changed that."

Dom grinned. "Well, whatdaya know. It's about time someone did. Come on kid, let's go. I'll buy ya a drink."