She could feel his eyes on her, but there was nothing she could do about it just now. Jennifer knew if she looked at Jonathan, she would break and tell him everything. And she would tell him, but not just yet. She couldn't bear to see him unhappy or worried, especially knowing that she was the cause of it.

That was a strange realization for Jennifer. She had never really felt that way about a man before. She'd never had anyone she cared about like that before. Interesting.

But she just didn't want to talk about it just now. She knew this was a flaw of hers, going quiet. It came from growing up as the only child around a lot of adults and being left on her own more often than not. She was self-reliant and self-sufficient. And she loved those traits about herself. But the downside was that she wasn't always the best at confiding in people who cared about her. She wasn't good at asking for help.

It all started early this morning when Jonathan was with Max making the arrangements for their trip and Jennifer was packing up as much of her flat in London as she could. Max and Jonathan were to pick her up later so they could all head to Heathrow and fly to America.

Jennifer was interrupted by the distinct shrill ring of FaceTime. She was elated to see her father's face as soon as she answered. "Hi, Pa!" she greeted excitedly.

There was not a similar enthusiasm on the other end. He didn't yell—he hardly ever raised his voice, in Jennifer's experience—but he was quiet and cold. He asked her what she was doing getting engaged to a man she had known less than a week and throwing her hard work and independence away all for the charming smile of a billionaire.

She had been so flustered and confused that she'd just sputtered for a moment and felt the lump of emotion form in her throat and the sting of tears threaten her eyes. She didn't have anything she could say, so she said nothing. And in response, Pa told her explicitly that he was disappointed in her for her choices before summarily hanging up.

By the time Jonathan came over, she had finished packing and had finished crying. She was going to be alright, she knew. Of course she was. She would find a way to show her father that Jonathan was wonderful and that she was making a good choice. But a lifetime of experience taught her that Pa was quick to judgment and stubborn in sticking with it, but he was never entirely unchangeable. She would be able to convince him. He would listen to her when a little time passed and she figured out how to be able to talk to him.

But that was the thing. Jennifer was the one who would have to figure it out. She would have to make a plan and put it into action. This was about Jonathan, yes, but it was Jennifer's responsibility to deal with her father. Jonathan didn't need to know that Pa hadn't even let her explain that she was happy and in love and that Jonathan was so wonderful.

Jennifer's gaze went from out the plane window over to Max across from her. He was as close to a father as Jonathan had ever had, she knew. There was still so much about that story that Jennifer would need to learn, and she looked forward to getting to know Max more and more. So far, though, Max seemed like the best father anyone could ever ask for. Jennifer loved her father dearly and would never hear any word against him. But she had come to understand that he wasn't always perfect. It had taken a lot of therapy for her to admit that. It still was difficult to think about the fact that Jennifer's only living immediate family member hadn't always treated her as a loving parent should. She didn't like thinking anything negative towards her father. He was all she had.

Max was all Jonathan had for a long time. Jonathan probably hadn't been in therapy to work out his feelings of inadequacy and isolation caused by Max. Jennifer wasn't sure if Jonathan had ever been in therapy. She should ask him.

She sighed aloud, causing Jonathan to reach out and put his hand gently on her arm. "What's the matter?" he asked softly.

Jennifer leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. "There's so much for us to figure out. I suppose that's just life, but we're building a life together, and going one day at a time like this is a bit daunting at times."

Jonathan wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "We can discuss anything you want. We'll make plans as much or as little as you need."

She chuckled. "I'm very lucky to have someone love me so much."

He pressed a kiss to her hair. "I feel the same way. It means more than I can tell you that you're wearing that ring and you're sitting her on this plane next to me."

Jennifer sat up and turned herself to face him. "That's right, you were going to tell me about this plane." She was pleased for the distraction and change of subject.

Jonathan smiled. "Alright. I'll tell you about the plane."

He went on to describe the problem of jet fuel being so terrible for the environment and how private planes, like this one, made it even worse. Jonathan Hart Industries was at the cutting edge of environmentally friendly technologies, and since Jonathan himself had a history with flying, he wanted to tackle the issue. They were still in development, but Jonathan himself tested each and every round of changes to the planes and the fuel. And for the time being, they were using a totally redesigned plane—originally tested three months ago and passing Jonathan's personal tests—and tweaking this new fuel source. It was expensive but it was renewable and almost fifty times cleaner than ordinary gasoline. The problem was the cost, of course, and that it burned faster than regular jet fuel. And that meant needing to stop and refuel more often. So not perfect yet, but they were on their way there.

Jennifer hung on his every word, fascinated by his vision and his dedication to such important causes. She had been a bit unhappy getting on a private plane simply because she knew it was so disastrous for the environment, but leave it to Jonathan to solve problems. He was so clever and so caring.

For probably the tenth time today alone, Jennifer just marveled at how lucky she was to love and be loved by such an incredible man.