“How could Mike have been at fault? He knew what to do in every situation. I would ask him why he still spent all that time doing continuing ed, and he’d say a pilot can never have too much training. It’s not fair that he worked so hard only to be blamed for the crash.” She wiped away new tears. “I don’t know what todowith this information.”
I don’t know what to do with it either, so I put my arm around her and offer what comfort I can. “I wish there was something I could say to make this right for you.”
“I’ll never believe this was his fault. I don’t care what the experts say. Something else must’ve happened.”
“You’re allowed to believe anything you want.”
“What’ll I tell my kids, though? When they’re old enough to ask… What’ll I tell them?”
“The truth. You tell them what the NTSB said, and then you tell them what you believe to be true, knowing Mike the way you did. You tell them how hard he worked, how invested he was in training and how much he cared about safety. None of this has to change who he was to you and the kids.”
When the doorbell rings, I tell her I’ll get it.
“Watch out for reporters. I don’t want to talk to them.”
“I’ll get rid of whoever it is.”
I open the front door to a man I don’t recognize as one of Iris’s friends. Not to say I know them all, but I’ve met a lot of them.
“Hey, I’m Steve Harris. I was Mike’s business partner. I’d like to see Iris.”
“Let me check with her. Hang on.” I don’t invite him in to wait in case she’s not up for seeing him. “It’s Steve Harris.”
“Oh, he can come in.”
“I’ll get him.”
After I escort him to the living room and take his coat, I glance at Iris. “You want me to stay?”
“Yes, please.” She pats the seat next to her. “Steve, this is my friend Gage Collier.”
I shake the guy’s hand, even though he gives me an odd look, as if he’d like to know just what kind of friend I am to her.None of your business, asshole.I take a seat next to Iris, leaving only an inch or two between us. Let him wonder about that, too.
Am I being ridiculous? Probably, but seeing her so upset has triggered my protective side, which is a revelation of sorts. I haven’t stretched my protective muscles since I suddenly lost my family and had no one to protect anymore.
“How’re you holding up?” Steve asks when he’s seated across from us.
“Oh, just dandy. You?”
“About the same. It’s a lot to process.”
I want to tell him to get on with his purpose for bothering her at such a difficult time. I hope he’s not here to make things worse for her somehow, although how could anything be worse than finding out her husband was responsible for the crash that killed him and five others?
I don’t know this guy from Adam, but even I can tell that he’s upset about something else besides the NTSB report.
“What’s going on, Steve?” Iris asks.
He rubs his hands over his jeans as he seems to struggle to find the words he needs. “I hate to do this to you when you’re already upset about the NTSB report.”
“Do what?”
I want to throw myself in front of whatever he’s about to say, to push him out the front door so he can’t upset her any more than she already is.
“A year ago, I received a call from a woman in Denver. She said…”
“What did she say?”
“That she has a five-year-old son with Mike.”