Chapter 9
Maxwell left without a word, his figure retreating into the fading light of the setting sun. His silhouette, hollow and distant, was a stark contrast to the vibrant world around him.
As he disappeared from view, I continued my journey around the island, the scenery of New Zealand unfolding before me like a dream. I wandered through mountains and lakes, snow–capped peaks and sweeping grasslands, soaking in the beauty of the
land.
Camping by Lake Tekapo, I opened the skylight of my RV and gazed at the starry sky. My sister must have turned into one of those stars, watching over me from above.
In Oamaru, I playfully mimicked the little blue penguins, stumbling and feeling a sense of lightheartedness I hadn’t known in years. The natural beauty of New Zealand was a balm for my weary soul,
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healing the exhaustion that had weighed on me for so long.
As the RV trip around the South Island came to an end, I boarded a flight back to my busy life, diving into work that had me traveling all over the globe. In the quiet moments between, I found myself enrolling in a flying club, eager to learn the intricacies of piloting a private helicopter. I had never imagined I would change careers, but there was something freeing about soaring into the sky that filled me with excitement.
Then, one day, fate led me to a surprising encounter. At the flying club, I saw him. again–Maxwell, the man who had once captivated me. It had been three months since we parted ways in Queenstown, but there he was, wearing a pilot jacket and sunglasses, standing silently beside a helicopter.
He stretched out his hand toward me, hist voice calm but formal. “Ms. Grace, hello.
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I’m Maxwell, your private coach for today.”
I tucked my hands into my pockets, a coolness settling over me. “Where is Coach
Steve?”
Maxwell flashed a quick, practiced smile. “Oh, Steve had to take the day off for personal reasons.”
I raised an eyebrow, my tone sharp. “I didn’t receive any notice from Coach
Steve about a cancellation. I think I should speak with Mr. John, the club manager, about this.”
Maxwell quickly backpedaled, his voice smooth. “Mr. John is a friend of mine. I told him you’re the girl I’ve been pursuing, and he asked me to be your coach today.”
I raised my hands in protest. “I want to change coaches–no, I want to change. clubs entirely.”
Maxwell’s gaze softened, his eyes filled. with an intensity that was both familiar
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and foreign. “Grace, you’re here now. You don’t want to waste both your time and tuition fees, do you?”
He leaned in slightly, his voice low and almost teasing. “You told me you’d completely let me go. If that’s true, why does it still bother you to take lessons with me? Or are you questioning my professional skills?”
I was at a loss for words. Fine, let’s get
this over with. What’s the worst that
could happen?
As long as I didn’t feel awkward, it was his problem, not mine.
During the two–hour flight practice, Maxwell was surprisingly patient. He guided me through every aspect of the lesson, addressing each challenging question I posed with careful explanations, a gentleness I had never seen from him
before. There was no tension between us, no lingering glances or unspoken words- just the course content and nothing more.
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At the end of the session, I thanked him sincerely. “Coach Maxwell, thank you for guiding me on the test flight today.”
Maxwell’s smile was knowing, almost as if he’d been expecting this moment. “Ms. Fitzgerald, if you really want to thank me, how about we have dinner together tonight?”
I waved my hand in polite refusal, keeping my voice neutral.
He hesitated, then added, a little sheepishly, “I’m planning to change careers and work for the same airline as
you.”
Then, he caught my eye, his expression softening. “I can see how much you love New Zealand. If you don’t want to go back to America, I’ll come here to be with you.”
Any reasonable person would have questioned Maxwell’s sudden shift in priorities. I certainly did.
“Do you realize that if a captain resigns,
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they’re hit with an astronomical penalty for breaking their contract?” I asked, my voice tinged with disbelief.
I looked him square in the eye. “Captain Maxwell Hunter, are you seriously
prepared to fight your airline, the one that trained you for years, to the point of ruining it?”
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