Dandelion Sky

he light San Francisco rain that kissed his windowpane, or the fog that had rolled in from the bay. He sat in the dark, save for the shine of his iPad, and the fogged-over glow of streetlights co

ving now, then he might play it safe later, and not gamble on a new startup as fully as he should. And when finances ran low, he'd have to downgrade his lifestyle with everyone watching. Everyone judging. True, his place wasn't much, but he could always use i

ange woman in his bed, one that had none of the sexiness of the night before. Nothing on his list caught his attention, nothing made him lust for risk in the bright light of day. With his first few startups, he hadn't been brash enough,

ust

He could bootstrap number nine, much the same as he had for number eight, and put down the seed capital himself. He could do that, he could fund h

cided on number nine, and yet in

ed at the dark blan

that heavy mist, those rolling banks of damp that hugged the ground like ghosts? He stretched out on the b

make money, for he had more than enough already sitting in his bank account. So long as he didn't sta

hought

a lazy sound to it, as though his life was over and there was nothing new to look forward to. He

r ways to escap

t Midas touch of his on their own startups. Having postponed making any decision on his own ideas, Ethan ignored the clamor of everyone else. Right now it felt good to relax, to let his mind rest and wander without purpose. After

oy it,

ago started. He only cared about the pounding in his head. The pain was killing him. Last night, he'd gone out with a few buddies to their favorite bar, and they'd partied until forced to go home. They had work the nex

stupid drunk one night. He was on vaca

oing to die, he wanted it to be on the couch, and not on the bathroom floor while trying to reach the stupid medicine cab

day he'd ever laid eyes on the bar down the street, Ethan a

ghtsaber aimed at him from the window. The pa

n? It

rs, Ryan, and Dylan. Ethan hadn't heard from Matty in who knew how long, and he was calling now? During a hangover the size of Texas? Trying to clear his mind, Ethan eased ba

round, "if this is a bad time for you, I could call ba

han rubbed a hand over h

hought we'd see if you're still thinking about mee

eyes shut. "I, uh

till thinking about it, or you gu

g to Arizon

where Aiden an

" Ethan tried to rub out the pounding going on i

From Phoenix, to Cielo Grande. M

t he'd completely forgotten the entire thing, family gathering included. "

ing your startup has got to be keeping you up at night. Just thought it was wor

bad luck. "I'm doing gre

ic. That

. So much has been happening in such a sh

s great, Ethan.

ead was killing him, and so was this conversation. "I meant to

nderstand. I'm really happy for you, buddy. That'

ea

all this

at the ceiling.

silence screamed so loudly it hurt. "That's great,

, but to no avail. "Maybe I could come. I might have some free time this summer, but I

word a lot. "The kids would love to see you, they've been looking fo

oked up at the ceiling.

said, "but your voice sounds a lit

m f

ou sound a

self. "So this will be at your in-laws' house?" Ethan asked, trying to change the

n said he has a spare room with your na

, am I suppose

a five-hour drive for us-- longer, when you count meals and bath

. Tha

ed to be upbeat, "how much d

figure is in the neighborhood of seven hu

joking

rack about a t

heard Matty's gulp. "How

s wife, Beth, had been the rich ones in the past, but Ethan had outdone them by a landslide. Ethan didn't want

tens of milli

hundr

could only assume he'd stunned his brother. That Matty's jaw was on

," Ethan smiled. "Not bad fo

le

re you st

here. I don't k

ardly believe it myself u

e make it on the eveni

t know.

is time the shock in his brot

been interviewed so many times I

finished, and Etha

ied the conversation into the bathroom for some

ave yo

d out. He tossed back a couple aspirin, wash

ral here. How have you bee

rug dealer and shoot up meth,

s is big. S

rking like a dog to make this happen, and it finally has. Don't you g

. Just don't let the altitude g

ignore the fear in his brother's voic

Beth and the kids." Matty sucked in a deep deep breath, and Ethan smiled. "I'd like to get this stra

communications backend that was created while trying to make tha

anding you when you speak," Matt

other products, and Intrepid, a software company here in the Valley, bo

works

, and give you a blow by blow of how it a

on't have to sell me on it any more-- yo

muffles Ethan couldn't make out. Matty was probably telling Beth. This was a weekday, a late morning, and they were probably at work at Beth's Garden Nursery, the busines

on that mutt with dog treats f

od enough excuse to stay away? Though not exactly pressed for time at this

th

m h

you that she's so very proud of you. Tha

her th

r," Matty resumed. "Do

l tr

see you, Ethan. I

t time we FaceTimed... whenever...

phone. "You've been in my prayers. Yo

d the time. "I hate to run, b

said, and with that par

never claimed he wasn't. He could live with that. He just happened to have other priorities. His family would get over it, and if they didn't, he could live with that, too. All things considered though, he wasn't that bad, he wasn't as bad as his father. Now there was a jerk, a total and complete mess up. Ethan would have to sink pretty far to reach his father's sentenced-to-life-in-p

thing, not Ethan's. Just because Matty had cleaned himself up, turned his life around, didn't mean he

do what h

, at Matty's parents-in-laws' house. The invitation had been a half-baked idea, likely brought on by a sense of d

of it gave him so much relief he went to bed. Even though it

n't help that the hangover was lifting, for it only served to sharpen hi

gro

r than any of them would ever do in their entire lifetimes. He just couldn't take

er Cassie, their younger brothers Ryan, and Dylan; his nephew, Peter, and that fleabag they called a dog. He could even see his sister-in-law's disappo

ing and come running on such short notice? But then, Matty had told him about the vacation a few months ago, and Ethan had promised to think about it. Ethan had promised. Groaning

got tha

ver long the visit lasted. He'd lost the right to complain.

en his family in years-- at least, not in the physical sense, and wasn't sure what to expect. He'd traded c

and they had their

and a generous heaping of guilt, Ethan wou

*

be taking summer classes, others were taking the time off for vacation, or work, while the envied ones had internships with potential future employers. For Jo, there would be no vacation, no summer classes, and

put on her curriculum vitae, the all-important CV. Scrub

ly at an end. She'd been working blindly for this moment, and now that it came, she felt numb. She didn't have the necessit

andpa's

ears, the bottomless grief. By all rights, sh

felt drained

ry victory with a manicured fist-pump meant only for herself. She enjoyed her classes, the chance to work with heavily expensive power tools, the atmosphere that came with the mechanics of aircraft structural maintenance and repair. The nuts and bolts of how it all

eded t

the gas station where she could clean up in the ladies' room. It was just as well she couldn't go home-- that she no longer had one, for Grandpa wouldn't be there. The plac

be no more remembering the old days, when they'd all been happy. There'd be no more stories of how Dad had met Mom at the veterinarian's office, when Dad had carried in his sick cat. Poor tabby had fallen off the roof and landed wro

nothing left but those

e. She stil

breathing was

d reminded herself how much she hated weeping. Tears never

o focus o

ommodate her going back to school in August, working part-time while attending classes, but even if they didn't, she could save over the summer, then quit when she had no choice. Jo

irport. It was a desperately long shot, but she had to try. A job in the aviation industry would help her career, further her experience, give her something to put on her CV besides academic surv

rport in broad daylight, she ignored the van, and walked to the

ent i

*

e hangar with a huge backpack over her shoulder. He wiped his hands as she headed toward him. Poor kid, was his first thought. With a face like hers, love must be hard to come by. She wasn't downright ugly, but it was hard n

er. "Something I

My name's Jo Mack, and I'm here about a job," she said, her voice steady and direct. "I'm attending

s familiar with it, for he

e enough to allow me to attend classes when they start back up in August." She paused. "Yo

help but smile inwardly. Whoever she was, she was an odd one. "It's not up to me," Jack explained, "but if we did take you on, it would be in a limited capacity. Someo

that she

mong the best out there. Maybe they thought they had something to prove, but not to him. Though he considered himself old school, he'd lon

shop is," Jack question

n aircraft.

r outsource, we have to create for ourselves. It can make for an interesting job." Jack watched to see if she'd flinch. Restoration wasn't for everyone. A body had to have patience for detail, and the stubbornness of a one-eyed mule to fo

o and talk to Aiden Campbell, the owner. Tell him

punching through clouds. She

dawn on her; he was what she was studying to become. "You talk to Aiden, and tell me what he says. I run things around here most of the time, but Aiden's the boss. What he says goes." Jack pointed her toward the office with a nod

e as she walked away. She

restoration and maintenance. Although they also worked on vintage aircraft, military planes were their stock and trade. Aiden had a healthy pride in his company, and so did Jack. They'd been blessed over the years to be in this business, a

where Jack was busy with Paul Lancaster, one of their aircraft m

you,

Paul grinned and watched on. "He always

" Jack put in, "which

a well-oiled machine-- he has for years. If Jack says we can use you, then it's good enough for me." Ai

Of the six who worked at Campbell Aviation, Jo would be the only woman; though she'd be among the youngest, she looked at ease. As though she was among her kind o

arranged them before her. "Let's see what you can do," Jack said, and stepped back to watch. It took her a few moments to settle in, but when she did, she sk

her helmet, and Jack gave her a

*

eling he wasn't turning into a classical snob, one of those people who could spot Bach in a noisy restaurant. The elevator. Whatever. Like Bach was still alive and well, and living in San Francisco. A little pretension now and then could be a healthy thing, though. Ethan had to admit that flashing an expensive watch in front of a potentia

e killed for a

ghtly chilled, but now, as he headed ever south, he felt the need to crack open a window and get some air. It was warming up. Ethan cursed hims

Arizona

arn to be mo

ers, focused on Chopin

ion an hour or so after nightfall. As the scenery grew more and more dry and windblown, Ethan rehearsed his hellos, his how-have-you-beens. He tried to remember what Cassie had been doing, what community college Ryan had been attending

to look at, nothing to get excited over, unless you happened to like ra

the heart of things, areas that weren't forgotten by fiber optic broadband, or decent restaurants. Some lived out in the middle of nowhere as a sign of poverty, others, as a token of wealth. Tho

had gone down, and the stars were rioting above, flashing their lights like an unembarrassed debutan

ed against the moonlit desert. It reminded Ethan of Matty and Beth's home in New Mexico, but then, Ethan figured all large adobe homes would remind him of theirs i

ouse. Matty stepped out. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Ethan got out of

. "The others thought you might get a room for the night, knowing how far yo

gh Matty looked more fit than Ethan had ever seen him, Ethan noted with particular pride Matty's new but scuffed cowboy boots

imes Matty had fought to keep them fed and safe. Matty had been so young then, only a kid himself, looking after two younger brothers and a little sister. It had been the hardest on Matt

was M

safe. Just like when they'd been kids, and he'd counted on his brother to make things right ag