Tess had been wondering how to approach the issue of Brock’s identity change. He had just given her an opening.
“Speaking of suspicious . . .” She hesitated, clearing her throat. “Before we get to the contract, I need to ask you about something I learned from my attorney.”
Did he stiffen slightly? Did a muscle twitch in his cheek? The difference in his expression was slight, but she could sense his unease. “Go ahead and ask,” he said.
Tess shifted on the sofa to face him more directly. “As part of her service, Andrea, my lawyer, did a background check on you. She told me that—”
The ringing of Tess’s phone interrupted her words. What bad timing. She was about to ignore the call. Then she saw that it was from Shane. “Excuse me, I’ve got to take this,” she said.
“What is it, Shane? Is Lexie all right?”
“I don’t know.” He sounded shaken. “We’re in Ajo, at the hospital. The baby’s coming early, and there might be a problem. Her doctor’s in Tucson, but we couldn’t make it that far.”
“How is she?” Tess could feel her heart pounding.
“Scared. Crying. The doctor’s talking about a C-section to save the baby. Val’s here. Lord, Tess, this isn’t the way we planned it. We could lose our boy—or even lose both of them.”
“Give her my love. Keep me posted. Oh, Shane, I promised to be there for her. I’m so sorry. I’ll be praying.”
Brock’s face showed his concern. “Lexie?” he asked as the call ended.
“I don’t know how much you could hear. It looks like the baby’s coming early. She’s in Ajo. I promised I’d be with her. And now—”
“I could take you in my plane, Tess. There’s an airstrip outside Ajo. I could drop you there, and you could call for a ride to pick you up.”
“You’d do that?” She stared at him.
“You’re damn right I would. If Ruben needs help with the bulls, I’ll see that he gets it. Just say the word.”
Tess weighed her terror of flying against the need to be with her sister. There was no question of what her answer would be. “Yes, and thank you,” she said. “Let me call Ruben. Then I’m all yours.”
Tess made the call. “Go,hija, and don’t worry about me or the bulls,” Ruben said. “Just be with your sister. And give Brock my thanks.”
Taking only her purse, she let Brock usher her to the elevator for the seemingly endless plunge to the lobby. In the entrance, Brock hailed a taxi and gave directions to the private airport where he’d left his plane. As the cab wove through traffic, Tess’s fingers crept across the seat—and stopped. She could use some hand-holding, but if she wanted to deal with Brock as an equal, she couldn’t let herself come across as weak and dependent. Not even now.
She thought of Lexie, in pain and terrified for the life of her precious baby—and Shane, as scared as his wife was. She needed to be there. She needed to be strong with them.
Please,Tess prayed silently.Please let them be all right.
The cab pulled up to the security gate of the private airport. Brock paid with his credit card, presented his ID, and escorted Tess inside.
The airport was small—a control tower, a fuel depot, a row of hangars, and a single long runway. Parked in front of the hangars were several planes, including two Learjets. They were of varying sizes, but all of them looked luxurious.
Brock pointed out one of the smaller single-engine planes, silver and black with a pointed nose, a streamlined body, and long, graceful wings. “That’s my Cessna TTx. It should get us there in about two hours—less if we have a tailwind. Come on, I’ll help you inside. The preflight check will take a few minutes. Then we’ll be off.”
Two hours.Anything could happen to Lexie and the baby in two hours. But there was no way to get there any faster. While she waited in the cockpit for Brock to finish the preflight check, she put in a quick call to Val at the hospital.
“How’s Lexie?” she asked when her sister picked up.
“She’s stable for now. The doctor’s consulting with her regular OB in Tucson. Until something happens, all we can do is wait.”
“I’m on my way,” Tess said. “Brock’s bringing me to Ajo in his plane. He says we should be there in a couple of hours. Can you pick me up at the airstrip?”
“Sure. Call me when you get close. And tell Brock we owe him.”
“I will. Tell Lexie I’m coming.” Tess ended the call as Brock climbed into the plane.
“Fasten your seat belt.” He glanced at her. “Are you all right?”