CHAPTERONE
LACEY
The pilot’svoice wakes me from a deep sleep. My eyes flutter open, ears straining to hear the announcement. I don’t know how long I’ve been asleep, but I know it isn’t long enough to be all the way back to Minnesota.
“Due to current weather conditions, we’re going to have to land the plane in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Flight attendants, please prepare the cabin for landing.”
My ears perk up. Did he just say what I think he did? I shuffle in my seat and reach for my cell phone. This can’t be happening. I need to get back to Thunder Mountain pronto. The whole reason I left my business trip a day early is because my baby sister, Charlie, is in labor with her first child.
I lean into the aisle, desperate to flag down a flight attendant and ask when the next flight out of Sioux City will be. I can’t afford to be stuck here in Idaho; my sister needs me. I’ll never forgive myself if I’m not there for her. Of course, she has her husband, Mick, but that’s not the same.
Our mother died when we were both in college, and we’ve been each other’s surrogate mothers ever since. I can’t let my sister down. It’s not an option.
“Excuse me, miss.” I wave my hand, but the flight attendant straps herself in.
“It’s pointless.” A deep voice in the seat diagonally from me pulls my attention.
“What is?” When I turn around to see the owner of the voice, my breath catches in my throat. Even in the low light of the cabin, I find myself gazing into the greenest eyes I’ve ever seen. His light brown hair is pulled away from his face, revealing his chiseled features and stubble-brushed chin.
“Anyone trying to get another flight out of Sioux Falls tonight.” He squints at his cell phone, and I secretly wonder if he wears glasses. He’s the kind of guy who would look so sexy in a pair of designer frames. But judging from his flannel shirt and heavy work boots, I have a feeling he’s more the outdoor type. “All of the flights are booked. I’ve been checking since we took off just in case this happened.”
“What do you have like a sixth sense?” His muscular frame barely fits into the standard coach seat. Lucky for him, he doesn’t have a seat partner.
“No.” The man stretches his chest, reiterating the massive girth of his shoulders. “But I’ve been stranded enough times to know how it all goes down.” He leans in closer across the aisle, and I twist even further in my seat. The sudden pinch in my lower back makes me rethink taking up yoga again. “Your best bet will be to run for the rental cars. If one plane goes down because of the weather, they’re all going down.”
“I see.” His scent is intoxicating, a subtle blend of clean muskiness with a hint of cedar. I try to remain subtle while breathing him in. It’s been a long time since I’ve been with anyone, and this kind of man would wipe out my two-year dry spell in about three thrusts. I clench my thighs together to relieve the sudden pulse between my legs. “That’s good advice, thank you.”
“But seriously, you’re going to have to book it. I bet everyone on the plane has the same idea.” I turn back around in my seat. Ahead of me, I count six rows of people, not including first class. My heart sinks when I look down at my high heels. They aren’t exactly ideal for making a run for it.
When Charlie texted me that the doctor told her to go to the hospital to prepare for labor, I didn’t waste any time. I grabbed my bag and coat, made my apologies for having to leave, and changed my flight to this one on the way to the airport.
A lot of good it’s going to do me.
My mind races. Maybe I could reserve one from my phone. My fingers fumble to type in the car rental’s website, but it won’t work. I didn’t pay for in-flight internet, so of course, I’m shit out of luck.
“Dammit,” I mutter as the plane dips below the clouds, signaling that we’re getting close to a landing. I’m not good in stressful situations. Yes, I can handle a meeting with some of the biggest names in our company without breaking a sweat. That’s easy because someone else benefits from the meetings. If everything goes well, it benefits everyone. But it’s hard for me to compete for things when it comes to personal gain. It’s something I’m working on, but Rome wasn’t built in a day…or during a fifteen-minute flight landing.
I just have to take the sexy mountain man behind me’s word for it. I take a deep breath and re-strategize by slipping my high heels off and shoving them into the top of my carry-on. I slip my purse on criss-cross style, parting my breasts like Russell Crowe in that Gladiator movie, and try to remain calm.
I know Charlie won’t be upset with me if I don’t make it, but I can’t let her down. I’ve already let her down enough by not believing in her when she told me she was in love. I thought Mick was bad news because he was a former convict, but it turns out I was wrong. He loves my sister more than life itself, and now he’s my brother as much as she’s my sister. I will never be able to make it up to him how badly I misjudged him from the start.
The wheels touch down, shaking me in my seat. The sudden shuffling of bodies sends my nerves into overdrive. I can’t do this. Competing sucks and I always psyche myself out and lose. Unless…
This isn’t for your own personal gain, Lacey; you’re doing it for your baby sister.
A sudden rush of adrenaline tingles in my toes and surges all the way up to my chest. I unbuckle my seat and hold on tight to my bag, knowing that with my upcoming rush to beat hundreds of passengers to the rental car counter, the turbulence is just beginning.
CHAPTERTWO
BOND
I can’t tearmy eyes away from the gorgeous blonde sitting one row in front of me. Even when she was sleeping, I was drawn to her. Every time I caught myself staring, I reminded myself of how creepy it would be if she were to suddenly wake up and catch me. That’s not my style. Still, I couldn’t help fantasizing about what it would be like if she were sitting next to me for the flight. So I was ecstatic that I worked up the nerve to talk to her.
Even as we were boarding, I couldn’t get over the curves on this woman. I even overheard her name, Lacey. But I didn’t use it…again, the creeper thing. I wish I had more time to chat with her, but we’re walking into a high-stress situation. I say a silent prayer of thanks that I’m a lumberjack and not an airline worker. Those poor folks are about to get reamed.
Lacey heads to the front of the cabin, not waiting for anyone in front of her. Normally, I’d curse someone like that out, but we’re in dire straits here. Clearly, she has somewhere important to be.
I lean back in my seat, waiting for everyone in front of me to deplane before grabbing my bag overhead and heading out into the airport toward the rental counter. I was visiting a buddy of mine from college, and once as soon as the pilot came on the intercom I used my in-flight internet to quickly book a car at the Sioux Falls airport.