Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 84982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 425(@200wpm)___ 340(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 425(@200wpm)___ 340(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
“Go on up,” the driver told me as he handed off my suitcase to another man planeside.
Still chewing on my lip, I stared at the ramp before making my way up it. I felt as if I had walked into some movie. This was so cool. I couldn’t wait to see what it looked like inside. I would be lying if I said I hadn’t googled it last night. Unfortunately, there were no photos of inside their plane anywhere on the internet. I had seen a few of the outside in some different news articles.
When I reached the top, a lady in a navy-and-white uniform, which consisted of a straight knee-length skirt and a white button-up with a matching jacket, met me.
She smiled and stepped back to wave me inside. “Welcome, Miss Jewel. Can I get you something to drink? Mimosa, coffee, juice?” she asked.
I opened my mouth to respond when my gaze locked on Thatcher. He was sitting in a leather chair with his legs propped up on the table in front of him, crossed at the ankles. He had a red drink in his hand with a celery stick in it that I assumed was a Bloody Mary. The corner of his mouth tugged up slightly as he watched me.
We’d spent almost two hours together with Zephyr on Monday, and he said very little to me. Although I had gotten to take the horse around the track several times, a redheaded woman arrived, barely dressed in much clothing, and ended our session. He left one of the stablehands to take Zephyr and just nodded at me before going inside with the other woman. It had sunk my mood for the rest of the day.
“Water,” I said, swinging my focus back to the lady waiting for me to answer. “Do you have just some water?”
“Of course. With or without ice?”
Why was he here? He hadn’t said he was coming.
“Ice, please.”
She nodded and walked away, leaving me in the cabin with Thatcher.
“Have a seat,” he said, breaking the silence.
I looked around, not sure where I should be sitting.
Why hadn’t he told me he was coming too? I’d have been prepared. I probably would have also put on some makeup and chosen a different outfit. Which was pathetic because the image of that redhead he’d left with on Monday was still taunting me. No amount of makeup would make me look like that. As for clothing, I almost laughed out loud. I had nothing to flaunt. My jeans, tank top, and Converse were more my speed.
“There.” His voice sounded like he’d been up most of the night. It had a scratchy sound to it.
I looked back at him to see he was pointing to the chair across from him.
Okay, so I was sitting near him. We would talk … maybe. He didn’t seem to do much of that. At least not to me. The excitement of this flight had taken a turn. I was now wishing I’d flown commercial. Sitting beside a stranger with a screaming kid.
His eyes followed me as I walked over to sit where he’d directed me. I wished he’d look somewhere else. Anywhere but at me. I was trying to love my body. But when Thatcher was focused on me, I felt as if every flaw I had was on display. Like a neon sign flashing.
Sitting down, I tried to appear casual and smiled at him. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
He took a drink from his glass and continued to study me. “Last-minute change in plans. My father had something come up.”
I hadn’t been sure who was coming with me. Miller had mentioned it would more than likely be Stellan, but he wouldn’t be traveling with me. It seemed that his replacement was going to be though.
“Oh,” I replied.
I wasn’t good with small talk in general, but this was Thatcher. He didn’t seem to be much for conversation. I’d brought a book with me and considered getting it out of my purse to read. But he was still looking at me as he drank more of his Bloody Mary.
“Your water,” the lady said, coming up beside me, then placing it on a coaster that had the Shephard Ranch emblem on it.
“Thank you,” I replied.
“Can I get you anything else?”
I shook my head.
She shifted her gaze to Thatcher. She might be older than him, but the immediate warmth that touched her face made it clear she was attracted to him.
“Mr. Shephard, can I get you anything?”
“Bring out a tray of fruit and cheeses with the cookies once we are in the air,” he told her, barely flicking a glance in her direction.
“Yes, sir,” she replied.
I reached for my glass and took a long drink before putting it back on the table beside me and then studied my hands like a weirdo. My only other option was looking at Thatcher, and this seemed the easiest of the two.