Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 50043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
“Thanks. I’ll just stay here,” she promised as she buckled her seatbelt, not sure about the small plane. She’d only ridden on a plane twice.
Harper watched him disappear out the door and heard a bang. He’s just stowing my luggage, she thought. When he reappeared, Pete entered the open door of the cockpit and slid into his chair to put on his headset. She watched with fascination as he flipped levers and pushed buttons before taking the wheel and driving the plane down the runway.
Quickly, they lifted into the air. Staring out the window, Harper had fun seeing the tops of familiar buildings as they headed out of town. When she realized she’d pressed her nose against the immaculate window, she sat back to wipe her print off.
She hadn’t even asked how long the flight was. Looking around, she marveled at the interior of the small plane. Brushing her hand over the soft leather of the seat below her, Harper imagined she was rich and got to jet-set anywhere she wanted to go.
Colt organized this. This must be his life now.
It was mind-boggling that the down-to-earth boy she’d loved for as long as she could remember lived a lifestyle like this. He didn’t seem any different, but maybe that was only because they knew each other so well. Harper knew she’d see how being famous had impacted Colt’s personality soon.
“Would you like a glass of wine?” Tom offered, suddenly appearing at her side.
“Oh, no. I don’t want to put you to any trouble. I’ll just sit here, I’m fine.”
“They’ll fire me if I don’t do something to earn my keep. You don’t want that to happen.”
“Oh, no. O-kay, I can drink a small glass of wine.”
“I’ll be right back.”
Soon, he sat a glass in front of her with a blush wine and a selection of cheeses and crackers. Self-consciously, Harper took a sip of the wine as if she knew everything about it. “It’s delicious,” she announced.
“Great. Just let me know if you’d like anything else."
“Okay. Thank you, Tom.”
“You’re welcome.” He grabbed a couple of bottles of water and returned to the cockpit.
When her stomach growled, reminding her she’d eaten lunch hours ago, Harper helped herself to the beautiful display. Her eyes rolled up in delight at the yummy flavor of the creamy cheese and crisp crackers. The food and beverage combination was incredible together.
Happily, she finished her snack without worrying about leaving some so Tom wouldn’t be appalled at her lack of control. She’d never be on a private plane again and she was starving. To her delight, the empty plate was replaced by a hot cookie.
“More wine?”
“Could I have a bottle of water, please?”
“Of course,” Tom said, clearing the small table beside her and returning with a cold bottle of fancy water.
With a full tummy including a glass of wine, Harper laid her head back against the headrest and reclined the seat slightly. She stared out the window at the puffy clouds and wondered how Colt could ever prove to her that the woman who’d answered her phone meant nothing to him. Without finding the answers in the blue sky, she drifted to sleep.
When Tom woke her, a flurry of activities followed. After landing, a driver ushered her into the back seat of a massive SUV. He expertly navigated through a crush of cars, signs proclaiming Colt’s name, and security gates to reach the backdoor of the arena. Promising he would take care of her luggage, the driver escorted her to the door.
“Hey, Harper! I’m so excited to meet you. I’m with Colt’s PR firm. Put this lanyard around your neck. It has your backstage pass. You got here just in time. Colt’s getting ready to go on. Let’s get you to the side stage so you can watch.”
Just then, a huge roar of excitement sounded from the gathered masses. Unable to hear the man in front of her, she accepted his arm and allowed him to guide her past a flurry of backstage workers and equipment. He steadied her when she tripped over a coil of electric cords. She looked up to see Colt jamming out on stage.
“Damn, he looks edible,” she thought as her guide stationed her by a tall stack of crates where she’d be out of the way and protected. She devoured Colt with her gaze as he entertained the crowd. The audience sang his songs, sending the concert back at Colt and the band. What an amazing feeling as a singer and composer to have people love your words so much they memorized every note!
A movement beside her drew her attention from his powerful body. Her escort stood a small distance away and waved his arms up and down. The movement caught Colt’s attention. Instantly, the handsome musician focused on Harper. His smile changed from sparkling to devastating as he looked at her.