Arrogant Savior: A Hero Club Novel

by Terri E. Laine

  “How is she?” I asked.

  “She’s doing better. Her oxygen levels are up, but we’ll keep giving her some but with a nose tube instead of the full-face mask. I’m cautiously hopeful for a complete recovery.” He tapped my shoulder. “I’m sorry I can’t stay. We have a full house tonight.”

  I didn’t know much about pneumonia. I would look it up on my phone later, so the next time a doctor came around I would be able to ask the right questions.

  My destination was the chair next to Gran’s bed as I took her hand. She smiled before closing her eyes. I pulled my computer from my bag, set to write on my blog. I hadn’t exactly traveled, but I did have a fun road trip.

  I found myself typing the title Cold and Stormy Road Trip with Hot Guy. The story I told was true enough, even admitting to the heat that formed between us. I may have let out that I thought it was probably one-sided. It was a blog and I didn’t think people wanted to read about my issues with self-esteem at times. That really wasn’t the purpose of my posts. I wanted to inspire people to travel and take risks.

  I was typing the last line when someone said my name.

  Standing not too far away was the youngest of us. “Sister,” I said, knowing it would make her cringe. I followed it up with, “What brings you to town? Shouldn’t you be at school?”

  She attended a party school in Florida.

  “School hasn’t started back up yet, but I’m here to surprise my boyfriend.”

  Of course, she wasn’t here for Gran. I looked over at where she slept soundly.

  “Don’t start,” she said, guessing where my head was. “I’m here, aren’t I, and I’m not surprised you’re sniffing around Nana.”

  I wanted to be nice, but my bullshit meter was at its limit.

  “And you’re here because you smell money.”

  She rolled her eyes, but didn’t deny it. “And you’ll always be Daddy’s mistake Nana feels sorry for.”

  I got to my feet and set my bag on the chair. I moved toward her so I didn’t have to speak loudly.

  “I know what place I don’t have in the family. I don’t need to be constantly reminded. You don’t have to worry about your precious inheritance. It’s yours. From my perspective, money doesn’t make anyone happy, considering the lot of you.”

  “Whatever,” she said, rolling her eyes.

  I rubbed my temples, wanting peace for once.

  “Can’t we just be civil for Gran?”

  “Fine,” she said. “How is she doing?”

  After I explained the little I knew, she seemed slightly more concerned.

  I gave her space as she moved to Gran’s bedside and spoke softly, even though Gran’s eyes were closed. Minutes later, she looked in my direction before leaving the room.

  In my heart I would have liked to have a good relationship with my sister, even a half one, but life didn’t always give you what you wanted.

  “Jo.”

  Gran’s voice was hoarse, but I sat up in my seat so she could see me.

  “Could you get my necklace out of the drawer there?”

  She angled her head to the bedside table. I pulled out a necklace I was very familiar with. Gran’s and Grandad’s wedding set hung on it.

  “I want you to have this.”

  It took me by surprise. “I couldn’t.”

  “You can,” she said. “The vultures are circling, and I want someone that will appreciate it to have it. If I leave it for when I die, who knows. I imagine lawyers will be fighting over my will before my body is cold.”

  I’d heard the love story of my grandparents. Gran had come from money, but Grandad hadn’t. He’d come home from the war and fallen for her at a chance meeting. Being a decorated veteran, her parents had accepted him. He saved to buy her the modest one carat diamond engagement ring. Their simple wedding bands said a lot about Gran and how money didn’t rule her life.

  “Don’t say that.” In my heart I didn’t want to believe that was true until I thought about the things my sister and Aunt Tasha had said about me not having an inheritance.

  She gave me a pointed look. “I’m not deaf or dumb. I hear them talking like they think I’m somehow not in the room.”

  “It’s a good thing you’re not dying yet,” I said, grinning and needing to see her smile.

  She curled my fingers around the necklace and rings. “If there’s anything I learned the past few days, it’s that life is truly short. I’m not afraid of dying. I’ve had a good life. These rings meant so much to your grandad and me, more than money. I know he would be pleased I’m giving them to you.”

  I moved in and gave her a fierce hug. “I love you, Gran.”

  “I love you, my sweet Jo.”

  It didn’t go unnoticed by me that she seemed to be breathing easier. The antibiotics they had given her had to be doing a good job. Whatever other medications they were giving her, she was drowsy and quickly fell back asleep.

  When my phone buzzed, I reluctantly gave up my seat and stepped out into the hall, leaving my dad and aunt to watch over Gran. My older half-brothers had made a brief visit. At least they had acknowledged me and not in a totally dismissive way.

  “Hello,” I said, accepting the call once I was clear of the room.

  “Hey Jo, it’s Suzanne.”

  I was surprised to get a call from her, even though she was a coworker. We weren’t exactly friends, especially since she, like other flight attendants, hadn’t been happy I’d been coupled up with Captain Carter Clynes for almost two months.

  “Hi,” I said, hesitatingly unsure what she could possibly want.

  “I’m calling to see if you could switch with me and take a flight for me tomorrow.”

  That’s when I heard it. Her voice sounded somewhat different.

  “Why?” I asked, though I had a clue.

  “I’m sick.”

  “Are you out of leave?” Because that excuse seemed a flimsy reason to call me.

  “Not exactly. I’ve been out all week. I’m afraid if I call out again, it could hurt my position. I just thought if I made arrangements for my spot to be covered, I’ll have less problems with HR.”

  I didn’t dislike her, even though she and her cohorts had made a point to exclude me just because of Carter.

  “I hope the thing with Tripp won’t stop us from being civil,” she said.

  I rolled my eyes over her use of Carter’s nickname and, of course, she would say that. I’d gotten serious pie in the face over that failed relationship.

  “Tripp plays no bearing on my decision. The thing is, my grandmother is in the hospital. I just can’t leave her right now. I’m really sorry. Can’t you ask someone else?”

  I did feel bad because she sounded awful.

  “I have and the only people available are already on the roster.”

  It made sense I would be her Hail Mary call.

  “I’m really sorry,” I said again.

  “It’s fine. I’ll take some cold medicine and go in.”

  She ended the call pretty quickly. When I returned to the room, Gran was sitting up, looking stronger than she had when I first arrived.

  “I’m not dead. And if you presume to make choices for me, be aware I’m of sound mind and body. I can make changes to my will at any point.”

  Gran eyed a man in the corner who hadn’t been there when I left. He must have slipped in when I was on the phone.

  Aunt Tasha gave me a scathing glare before exiting the room in a huff.

  “Charles,” Gran said. “Please make a note that I’ve gifted my granddaughter jewelry of mine. I don’t want anyone to think otherwise. Jo, please show your father and Charles said jewelry.”

  I pulled the necklace free of my shirt, holding out the rings. Charles nodded.

  “You two are my witnesses.”

  I tucked the rings back into my shirt and spent the rest of my time in the chair talking to Gran when she wanted to and writing.

  Before evening, Gran had grown tired
of being cooped up and demanded to be released. The doctor finally gave in and told her if she continued to not need oxygen and didn’t have a fever, he would release her sometime tomorrow.

  “You don’t have to stay,” Gran said to me.

  “I don’t, but I want to.”

  “You should be out there experiencing life. I’ll be fine.”

  Though I wanted to ignore the voice in my head, I couldn’t help but think about Suzanne. She’d asked for a favor. And true enough, I’d been her last resort, but that shouldn’t matter. Doing the right thing was and getting away from my aunt was also a bonus.

  “A coworker of mine who is sick did ask me to take her flight.”

  Gran’s smile was approval enough. “Go.”

  That’s how I found myself standing in the cabin with Cammie and Lana. The three of us had Tripp in common. I hadn’t thought about that when my father’s driver had taken me to my mother’s house to pack a small bag. Though I’d finally moved out of her house and down to Florida, I did have a few things there along with a spare uniform just in case for times like this.

  I should have known when I’d accepted to take Suzanne’s shift on a flight bound to Dubai, there was a good chance Tripp would be captaining it. Only my head had been elsewhere.

  When the man himself walked onboard, he wasn’t his usually cheerful self. He grinned, sure enough, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. Just when I thought he would snub me, as I was the last person he approached, there he was.

  His smile had flattened, but his words were sincere. “I’m truly sorry, Jo. You deserved better.”

  Then he was gone, leaving a view of Lana and Cammie glaring at me, as they’d noticed his greeting to me had lasted longer than theirs.

  I turned away and caught sight of Jack who was assigned to manage first class and the cockpit crew along with me.

  “Wow, someone looks awfully remorseful,” Jack said.

  Did everyone know about Tripp and me?

  “Don’t worry, love. I’ll leave Tripp to you so you can rekindle that thing.”

  “We have no thing,” I said, but his grin said he didn’t believe me.

  A peal of laughter stopped me cold. When my sister came into view, I wasn’t surprised. What shocked me was to see Grant in her clutches.

  He worked for his dad, didn’t he? Then I remembered her words to me, I’m here to surprise my boyfriend.

  I spun on my heels, unable to look at him.

  “I guess we both have had pilots,” Sophia said as she sauntered over. She made it her life’s mission to one-up me every time she could. “Bring me a gin and tonic, won’t you.”

  How would I survive a flight with not only Tripp, but knowing the guy I’d shared a bed with was in a relationship with my baby sister?

  Sixteen

  Grant

  The last thing I expected on my first day was to be greeted by Sophia.

  “Hey baby,” she said, showing up out of nowhere as I made my way to my gate.

  “Sophia.”

  She slithered her hand down my bicep to my wrist. “You don’t want to be late.”

  Several choice responses came to mind, but I couldn’t insult the boss’ daughter. An image of Dad’s face as he warned me about this inevitability popped into my head.

  With every step forward, I felt like I was selling my soul. I was at war with myself the closer I got to the plane. Men had done less to get what they wanted. Was I that man?

  “Sophia,” I said, stopping us short of the gate.

  “Yes.”

  “You and I aren’t a thing. If that’s a condition of my employment, I won’t be able to accept the position.”

  Technically, I’d already signed all of the paperwork and I would have to resign.

  “What? I’m here as a friend. If anything happens between us, we’re adults,” she said, batting her fake eyelashes at me.

  “Mr. King?” A Skyland employee with the company logo of a wing cradling the company name approached. She probably guessed based on my proximity to the gate and my uniform I was the missing pilot of the flight. “We would like to start boarding. If you could come along.”

  Sophia gave her a bright smile. “We’re ready.”

  When the woman didn’t jump at her command, Sophia pulled out her ID. “I’m Sophia Sky.”

  The employee’s eyes widened. “Yes, Miss Sky.” She handed back Sophia’s ID. “Follow me.”

  Sophia snagged my arm and shaking her off would have embarrassed both of us, so I did nothing.

  Instead of excitement walking down to my first flight using the jet bridge, it felt like a gangplank that led to open waters instead.

  “You’re going to be great,” Sophia declared, giggling in a way I should have felt.

  I was far from giddy, especially when I walked aboard and spotted the flight crew. They all appeared welcoming except for one.

  The beautiful Jolene Jameson.

  I didn’t know what to think, especially when she turned away. Had she lied to me? She hadn’t exactly told me she was rich. She hadn’t corrected me when I’d nicknamed her Highness. What did that make her? A kept woman, which had also been a guess. One I’d been reluctant to accept.

  After thanking the crew for their warm welcome, I headed to the cockpit.

  Standing near the pilot’s seat was the man I’d heard much about in the training sessions.

  “Captain Carter Clynes,” he said, holding out a hand to me.

  “Grant King.” I shook his hand.

  “Nice to meet you. It should be an easy flight.”

  “Grant.” The voice was soft and feminine, catching Carter and me by surprise. Her grin was way too wide and not at all endearing. “I wanted to wish you luck. But you won’t need it.”

  Sophia disappeared as quickly as she’d shown up.

  “In bed with management, I see,” Carter said.

  “It’s not what you think.” It felt a little cliché to say, but it was the truth.

  Jolene appeared. “Can I get you anything?” she asked Carter.

  Their eyes lingered and I wondered if the rumors that he’d hooked up with more than half of the flight attendants were true.

  My jaw tightened as a green envious haze colored my vision for a second.

  “No. Thanks, Jo.”

  Her smile dimmed as she looked at me. “You?”

  We had things to discuss, just not right here.

  “No, thanks. I’m fine.”

  She turned around and, heaven help me, I couldn’t stop myself from watching her ass as she strolled away.

  “Don’t go there,” Carter warned.

  “Why not? Have you?”

  I desperately wanted him to say no, but he disappointed me.

  “I have. With all of them. The women, that is.” When my brows rose, he added to his statement, “It’s not something I’m proud of and don’t recommend.”

  “All of them. How can you be sure?”

  “I know who the crew is. And trust me, if I could take it back, I would. The past has a way of catching up with you. It cost me a chance with the one woman I could potentially see a future with.”

  He wasn’t joking. He wore seriousness like his life depended on the expression.

  “What’s her name?”

  The playboy pilot, as he’d been dubbed, that I’d heard so much about wasn’t the man that stood before me now.

  “Kendall. Trust me, if you’re ever so lucky to find the one, take my advice and don’t let her get away.”

  Our conversation was interrupted by a man in a reflective vest and a clipboard. After we went through the final flight checks, I made an excuse to leave the cockpit.

  When I exited, there was a man hovering by Jolene, whispering something that made her laugh.

  So much for wondering what kind of woman she was. I jerked on the bathroom door, folding it in because I couldn’t just walk back to my seat next to Carter so soon after my excuse.

  Once I was back in the
cockpit, I was left to listen as Carter serenaded the passengers, as I’d heard he was apt to do. I ignored him while the images of what I’d witnessed played in my head.

  Women. Carter was wrong. You couldn’t trust them, especially the gorgeous ones.

  Seventeen

  Jolene

  As much as I tried not to notice Grant when he exited the bathroom, I could feel his eyes on me. At the same time, the passenger crowding my space let his hand slide from my waist to my ass.

  I stepped back, trying to avoid the situation. The airline frowned on sexual harassment from anyone. But it would end up being his word against mine. Because he was a first-class passenger, his voice could have more weight than mine whether HR admitted it or not. And like my aunt said, I was my father’s dirty little secret. No one in the company knew I was related to the Sky family.

  “We’ll be taking off soon. You should probably get back to your seat,” I said.

  The passenger, who wasn’t yet ready to give up, let his eyes skim over me, and even though he was quite attractive, my skin crawled.

  “You’ll let me know the places I should check out in Dubai?” he asked.

  “I’ll look into it for you,” I said because it was my job.

  Finally, he walked away, but not without another leer he expected me to find endearing.

  Jack came over. “You want me to take care of him?”

  “You can’t take all my problem passengers,” I grumbled. “Even if he’s a little handsy.”

  Jack chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m leaving you with the cockpit.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “Don’t start.”

  “The new co-pilot is quite hot. The girls are circling.”

  “Let them have at him.”

  I might have said that, but I felt a little sick to my stomach as I said it. To avoid the thoughts spinning in my head, I threw myself into my job. By the time I had to start dinner service, my cheeks hurt from the faux smile that was congealed on my face.

  Happenstance, I turned my head and caught Sophia headed toward the bathroom. Only she didn’t stop there. I moved and caught her hand before she could knock on the cockpit door.

  Her expression screwed up as she threw dagger eyes at me and yanked her hand out of my grasp.