by Susan Stoker
Zoey looked up at him with her big hazel eyes—and Bubba was surprised when a jolt of…something…went through him. He couldn’t have looked away from her if his life depended on it.
She opened her mouth to respond, but the airline employee interrupted before she could.
“It looks like your pilot is almost done with her pre-check. You should be able to board in about five minutes.”
Zoey swallowed hard and shifted just enough that Bubba’s hand fell from her arm. “Thanks.”
Realizing he needed to call Rocco as he’d promised, Bubba stood. “I need to make a phone call before we take off,” he told the airline employee.
“You’ve got five minutes,” she replied, seemingly disinterested.
After she’d walked away, Bubba turned to Zoey. “I’m sorry, but I promised my friend I’d call him before we took off. He’s a little paranoid and I’m humoring him.”
Zoey shrugged. “Whatever.”
Feeling oddly off-kilter at her casual dismissal, Bubba took out his phone and stepped toward the window for a bit of privacy as he dialed Rocco’s number.
He answered after only two rings. “Hey, Bubba. You getting ready to leave?”
“Yeah.”
“The flight to Anchorage was good?”
“Uneventful,” Bubba told him. “The pilot is about done doing her preflight checks and we should land in Juneau in about three hours.” He stared out the window at the woman walking around one of the float planes that were so common in this part of the state. There were at least ten other small planes lined up on the tarmac, as well. They were extremely popular in Alaska, as a lot of communities, Juneau included, had no access via road. A lot of people got their pilot’s license around the same time they got their permit to drive.
“We?” Rocco asked.
“Yeah. A woman named Zoey Knight is on the same flight as me. Apparently she was helping my dad out, and was visiting her mom in Anchorage when he passed. She’s in my dad’s will, and has been asked to come back for the reading too. So the lawyer got us on the same flight.”
“That’s funny.”
“What’s funny?” Bubba asked.
“Her last name is Knight and yours is Wright. Hell, if you got married, she’d only have to change two letters in her last name.”
“Fuck off,” Bubba told his friend with a snort. “We aren’t getting married. Jeez. Just because you’re about to tie the knot doesn’t mean the rest of us are.”
“Right. Anyway, things here are good. The commander doesn’t see any missions in the near future, although we both know how quickly that can change. Try to enjoy your time back home. I know you haven’t been back in years. You’ll see your brother, right?”
Bubba winced. He felt bad that he wasn’t really looking forward to that. Malcom was his twin. He should be ecstatic to see him and catch up. But if Zoey’s words were any indication, his brother hadn’t changed much. “Yeah. Mal will be there. As will Sean, my dad’s business partner. I haven’t seen or talked to him in years either. Oh, and probably everyone else I grew up with who I haven’t seen in thirteen years.”
Rocco chuckled. “Gotta love small towns.”
“Yeah, right.”
“When’s the memorial for your dad?” Rocco asked.
“I think in two days. He’ll be cremated according to his wishes tomorrow. So I think the next day is when the memorial is planned.” Bubba saw the airline employee coming toward them and knew he had about thirty more seconds to talk. “I gotta go, looks like it’s time to board.”
“Okay. Be careful up there. You don’t have your team at your six this time.”
Bubba rolled his eyes, and that made him think about Zoey. “You worry too much,” he told his friend and SEAL team leader.
“It’s my job. And just wait until you find your woman. You’ll feel the same way. I swear to God, I’m more nervous now about the smallest things than I was before I met Caite.”
“Pass,” Bubba told him. “I don’t want to turn into a Nervous Nelly like you, so I’ll just stay single.”
“Famous last words,” Rocco said with a laugh. “Call me the second you land. And if you need us, we’re here. I know this isn’t easy for you, and if things get too overwhelming, all you gotta do is call and one of us, or all of us, will be there in a heartbeat. Got it?”
“Thanks, Roc. I appreciate it. And I’ll call when we hit Juneau.”
“Anytime. Talk to you soon.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
Bubba hung up and turned his phone off in preparation for the flight. He heard the airline employee telling Zoey she could board the plane, and he stuffed his phone into his duffle bag then joined them.
He wanted to offer to carry Zoey’s bag for her, but he had a feeling he’d pushed his luck enough for one day.
As they walked across the tarmac, Bubba was glad it was sunny. The temperature was moderate for this time of year, in the lower sixties. The forecast called for rain later, but that wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. The saying, “If you don’t like the weather, wait twenty minutes and it’ll change,” was very appropriate for this part of the country.
As they walked, Bubba’s eyes went to Zoey’s ass. He wasn’t proud of himself for ogling her, but she definitely had an ass that was meant for ogling. He managed to raise his eyes just in time when she turned around to ask if he had a preference for which side of the plane he wanted to sit on.
“Nope. You can pick. My plan is to take a nap, so it doesn’t matter.”
Zoey nodded and turned back around, and Bubba found his gaze dropping to her ass once more.
God, what was wrong with him? He was tired, that wasn’t a lie. He’d slept like shit the night before, wondering what was waiting for him in Juneau, but it wasn’t like him to be so rudely obvious about staring at a woman’s body.
Bubba turned his attention to the pilot as they approached the small plane. She looked young, in her early twenties, but that didn’t concern Bubba. He knew people frequently learned to fly at a very young age in Alaska.
“Hi,” the woman said as they approached. “My name is Eve Dane. I’ll be your pilot today. If you leave your bags at the bottom of the stairs, I’ll get them loaded and we’ll be on our way soon.”
Zoey thanked her and, after dropping off her bag, climbed into the plane. Bubba held out his hand and shook Eve’s. “I’m Bubba. That was Zoey. We appreciate you taking us to Juneau today. How long have you been flying?”
She smiled distractedly, shaking his hand even while looking at something in the plane. “I know I look young, but I’ve had my license for eight years. I started flying with my dad when I was fourteen and passed the test when I turned sixteen.”
Bubba nodded. That didn’t surprise him at all. “It’s good to meet you.”
“Same.”
He dropped her hand and put his bag down beside Zoey’s before climbing inside the small plane. There were two seats in the front and two in the back, the latter of which were bench style, separated only by an armrest. It would put him and Zoey very close together. It was a tight fit, especially for him, but Bubba strapped himself into the seat next to her with little difficulty.
Eve climbed in after a few minutes and turned to smile at them briefly. “Ready?”
“Ready,” Zoey told her.
Bubba nodded.
He wasn’t a nervous flier, and he’d been in more than his fair share of helicopters, jumbo jets, and even small, private planes like this one. So he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. If he could sleep for the few hours it would take to get them to Juneau, he’d arrive in a much better frame of mind. Which was important, since he had a feeling it would take all his patience to deal with the lawyer, his brother, his dad’s business partner, and the countless other people who would want to know everything he’d been doing for the last thirteen years.
He wasn’t even there yet, and Bubba was already feeling claustrophobic and wanting to
leave. As much as he regretted not making the effort to see his pop before he’d died, he didn’t regret not spending more time than necessary in the stifling town where he grew up.
Seconds after he felt the plane’s wheels leave the tarmac, Bubba was out. Sleeping the sleep of the exhausted.
Chapter Two
Zoey couldn’t rest. She glanced over at Mark and saw that he was fast asleep, and quickly turned her attention back to the window next to her. She didn’t even see the beautiful landscape. She’d seen it her whole life. Instead, she was lost in the memories in her head.
God, Mark Wright hadn’t changed at all since she’d last seen him thirteen years ago.
Okay, that was a lie. He’d changed all right. For the better. He was still tall, around six feet, just like his twin. But even though they were identical, she could easily tell them apart. For one, Malcom was a bully, and there was something in his eyes that screamed “asshole.”
Mark’s eyes were full of secrets and pain, but there wasn’t an ounce of jerk there that she could see. Yeah, he’d said some rather insensitive things back at the airport, but he’d apologized for them almost immediately. She couldn’t remember a time when Malcom had ever said he was sorry for anything he’d done.
Then again, she hadn’t exactly been Miss Congeniality in the airport either. She felt bad about that. Being a bully wasn’t who she was. She’d apologized, but she still felt bad about it. Maybe she’d immediately acted bitchy because she was used to having to harden herself to deal with Malcom. But Mark wasn’t like his brother, she knew that from the first apology that had left his lips. And that wasn’t the only difference between the brothers.
Mark was a lot more muscular, and his shoulders were broader than Malcom’s.
Sighing, Zoey rested her forehead on the cool window. The only reason she’d agreed to go out with Malcom all those years ago, when she’d been young and dumb, was because she’d had a crush on Mark. She’d thought that maybe since they looked alike, going out with Malcom would be just as good. She’d been very wrong.
Shuddering when she thought about the night she’d dumped him, Zoey wanted to kick herself all over again. Malcom wasn’t anything like Mark. He’d taken her out to eat at a fast food place then driven her up to Lena Beach to hang out and talk. But of course, once there, all he’d wanted to do was get his hands up her shirt. When she’d pushed him away, telling him she wasn’t ready and didn’t want to have sex with him, he got angry. Called her a prude and a tease. He’d actually kicked her out of the car and left her there. She’d had to call her mom to come get her, which was embarrassing and humiliating.
Of course, at school the next week, she’d heard the rumors Malcom had spread about how he’d fucked her and what a terrible lay she’d been. She didn’t care about the rumors, except for the fact that Mark would have heard and possibly believed them.
At the time, she’d wondered how in the world she could still have a crush on someone who looked exactly like the asshole who’d humiliated her and left her stranded.
Luckily for her, Mark had always hated gossip. Everyone knew that. And while it didn’t stop the whispering about her, sixteen-year-old Zoey had been relieved at least her crush probably didn’t assume she was a shitty lay.
At that point, she hadn’t known if she was good or bad at sex, as she’d never had it before. She’d been saving herself. But once Mark left town to join the navy, she realized her chance with him was gone. He wasn’t coming back. She knew that as well as everyone. The only thing that made her feel better was that she hadn’t given her virginity to Malcom as some sort of consolation prize.
When she’d seen Mark in the airport, she’d been shocked, although she shouldn’t have been. Of course he was coming home for his dad’s funeral. Colin Wright was as good a man as Mark was. He’d constantly talked about how proud he was of his Navy SEAL son to anyone who’d listen, and most of the time, that had been Zoey. She’d kept Colin company, as well as keeping his house clean and tidy. She was his confidant and friend.
Thinking about Colin and the heart attack that seemed to come out of nowhere—after they’d both thought he was finally on the way back to being healthy after an extended illness—depressed Zoey all over again.
She didn’t have the most exciting or prosperous life, but she’d been satisfied. She’d gotten her associates degree in business from the local community college. She worked part-time in one of the tourist shops near the cruise ship docks, but that was only in the summers. Her work for Colin made her happy, and had given her plenty to do through the winter months.
But now that Colin had passed away, she’d have to make some tough decisions. Honestly, the main reasons she still lived in Juneau was because of him. She’d liked him enough to not pack up and head to Anchorage when he’d asked her to stay. He’d seemed lonely and sometimes depressed, and Zoey couldn’t bring herself to leave.
She had no idea what he’d bequeathed her in his will, but she assumed he’d left just about everything to his sons. Which meant Malcom would probably kick her ass out of the house before the week was out.
After they’d dated, Malcom had never liked her. Even though he’d been way out of line, trying to force himself on her, he’d somehow twisted everything to make it seem as if she was the one who’d done him wrong. He only tolerated her being around because his father liked her.
She could move to Anchorage to be closer to her mom, but that didn’t really appeal either. Zoey really wanted to see more of the world.
There had been a time when she’d wanted nothing more than to get married, have babies, and stay in Juneau forever. Her mom had itchy feet—always had, always will—and she hadn’t stayed anywhere for long during the first fifteen years of her daughter’s life. So Zoey had made a conscious choice to stay in the place where she’d graduated from high school, craving the stability.
But after years of hearing about Mark’s adventures in the navy from Colin, she’d slowly but surely started feeling as if she were missing out.
She’d never been to the beach—a warm beach, that was. Had never been to Disney World. Never seen the Grand Canyon. So many things people took for granted, she’d never even thought about doing.
Until now.
In many ways, Colin’s death had freed her. Yeah, her money situation wasn’t ideal, but maybe she could find a job in Anchorage and save up enough money by living with her mom briefly, then moving to the lower forty-eight.
She turned to look over at Mark and sighed once again. His eyes were closed and his head was tilted, resting on the seat back. His brown hair was cut shorter than Malcom’s, and it looked like he hadn’t shaved in a few days, which was sexy as hell. She was used to seeing full beards on men, as they were very popular in Alaska. Many guys said it helped keep their faces warm in the winter months, but since Mark lived in southern California, he certainly didn’t need to bother.
He was wearing a pair of black boots, and navy-blue cargo pants with pockets that seemed to be packed to the gills with stuff she couldn’t begin to make out. He had on a dark green Henley with a few buttons undone near his throat and a thicker long-sleeved shirt over it. The material was stretched tight over his biceps, and Zoey could almost picture him sweating and straining as he worked out, doing pull-ups to make those muscles as big as they were.
His fingers were twined together, resting on his belly, and she couldn’t help but stare at them. They were long and rough-looking…and she bet they’d feel amazing on her bare skin. His nose was crooked and looked like it had been broken at some point, and there was a small scar at his temple. He had a few more scars on the backs of his fingers, and she desperately wanted to hear the stories about how he’d gotten them.
She wanted to know everything about him.
He looked tough, and if she hadn’t already known him, Zoey might’ve been nervous to be sitting so close to him in the cramped interior of the small plane. But she did know him. Probably knew more about him than he�
�d be comfortable with because of his dad’s bragging.
And even after all these years, the second she’d locked eyes with him, her high school crush reared its ugly head once more.
God, she was pathetic. She was no longer the untried virgin she’d once been, but it seemed she was even more attracted to the man Mark Wright was now than the boy she’d once known.
Sighing, Zoey closed her eyes and looked away from him once more. He’d never glance twice at someone like her. And he was only in town for his dad’s funeral and the reading of the will. Once that was done, he’d leave and never look back again. She knew that, but it didn’t stop her from wanting what she knew she’d never have.
Just then, the plane lurched, pulling her out of her fantasies faster than anything else might have. Zoey reached up and grabbed the handle above her head.
The plane lurched again, then the engine stuttered.
She held her breath and stared with wide eyes at the pilot.
“Shit!” Eve exclaimed, and Zoey saw her fumbling with the instruments on the dashboard. She’d never really minded being so close to the pilot before. It was just a part of flying in small planes in Alaska. But at the moment, she would’ve preferred to not be seeing the pilot frantically flicking switches and jerking on the yoke.
The erratic movements of the plane obviously woke Mark, because he leaned forward and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know,” Eve responded. “It feels as if we’re out of gas, but that’s impossible. I filled up before we left. We should have plenty of fuel to get to Juneau.”
Zoey watched as Mark’s gaze went from the instrument panel on the plane, then to his left, glancing out the window. “What can I do to help?” he asked.
Zoey almost laughed hysterically. Of course the Navy SEAL would want to help. Hell, he’d probably bust out a trio of parachutes he’d packed away in his bag so they could all escape the plane.