“How does this even work?” I asked, glancing at Sammi as if she would know the answer.
“Is that the plane?” Sammi asked, pointing at a small jet parked on the airfield.
“I bet it is.” Charles nodded.
We all climbed out of the car and Charles grabbed Sammi’s suitcase.
“We just go over there and sign a few things,” Cynthia said, pointing at a building right next to the café.
“And then what? We just walk onto the tarmac?” Sammi asked.
“You two do. Yes.”
“Wow.”
We filed into the building and saw another couple waiting for someone to land. I spoke to a person behind a counter, and Sammi and I signed what we needed to.
“I guess that is it.” Charles grinned. “My fourteen-year-old daughter is flying on her first private jet.”
“Fifteen, dad. I just turned fifteen.”
Charles grinned and slapped his forehead. “How could I forget?”
“Because you don’t want to believe she’s that old.” Cynthia laughed, hugging her husband.
“Okay, love you, guys. But I better get Dakota to Shane or…”
“Whoa.” I held up my hand and laughed. “It’s not like that.”
“Yeah, right.” Sammi hugged her dad, and he gave her an equally long hug back. “Come on, dad.”
“Yeah, come on, dad.” Cynthia chuckled. “I want a hug too.”
Sammi laughed and hugged her stepmom before we walked toward the exit onto the tarmac. We turned around and waved one more time before heading to the jet.
“This is so weird,” Sammi whispered. “We just walk right up to our plane and that’s it?”
“Pretty much seems that way.” I looked at the plane that seemed to get bigger and bigger as we walked toward it.
A female flight attendant came out of the hatch and stood at the top of the stairs. “Welcome. Mr. Parker sends his regards.”
“He better,” Sammi grumbled and flashed a grin.
When I walked onto the plane, I was dumbstruck. It was beautiful. Burled wood wrapped around most of the interior and cream leather seats sat in two groups of four, facing one another. There were red wool blankets draped over two of the seats, along with several platters of food.
“Umm.” Sammi looked at me with her brows up. “Did you know people lived like this?”
I laughed and guided her to her seat while the flight attendants took care of our luggage.
Sammi picked up a sandwich and opened a soda. “Now it’s time to eat my sorrows away.”
I gave Sammi a sympathetic smile as the Captain’s voice came over the speakers, and he introduced himself and updated us on flight times and weather in Montana.
“Here goes nothing,” Sammi said, looking at me. “I’m trying not to panic.”
I drew a deep breath and didn’t have the heart to tell her I already took a Xanax, which was why her dad had to drive me to the airport too.
“It’s going to be fine.” I held her hand before going to my own seat and buckling in.
Within minutes, we were in the sky and Sammi looked greatly relieved, but I was still on edge, and I highly doubted it had anything to do with the flight.
“How are you doing with the whole Trey thing?” I asked when I saw her reaching for her second sandwich.
She shrugged. “One of his friends had sex and wouldn’t shut up about it, so his song suddenly changed about wanting to do it.”
“He didn’t force you or anything.” My pulse quickened.
“No. He told me how I needed to do it because a college scout was coming out and he heard that it would give him clarity.” Sammi rolled her eyes for which I was grateful.
“That’s pretty creative.”
“Or desperate.”
“I like how you think, Sammi Troner.”
She giggled and polished off the rest of her sandwich. “Can you believe we’re going to my uncle’s ranch in Montana on his private jet.” She wiggled her brows. “I think Charles did well, marrying into this family.”
“You mean Dad,” I corrected, and she laughed.
“So my relationship went up in flames. How’s yours?”
Her ability to drill right in was unnerving. “So far so good.”
She let out a sigh. “I think I’m giving up on men.”
“Don’t do that or you’ll wind up cranky.”
“You’re not cranky.” She smiled.
“I’ve no longer given up on them.”
Sammi stretched. “I’m glad because Charles and Cynthia seem to think that Shane is set on making you his.”
Little did they know I already was his in mind, body, and soul.
“I’m going to sleep away my misery.”
“Are you sure?”
She pulled the red blanket to her chin. “I’m positive. Otherwise I might devise a plan on how to take Trey out.” She flashed a wicked grin. “And I’m not even kidding.”
I laughed and curled my feet under me and pulled the blanket around me. Before I knew it, the Captain was already announcing our arrival, and I was waking up with the weirdest dream still lingering. It was random encounters with Shane all strung together, but it turned into Cynthia’s wedding, only I was the one in the wedding dress. I looked over at Sammi who was already turning on her phone, only to be disappointed.
“Service is lousy here,” she grumbled.
“Well, I’m sure there will be plenty to do besides hang out on your phone all day and night.” I smiled. “Besides, I’m sure Shane has wi-fi and then you’ll be all set.”
“True.” She smiled and shoved herself forward, tossing the blanket onto the seat next to her. “Are you nervous?”
“Why would I be nervous?”
“Over seeing him again,” she answered matter-of-factly.
I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I had a horde of butterflies colliding in my belly. “Maybe a little. I missed him.”
“I know.” She smiled. “And judging by what Cynthia said, he’s missed you too.”
“Good to know.”
“I’ll try to give you guys some alone time,” Sammi offered.
“Sammi, we’re here for you to get to spend time on a ranch. Don’t you worry about me. It’s all about you having fun.”
“I’m just saying.” She let out a happy hum. “Besides, he’s already waiting for you on the tarmac.”
“Really?” I blushed, quickly ducking my head to the nearest oval window to see Shane holding a huge bouquet of red roses. He was dressed in cowboy boots and a cowboy hat, and I never saw a man look so sexy.
“The plane came to a halt, and the flight attendant opened the hatch and helped us down the stairs. Shane began walking quickly in our direction, removing his hat, and nearly dropping the roses when he scooped me in his arms. The tenderness of his touch quickly turned harder, more passionate as his lips found mine.
“God, I’ve missed you,” he whispered between kisses, and I felt like the luckiest woman on the planet. He drew a breath and stepped back, handing me the roses. “You look amazing.” His gaze went up and down my body, and I couldn’t imagine what on earth could impress him about a pair of leggings and an oversized linen shirt.
“Thanks.” I smiled and watched as Sammi grabbed her bags.
“And how’s my favorite niece?” Shane asked.
“I’m your only niece,” Sammi pointed out as Shane grabbed my bags and took away Sammi’s from her.
“True, but you’d be my favorite nevertheless.”
Sammi smiled, but her gaze had a touch of sadness still. I’d fill Shane in later.
“Someday, we’ll be able to fly this beast right onto my property, but we aren’t quite there yet.”
“Really?” I asked.
“I have a lot of property and it’s perfect for a runway.”
“Wow. Well, whatever works, I guess.” Sammi pushed her lips into a funny expression. “What was that show of the ‘80’s? Lifestyles of the Rich
and Famous?
Shane laughed. “I’m not rich, and I’m certainly not famous.”
Sammi and I followed Shane to a pickup truck where he tossed our bags in the back before helping Sammi into the backseat of the double cab.
“Are you ready for a fun-filled way to start summer?” Shane asked.
“Yes.” Sammi nodded. “Anything to be away from men.”
“Uh-oh.” Shane grimaced and gave me a sideways glance as he started the engine and drove onto a road leaving the airport.
We were driving for several miles when he turned down a dirt road that eventually led to a paved road. It didn’t take long before my gaze landed on a sprawling log home.
“Whoa, Uncle Shane,” Sammi said. “I think you ought to reconsider what rich means.”
Chapter Sixteen
Shane’s home reminded me of Fireweed Lodge, mainly because of its size. He opened the mammoth iron doors, and Sammi’s jaw dropped open. A river rock fireplace soaring upwards at least twenty feet greeted us in the foyer.
“I don’t think you quite expressed the enormity of your home,” I teased as he hauled our bags inside. “Don’t you have help to haul the suitcases in?”
His eyes connected with mine, and he laughed.
“Yeah. Right here.” Sammi waved her hand, and I chuckled.
“There are bedrooms upstairs or downstairs.” Shane parked both suitcases near the fireplace. “We can do a quick tour.”
“Something tells me it won’t be quick.” I smiled and turned slowly in the foyer, admiring the crystal glasswork letting the dazzling light into the entry.
“Oh, good.” An older woman with silver hair and a purple leisure suit with a white apron over it clapped her hands and came toward us from one of the halls. “I’m so happy they arrived on time.”
I looked at Shane who smiled and nodded. “This is Grandma Esther. She runs the place.”
“Nice to meet you,” I told her, reaching out to shake her hand.
“Oh, we don’t do that on the prairie.” She opened her arms wide and hugged Sammi first. “I’ve been so looking forward to meeting Shane’s niece.”
“Nice to meet you too.” Sammi smiled as surprise washed over her features.
“And of course, Dakota.” She squeezed me tight. “I like you already.”
I chuckled and looked over at Shane who was beaming.
“He’s told me so much about you both.” She looked at Sammi. “Would you like Grandpa Fred to show you the horses?”
Sammi looked over at me and I gave a quick nod. “Yeah. That would be great.”
I stared at Esther, trying to find some faint similarity between Shane and her, and I came up short. She had fair skin and bright blue eyes, but not everyone always resembled their family members.
“Have fun.” I waved at Sammi who trundled off with Grandma Esther.
“So Grandma Esther looks after everything?”
He nodded and grinned. “They aren’t grandparents by blood, but they lived in the original home when I purchased the property. They were renting and I knew they didn’t have anywhere to go. They live on social security so…”
I stood and stared at Shane in awe. “You cared enough to move them in?”
“Why wouldn’t I? It’s not like I’m short on space.”
I glanced around the foyer that would easily hold my tiny home and laughed.
“Besides, they filled a void when my parents and sister gave me the finger.” He flashed a wicked grin. “And once I had Grandma Esther’s cooking, I couldn’t live without it, and it turns out Fred is the best horseman in the county.”
“Sometimes things just work out, huh?”
A spark flashed through Shane’s gaze. “Things always work out.”
I heard Sammi’s laughter drift down the hallway, and I breathed a sigh of relief. My biggest fear was that she’d turn into one of those pouty teenagers everyone talked about and this situation with Trey certainly could have done that to her.
But Sammi was resilient. It was a trait I wished I had at her age. Maybe I wouldn’t have run from so many relationships.
“You polish up mighty fine for a cowboy,” I told him, looking at the roses he’d propped on my suitcase.
“When in Rome,” he said, his arms draping around my shoulders as he brought me in for a deep embrace. “How was the flight?”
“I honestly could get used to that. No TSA? No lines. No lost baggage.” I grinned. “But I was worried for a split second we might not make it.”
“Why’s that?”
“Trey broke up with Sammi,” I whispered to Shane, and he pressed his lips together and shook his head.
“His loss,” he muttered under his breath.
“Apparently, the virgin baseball player changed his tune and decided he needed some divine inspiration since a scout was coming to one of their games.” I bit my lip. “Sammi refused, so he dumped her.”
“Should I go track him down?” He smiled. “You know, like I did for my sister.”
“Yeah. Cause that worked out well.” I chuckled and swept a kiss along his cheek as he slid his hand over mine. “Why don’t you show me where I’ll be sleeping for the next little while.”
“Gladly,” he nearly growled, pulling me toward the stairs.
“The pine stairs were polished to perfection, and I couldn’t even imagine how much work it took to keep this place up and running so well. A few photos of horses dotted the walls, along with photos of people I didn’t recognize.
“That was me and Cynthia when we were teenagers.”
I stopped in the middle of the staircase and peered at the photo he was referring to, and laughed. “Oh, my word. You look like a mini Shane.”
“Isn’t that usually how it works?” He looped his arm around my waist.
“Yeah, but you even have a tiny cowboy hat and cowboy boots on.”
“Creature of habit.” He pulled me gently up the stairs. and I looked over the balcony into a large great room. “That’s pretty cool.”
“Thanks.” He pointed at a hall that I think shot over the garage. The bonus room, exercise room, and game room is over there.”
“You don’t believe in condensing activities, I see.”
He just shook his head and we walked down a different hall where several bedrooms with their own en suites were until finally reaching the end of the hall. “This is my bedroom.” He opened the double doors, and I smiled seeing Shane’s taste all over his bedroom.
“This whole house screams you, but this bedroom especially so.”
“How so?” He eyed me, trying to search my thoughts before I expressed them.
“It’s refined yet rugged. You even have a shirt that matches your bedspread.” I pointed at the red-and-black checked buffalo plaid.
He laughed and shook his head. “I guess I do.”
“And I love all of your furniture. It’s so rustic and really you.”
He led me into the large space to an oversized picture window that overlooked pasture. I saw Sammi following someone, who I assumed to be Grandpa Fred toward the stables.
“He’s eighty-four.”
“No, he’s not. There’s no way.” I shook my head.
“Yup and Grandma Esther is eighty-two.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I’m not.” He smiled and took a deep breath. “It’s this lifestyle. It’s just good for the soul.”
I stared at the beautiful landscape just steps away and nodded. “I can see why.”
“It’s beautiful in the winter with the snow on the ground, and the light catching the flakes as they swirl to the ground.”
“I hope to see that someday.” I hugged myself.
“How about Thanksgiving?” His eyes locked on mine. “I’d love for you to spend the holiday here with me. Well, it wouldn’t just be me. There’d be my sister, brother-in-law, Sammi, my parents, Grandma Esther, and Grandpa Fred and their kids.”
“I’ve never not s
pent a holiday with my family.” The holidays were always huge for the Turners and Norths. We all gathered at my cousins’ Silver Ridge Resort on Thanksgiving and again on Christmas. It was a big deal and I couldn’t imagine not being there.
But I looked at Shane and realized I couldn’t imagine not being with him.
“It’s good to try new things.” I smiled, unhooking my arms from his.
“Is that a yes?”
“Absolutely.”
“You’ve just made my year.” He drew a breath and watched Grandpa Fred lead a horse out of the stables with Sammi riding western, and my heart squeezed for all the good things to come in our lives as long as I didn’t run away.
“Do you want to go for a ride?” he asked, looking at my attire.
“Sure. I can change into some jeans. Which room is mine?”
“Whatever room you’d like.” He smirked. “But this room would certainly be lonely without you.”
“I don’t know if I should with Sammi and all.”
His eyes twinkled with amusement as I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. He knew how much I wanted to spend my days and nights in this bedroom.
“Well, then be my guest to choose any room you like.” He took a step back, waiting to see if I’d budge.
And I’d show him. I wasn’t going to go anywhere.
“I’ll go grab your suitcase.”
“Thanks.” I smiled and wandered back over to the window.
Grandpa Fred was slowly walking what I thought might be an American Paint Horse. I wasn’t that up-to-date, but the horse literally looked like someone had painted dark chestnut splotches against its bright white coat.
Despite the house being humongous, it didn’t take Shane that long to bring my suitcase up to his bedroom. He set it on a couch near the far corner, and I quickly opened it up and found the first pair of jeans.
I glanced at the jeans and then at Shane. “Do you mind?”
“You’re shy all of a sudden?” he teased.
“No. I’m realistic. I won’t leave this bedroom if anything starts, and I don’t want to do that to Sammi.”
Shane’s expression lit with the same desire I’d been doing my best at ignoring and he cleared his throat. “I’ll be waiting outside the doors.”
Accidental Love on Meadow Cove Lane (Island County Series Book 10) Page 13