by Joanna Sims
“Okay.” Maybe she shouldn’t tell her sister about the fight with Brice anyway. Her family, especially Jordan, had never really been fond of him.
Jordan started the walk over to the waiting pilot; she turned around and walked backward for a few steps.
“Why don’t you go get settled?” her sister suggested. “Ian’ll tell you where to find the booze. He only stocks the best.”
Josephine lugged the carry-on bag loaded with textbooks up the small flight of stairs that led up to the main cabin of the jet. She’d seen pictures of the jet, of course, but to see it in person was an entirely different experience. The cabin was decked out in sophisticated grays and blacks and accented with polished mahogany. There was a long leather couch on one side, while the other had two separate seating areas with oversize recliners and a small table in between. In the back, there was a narrow hallway that led back to a bedroom and en-suite bathroom.
Ian Sterling, Jordan’s fiancé, was sitting on the couch. Next to Ian’s left leg sat a muscular black Labrador retriever.
“It’s me, Ian,” Josephine said to her soon-to-be brother-in-law.
“I thought I heard your voice.” Ian stood up to greet her. He was a model-handsome man and world-famous for his photography. But a rare eye disease had recently destroyed his central vision, rendering him legally blind and sidetracking his career as a professional photographer.
Josephine hugged Ian; it made her feel really good that Jordan had found her perfect match in Ian Sterling. She had never seen two people as crazy for each other as they were.
“And who’s your friend?” Jordan had finally managed, after nearly a year of trying, to convince Ian to get a service dog.
“Shadow.” Ian rested his hand proudly on the dog’s head.
“Is it okay if I pet him?”
“At ease, Shadow,” Ian commanded gently.
Shadow’s body language changed on the command and he started to wag his tail.
“Shake, Shadow.” Ian gave the Lab a second command.
Shadow immediately extended his right paw to her. Josephine took the paw, smiled, and gave it a shake.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Shadow.”
Josephine had already set up her computer and unloaded her books in the short time it took for her sister to appear. Jordan plopped down next to her fiancé, tucked her long legs to the side of her body, and frowned at her.
“I hope it’s not going to be like this our entire trip, Jo,” Jordan complained.
“I’m not going to spend all of my time studying, but I can’t just pretend like I’m not in school for two months. The third year is a make-it-or-break-it year. That’s when they really try to thin out the herd.”
“You always say that about everything and then you always end up on top.” Jordan rolled her eyes.
“Quit bugging her about it.” Ian put his arm around Jordan’s shoulder and pulled her tightly to his side. “Not everyone waits to the last minute to get things done like you do, beautiful.”
Josephine smiled triumphantly at Jordan. She finished arranging her collection of items in an orderly and precise way: a book stand held a thick constitutional law book upright, her laptop and tablet were both charging, three differently colored highlighter pens were situated in a perfectly even row.
“There...” She surveyed her work. “This is perfect.”
“I need a drink.” Jordan stood up. “Anyone care to join me?”
“I’m good.” Josephine sat down in the large recliner and used the controls to adjust it perfectly to her body. “Shouldn’t we be getting ready to take off soon?”
“We’ll leave as soon as our fourth arrives,” Ian told her.
Josephine glanced at her sister. “Didn’t Jordy tell you that Brice couldn’t make it?”
“I told him.” Jordan poured herself a scotch on the rocks.
“Then who are we waiting for?” she asked.
“My best man is catching a ride with us,” Ian explained.
Josephine turned the swiveling recliner toward the couch. “Wait a minute. Dylan is coming with us? I can’t believe he agreed to come without Mackenzie and Hope.”
“Oh! That’s right! You don’t know...” Jordan returned to her spot next to Ian.
“Know what?”
“Mackenzie has been having some issues with her pregnancy and her doctors don’t want her to fly.”
“I didn’t know that,” Josephine said, concerned.
Ian’s best friend, Dylan Axel, was married to their cousin, Mackenzie, and they were expecting their second child together.
“So, Dylan had to beg off being Ian’s best man.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that. I had no idea that Mackenzie was having a rough pregnancy.”
Sometimes law school was like living in a bubble. There were a lot of times that she just didn’t have contact with the world outside of school. She would turn off her phone, ignore all forms of social media, and she would focus all of her energy on studying.
“I’ll have to call her,” Josephine said aloud to herself before she asked, “Who’s going to stand in for Dylan?”
“One of my old friends from high school,” Ian said.
Jordan smiled brightly. “You’re gonna love him, Jo! He’s such a cool guy. And what’s really funny is that he was actually there the day that Ian and I first met...”
“I think I hear him now.” Ian nodded toward the direction of the door.
Josephine heard two animated male voices coming from just outside of the jet. Then, she heard the sound of heavy, decisive footsteps heading up the metal stairs to the jet’s cabin.
Josephine looked at the doorway curiously; both Ian and Jordan stood up.
“It’s real nice of you to finally show up, Logan!” Jordan called out to the best man teasingly.
Logan Wolf, still in his uniform, stepped into the jet’s cabin.
“Hey...” Logan smiled charmingly at Jordan. “Don’t blame me, blame the San Diego PD.”
Jordan hugged Logan in greeting before he shook hands with Ian.
“I’m glad you could make it, man,” Ian said.
“I appreciate the invitation,” Logan replied. He could feel Josephine’s eyes on him, but he’d deliberately waited to look her way.
“Logan, I’d like you to meet my sister, Josephine.”
Josephine stood up and extended her hand.
“Oh...” Her eyes locked onto Logan’s. “Trust me...we’ve already met.”
Chapter Two
“Wait, what?” Jordan asked, her expression a mixture of surprise and intrigue.
“Officer...Wolf, is it?” Josephine slipped her fingers free of his.
Logan rested the duffel bag on the seat next to him and smiled warmly at her. “Lieutenant, actually, but I think it’s all right for you to call me Logan now, Josephine.”
“Hell-o?” Her sister was impatient for details.
“As it turns out...” Josephine paused, looked skyward with a little shake of her head, before she continued. “Logan is the reason why I was late.”
Logan told Jordan and Ian, “I pulled her over for speeding.”
And here it comes, Josephine thought.
Jordan’s eyes lit up, as did her face. First, she smiled broadly like a Cheshire cat, and then she tipped her head back to laugh out loud.
“You got a ticket?” Jordan gleefully exclaimed. “Holy crap! Miss ‘I haven’t gotten a ticket in ten years’ actually got a ticket?”
Logan said, “She shared that fact with me during the stop.”
“Of course she did,” her sister chirped. “Trying to worm her way out of the ticket, no doubt.”
“Don’t you think that you’re just a little too happy about this, Jor
dy? I mean, really.” Josephine had her arms crossed over her chest, not enjoying this conversation nearly as much as Jordan.
Ian had taken his seat and Jordan flopped down next to him. “Oh, please, you know exactly why I’m enjoying this so much!” To Logan, her sister said, “You have to understand, Jo has been harassing me about my driving for years!”
“In my defense,” Josephine explained to Logan, “Jordy has had her license revoked twice.”
“Irrelevant!” her sister exclaimed. “Because now you can’t wear your perfect driving record like a badge of honor when you’re lecturing me about my driving.”
“You are a menace to drivers everywhere.” Josephine had relaxed her arms as she relaxed into the conversation. “You ride that Ducati of yours like you’re a bat out of hell.”
“I’m a great driver.” Jordan put her hand on Ian’s leg to get his attention. “You trust me when I drive, don’t you?”
“Absolutely not,” Ian replied with a deadpan expression. “I am grateful every day that I can afford a driver.”
“That’s a horrible thing to say, GQ!” Jordan punched her fiancé lightly on the arm. “Now do you see what I have to put up with, Logan?”
“I do see,” Logan nodded thoughtfully, playing along.
“That is why you are officially my hero for the day.” Jordan pointed at Logan.
“But let’s be clear,” Josephine said. “He’s not a hero for putting on a uniform every day and risking his life. You’re saying he’s a hero for giving me a ticket so I can’t harass you about your terrible driving anymore. Right?”
“What’s your point?” Jordan asked with a shrug.
Josephine looked at Logan. “Do you see what I have to put up with?”
“You’re in a no-win situation, buddy,” Ian warned his longtime friend.
“I see that, too,” Logan laughed good-naturedly, then lifted the duffel bag off the seat. “Hey, before we take off, I’d like to change out of this monkey suit into some street clothes.”
“Straight back to the bedroom.” Ian pointed in the direction of the back of the jet. “You can change in there.”
“If you’ll excuse me, then. I came here straight from work and I’d really like to feel like I’ve started my vacation.” Logan’s arm brushed Josephine’s when he walked past her to get to the back of the jet.
It wasn’t long before Logan returned carrying the duffel bag in one hand and a garment bag in his other.
“Is there some place I can hang up my uniform?” he asked.
“Closet’s right there.” Jordan pointed. “You can put your bag in there, too, if you want. While you were in the back, the pilot said that we’re about ready to taxi out to the runway, so grab a seat and make yourself comfortable.”
Logan did just that. After he hung up his uniform and stowed his bag, he took the seat across from Josephine’s recliner. Logan Wolf had been noticeably handsome in his uniform, and he was just as attractive in his crisp jeans, tucked-in short-sleeved green polo and San Diego Padres baseball cap. She was in a long-term relationship, yes, but she still had eyes and could see if a man was good-looking or not. Logan was a good-looking man. But then again, so was her Brice.
Thinking of Brice, Josephine checked her phone to see if he had called her. When she left for the airport, things were still messy between them. Normally, he would have called her by now; he would have tried to smooth things over before her flight. But this time, he hadn’t. What did that mean?
Not wanting to spend the beginning of her sister’s wedding trip dwelling on her problems with Brice, Josephine turned off her phone and prompted Jordan to tell her all about the latest wedding plans. Ever since she was a young girl, she had loved all things wedding, and hearing about all of the latest details of her twin’s upcoming nuptials would be the exact distraction she needed.
While Jordan excitedly shared the latest details of her wedding with her, the pilot taxied the jet out to the runway and they took off for Helena, Montana, soon after. Jordan, who had always been a nervous flier, had stopped talking and held on tightly to Ian’s arm while the jet quickly ascended to the level of the clouds. Once the jet leveled off, Jordan opened her eyes again.
“You’re much better than you used to be, that’s for sure,” Josephine complimented her sister.
Jordan hugged her fiancé’s arm more tightly and smiled at him. “Being with Ian has really helped me.”
“Not as much as being with you has helped me.” Ian brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it.
Josephine was so happy for her sister. But she felt a twinge of jealousy whenever she saw Jordan with Ian. He loved her so much; it was plain to see in the way he spoke to her, the way he spoke about her and in the way he touched her. She knew that Brice loved her, but he wasn’t, by nature, a demonstrative person. And even though she had accepted that part of Brice’s personality, she couldn’t stop herself from craving what her sister had found.
Ian tried, unsuccessfully, to stifle a yawn. “I’m sorry, guys...I promise it’s not the company.”
“You do look tired, Ian.” Josephine had noticed that earlier.
“He didn’t sleep well last night,” Jordan explained, holding his hand. “Why don’t you go lie down, baby?”
“I’m not just going to leave all of you out here while I sleep.” Ian shook his head.
But both Logan and Josephine assured him that it would be okay with them, and Ian appeared to be so tired that it didn’t take much convincing. He kissed Jordan and stood up.
“Bedroom, Shadow.” He gave the black Lab the command, which Shadow immediately followed.
When Ian disappeared into the bedroom, out of earshot, Jordan confided in them.
“Ian’s been having a really hard time sleeping. The specialist says that it’s not uncommon for people with Stargardt to have a sleep disorder. He’s been on melatonin, but it’s not really helping all the much. Honestly, we were both up all night last night.”
“Then you need to go back and get some rest, too,” Josephine told her.
“What about you guys?” Jordan rubbed her eyes tiredly.
“I’ve got plenty of reading to do,” Josephine assured her.
Logan nodded his agreement and held up his earbuds. “And I’m going to kick back and listen to music. Don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine. Go get some rest.”
Like Ian, Jordan didn’t take much convincing. When they were alone together, Logan said jokingly, “And then there were two...”
Josephine smiled faintly; she hoped that he really was going to listen to music and didn’t expect her to entertain him now that they were the only two left in the main cabin. She had so much summer reading to do that until she got started with it and finished it, it felt like a giant albatross around her neck.
“I really do have a lot of reading to do.” She tried to remind him politely that she needed to concentrate.
“And I really am going to listen to music,” he countered easily; he put his earbuds in his ears, fiddled with his phone, leaned back his head, and closed his eyes.
Josephine couldn’t hear any sound coming from his earbuds over the noise of the jet. There wasn’t one excuse left not to open the first textbook and get to work. She took in a deep breath, let it out and relaxed her shoulders at the same time, and then took the book off the stand and set it down on the table directly in front of her. The spine of the thick book was stiff as she cracked it open for the first time. Josephine took the cap off a fresh, yellow highlighter pen, grabbed a black ballpoint pen, and held them together in her right hand. When she studied, she had her own system of highlighting, underlining information, and tabbing pages. Armed with her study utensils, she began the daunting task of wading through the first few pages of her textbook.
After trudging valiantly through the f
irst, tedious chapter, Josephine leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and tried to rub the soreness out of her neck. She wished she could just throw all of her textbooks out the window so she could enjoy her first trip home in years, but there was just too much to do. There was still way too much information that she didn’t know or understand. And unfortunately, at the moment, her brain was repelling all new information. Josephine breathed in deeply through her nose and then let it out on a long, tired sigh. She gathered up her cache of studying devices and neatly put them back into their proper places. The one thing that had led to her success above all else was her determination to stay organized. That was her lifeline to sanity, as well as success.
Lounging across from her, Logan had been impatiently waiting for Josephine to stop studying. He didn’t really want to listen to music alone at the very beginning of his first real vacation in years. He wanted to celebrate, but he also respected that Josephine was dedicated to her studies. Periodically, he would open his eyes to see if she was done reading. He checked five times throughout the hour, but it wasn’t until the sixth time that he caught Josephine rubbing her eyes. The minute he saw Josephine start to pack up her books and computer, Logan switched off his music and pulled the earbuds out of his ears.
“Taking a break?” he asked hopefully.
Josephine nodded, yawned, and carefully wound the cord of her computer neatly and secured it properly with the provided Velcro.
“I’m trying to get ready for my last year, but I’m afraid that my brain has hit its saturation level.” Josephine slipped the computer into its designated spot and then zipped the bag shut.
Logan stood up and stretched. “I was thinking about raiding the liquor cabinet. Care to join me?”
“You know what? I think I would.” Josephine’s first thought was “no,” but her verbal answer switched to a “yes.” “You’ll find the liquor right across from the closet.”
“Jackpot!” Logan opened the cabinet with a smile. “What’s your poison?”
“You don’t happen to see any gin in there, do you?”