He was handsome, and she was convinced that in another life he’d been an explorer, discovering and invading new territories. He was always busy. He always had a plan. He rarely slowed down, and lately he rarely dated.
Her heart pounded in her chest like it always did whenever she saw him. How long had it been since she’d fallen hopelessly in love with Garth Bartram Outlaw? Had it been ten years ago on her eighteenth birthday, when he’d flown her and two of her besties to Las Vegas as a high school graduation gift? Or had it been at sixteen, when he had helped her father surprise her with a “sweet-sixteen” party at Disney World? Deep down she knew it didn’t matter when it had happened. The key thing was that it had happened, and she needed to do something about it before Garth became her downfall.
Regan knew that as much as she wished otherwise, realistically, quitting her job was not an option. Her father, Franklin Fairchild, had been the corporate pilot for Outlaw Freight Lines for over forty years. When he retired a few years ago, she had taken over. She loved her job. She also loved the man who was headed toward her with a huge smile on his face. He did that whenever he saw her. She’d rarely known a time when Garth hadn’t given her a smile. It was a smile that meant everything to her.
She knew Garth’s smile was a natural part of his makeup. He rarely frowned, and when he did, everyone knew there would be trouble. He was an astute businessman, and the company had grown in leaps and bounds since he’d taken over from his father. It wasn’t that Bart Outlaw hadn’t been good at his work, but Garth’s approach was a lot different from his father’s. Bart ruled with a hard hand and was distrustful by nature. He was hard-nosed and inflexible. On the other hand, Garth knew the art of compromising, and he was also brilliant. Everybody liked Garth, and she of all people knew how easy he was to love.
She also knew about that period of sadness in his life when he’d returned home from a stint abroad as a marine. He had come back a broken man, after the woman he loved had been killed. For a while there had not been any smiles, and he’d thrown himself into working beside his father to make the company bigger and bigger.
Then, when Bart retired, or more specifically when the company’s board threatened to oust him, it was Garth who’d taken over and put in all those long hours, sometimes without a social life, to pull the company through difficult times. Regan guessed that he’d also been trying to rid himself of the pain of losing the person he’d loved. More than once, she had walked in on him unexpectedly, in one of his quiet moments, to see grief in his eyes.
“Good morning, Regan,” he said now, when he came to a stop in front of her.
She tilted her head back to look up at him. He was tall, but the first things that caught her attention were Garth’s handsome features. Namely his smooth, coffee-and-cream complexion, piercing dark brown eyes, a perfectly shaped nose, a pair of full lips and a sculpted chin. He garnered plenty of feminine attention no matter where he went.
“Same to you, Garth. Ready to fly?” She knew she would be flying him to Santa Cruz, Spain.
“I’m ready whenever you are, and how’s Franklin?”
“Dad is fine.”
“Good. I need to check up on him soon. Maybe even pay him a visit.”
Her father was close to all Bart’s offspring but would admit that Garth had always been his favorite. Franklin had been working as Bart’s pilot when Garth was born. When Bart had gained full custody of Garth, oftentimes Garth and his nanny had accompanied Bart when he traveled extensively.
“I miss him.”
Regan missed her father, too. She hadn’t been surprised when her father had left the cold state of Alaska to move to Florida upon retirement. He was enjoying sunshine nearly all year round.
“Everything is in order, Garth, and we’ll be taking off soon.”
Less than twenty minutes later, she was cruising the skies. They would make a couple of pit stops to refuel before reaching Santa Cruz. She’d never been there but had heard it was beautiful. One thing she did in addition to studying the layout of the private airport of any destination was get familiar with the area. The plan for this trip was for her to drop him off and return to get him in two weeks. She had two rest days before flying back to Alaska and would use them to get in as much sightseeing and shopping as she could. Depending on his business plans, there were times when he asked her to remain with him during the entire trip as his private chauffeur. He hadn’t asked for that on this trip.
“Mind if I join you?”
She smiled. “Sure.”
It wouldn’t be the first time Garth had joined her in the cockpit, claiming he was bored in the seating area. Although calling it a seating area was an understatement when this jet included luxurious sleeping quarters as well as an office.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw how easily he slid into the copilot seat beside her. As usual, he smelled good. She didn’t have to glance over at him to know he was gearing up with the headset. Her father had taught a teenage Garth to fly and he’d enhanced those skills while in the Marines. More than once, he’d copiloted with her on long flights.
“Estimated flight time?” he asked her.
“Twelve hours.”
“First stop?”
The FAA required her to take a break after piloting for nine hours. “Bolungarvik, Iceland,” she replied.
He nodded. “Nice place. I visited there a few years ago while in the Marines. It’s a beautiful coastal fishing town with breathtaking scenery. Especially the mountains surrounding the harbor.”
“Sounds gorgeous.”
“It is.”
She eased the jet into a glide while moving around a huge mountain. “You’re good at that, Regan,” he said.
“Thanks. I was trained by the best.”
She considered her father the best pilot there was, and he’d made sure she’d gotten her private pilot license at sixteen. Her mother had died of an aneurysm when Regan was five. She and her father had a close relationship, and she missed him now that he was in Florida. However, she’d understood him wanting to spend his later years in a warmer climate. When he had sold her childhood home, he’d split the proceeds with her. She’d taken the money and purchased a home on the Tanana River.
Because Fairbanks had a military base, most of the men she’d dated had been soldiers. All were nice guys, and although she’d enjoyed their company, she hadn’t gotten serious about any of them. At least not as serious as some of them had liked. Earlier in the year, she had broken up with Craig Foster. They’d dated for six months and then he’d developed jealous tendencies she hadn’t cared to deal with.
“I love being up here.”
She knew what he meant. There was just something about being in the beautiful blue sky, this close to heaven. “Me, too. I guess I don’t have to ask if you’re prepared for your meetings this trip.” She knew that when it came to any business regarding Outlaw Freight Lines, Garth was always prepared.
He chuckled. “Not this trip. It’s strictly for pleasure.”
“Oh.” Suddenly, a pain settled around her heart. That meant his two weeks in Santa Cruz would be with a woman. The thought of that bothered her even when she had no right to let it.
“No one back in Fairbanks will have need for the company jet while I’m in Santa Cruz. They have their own planes anyway,” Garth said. “If you like, instead of returning to Fairbanks, you can use the time to visit your father in Florida before returning for me.”
He was right; all the Outlaws had their own personal planes and could fly them. Even Charm. Due to Alaska’s very limited road system, one of the most common ways of getting around was by aircraft. Locals liked to say that more Alaskans owned personal planes than cars.
“Thanks, but Dad left two days ago for a twenty-day cruise. However, if you don’t mind, I’d like to spend a couple of days in Los Angeles to visit Simone.” Garth knew Simone w
as her best friend from college.
“Of course, I don’t mind. By the way, chances are we might have a guest flying back with us on the return.”
Regan’s stomach knotted. “A guest?”
“Yes. I’ll let you know when I’m certain so you can file the proper flight information.”
“All right, Garth.”
The one thing Garth had never done was bring a female friend on board to spend time with him. He always kept his business and personal lives separate. But then, hadn’t he said this was not a business trip?
Regan glided around another mountain and tried concentrating on piloting the plane and not on what Garth had told her. Maybe it was time for her to finally accept that the only place she had in Garth’s life was this one, as his pilot. She would never be the woman who would one day wiggle her way into his heart to remove that sadness she often saw in his eyes. As much as she wished otherwise, it would never happen, and it was time for her to make her peace with that.
Two
“What do you mean she’s not coming?” Garth asked, speaking into his cell phone, while rubbing a frustrated hand down his face. He had arrived in Santa Cruz expecting the woman selected by the dating service to be there already. She wasn’t.
“I got a call from the dating service,” Charm said. “Evidently there was some kind of mix-up in the dates. They regret their error and are hoping you will consider rescheduling.”
Anger rose, heating Garth’s face. A mix-up in the dates? He expected better from a company that prided itself on being the best in the business. “Since there’s no reason to remain here, I’ll let Regan know I’ll be on the plane with her when she leaves two days from now.”
“Why?”
Garth frowned. “Why what?”
“Why are you coming back home? Don’t you think Cash can handle things while you’re gone?”
Garth rolled his eyes. “Of course, I do. Had I thought he couldn’t, I would not have left him in charge.”
“Then let him do it. It will make him feel important to the company.”
“He is important to the company, Charm. All of you are.”
“Then take the time off you so rightly deserve. We’ve been worried about you. All those long hours you’ve been working over the past six months. Finalizing that Biggins deal wasn’t easy, Garth. You did it and now you need some time off to enjoy yourself.” She paused before adding, “I know it’s disappointing not meeting your match, but look on the bright side. At least I rented a nice place for you.”
Garth glanced around. Charm had made all the arrangements, and she was right. This was a nice place. It was a beautiful château in the mountains, overlooking the sea. It was spacious and the view was breathtaking. “What am I going to do here alone for two weeks?”
“Rest. Relax. Sleep. And who said you had to be alone? I booked several activities for you and your date to enjoy while in Santa Cruz. They were paid for in advance. Just ask Regan to stay and join you.”
“Regan?”
“Yes, Regan.”
Garth drew in a deep breath. Ever since the night of the Westmorelands’ last charity ball on New Year’s Eve, when he’d asked Regan to go with him upon the Westmorelands’ request, he hadn’t been able to think of her in the same way. He blamed this change on the outfit she’d been wearing and the dance they’d shared. When he’d seen her and held her in his arms, desire—which he hadn’t thought he was capable of feeling for any woman after Karen—had nearly driven him insane. He’d known Regan all her life and she’d been his pilot for almost five years. But on that night, he’d seen her in a whole new light.
A light he’d been trying to dim since.
“I can’t invite Regan to join me at the château for two weeks, Charm.”
“Why not?”
He locked his jaw for a minute, refusing to say anything that would give his sister a reason to speculate. She was the last person who needed to know of his attraction to Regan. Nor did he want her to suspect his interest in finding a wife had been driven by his attempt to end his attraction to Regan.
“I think she would prefer leaving Spain, Charm. She even mentioned visiting her girlfriend in LA.”
“Trust me, Garth. Any woman would love to spend two weeks in that château. When was the last time Regan took a real vacation that didn’t include visiting her father in Florida? She’s been your pilot for nearly five years now, and you haven’t done anything really nice for her.”
He rubbed his hand down his face. “Charm, I’ve always done nice things for Regan.”
“I mean really nice. She has decisions to make and...”
When Charm’s voice trailed off, Garth raised a brow. “Decisions about what?”
She hesitated and he didn’t like that.
“Decisions about what, Charm?” he repeated.
“I wasn’t going to say anything because she told me in confidence, but maybe it’s something you should know. Especially since he’s offering her a lot.”
Garth frowned. “What are you talking about? Who is he and what is he offering?”
When she didn’t speak, he asked again, “Charm? What are you talking about?”
“You can’t tell Regan I told you, but Harold Anders offered her a job as his personal pilot. The salary is good and the benefits are even better.”
Garth didn’t say anything as the full implications of what Charm said hit him hard. Harold Anders owned a huge computer software company in Fairbanks, with offices in Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, Portland and several more cities, as well as international offices in London, Rome and Paris. He didn’t have one private jet; he had several.
He also knew the man was a forty-one-year-old divorcé with a reputation for womanizing. Anders saw women as conquests and trophies, the younger the better. Garth had heard about the sex scandal involving him and his personal assistant a couple of years ago.
And he wanted Regan to be his pilot.
Anders was the last man Regan should consider working for. Besides, she worked for Garth. A Fairchild had worked for the Outlaws for over forty years. On occasion, when he traveled internationally, she was even his private chauffeur on the ground. For her to be thinking of leaving was ludicrous. He paid her a good salary and gave her generous bonuses. He wasn’t complaining about the pay because he certainly felt she deserved every penny. She was valuable to him. Irreplaceable.
“I didn’t say she was taking Harold Anders’s offer, Garth. She has a month to decide.”
“I don’t like the thought that she’s even considering it.”
He knew the ensuing silence meant Charm didn’t like it, either, but she wasn’t saying anything. Charm thought of Regan like an older sister. Charm had arrived in Alaska at fifteen, full of anger and ready to take a bite out of anyone. At least anyone but Regan. The two had bonded immediately.
“I’m sure Regan won’t be taking the job,” Charm said. “She loves working for our company. She’s said so a number of times, and I also know she enjoys flying you.”
Garth wished he could be as certain of that as Charm. “Why didn’t she tell me about the offer?” he asked in an annoyed tone.
“Really, Garth? She’s a professional and you’re her boss. She probably figured that had she mentioned it, you would have thought she was hitting you up for a raise, to counter Anders’s offer.”
“I would not have thought that. Besides, I’m more than her boss, Charm. Like all the Outlaws, I consider Regan a friend.”
“Well, some friend you are. You’ll deny her two weeks to enjoy herself at the château with you. If I were you, I would do whatever it takes to remind her that she’s not only your pilot, but also your friend.”
He heard what Charm was saying; however, he wasn’t sure that was a line he wanted to cross. “I don’t think Regan sharing space with me here is a good idea, Ch
arm.”
“And why not?”
There was no way he would tell Charm the real reason. “I don’t want her to feel uncomfortable.”
“Why would she? You’re overthinking things. If it was Jess, Cash, Sloan or Maverick, none of them would mind asking Regan to hang out with them for two weeks so she could have fun. I don’t understand why you would have a problem with it.”
“We don’t have that kind of relationship.”
“Well, you should. You’ve known her as long as they have, even longer. And everyone knows what a great bond you share with Franklin. In some ways, you’re closer to him than you are to Bart.”
When he didn’t say anything, Charm added, “You know what I think, Garth?”
A part of him was afraid to ask. “No, what do you think?”
“I think the problem isn’t with Regan but with you.”
His stomach tightened. Had Charm figured out his attraction to Regan. “It’s me in what way?”
“Since taking over the company you’ve gotten so driven to make the company successful that you’ve become the ultimate professional, dotting every i and crossing every t, and you’ve forgotten how it feels to just chill and hang out with those who remember how fun-loving you were before becoming Mr. CEO. You’ve become a stuffed shirt.”
“A stuffed shirt?”
“Yes, and a stick-in-the-mud, too. I hate to see you become another Bart.”
Garth frowned. “That won’t ever happen.”
“It will if you don’t learn how to relax, have fun and enjoy spending time with people you can trust. If you prefer, I can take time off and fly out and spend time with you in Santa Cruz.”
That was the last thing he wanted. Charm would drive him batty. “I’ll ask Regan about it today.”
“Good. Now about your match from the dating service. Do you want me to reschedule your time with her?”
He inhaled deeply. Maybe her not showing up was an omen. If he was honest with himself, he would admit he preferred meeting women the traditional way. “No. Please cancel my relationship with the service.”
The Wife He Needs (Mills & Boon Desire) (Westmoreland Legacy: The Outlaws, Book 1) Page 2