said, pointing it out to his younger brother, who sat in the back with Kylie. “Wouldn’t it be cool to fly an airplane?”
And bingo! Toby had the perfect solution.
“How would you like to talk to a real pilot and see some planes up close?” he asked Brian.
The oldest boy had been unusually quiet and introspective since moving in with Toby, but when he glanced across the seat, his mouth dropped open and his eyes lit up in a way they’d never done before. “That would be awesome. Do you know one?”
“My cousin Sawyer and his wife, Laurel, own the new flight school and charter service. Laurel is actually the pilot. She was even in the air force.”
“No kidding?” The boy’s jaw dropped, and his eyes grew wide. “For real?”
Most people in town were more impressed with Toby’s connection to the Fortune family, rather than the lovely woman one of his cousins had married. “Yes, for real. I’ll give Sawyer a call this morning and ask for a tour.”
“For all of us?” Justin asked.
“And for me, too?” Kylie chimed in. “If it’s a girl pilot, I want to see her.”
Toby laughed. “Yes, we’ll all go. After I drop you guys off at school, I’ll try to work out a good time for us to go. But no promises on when that might be.”
And that was just what Toby did. Once the kids had gotten their backpacks, climbed out of the truck and headed for their respective classrooms, he called his cousin.
Sawyer’s father, James Marshall Fortune, had been a triplet. His two sisters had been given up for adoption when they were very young. Josephine May was raised in England by the Chesterfields, a family that was both rich and royal. Jeanne Marie, Toby’s mom, was raised in Horseback Hollow by loving parents who were common folk. But what they lacked in finances, they made up for in love.
Last year, Sawyer had met Laurel Redmond in Red Rock, where they fell in love. On New Year’s Eve, they married in Horseback Hollow, where they now made their home. Sawyer and Laurel opened Redmond-Fortune Air, which served folks in this area. Laurel used to work with her brother, Tanner Redmond, who owned the Redmond Flight School and Charter Service back in Red Rock. They originally opened a branch of that company here, but with Tanner’s blessing and Sawyer’s capital, Laurel bought out her brother’s stock and recently went out on her own.
When Sawyer answered the phone, Toby told him about Brian’s interest in airplanes, then asked if he could bring the kids by the airfield sometime for a tour.
“Absolutely,” Sawyer said. “Laurel flew a couple of businessmen from Vicker’s Corners to Abilene this morning for a meeting, but she should be back before three.”
“Is Angie Edwards working for you today?” Toby asked, as casually as he could.
“As a matter of fact, she comes in at one-thirty and will be here until four. Why?”
“No reason. I’d heard she was a part-time receptionist.” Toby glanced at the clock on the dashboard, realizing he had a lot of chores to get done today. But no telling when Angie would be working at the flight school again.
“The kids get out of school at three,” he told Sawyer. “So we’ll head over to the airfield then.”
And that was just what he did.
As had become his routine, Toby waited in front of the school when the bell rang. Only this time, he’d gone home so he could shower, shave and put on a new shirt and his favorite jeans.
“Did you talk to your cousin?” Brian asked, as he climbed into the truck.
“I sure did. And Sawyer said to come by today.”
Whoops and cheers erupted from the backseat. Even the usually quiet Brian was beaming, confirming that Toby had just hit a home run.
So what if fulfilling a young boy’s dreams to get to see the inside of a cockpit hadn’t been his only motive? Besides, the kids had been talking about Angie nonstop—especially Kylie—and they were going to be just as excited to see her as he was. If he happened to talk to a beautiful woman and casually slip in a dinner invitation while they were at the airfield, then so be it.
“But let’s set some ground rules,” he told the kids. “You’re going to have to mind your manners and not touch anything you’re not supposed to. No running off—that means you, Justin. And the minute we get back to the ranch, you’re going to have to sit down and do your homework. No complaints. Got it?”
A chorus of “got it”s and excited chatter filtered over the seat to him.
Fifteen minutes later, as the anticipation built in the cab of the truck, Toby turned down the county road that led to their destination.
Prior to the addition of Redmond-Fortune Air, the Horseback Hollow Airport hadn’t amounted to much more than a small control tower, a couple of modular buildings, one of which housed Lone Star Avionics, several hangars and a relatively small airstrip.
But the brand-new building Sawyer and Laurel had built, with its gray block exterior, smoky glass windows and chrome trim, added some class to an otherwise small-town, nondescript airport that served both Horseback Hollow and nearby Vicker’s Corners.
After parking next to Sawyer’s new black Cadillac Escalade, Toby led the kids up the walkway and through the double glass doors into the reception area.
Angie, who was busy typing some letters at the reception desk, brightened when they came in. “Hey, look who’s here!”
She greeted each child with a hug, but stopped short when she reached Toby. After all, what was required? Certainly not an embrace. And a handshake was much too formal.
They both settled for a smile, which worked out just fine.
“I heard you were coming.” She turned to a guy in green coveralls who was seated near a potted ficus tree and reading a newspaper. “Pete, is Sawyer still out back?”
“Yep. He’ll be in shortly.” Pete lowered his newspaper and nodded at Toby. “How’s it goin’?”
“Not bad.”
Pete Nelson, a tall, lanky mechanic, worked for Lone Star Avionics and sometimes did side jobs for Sawyer and Laurel. Ever since Sawyer and Laurel opened up for business, the other employees at the airfield usually came over to use their break room, as well as the new fridge, microwave and coffeemaker.
“Taking a break?” Toby asked the thirtysomething air-force vet, trying to keep the hint of jealousy from his voice. After all, if he worked at the airfield, he’d be taking breaks in the office when Angie was here, too.
Hell, Toby didn’t even work at the airfield, and he was looking for reasons to stop by the sexy brunette’s places of employment.
“Just having a quick cup of coffee,” Pete said. “Then it’s back to the hangar.”
“Hey, Justin,” Brian said, as he wandered toward a table with a plastic-enclosed display of miniature-sized scale models of airplanes. “Look at this.”
Kylie followed the boys, just as Sawyer entered the building.
“Hey, Toby.” He extended his arm, and they shook hands. “Sorry I wasn’t here when you arrived.”
“No problem. We’ve been checking out the reception area.” And the receptionist, who’d just bent over to reach into the lowest drawer of the filing cabinet.
Toby hadn’t noticed before, but Angie was wearing a short black skirt. Well, it hadn’t looked so short until she’d bent over and those long, tanned, shapely legs stretched out.
Wow.
Sawyer continued to talk, although Toby couldn’t quite wrap his mind around what he was saying. Still, he nodded as if he’d heard every word.
When