Page 80 of Heart Breaker

“Our plane,” I wink.

Lottie’s smile widens as she drops into a leather seat, the chair practically swallowing her whole. Did I really just say that?

“Oh my God. This is heaven on earth.” She looks at me. “So, this is why rich people never want to fly commercial. I get it now.”

She runs her hands over the armrests and actually groans. “Wes, this is really fancy.” She sits up suddenly. “Are there pillows and blankets?”

“There are pillows.” I nod.

Her face lights up. “And blankets?”

“Yes.”

She presses a hand dramatically to her chest. “I knew it.”

I laugh. My wife is acting like I’ve taken her to Disneyland.

“What else do we get?” she asks.

“It’s a short flight, Lottie.”

“That wasn’t my question.”

I shake my head and point toward one of the cabinets. “Help yourself.”

She immediately opens it. “Chocolate-covered almonds?” she gasps.

“You found the important stuff.”

“This keeps getting better. I love my life.”

I watch her rummage through the cabinet for another few seconds before returning to my checklist. It’s safer than staring at Lottie. I’m still recovering from this morning.

Lottie had wandered into the kitchen this morning wearing one of my hoodies and the tiniest pair of sleep shorts, stealing half the berries from my plate while I was drinking my coffee. Then she smiled at me and the urge to pull her onto my lap and kiss her hit me so hard that I had to leave the room to stop myself from doing it.

“Are you ready to go to Pine Ridge, my wife?” I hold out a hand. “It’s time for takeoff.”

Lottie slips her hand in mine and lets me pull her into the cockpit. The feel of her hand in mine is enough to make every muscle in my body tense.

“Lead the way, husband.”

I settle Lottie into the copilot seat and walk her through the basics. How the headset works, what not to touch, the emergency procedures she doesn’t even pretend to listen to. She is far more interested in the experience than the safety briefing. I secure her harness, making sure it’s fitted properly before settling into my own seat beside her.

A few radio calls later, we’re cleared for takeoff and a few minutes after that, the wheels leave the ground. The city falls away beneath us, the ocean stretches endlessly toward the horizon and the mountains rise ahead. By the time we reach cruising altitude, Lottie has already taken a camera roll of photos.

I can barely keep my eyes off her, watching her experience all of this for the first time. The steady hum of the engine fills the cabin as Lottie presses her face to the window. “Look at that!”

A smile tugs at my mouth. For someone who lives in British Columbia, it’s cute how she acts like she’s never seen a mountain before. The peaks stretch endlessly beneath us, still capped with snow despite the warm weather down below.

“It’s pretty,” I admit.

“Pretty? It’s gorgeous.” She tears her gaze away from the window long enough to shoot me a look. “Are you nuts?”

I lean back in my seat. “I said it was pretty.”

“Yeah, gorgeous and pretty are not the same thing.”

And now we’re arguing about the scenery.