Page 5 of Grace on the Rocks

She hadn’t meant it as an insult when she said the plane was small, merely a fact.Byall accountsAirForceOnewas massive, but here, no more than twenty seats stared back at them, all but two already filled with irritated-looking passengers.

“Sit anywhere you like,” the attendant quipped.

Wes buckled in and buried her nose in the gossip magazine, flipping quickly through the pages to see what was in store whileGracewrestled her laptop bag under the seat in front of her.

“Hey,Diego’sin here.Thatwhy you picked this one?”

“What?No,”Graceanswered.Shewould never get used to her big brother being semi-famous. “What’sit say?”

“SandyRios, blah blah blah…Rumorsof a transfer—femaleGalaxyfans swoon in despair.”

“He’ll never leaveLA.PrincessMathildawouldn’t allow it.”

“Rumors of trouble in paradise—femaleGalaxyfans swoon in delight.”

Grace snorted. “Don’tget my hopes up.”

“Does he have a black eye?”Wesasked, touching her nose to the paper for a closer look.

“Where?”Gracetook the magazine and studied the glossy photo of her brother at a press conference sporting a pretty obvious shiner.He’dtried to cover it with makeup but done a poor job of it.

She skimmed the article. “Itsays, ‘Whenasked if he’d come to blows with his teammates over rumors of a potential departure fromLA,Rioslaughed, gesturing to the light bruising above his right eye, and explained that he’d caught a flying elbow while practicing a set piece.’Iswear to god that man needs to be bubble-wrapped.”

“I don’t think they want theMichelinManin the central midfield.”Weslaughed, taking the magazine back and flipping to the beginning.

“That’s the last two,” the attendant called to the cockpit.

“Hold for one more,” the pilot shouted back, andGracelooked around wondering if planes this size allowed standing room like an overcrowded bus.

“Apologies for the wait,” a growly burr murmured, andGrace’shead snapped back to the front to seeMr.BeeTattoohimself clapping the flight attendant on the shoulder and murmuring, “I’mwithBuchanan,” before locking eyes withGrace, rolling them ever so slightly, and then disappearing into the cockpit.

“Holy smokes, our copilot is hot,”Weswhispered.

Grace’s stomach fluttered in agreement. “Youthink?”

Wesley shrugged, squinting back down at her magazine.Asusual she wasn’t wearing her new glasses because shehated everything about them—her words.

“He sounded hot,”Wesreplied, and personally,Gracehated everything about the fact that she agreed.

“He wasn’t wearing a pilot uniform,”Gracemurmured.Infact, he’d been wearing fairly indecent jeans with his hunter green henley.

“He’s not.Iam,” the woman she’d mistaken for a flight attendant said, picking up a microphone handset. “Distinguishedguests and rabble rousers, thank you for flying with us today.We’llhave you on theBarrabeach in just over an hour, where the local time is two p.m., and the local temperature is a brisk fourteen degrees.Thisaircraft is equipped with two over-wing exits, no lavatories, and no flight attendant, so please sit back, relax, and enjoy staying in your seats with seatbelts fastened.”

After her announcement, the copilot also disappeared into the cockpit so at leastGracecould burn with embarrassment in private.Wesopened her magazine again, holding it as close to her face as possible, whileGracesunk down lower in her seat and gripped the worry stone so tight she hoped it wouldn’t snap during the bumpy ascent.

ChapterTwo

Squeezing himself sideways,Bryanplopped into the little fold-down jump seat behind the copilot, as his cousin,CaptainTeàrlachBuchanan, began pre-flight procedures with barely a glance in his direction.

“Thanks for letting me ride up front.”

Teàrlach shook his head. “Astudent pilot,Bry?Really?Iswear, you could charm the scales off a snake.”

Maybe that was true most of the time, but his people skills were certainly reverting toBarra-Bryanif his interaction with theBrown-EyedBookLoverin the airport was any indication. “IfIweregoing to train as a pilot, you’d be the only instructorI’dtrust.”

His cousin’s lips quirked up. “Youcouldn’t just buy a ticket like everyone else?”

“Didn’t knowIwas coming untilIcame.”

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