by Lauren Smith
“If you don’t have something relevant to say…” he warned.
Nathan’s wiry frame tensed as he sensed he’d pushed too far. “Mr. Eppley wants to see you.” Nathan’s mouth twisted into a smirk as he walked off.
Fucking nutter. Always trying to stir things up. Alec tucked the pirate romance back into his attaché case and headed down to his boss’s office.
Howard Eppley was an old lion compared to the young bloods that filled most of the offices on their floor. Investment banking demanded energy and excitement, and most men burned out by the time they were forty. Eppley hadn’t. He’d made the transition to vice president and now supervised men like Alec, which left him well above the demands of time and energy that broke the backs of the younger men beneath him.
Alec rapped his knuckles on the half open door. “Mr. Eppley?”
“That you, Halston?” Eppley called out. “Come in.”
Alex looked inside the corner office. Eppley held a putter and was lining up to hit a ball into a sleek black coffee mug on the floor. At fifty-four, Eppley was still fit, even though his dark hair was streaked with gray at the temples. He was on wife number three, surprisingly not for infidelity but simply because the first two had not understood the nature of the job or its demands. He was still good friends with both of them.
“Glad to see you survived New York. Those chaps in Manhattan make us look like we’re on a bloody holiday all the time.” Eppley lined up a shot and putted. The ball rolled twelve feet over an expensive oriental carpet and bounced into and back out of the cup. Eppley grinned and set his putter aside before looking seriously at Alec.
“Word hasn’t gotten around the office yet, but we’ll be handling a huge merger over Christmas and through the New Year. I would like for you to be in charge. Monty knows something is up, but I don’t like him. He’d sell his own gran if it made him look good.” Eppley leaned against his desk. “Can I count on you to handle it?”
“Absolutely, sir. I will be in the country for the holidays, but I assume I’ll be able to handle things remotely.”
“I thought you didn’t care for the holidays?”
Alec shrugged. “I don’t, but the family is insisting this year.”
“Yes, of course. Well, If you’re sure you can handle it when the paperwork comes in.”
“I can, sir.”
As Alec turned to leave, Eppley spoke again. “Be careful, Halston. You’ll be facing some big decisions soon and the paths offered will be very different.”
Alec slid his hands into his trouser pockets and gazed at the skyline of Eppley’s window. He knew what his boss was hinting at.
“Which path did you choose?”
Eppley was quiet a moment. “Looking back? Not the right one. People in this line of work are either desperate to prove something or desperate to escape something. Make sure you’re here for the right reasons.”
Alec could only nod before he left Eppley’s office. Did he want to prove something or was he running from something? His mouth suddenly tasted bitter as he realized it just might be a bit of both.
Burning twelve hours in the airport was not easy, especially when Brie realized she’d lost her book. She’d returned to the gate to check with the crew from her plane, but they were already gone. Then she’d been forced to go through customs, collect her luggage and check in for her next flight. After that she’d gone to the nearest bookshop by her gate and bought a couple of romance novels by her favorite author, the same stories that had been filmed at Merryvale Court. Of course, in the books the house was called something else. She’d already read the entire series but couldn’t resist the urge to reread them.
She’d also bought some snacks and hopped between gates as her flight to Manchester kept changing gates for some reason. By early evening, she was desperate to get on her plane and get out of the airport. When the attendant at the gate finally started calling first class, she collected her things and headed to the growing line.
“Excuse me.” She bumped into a tall man with dark gold hair.
The man stepped aside as she passed. “Sorry.”
She froze. “Alec?” She’d spent all day trying to forget him and the feeling of leaving something important undone when she hadn’t asked him for his number or email.
He blinked in equal shock. “Brie?”
“Yeah…” She swept her gaze over his body.
He’d lost the suit and wore a black sweater that clung to his broad muscled shoulders and hung a bit looser at his tapered waist. His jeans were snug, but not too snug. He looked…good. Maybe even better than before. Brie knew it was just her libido talking but damn…he made her forget every promise she’d ever made to be rational when it came to picking men. It really was like Preston all over again. She totally had a type and that was not a good thing.
“You’re on this flight?” she asked.
“I am… You are too?” Alec bent to open his briefcase and pulled out a book. Her book. “You left this behind on the last flight.”
“God, you found it!” She accepted the book with a grin but couldn’t resist teasing him. “Why don’t you keep it? I own the audio edition.”
“Of course, you do,” he replied with a roll of his eyes but he returned the book to his briefcase.
“So…you’re headed to Manchester?” She got in line behind him as they started to board.
“Spending the holidays with my family.”
She picked on up on his reluctance. “Not looking forward to it?”
“I despise the holidays. They are unpleasant.”
Wow, that she hadn’t expected. Such a blunt answer…and a sad one at that.
“Is it the holiday or the family that bothers you?”
Alec spoke over his shoulder as he stepped onto the plane ahead of her. “My grandfather died on Christmas Day. I don’t really like to talk about it.” This time his tone carried a heavy finality that warned her not to probe any deeper.
He paused and glanced down at his ticket. “What seat are you?”
She glanced at her boarding pass. “6A… Window seat.”
“6B.” He shook his head and with a chuckle stepped back to let her slip past him. He accepted her purse without even asking and put it in the overhead bin above them. As he sat down beside her, she caught a fresh scent of a pine scent mixed with aftershave.
“Ugh, you got to shower, didn’t you?” She accused.
He smirked, that bad boy expression turning every bit of her on. “Yes, I did. All that hot water… It was glorious.”
“I hate you,” she muttered.
He nudged her arm with his, making a grand show of getting comfortable in his chair. This plane was tiny compared to the first one. Brie’s nerves started to build as she looked at the fog that was the beginning to roll through the airport outside.
“You should relax. The flight is only an hour or so.”
Brie swallowed hard and went to grip the handle of the armrest, but his hand was in the way. She started to pull away, but he closed his eyes and turned his palm face up, in silent invitation. She hesitated for only a moment before she placed her palm in his. Then he laced their fingers and held her hand tight enough to reassure her.
“Just relax,” he murmured again. The plane only seated thirty people and soon the cabin doors were secured and the plane was ready to take off.
It’s going to be fine, just fine. The more she mentally echoed this, the more it felt like a lie. The plane taxied out to the runway and then ramped up its speed before lifting into the night. The pilot came on, announcing the weather and foggy conditions.
“You okay?” Alec asked.
She opened her eyes, waiting for the plane to reach its height before it dipped as she knew it would. “Yeah, the fog makes me nervous.”
“They know how to fly in fog. They’ve done it plenty of times.” He glanced toward where the attendant was in her jumpsuit. “Maybe when the drink cart comes, we can order champagne again.”
“Good plan.” Brie’s stomach pitched as the plane dropped a little then steadied out.
“See? All is well.” Alec didn’t let go of her hand until the attendant unclipped her seatbelt and began serving drinks from the drink cart. After a glass of champagne, Brie began to relax. “Sorry I keep freaking out. I’m not a scaredy-cat by nature, I swear.”
Alec only shrugged. “Everyone is allowed to be afraid of something. You don’t want to let fear rule you and stop you from living.”
“Did you steal that from a fortune cookie?”
He leaned over and tapped the tip of her nose with his fingertip. “Smart Alec,” he whispered.
“Guilty,” she chuckled. The alcohol was definitely working.
“So, you spent all day at the airport?” Alec asked.
“Yep. It about drove me crazy too.”
“I can imagine.” Alec finished the champagne. “Do you have someone coming to get you in Manchester?”
“My client has a private car that’s supposed to be waiting for me. You?”
“I’ve ordered a car as well.” He paused with his brows lowered and his lips pursed. “We could…have dinner, perhaps? Before you leave. Unless you need to be at your client’s home by a certain time.” He cleared his throat.
“I honestly would love to but…I don’t want to upset my client. It would be unprofessional.”
“Of course. Forget I asked.” He reached for his briefcase, both the conversation and the offer were definitely over.
But Brie couldn’t accept, even if she wanted to. The Countess had assured her she would have a late dinner prepared and Brie didn’t want to be rude and miss it. The chance to write the book with the countess was a huge deal, not just for Brie but for her publisher, so she wasn’t taking any chances.
There was a chime and the attendant at the front of the plane answered the telephone outside the cockpit. Brie sat up in her seat and nudged Alec.
“What’s going on?”
“He’s probably just telling her to turn off the seatbelt sign.” Alec said but when the plane suddenly vibrated with the violent turbulence he frowned. The attendant sat back down in her chair and buckled in. “Well, I got that wrong.”
“Oh God,” Brie whispered.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the captain spoke over the speakers. “We’ve run into a heavy snowstorm which is hurting our visibility. We’re over halfway to Manchester but I don’t want anyone walking about the cabin until we”
The plane jarred sharply and suddenly dipped. That free-fall feeling somersaulted Brie’s stomach. She closed her eyes.
“It’s going to be fine,” Alec said. “It’s just a bit of turbulence.”
Just turbulence. Sure. For the next several minutes it felt like a cosmic hand was shaking the plane about. The attendant suddenly came over the intercom.
“Please prepare for a change in cabin pressure. Your masks will drop from above you. Please put them on.”
“What?” Brie gulped, fear squeezing her throat painfully. She looked at Alec. He’d turned pale, but stayed calm.
The plane dipped again and this time it didn’t steady out or come back up. The oxygen masks fell from the ceiling. She reached for hers, but her breath was already coming fast and far too shallow. Trying to grab the swaying device felt like trying to hit a piñata blindfolded.
Then Alec was there, his mask already secured, pulling a mask over her face and tightening the straps.
“You have air?” he asked as the rest of the passengers started to panic. She nodded frantically.
The captain’s voice filled the cabin again. “Please remain calm. We are preparing for an emergency landing. Put on your masks and brace for impact.”
Brie couldn’t breathe, despite the oxygen pouring through the mask.
Oh God…
Alec gripped her hand hard and when they crouched down in the crash position, their eyes met. She saw something in his stare but couldn’t place what it was. It was crazy, but it almost looked like…relief?
She had no time to think. No time to get to her phone and call her parents. No time left but this awful nightmare and Alec holding onto her hand…
4
The plane was crashing. Alec gripped Brie’s hand tight. All he could think was he was going to die a coward because he was too afraid to make things right with his family.
The sides of the plane groaned around them as they lost altitude fast. Everything, from the seats to the luggage above their heads, was shaking violently. A few people were screaming but most were gasping into their masks. It was a sound that would haunt him for the rest of his life.
“Brace!” The pilot’s voice sounded distant above the roar of the wind against the plane. Alec threw an arm over Brie’s shoulders, shielding her as best he could before the world exploded around them.
He was still holding her in a death grip as the plane skidded to a stop and all the passengers jerked back against their seats. The lights in the plane flickered and died. Dazed, his head pounding, Alec removed his oxygen mask and sucked in a breath. Ice cold air was coming in from the cracked window next to Brie. He could smell snow and…sheep? He lifted his arm off Brie who was still frozen, her eyes clamped shut.
“Hey…” he whispered soothingly, even though his own hands were shaking as he helped her sit up. “We’re okay. We’ve landed.” Though where exactly he couldn’t be sure. He couldn’t see anything outside except a wintry storm through the fogged window just beyond Brie’s trembling shoulder.
“Al—Alec,” She tried to burrow closer and he cupped her face. Her eyes were still shut tight.
“I need you to look at me, darling. Other passengers need help. Show me that you’re all right.”
Her dark lashes fanned up. At that moment, her lovely blue eyes were the most beautiful things he’d ever seen.
“I’m…I’m okay.” He impulsively leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead before he unbuckled his seatbelt and stood. His legs wobbled as adrenaline surged in his system. The plane seemed intact, there was no gaping hole, but luggage had fallen from the overhead bins and scattered haphazardly around them. He focused on helping those nearest him. The flight attendant came toward him, stumbling over the bags in the aisle, her face tight with worry.
“I can’t get the door open…and I’m not feeling so well…” She bent over and vomited into the aisle.
Alec gently patted her back and escorted her into the nearest empty seat. “It’s okay. Let me try.” Brie came over to tend to the stewardess, and Alec headed up the aisle toward the cockpit.
A middle-aged man joined him at the front of the plane. “I’ll help.”
Alec jerked his head toward the cockpit door. “You think the pilots are all right?”
“I don’t know.” The man pounded a fist on the door. “Oy! Are you all right in there?”
“Yes!” A muffled shout came through the heavy metal door. “We’re coming out.”
Alec nodded at the main door. “Let’s get this open.” The two of them gripped the large red handle. They both strained as they cranked the door open. A gust of cold wind and snow filled the cabin.
The cockpit door opened, and pilots stumbled out.
“Is everyone okay?” One of the them asked. He was an older man, early fifties, Alec judged.
“I think so,” Alex said, glancing back at the passengers on the plane. “Where are we?”
“Somewhere fifty miles south of Manchester. One of our engines had lost power. This field was our safest bet.”
Alec walked back down the aisle, helping more passengers. When he got back Brie, she was still assisting the ill flight attendant.
“Anyone hurt?” Alec called out. There was a general shaking of heads much to Alec’s relief.
“Has anyone called 999?” the man who helped Alec open the door asked.
“We radioed Manchester’s airport right before we went down,” the younger copilot said. “They’re sending ambulances this way. But it�
��s going to take them a while to reach us.”
“Nicholas, find the extra blankets and pass them out.” The pilot instructed his younger partner.
Alec helped them pass out blankets before he joined Brie at their seats.
“You all right?” He wrapped a blanket around her, making sure she was warm and then pulled her close to him and put an arm around her shoulders.
“Yeah…cold but okay. Are you?”
He nodded. He actually felt the farthest thing from okay, but he wasn’t about to admit that.
It took nearly half an hour for the fire and rescue teams to arrive. Two of the passengers suffering from anxiety were taken to the hospital straightaway and the rest gave statements to the police while they were all examined by the emergency crews. A fireman standing outside in the snow whistled loudly so that everyone set their attention on him.
“There are a dozen homes in the area that have opened their doors to you, since the snow is making it hard to get anywhere. We’ll be sending you off in pairs, so please, pair up.”
Brie shyly clung to his side. “Can I stick with you?”
“Certainly.” Alec kept his arm around her as they let the others in the group go ahead of them. When it was their turn, they were put into the back of a police vehicle and the officer drove them to a small cottage abutting a pasture. Sheep were huddled in massive clumps, sleeping against the side of a barn. The police cruiser lights lit up the house as the front door opened. A matronly woman with shoulder length gray hair wearing a heavy housecoat waved at them.
“That’ll be Mrs. Fellers. She’s a right nice lady,” the officer said. “She’ll take good care of you.”
Alex helped Brie out of the car and helped the officer remove their luggage from the boot of the car. It had been a small mercy that they had been able to take their carry-on and checked baggage with them.
