Page 28 of My Billionaire Cowboy Protector

“That bad, huh?” Taylor asked.

“Yes,” Willow said. In a mock stuck-up voice, she said, “It was totally dreadful. When the maid brought me my breakfast in bed, the toast was very light tan. The cook knows that I like it medium brown with plenty of butter.”

Everyone laughed.

“How do you keep your eyes from glazing over and not drool on yourself?” Taylor asked.

“I’m afraid I don’t always succeed,” Willow said. “But people don’t expect a whole lot from me. Lane, on the other hand, has to toe the line.”

Lane sighed and nodded. “I’m the oldest. I have to act professional and as snotty as the rest of them. I draw the line, though, at wearing those tacky golf pants and chasing around a tiny ball for hours at a time.”

The plane came down fast and came to an abrupt stop.

“He was a Navy pilot,” Colton grinned. “He got used to landing on aircraft carriers in the middle of the ocean.”

“I think that we need to go back and see where we might have left my stomach,” Taylor said.

They disembarked. As soon as their feet were on the ground, Taylor grabbed Lane’s hand. He was pretty sure that if she squeezed any tighter, she would be breaking his bones.

“Taylor. I’m going to need those fingers in the future.”

“What?” she asked confused. Then, she laughed. “Oh.”

She loosened her grip but kept a firm hold on his hand.

The airport was buzzing and it took them a few minutes to make their way to the baggage claim. Two men, dressed in black suits and wearing sunglasses, were standing by the carousel. One held a sign that said “Johnson.”

“Are they going to zap me with a red light on the end of a pen?” Taylor asked, referring to theMen in Blackmovies.

“They look that way, don’t they?” Willow said. “I’ll have to say something to Mom. Maybe next time, she’ll pay for Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones to pick us up.”

Taylor laughed. Lane was afraid that between relaxing, getting tense, relaxing, and tensing up again, she was going to have a stroke before they left New York.

The men in black grabbed everyone’s luggage and toted it to the limousine.

“Really?” Colton asked when he saw the car. “Now Mom is just trying to show off for Taylor.”

They slid into the back seats.

“I’m not riding backward,” Willow announced. “It would make me sick.”

She crawled into the forward-facing seat next to Taylor. Lane and Colton sighed and climbed into the other seat.

There was a small refrigerator between the door and the seat that had various small bottles of alcohol and water.

“We could get toasted before we get to the mansion,” Colton said.

“Mom would love that,” Lane replied. “Drunk before lunch. Besides you get a little mean when you are drunk.”

“I do not. The last time I got into a fight, the guy had it coming. He slapped his girlfriend and that wasn’t going to happen in front of me.”

“One punch was enough,” Lane said. “You didn’t have to knock out his front tooth.”

“He will be reminded not to hit a woman every time he looks in the mirror,” Colton replied. “There are a few things I can’t stand – A man hitting a woman unless she hit him first; cruelty to animals; or abusing vulnerable people like the disabled, elderly, and children.”

“Here, here,” Willow said.

Lane noticed that Taylor didn’t say anything. She was too busy looking around the limo. There was the refrigerator and a television. Their seats leaned back so passengers could take a nap.

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