Page 8 of Stealing Home

The nervousness is starting to settle in and it has nothing to do with flying. Well, it isn’t only because of flying. Once the plane takes off, a new chapter starts in my book.

Heather has been so sweet and helpful over the past three weeks of me getting my life packed up and sent to New York. It’s amazing how quickly the days passed.

Slinging my backpack over my shoulder, I walk to the door for my ticket to be scanned. Heather sprung for a first-class seat for me, which I told her was unnecessary. Showing my boarding pass to the flight attendant, she scans it and lets me make my way onto the plane.

Settling into my window seat and pulling my kindle out of my backpack before stowing it away beneath the seat in front of me, I start to finish reading my current book, Forgiving Fate by J. Laine. Today must be my lucky day because somehow no one sits next to me as the door to the plane closes and we start to prepare for takeoff. I put my phone on airplane mode and go back to my kindle.

As the plane takes off, my eyes can’t help but look out the window as we make our way into the clouds. It’s a sight to see how the world you know becomes smaller and smaller as the plane climbs altitude until it’s not even visible anymore.

Once the plane levels out, my eyelids start to get heavy. Maybe sleep was almost non-existent last night because of being anxious about missing my flight or forgetting something. After reading the last bit of my book, I switch off my Kindle and return it to my backpack.

My eyes just need to rest.

Hearing a dinging sound startles me awake. Looking up to notice that the seatbelt sign is now on, the pilot speaks. “Welcome to New York. We are making our descent to land. Please upright your seats and put all trays into their positions. Thank you for flying with us today.”

It doesn’t take long for me to get off the plane, turn airplane mode off on my phone, and head into a bathroom to freshen up before meeting Heather. Once satisfied with my appearance, I check my phone to see if there are any missed calls or texts, but there are none.

Leaving the restroom it only takes a few minutes to get to baggage claim. The carousel is just starting to move and my suitcase is fourth in line. Finding an open space amongst the other passengers, I’m able to grab it quickly.

Carrying all of my belongings, I turn and head towards the airport doors where Heather instructed me to meet her. Looking around, there is no sighting of her. With my kindle already in hand, I unlock the screen and notice the beautiful hockey player on the cover of my next read.

Man, does Heather Lyn know how to pick a cover model?

Might as well read to give her a few minutes in case she’s just running late. Also to distract my brain from thinking the worst.

CHAPTER FIVE

Cole

When your sister-in-law calls and asks for a favor you do it to stay on her good side. You never know when you will need one in return. This is why I’m currently driving to LaGuardia airport. Heather has a delivery that got rescheduled and she is required to be present for it. Leaving me as her only option for picking up Adriana.

It didn’t take much convincing. Adriana is a knockout and getting to know her wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. From what Heather told me, she only has one friend here on the East Coast so it wouldn’t hurt to offer her my friendship.

Heather told Adriana to meet her outside the airport where arrivals get picked up. Pulling my truck over to wait for Adriana. My phone goes off with a new notification causing me to scroll through my email while keeping an eye out for Adriana. It takes less than five minutes when she catches my eyes and causes me to take a deep breath. She is just as gorgeous as I remember.

Natural beauty.

After getting out of my truck I make my way towards her from the side. She doesn’t see me approaching, which lets me take a look to see what is in her hands. Looking over her shoulder I see it’s one of those e-readers. It currently has ahockey book up on the screen.Really?Must be romance since the dude is shirtless with a hockey stick. I roll my eyes and tap her left shoulder.

“What the hell?!” she says as she looks at me.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. Heather got stuck with a delivery to the house and couldn’t make it.” I say smiling down at her.

“Oh. Okay.” she says hesitantly.

“You alright? I mean you are reading a hockey romance book so I know something is wrong.”

This kicks her into gear and she smirks at me.

“Excuse me? What does me reading a hockey romance book have anything to do with me being okay?”

“Well, it’s baseball season. And baseball is the superior sport.” I inform her.

“Sir, it’s still hockey season. It’s playoff time. And both sports have my heart. Thank you very much” she sasses. “Oh and football too. Problem with that?” she questions me.

“No, not at all.” I say, putting my hands up in surrender with a chuckle.”We’ll just have to work on making baseball number one in your heart.”

She laughs and little does she know I will stop at nothing to make it happen again.

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