Page 5 of Grayson's Angel

Chapter 3

Kara tappedthe shoulder of the man sitting in 2B. “Um, I have the window seat, sir.” The flight from Denver to Bozeman was an hour and a half. She had booked a first-class seat, hoping she could drink enough liquid courage to tackle the day ahead of her.

When he stood from his seat, the man towered over her five-foot-two height. Kara thought he had to be at least six feet three and pure muscle. When her eyes met his crystal-blue ones, she forgot how to breathe. How can one man be so captivating?

“Ma’am.” He motioned for her to move into the seat.

A light blush crept up her neck in embarrassment. She hadn’t meant to stare, but he was the sexiest man she had ever seen. She was causing a backup in the aisle.

“Sorry,” Kara murmured before taking her seat.

The man let out a small chuckle. “No problem, ma’am.”

“Please stop calling me ‘ma’am.’ My name is Kara.”

He removed his cowboy hat, set it in his lap, and turned toward her, holding out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Kara. I’m Grayson Steele.” He had a hint of a Southern drawl that made Kara’s lady parts swoon.

“Are you heading home?”

“Nope. I have a ranch outside Denver. I’m heading up to a town outside Bozeman, Montana, to visit friends. How about you?”

“I’m heading to Bozeman to visit my father.” The sexy man didn’t need to know about all the baggage that came with her father nor that this was the first time in five years she was heading home to see him.

A shadow crossed Grayson’s face at the mention of her father. “Make sure you spend time with the ones you love. You never know how long they will be around.”

“I know what you mean. I lost my mother six years ago, and there isn’t a day that goes by that I don't think about her.”

“You never forget them, but the pain lessens over the years.”

The conversation was getting too heavy for a plane ride. “You mentioned you live on a ranch. How long have you lived there?”

He frowned. At first, Kara didn’t think he would answer.

“The ranch has been in our family for four generations,” he said tightly. “Six months ago, I was medically discharged from the military. While I was recovering, my father passed away. I’ve been running the ranch for the last six months.”

“Thank you for your service.”

“Thanks,” he murmured. Her seatmate’s smile didn’t reach his eyes anymore. It looked forced. “Do you and your father have anything planned?” he asked.

Kara glanced out the plane window, watching the traffic-control workers wave the plane forward. “No. He’s in the hospital.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Is he going to be okay?”

Before she had time to reply, the flight attendant brought them water and asked, “Can I get you something to drink?”

“Yes, tomato juice and vodka, please.”

Grayson gave her a raised eyebrow and told the flight attendant he would have the same.

Kara originally planned to have a drink to calm her nerves before having to deal with her dad. But she really needed the drink to cool herself down. The man next to her was emanating testosterone. Looking that good should be illegal, and he seemed like the nicest man she had ever met.

“My father is in a coma. More than likely, he didn’t pay his bookie,” Kara complained as she took a sip of her drink. “I will check on the ranch, get information from his doctor, and be on the first flight out on Sunday.”

“He might need you to help him.”

“Ha!” Kara barked too loudly. “He lost that option years ago when he chose to release his grief through his fists and by gambling away the money he made each month.”

Her companion tensed, and she could feel the anger vibrating off his body. “Is anyone going to the hospital with you?”

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