Page 58 of One Night Bride
Oakley snorted behind me, but I was too high on the possibility of seeing Remy to bitch at her. Dad stood up and hitched up his pants.
“Darlin’, there comes a time when you have to take the badge off and be a family man.”
I pursed my lips. “I don’t have a badge, nor am I a man, Dad.”
Dad stroked his mustache. “You’re a smart girl, Esme. You’ll figure it out.” With that, he held a hand out for Mom and pulled her off the couch.
She patted him on the cheek with that smile she reserved only for him. “Take me home, Chief.”
“Oh gah-ross!” Vee whined, backing away like they had the plague.
“I second that.” Izzy grimaced.
“Oh, and, Esme, honey?” Mom called over her shoulder before Dad dragged her out of the room. “Make sure you let me know a good date to throw you all a proper wedding reception.”
I smiled at her, feeling hope for my future for the first time in a long while. Long before Remington, even. My job, the business I’d longed to build, had come to feel like a chore the last year or so and I hadn’t even realized it. There was so much more to life than just the job. I needed my family. I needed Remington.
I needed to take off the badge a little more often.
Leave it to Dad and one of his vague phrases to be what I needed to center me.
“Go get ’em, tiger!” Vee squeezed me tight before letting me go and shoving my tiny suitcase at me. I hadn’t packed much. I’d either change Remington’s mind or I’d be coming home heartbroken the next day. “If nothing else, you sure do smell better.”
Izzy gave me a gentle hug, ignoring Vee’s backhanded compliments. “That man is crazy for you, E. Make sure you show him how you feel too.”
I nodded, taking her encouragement and letting it fuel me. “Thank you, Iz. I don’t say it enough, but you’re my best friend. I couldn’t do any of this without you.”
She inhaled, her eyes watering. “Same. Now go rope your cowboy.”
I grabbed the handle of my bag and ran into the airport as my two sisters cheered at the curb. I already had my boarding pass printed out and got through the security line quickly. The gate was just ahead, and they were already calling for everyone to line up to start boarding. I found my place in line and bounced on my toes.
The pink sundress I was wearing wasn’t quite appropriate for a cold airplane and probably not for a Wyoming ranch either, but it was fun and flirty and just the thing Remington would like. I was done conforming to what I thought everyone else wanted from me. The only people who I would allow to hold that kind of power would be my family. And hopefully soon, Remington would be an official part of that family.
The gate attendant scanned my pass and gave me the head nod to continue. My nerves escalated with each step down the jetway. The flight attendant gave me a kind smile when I boarded, pointing me toward my row. I found my seat and hefted my suitcase into the overhead baggage claim. With my arms up so high, my skirt was a lot shorter than I remembered. I could feel the sweat building as I struggled to fit it into the compartment. When that was secure, I had a seat and tried to take deep breaths.
An older man stopped in the aisle and gestured to the seat by the window. I hopped up to let him scoot into our row and then sat down again. When everyone else was on the plane, I thought the empty middle seat between us was a good omen for this trip. At the reminder from the flight attendant, I grabbed my phone out of my purse and went to turn it off.
There was a text message. From Remington.
My hands shook so hard I barely got the screen unlocked to read it. He’d had zero contact with me for a week now.
Remy:Can we talk?
Me:Definitely. Just not right this second.
Remy:busy with work?
Me:Um, not exactly.
Remy:Okay. Well, let me know when you have time. I’m here in Hell.
I gasped out loud and the flight attendant gave me a glare from the head of the aisle as she showed how to insert the belt into the buckle. Remington was in Auburn Hill? Not Wyoming?
I jumped to my feet, scrambling to grab my purse and hook it over my shoulder.
“Ma’am, please have a seat. We’re ready to taxi down the runway.” The flight attendant abandoned her canned safety speech and came down the aisle.
I ignored her, popping open the overhead compartment and reaching for my suitcase.
