Page 19 of One Night Bride
The plane touched down, the smooth landing I expected from Wayne. I pulled a titanium band out of my pocket and slid it on my own ring finger. Esme looked over, then back at her hand. The plane came to a stop on the runway and I stood, holding my hand out to her.
“Ready to go meet my—our—family, Mrs. Roth?”
“I feel very trapped,” she snapped, standing up without taking my hand.
“I’m sorry.”
She frowned. “No, you’re not.”
I couldn’t help a smirk. “Nope. I’m not. Don’t forget it takes two to sign a marriage license, lady boss.”
“Ugh! Don’t remind me!”
9
Esme
I didn’t know what to expect of Wyoming, since I’d never been, but it wasn’t to land on a tiny airstrip in the middle of a field.
“Where’s the airport?” I wondered out loud, watching my step as I came down the stairs of Remington’s jet and onto the tarmac. If he’d given me more time, I would have changed clothes into something a little more travel friendly. As it was, I was thankful he’d given me a half hour to pack a small bag.
Remington just smirked at me, that expression he seemed to make all the time. At least with me. His lips twitched to one side and his blue eyes sparkled with some inner humor he didn’t feel the need to share.
“This is my family’s airstrip,” he said simply, carrying my bag and his, walking over to the only vehicle in sight, a giant black truck I’d need a ladder to get into.
I followed him, taking a moment to appreciate the sight of a cowboy in a perfectly fitting pair of Levi’s. Being in Wyoming was disorienting enough. I might as well enjoy the best the state had to offer, am I right?
Remington tossed our bags into the back of the truck like they weighed nothing, then opened the passenger door for me. He looked down at my shoes and lifted an eyebrow.
“Up you go,” he said, grabbing me by the hips and swinging me into the truck like a bale of hay.
I bit back a squeal of surprise, surveying the inside of a luxury truck like I was in a spaceship. “Huh. Seems all you’re missing is the gun rack, Remy.”
He let go of me and shot me a look that said not to mess with his truck. He went to close the door, but not before I caught him mumble, “This is going to be fun.” I stuck my tongue out at him as he crossed in front of the truck to the driver’s side. He just bit back a smile.
We drove just a few miles down the road, turning into a long unpaved driveway of sorts before two huge pillars of stone and a wrought-iron gate announced we’d reached Roth River Ranch. The gate sprang into action as we approached, pulling back and letting us enter his family’s property. The house came into view as we made a bend left, the structure made of wood and rock and a wraparound porch that made me dream of stargazing late at night snuggled up in a blanket. A string of gables that broke up the roofline, went on and on, the house more of an estate or compound than a simple house. Green trees dotted the surrounding landscape, and a small stream meandered to the one side of the house.
“It’s gorgeous,” I said on a heavy exhale. The man had a private jet, for crap’s sake. Of course his family’s house would be next level. I’d made good money for myself, but it was nothing compared to this.
He parked right outside the stairs that came down off the porch, a wide double door of wood and glass above it, flanked by pots of flowers in every color.
“Home sweet home,” Remington announced and I could see the pride in his face.
I opened the door, not one to wait for the guy to open things for me. My mistake was immediately apparent as I slid so far down I thought I might be at the county fair flying down a slide on a burlap sack. My stilettos finally hit land, but not without a decided squish that made me instantly grimace. Without even looking down, I knew it wouldn’t be good.
“Um…Remington?” I asked, voice wavering despite me screaming at myself to keep it together like the professional I was.
He came around, looked down, and jammed his fist against his mouth. His shoulders began to shake, but he didn’t move to help me.
“Seriously?” I snapped.
Remington rolled his lips in and came forward to tug my foot out of the mess below. “How about you leave your shoes with me and I’ll see if we can get them cleaned up, huh?”
I looked down at his head as he crouched down, his body blocking me from the carnage. “Do I even want to know?”
He shook his head and his shoulders kept shaking as he stood up. “Nope. Tell you what. Let’s just get you inside, honeypoo.” He reached down and swung my legs up, my shoes remaining in the mud and God only knew what else on the ground.
I wrinkled my nose for so many reasons. “Honeypoo?”
