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Authors: Debra Salonen
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would be hell to pay. Maybe he should call Libby and ask her to explain the financial end of this arrangement to Daria.
Bloody coward.
“We’ll be landing in under five, Daria,” he said. “Lucas is coming back to make sure everything is secure.”
Lucas glanced at him in surprise.
“Seat belts. Everything neat and tidy. You know the drill.”
The young man didn’t hesitate, even though William had made a point of handling all the passenger interaction himself thus far. William needed to keep the goal of this mission clear in his mind. He was providing a service for a woman in need. That was all. The fact that they had several hours to kill in a strange town didn’t mean he had to get too friendly.
“C AN I SIT on your lap?”
“I beg your pardon?” William asked the little girl who was tucked in tightly beside him. They were riding in the backseat of the taxi Lucas had procured for them after they’d landed and parked the plane.
“I wanna see the snow. Our snow is way up in the mountains.”
“You can sit on my lap, honey,” Daria said, reaching across Miranda.
“No,” Hailey protested. “You’re too lumpy.” William glanced at Daria, who was holding all three backpacks at her feet and on her lap.
“You’re supposed to wear a seat belt,” Miranda said, grouchily. William still didn’t have an accurate read on the girl, who was flirtatious one minute and bite-your-fingers snappy the next. She reminded him of a parrot his uncle once had.
“We’re going slow and there isn’t much traffic,” William said, patting the tops of his knees. “Hop aboard.”
“Thank you, Mr. William. I like you. Are you our uncle?” Hailey Fontina was as precious and precocious as a young Shirley Temple.
“Of course not, dummy. We just met him for the first time this morning at the airport. Don’t you think Mom or Dad would have mentioned an Uncle William who flies his own plane, if he were related to us?”
“Language,” Daria cautioned softly. “We all speak. None of us is dumb.”
Hailey happily scrambled across his legs to sit with her knees brushing the door panel. He leaned forward and depressed the lock button. “A girl can wish, can’t she?” Hailey responded, pressing her face against the glass as she had at the window of the plane.
William’s resolve to keep his distance melted like a chocolate bar in the hands of a toddler. “Your daughters could both have careers in Hollywood, if you were so inclined. Brains, beauty and the it factor. In spades.”
Daria’s eyes opened wide when both girls looked at her excitedly. “Oh, there’s an idea. Your father would have a warrant out for my arrest faster than you could bribe a judge.” She shook her head, grinning at Lucas who’d let out a loud hoot from the front passenger seat.
William regretted his candor. He’d momentarily forgotten who he was dealing with—not a stage mom who would sell her child’s soul for a big break, but a mother who would give up everything she had for the sake of her children.
“This the place?” the taxi driver asked, slowing to turn into the lot of a two-story chain motel that had two suites available when William had called.
“That’s the one,” he said, leaning forward to see the meter. “Sorry, love, I need to move you so I can pay the man.”
“Can I do it?” Hailey asked, her hand out.
“What a suck-up,” Miranda said, her tone betraying that she was mad at herself for not taking the initiative before her sister beat her to the punch.
“Am not,” Hailey returned, big crystal tears forming in her eyes.
“I will pay the fare. You are both in charge of tipping. As soon as we get out. Agreed?”
“Okay,” Miranda said, sitting up tall. Hailey’s chin barely left her chest, but he took the slight head bobbing as a yes.
A few minutes later, William watched with some satisfaction as the two worked together to charm a smile out of their mostly silent driver. “Thank you kindly,
Bloody coward.
“We’ll be landing in under five, Daria,” he said. “Lucas is coming back to make sure everything is secure.”
Lucas glanced at him in surprise.
“Seat belts. Everything neat and tidy. You know the drill.”
The young man didn’t hesitate, even though William had made a point of handling all the passenger interaction himself thus far. William needed to keep the goal of this mission clear in his mind. He was providing a service for a woman in need. That was all. The fact that they had several hours to kill in a strange town didn’t mean he had to get too friendly.
“C AN I SIT on your lap?”
“I beg your pardon?” William asked the little girl who was tucked in tightly beside him. They were riding in the backseat of the taxi Lucas had procured for them after they’d landed and parked the plane.
“I wanna see the snow. Our snow is way up in the mountains.”
“You can sit on my lap, honey,” Daria said, reaching across Miranda.
“No,” Hailey protested. “You’re too lumpy.” William glanced at Daria, who was holding all three backpacks at her feet and on her lap.
“You’re supposed to wear a seat belt,” Miranda said, grouchily. William still didn’t have an accurate read on the girl, who was flirtatious one minute and bite-your-fingers snappy the next. She reminded him of a parrot his uncle once had.
“We’re going slow and there isn’t much traffic,” William said, patting the tops of his knees. “Hop aboard.”
“Thank you, Mr. William. I like you. Are you our uncle?” Hailey Fontina was as precious and precocious as a young Shirley Temple.
“Of course not, dummy. We just met him for the first time this morning at the airport. Don’t you think Mom or Dad would have mentioned an Uncle William who flies his own plane, if he were related to us?”
“Language,” Daria cautioned softly. “We all speak. None of us is dumb.”
Hailey happily scrambled across his legs to sit with her knees brushing the door panel. He leaned forward and depressed the lock button. “A girl can wish, can’t she?” Hailey responded, pressing her face against the glass as she had at the window of the plane.
William’s resolve to keep his distance melted like a chocolate bar in the hands of a toddler. “Your daughters could both have careers in Hollywood, if you were so inclined. Brains, beauty and the it factor. In spades.”
Daria’s eyes opened wide when both girls looked at her excitedly. “Oh, there’s an idea. Your father would have a warrant out for my arrest faster than you could bribe a judge.” She shook her head, grinning at Lucas who’d let out a loud hoot from the front passenger seat.
William regretted his candor. He’d momentarily forgotten who he was dealing with—not a stage mom who would sell her child’s soul for a big break, but a mother who would give up everything she had for the sake of her children.
“This the place?” the taxi driver asked, slowing to turn into the lot of a two-story chain motel that had two suites available when William had called.
“That’s the one,” he said, leaning forward to see the meter. “Sorry, love, I need to move you so I can pay the man.”
“Can I do it?” Hailey asked, her hand out.
“What a suck-up,” Miranda said, her tone betraying that she was mad at herself for not taking the initiative before her sister beat her to the punch.
“Am not,” Hailey returned, big crystal tears forming in her eyes.
“I will pay the fare. You are both in charge of tipping. As soon as we get out. Agreed?”
“Okay,” Miranda said, sitting up tall. Hailey’s chin barely left her chest, but he took the slight head bobbing as a yes.
A few minutes later, William watched with some satisfaction as the two worked together to charm a smile out of their mostly silent driver. “Thank you kindly,
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