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Toby hadn’t liked the way her mom had talked to her today, especially in front of other people. But he supposed that wasn’t any of his business. He’d always had a sympathetic nature. In fact, his brothers often ribbed him, saying he was a sucker for people who were down on their luck. Some of that might be true, although he didn’t see Angie that way.
Sure, maybe she wasn’t a superambitious go-getter. But she seemed to have a good head—and a pretty one at that—on her shoulders. And something told him that she’d find her groove in life soon.
“You know,” he said, “it’s not too late to go back to school.”
“No, it isn’t. But you’re looking at a woman who’d joined the Toastmasters Club, the Teachers of Tomorrow, Health Careers and Future Farmers of America when I was in high school. I was even a member of the French Club one semester. I couldn’t decide on a direction then, and I’m no closer to having one now. So I can’t imagine spending the time and money to take classes without a goal in mind. So far, my motto in life has been ‘just keep on keeping on.’”
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I think that motto suits you pretty well. You’re a lot of fun to be with. And you have a great ability to adapt. I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”
“Yes, but as each week passes, my mother gets more and more stressed about my future.”
“How about you?” he asked. “Are you worried about it?”
She tossed him a pretty smile. “I’m doing just fine.”
He didn’t doubt that she was. “Then that ought to settle it.”
She took her glass, wrapped her full lips around the straw and took a slow drag of her milk shake, making him think about somewhere else her mouth could be...
What in blazes was wrong with him? Angie Edwards wasn’t the woman for him. He needed someone who was solid and stable, someone who was willing to take on three kids. And while Angie could probably handle anything life threw at her, she didn’t seem like the type who would stick around for the long haul.
And even though everyone in town, including his family, thought that his taking on the Hemings kids was a temporary thing, Toby had gotten attached to them, and he wasn’t planning to give them up unless their aunt insisted on taking them back. And even then, he wasn’t sure if he’d step back without a fight. But from what he’d gathered from the social worker, their aunt Barbara wasn’t the maternal type.
So if he had any chance of keeping them, he needed a partner who would be just as committed to the kids as he was.
Still, that didn’t mean Angie wasn’t an attractive woman. What she might lack in commitment, she more than made up for with sex appeal.
Yet the more time he spent with her, the more intriguing he found her.
Why hadn’t he looked at her that way before? Well, of course he’d noticed her looks. He wasn’t blind. But he’d never been the kind of guy to date someone just because of her physical appearance. He’d been interested in the woman on the inside.
Of course, after talking with her this evening, he had to admit that he was curious about what made her tick.
Even though they’d both grown up in Horseback Hollow, he really didn’t know very much about her—except in the way that most folks in small towns knew stuff about each other.
Up until today, he and Angie had never said more than a few words to each other in passing.
Before he could ponder it any further, the waitress brought their food. While she was placing the plates on the table, Toby excused himself and went after the kids.
Moments later, they were all seated at the booth. The boys began to dig in, but Kylie merely looked at her plate and frowned.
“What’s the matter?” Angie asked.
“It’s too much. I don’t want it.”
“Oops,” Toby said. “The boys are such good eaters that I sometimes forget about her. She isn’t actually all that fussy, but I think she gets overwhelmed when her plate is too full.”
“What if you share with me,” Angie said. “Would that help?”
When Kylie nodded, Angie took a knife and, with a careful slice, cut the grilled cheese into quarters instead of halves. “I like smaller triangles. Don’t you?”
The little girl smiled.
Angie reached for a section. “Can I have some of your fries, too?”
Again, Kylie nodded.
Toby would have to remember that trick.
Next, Angie took the knife, then sliced her double bacon burger in two. “When the waitress comes by I’m going to ask her for a to-go box.”
“What are you going to do?” Toby asked. “Take that home for lunch tomorrow?”
“Actually, I thought I’d offer it to Mr. Murdock. He likes a late-night snack when he watches television. And I thought it would be a nice surprise.”
So she was thoughtful, too—especially with kids and the elderly.
Toby took a bite of his burger, relishing the taste. No one made them better than The Grill.
“Can you hand me the mustard?” Angie asked.
Toby reached for the bottle that stood next to the menus on the table and handed it to her, thinking she was going to apply it to the portion of the burger she intended to eat. Instead, she poured a glob onto her plate, dipped one of the French fries into it and took a bite.
“Most people prefer catsup,” he said. “Miss Edwards, you’re proving to be quite a novelty.”
She smiled. “‘Always keep ’em guessing.’ That’s my motto.”
Toby laughed. “You have a lot of mottos, I’m learning.”
She tossed him a pretty smile.
“Can I try that?” Justin asked. “Pass me the mustard, too.”
“I’m not going to be able to eat all these onion rings,” Angie said. “Does anyone want to help me out?”
“I’ve never had them before,” Brian said.
She passed her plate to him. “You should at least try one. You might be missing a real treat.”
Ten minutes later, Kylie had eaten three-quarters of her sandwich. Justin had finished off his corn dog and decided that he preferred dipping his fries in mustard rather than catsup. And Brian had wolfed down most of Angie’s onion rings.
Then the kids dashed back to the arcade with the last of the quarters, leaving the adults sitting amid the clutter of nearly empty plates, wadded napkins, dribbles of soda pop and a melting ice cube.
Toby studied Angie in the dim light of the least romantic restaurant in West Texas.
Why in the world hadn’t he taken the time to get to know her sooner, when his life hadn’t been complicated by three children?
He supposed one reason he’d steered clear of her was because his brother Jude had once dated her. And for that reason, Toby had considered her off-limits.
Yet, when the kids returned to the table, high from their final top-ranking scores on Ms. Pac-Man, the sound of Angie’s infectious laughter, as well as the way she pulled Kylie onto her lap and gave her a squeeze, made Toby think he’d better have a talk with his newly engaged brother.
There were a few questions he needed to ask Jude. Because maybe, just maybe, this funny and beautiful woman wasn’t entirely off-limits after all.
Chapter Three
Ever since Angie had joined him and the kids for dinner on Saturday night, Toby hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. By Monday morning he was racking his brain, trying to come up with an excuse to see her—other than stopping by the Superette to pick up groceries, although he was tempted to do just that.
Then, while driving the kids to school, he had a lightbulb moment.
Brian, who was seated in front, was craning his neck and peering out the windshield at a plane flying overhead.
“Look at that one,” he said, pointing it out to his younger brother, who sat in the back with Kylie. “Wouldn’t it be cool to fly an airplane?”
And bingo! Toby had the perfect solution.
“How would you like to talk to a real pilot and see some planes up close?” he asked Brian.
The oldest boy had been unusually quiet and introspective since moving in with Toby, but when he glanced across the seat, his mouth dropped open and his eyes lit up in a way they’d never done before. “That would be awesome. Do you know one?”
“My cousin Sawyer and his wife, Laurel, own the new flight school and charter service. Laurel is actually the pilot. She was even in the air force.”
“No kidding?” The boy’s jaw dropped, and his eyes grew wide. “For real?”
Most people in town were more impressed with Toby’s connection to the Fortune family, rather than the lovely woman one of his cousins had married. “Yes, for real. I’ll give Sawyer a call this morning and ask for a tour.”
“For all of us?” Justin asked.
“And for me, too?” Kylie chimed in. “If it’s a girl pilot, I want to see her.”
Toby laughed. “Yes, we’ll all go. After I drop you guys off at school, I’ll try to work out a good time for us to go. But no promises on when that might be.”
And that was just what Toby did. Once the kids had gotten their backpacks, climbed out of the truck and headed for their respective classrooms, he called his cousin.
Sawyer’s father, James Marshall Fortune, had been a triplet. His two sisters had been given up for adoption when they were very young. Josephine May was raised in England by the Chesterfields, a family that was both rich and royal. Jeanne Marie, Toby’s mom, was raised in Horseback Hollow by loving parents who were common folk. But what they lacked in finances, they made up for in love.
Last year, Sawyer had met Laurel Redmond in Red Rock, where they fell in love. On New Year’s Eve, they married in Horseback Hollow, where they now made their home. Sawyer and Laurel opened Redmond-Fortune Air, which served folks in this area. Laurel used to work with her brother, Tanner Redmond, who owned the Redmond Flight School and Charter Service back in Red Rock. They originally opened a branch of that company here, but with Tanner’s blessing and Sawyer’s capital, Laurel bought out her brother’s stock and recently went out on her own.
When Sawyer answered the phone, Toby told him about Brian’s interest in airplanes, then asked if he could bring the kids by the airfield sometime for a tour.
“Absolutely,” Sawyer said. “Laurel flew a couple of businessmen from Vicker’s Corners to Abilene this morning for a meeting, but she should be back before three.”
“Is Angie Edwards working for you today?” Toby asked, as casually as he could.
“As a matter of fact, she comes in at one-thirty and will be here until four. Why?”
“No reason. I’d heard she was a part-time receptionist.” Toby glanced at the clock on the dashboard, realizing he had a lot of chores to get done today. But no telling when Angie would be working at the flight school again.
“The kids get out of school at three,” he told Sawyer. “So we’ll head over to the airfield then.”
And that was just what he did.
As had become his routine, Toby waited in front of the school when the bell rang. Only this time, he’d gone home so he could shower, shave and put on a new shirt and his favorite jeans.
“Did you talk to your cousin?” Brian asked, as he climbed into the truck.
“I sure did. And Sawyer said to come by today.”
Whoops and cheers erupted from the backseat. Even the usually quiet Brian was beaming, confirming that Toby had just hit a home run.
So what if fulfilling a young boy’s dreams to get to see the inside of a cockpit hadn’t been his only motive? Besides, the kids had been talking about Angie nonstop—especially Kylie—and they were going to be just as excited to see her as he was. If he happened to talk to a beautiful woman and casually slip in a dinner invitation while they were at the airfield, then so be it.
“But let’s set some ground rules,” he told the kids. “You’re going to have to mind your manners and not touch anything you’re not supposed to. No running off—that means you, Justin. And the minute we get back to the ranch, you’re going to have to sit down and do your homework. No complaints. Got it?”
A chorus of “got it”s and excited chatter filtered over the seat to him.
Fifteen minutes later, as the anticipation built in the cab of the truck, Toby turned down the county road that led to their destination.
Prior to the addition of Redmond-Fortune Air, the Horseback Hollow Airport hadn’t amounted to much more than a small control tower, a couple of modular buildings, one of which housed Lone Star Avionics, several hangars and a relatively small airstrip.
But the brand-new building Sawyer and Laurel had built, with its gray block exterior, smoky glass windows and chrome trim, added some class to an otherwise small-town, nondescript airport that served both Horseback Hollow and nearby Vicker’s Corners.
After parking next to Sawyer’s new black Cadillac Escalade, Toby led the kids up the walkway and through the double glass doors into the reception area.
Angie, who was busy typing some letters at the reception desk, brightened when they came in. “Hey, look who’s here!”
She greeted each child with a hug, but stopped short when she reached Toby. After all, what was required? Certainly not an embrace. And a handshake was much too formal.
They both settled for a smile, which worked out just fine.
“I heard you were coming.” She turned to a guy in green coveralls who was seated near a potted ficus tree and reading a newspaper. “Pete, is Sawyer still out back?”
“Yep. He’ll be in shortly.” Pete lowered his newspaper and nodded at Toby. “How’s it goin’?”
“Not bad.”
Pete Nelson, a tall, lanky mechanic, worked for Lone Star Avionics and sometimes did side jobs for Sawyer and Laurel. Ever since Sawyer and Laurel opened up for business, the other employees at the airfield usually came over to use their break room, as well as the new fridge, microwave and coffeemaker.
“Taking a break?” Toby asked the thirtysomething air-force vet, trying to keep the hint of jealousy from his voice. After all, if he worked at the airfield, he’d be taking breaks in the office when Angie was here, too.
Hell, Toby didn’t even work at the airfield, and he was looking for reasons to stop by the sexy brunette’s places of employment.
“Just having a quick cup of coffee,” Pete said. “Then it’s back to the hangar.”
“Hey, Justin,” Brian said, as he wandered toward a table with a plastic-enclosed display of miniature-sized scale models of airplanes. “Look at this.”
Kylie followed the boys, just as Sawyer entered the building.
“Hey, Toby.” He extended his arm, and they shook hands. “Sorry I wasn’t here when you arrived.”
