Cody by Kirsten Osbourne Read Free Book Online

trip.
    “You excited?” he
asked.
    She shrugged. “I’m glad
I’m going, but I’m a little nervous. It’s not like me to take off
and go on vacation with a man I’ve only known for a little over a
week.”
    “It’s not like me to
propose to a woman I met ten minutes before. I think we bring out
the best in each other.”
    She laughed at that. “I’m
just glad you weren’t serious about your proposal. I was starting
to question your sanity for a while there.”
    He stopped at a stop sign
and gave her an intense look. “Oh, I was serious. Anytime you want
to say yes, you’re open to. I want to marry you.”
    She shook her head. “You
know, sometimes it’s hard to tell when you’re joking.”
    “No, it’s not. I always
have a goofy grin on my face when I’m joking. You can’t tell that
I’m joking right now, because I’m not.” He turned back to the road
and started driving. “We’re taking off from Alliance, so we’re
almost there.”
    She took a deep breath,
trying to regain her composure. Why did he always say things that
threw her for a loop like that? “Why Alliance?”
    He shrugged. “Steven and I
both live closer, so this is where we keep the corporate jets.
Justin has to make the drive. He lives in Dallas near the
office.”
    “Why is the office in
Dallas and not Fort Worth? I’d have thought you’d want to be
closer.”
    “I don’t know. Steven and
I both knew we’d almost never go into the office. I’m there once a
week or so, and Steven even less than that. Justin is there every
day, though, so we let him find the location.”
    After he parked in front
of the hangar, Amber got out of the truck. “Looks like Justin
brought a limo.”
    “I thought about it, but I
figured you’d clobber me after the truck thing today. I’m trying
not to throw money around too much.”
    She grinned at him. “I
appreciate that. I like you just fine when you’re not throwing
money around. You don’t have to do that to impress me.”
    He gave their suitcases to
the man loading the plane. “Are you excited?”
    “Yeah, but I’ve never
really been anywhere like that. Are you sure it’s as wonderful as
you make it sound?”
    Cody climbed onto the
plane, pulling Amber along behind him. “I told you, you’re going to
love it.” He rolled his eyes at Justin. “She’s worried she won’t
like the island.”
    Justin laughed. “There’s
something wrong with you if you don’t like the island. It’s
incredible.”
    “That’s what I keep
telling her!”
    There were two seats
across from where Justin and Sarah had settled. Cody pointed to one
and sat in the other. Amber looked at Sarah. “He points and expects
me to just do as he commands.”
    Sarah nodded. “Justin told
me on the way here that he’s keeping me like I’m a lost dog or
something.”
    Amber settled into the
seat Cody had indicated for her. “These men need to be taken down a
notch.” She kicked off her boots and stretched out in the chair
wiggling her toes. She’d been up before dawn trying to get
everything organized so she could leave.
    “Only one?” Sarah looked
over at Justin. “I think twenty or so would be better.”
    A stewardess came from the
front of the plane. “You need to buckle up. We’re about to take
off. I’ll serve dinner once we’re in the air.”
    Cody tilted his cowboy hat
back onto his head. “What are we having?”
    “The same thing you always
insist on having when you fly. Salad, steak and baked potatoes.”
She walked back toward the front of the plane.
    Justin smiled. “Sounds
good to me!”
    Cody turned to Amber. “Did
you get everything settled at home?”
    She nodded. “Tanya is
there teaching the kids now. It felt strange leaving them, but I
know her and I know she’s going to do a fabulous job. I’ve
considered hiring her several times in the past when I felt overrun
with students.”
    “You should. You’d still
make money off of her work. You wouldn’t lose a thing and