Chapter Eighteen – Ensley #2
“I can’t thank you enough, Judd, for making this happen for us.” Facing me, Colt introduced us. “Judd, this is Ensley Wilde. Ensley, this is Judd Murray.
Judd studied me—and if it was possible, his grin grew even bigger. “So, this is Ensley.” Taking my outstretched hand, he gently shook it. “I’ve heard so much about you, I feel like I know you already.”
My brows shot up as I looked at Colt, then back to Judd. “I hope all good things.”
He laughed. “My wife and I were about ready to haul this boy back to Colorado ourselves when he finally told us he was heading home. Of course, I wanted it to be on better terms.” Turning to Colt, he said, “You mentioned on the phone that your father’s doing well?”
Colt nodded. “He’s doing great. They’re glad I’m home, and so am I.”
Judd looked at me and winked. “I bet he is. Everyone at the ranch told him that he was a lovesick fool and needed to get his ass back to Colorado.”
I smiled at Colt. “Is that so?”
“Sure is,” Judd stated. “Talked about you all the time.”
Colt clapped his hands. “So, how long is the flight today?”
Judd chuckled. “Nice change of subject. We’re looking at around two hours and twenty minutes. The weather’s clear the whole way. They are talking about a small storm that could move through on Monday, though.”
“Will that delay us in leaving on Tuesday?” Colt asked.
Judd shook his head. “I think it’ll move through fast. If anything, we might be delayed a few hours,” he assured us. “You two make yourselves at home. We’ll have one other pilot and one flight attendant. She’s my daughter, so if she isn’t doing her job, you let me know.”
“Lori did decide to join us?” Colt asked.
Judd nodded. “She did.”
I couldn’t help but notice the strange expression that crossed over Colt’s face. If I hadn’t been looking at him, I would have missed it.
“Speaking of!” Judd said, as he walked over and hugged a woman who’d just walked up the steps and boarded the cabin. When they stepped apart, she glanced our way. She looked at me first, then Colt. Something flashed in her eyes as she smiled his way.
“Colt, it’s nice seeing you again.”
My gaze bounced between the two of them. Lori looked to be around Emeline’s age. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into a low bun, and her eyes were the color of the sky. She was stunningly beautiful. She quickly got to work stowing her bag and moving into the cabin.
“Can I make you a drink? Orange juice or mimosa?” she asked me with a polite smile.
I shook my head. “No, thank you.”
Her gaze moved to Colt. “Colt?”
“No, thanks, Lori. I’m good for now.”
She nodded as she started to put the bottles under the cabinet. “We’ll be taking off as soon as Judd finishes his check of the plane. Do either of you need anything before that?”
My mouth felt dry, and I had a hard time forming words, so I just shook my head and slowly sat down on the sofa. I was seriously nervous about flying in this small plane…but now I also couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something between Colt and Lori.
I knew I was being ridiculous. I’d slept with other guys during the last ten years, and I couldn’t expect Colt to have been celibate. I tried hard to push those thoughts from my head.
“There are belts there, as well as on the single chairs. I would suggest the chairs for takeoff, they’re more comfortable.”
“Thank you,” I managed to get out, but it sounded hoarse.
“Ma’am, would you like a bottle of water?”
I nearly sagged with relief. “Yes. That would be nice. And please, call me Ensley.”
Lori gave me a smile before walking to the front and returning seconds later with two bottles. One for me, one for Colt.
“Thank you,” I said quietly.
She reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze. “Is this your first time on a private jet?”
“How can you tell?” I asked with a laugh.
Winking, she replied, “Because it’s not my first time. My husband hates flying, and when he accompanies us on the jet, he usually has to take a little something to help him calm down. If you change your mind about a drink, you’ve still got time to take the edge off.”
“You’re married?” I wasn’t sure why I needed that clarification.
Lori beamed. “Going on three years. He works on my father’s ranch.” Motioning with her head toward Colt, she added, “Colt was his boss the last couple of years.”
I nodded, taking a sip of water.
Lori took a few steps back. “I’ll be prepping for the flight, but if you need anything, just give me a call.”
Colt knelt in front of me, cupping my face with his hands. “Are you going to be okay, Pip?”
Closing my eyes, I drew in a few deep breaths. “I think so. I don’t know why I’m so nervous.”
“I promise we’ll be fine.”
Nodding, I replied, “I know we will. I just need a few minutes. Once we get into the air, I’ll be okay.” I leaned my head back against the seat and closed my eyes.
The next thing I knew, Lori was gently shaking me. I opened my eyes and quickly looked around. Colt was in the chair across from me, his head buried in his laptop. When I looked back at Lori, she was smiling.
“We’re going to be pushing back from the gate, so I need you to buckle up.”
I quickly fumbled to get my seat belt. “Yes, of course. I’m so sorry.”
“No worries. I’ll be right up front if you need anything.”
“Thank you, Lori.”
I watched as she headed toward the cockpit. She said something to her father, turned and sat in a small seat, and buckled herself in.
Judd came over the speakers, and Colt shut his laptop.
“Okay, kids, sit back and enjoy the flight.”
“How many times have you flown on this plane?”
Colt smiled. “Over a dozen times.”
“No issues?”
He tilted his head and regarded me. “Pip, do you really think I’d put you in danger?”
I chewed nervously on my lower lip. “No, but I can’t help but be nervous.”
Reaching across the narrow aisle, he motioned for me to take his hand. I laced my fingers with his.
“I promise you, everything will be fine.”
The plane jerked forward, and I looked out the window to see that we were taxiing toward the runway. I closed my eyes, dropped my head against the back of the seat, and prayed like I’d never prayed before.
I’d always been a nervous flyer, so I wasn’t surprised by what I was feeling. Colt started talking, but I kept my eyes tightly closed.
“Do you want me to tell you where we’re staying?”
I opened one eye and glanced over, causing him to laugh.
“That might make me feel a bit better.”
“We’re staying at the Fairmont Banff Springs. We’ll be in the Crown Suite.”
A thrill of excitement raced through my body, and I quickly forgot all about being on the small plane. “Is there Wi-Fi on this plane?”
Colt let out a roar of laughter. “Can you just be surprised?”
Sighing, I replied, “I can, but it would be a nice distraction.”
He shook his head, looking out the window. The pilot came on and said we’d been cleared for takeoff. Ten minutes later, we were in the air, and I was finally breathing a sigh of relief.
“Why did you pick Banff for our second first date?”
Colt glanced over and smiled. “There’s something about Banff that makes me feel calm. The whole reason I went there is because Grady said you loved it there. That’s the reason Grady wanted to see Banff, so…I guess I went because of you both.”
Turning in my seat to face him more, I asked, “You went to Banff because I mentioned it to Grady once?”
He winked. “I did.”
I reached across the aisle for his hand again. “Thank you for doing this. You didn’t have to go through so much trouble, Colt. I feel a bit guilty now.”
He chuckled. “Don’t. It’s the least I can do to make up for all the lost time.
” Colt unbuckled and stood, not letting go of my hand.
He motioned for me to do the same and, once I was unbuckled, he drew me up and pulled me close.
I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in his neck.
He smelled like pine and spice, and I took a deep breath.
“This is going to be an amazing weekend, no matter what you have planned.”
He drew back and looked down at me. “I sure hope so. I only had a week to plan all of this.”
“Well, the private plane is a nice touch, even if I was terrified at first.”
Colt chuckled. “So you’re fine now?”
“I am, until it comes time to land. Then it’s a whole other story!”
“Well, we have a couple hours to kill. What do you want to do?”
Glancing around the plane, I said, “I’ve never been on a private plane before. Do we just sit here and drink and eat snacks?”
“We could do that. Or we could grab some playing cards.”
My brows shot up. “Playing cards, you say?”
A wide grin appeared on his face. “I’m glad to see some things haven’t changed.”
Glancing toward Lori, I smiled when she met my gaze. “Hey, Lori…do you know how to play poker?”