Page 3 of Love Off Course

Sheridan

I sit up, dazed, my eyes darting around the small jet cabin as I take a moment to realize where I’m at.

Headed for David and Daddy. Breathe. My heart continues to race, though.

So often I wake in a panic. As though the time ticks faster in those waking hours—something I can’t control. Not enough time to do everything.

Momma didn’t have time.

It fell through her grasp all too quickly.

“Miss Reid,” Lawton, the steward, says, squatting beside my chair. “Please fasten your seatbelt and prepare for landing.”

I frown as I buckle my belt. “We’re already there.”

He grimaces. “Not quite.”

“Not quite?” I demand.

“If you’ll please excuse me, I need to make sure the other passengers are ready,” he says, rising to his feet and scurrying away.

“Wait! Why are we stopping? Where are we going?”

He ignores me and I see red.

“Tahueca, Mexico,” the beautiful woman says from nearby. She smiles at me. “Rodrigo has changed course.”

“Mexico?” I croak out. “We can’t be going to Mexico. I have to get to Costa Rica for my father’s wedding, lady!”

She recoils at my tone and I feel like crap. It’s not her fault. “Estefania,” she says softly. “I am sorry, Sherrie.”

“Sheridan,” I snap, making her wince. My eyes sting and I swallow the big ball of emotion in my throat. “For how long?”

“The captain did not say,” Estefania says.

I’m fuming as we descend. The loss of control over the situation quickly morphs from despair to anger.

At least anger gets me answers. I glare out the window.

On one side is the Pacific Ocean, beautiful and blue.

Trees line the beachy coast. It’s beautiful, but I’m at the wrong paradise.

Worse yet, there’s not a cloud in the sky.

The moment I land, I’m calling Daddy and getting my flight changed. I’ve been off balance since I stepped into LAX and met up with all these people. I’m in the twilight zone, not reality. Once I reroute, things will go back to normal.

I close my eyes, imagining the resort Daddy rented out for his wedding. It’s the nicest one in Costa Rica. It’ll be wonderful to unwind in the presence of family and friends. To take a week off of my busy work schedule and just be.

It’s almost laughable.

Just being.

I haven’t done that in so long, I’ve almost forgotten what it feels like.

Seagulls. Warm breeze. Momma’s humming.

I’m thrust back to the summer before she died.

When Daddy took us to the beach for the day.

We didn’t have a penny to our names. The hospital made sure of that.

It felt like saying goodbye. Rather than letting it consume us, we enjoyed the day the three of us.

We didn’t worry about Momma’s illness or bills or the fact time was running out.

We took the day to just be.

A hot tear races down my cheek and I hastily swipe it away.

I don’t cry. Not anymore. Not since we buried Momma all those years ago.

Daddy and I had to toughen up. He threw his energy into his work and pulled us out of the hole we were in.

And rather than leaving me in despair all alone, he did it with me.

Anytime I wasn’t in school, I was jetting across the country to meet clients with Daddy, sitting in his office working on homework while he worked, or having dinner with him and David as they made plans.

From the get-go, I was a part of RT Corp. I never left.

When we roughly touch down, I pop my eyes back open. Trees whiz past us and I wonder if I’ll be able to catch a new flight quickly. As the plane slows, I frown. No buildings. No other planes. Where the hell are we?

“Carson,” Lawton calls out, “you’re losing your touch and I almost lost my cookies with that landing.”

The captain’s laughter travels into the cabin and grates on my nerves. Really damn funny. All of this is some huge game to them. Unprofessional. This company will hear all about my flight. I’ll leave my one-star review with pride.

“Don’t worry, Sherrie,” the old lady named Doris says. “I’m hungry too. We’ll make sure you get fed, honey.”

I grit my teeth. “Sheridan.”

“That’s what I said, honey.”

I’m not Sherrie or honey or whatever the hell these people want to call me.

I’m Sheridan Reid.

The bitch who’s about to go nuclear.

As soon as Lawton opens the side door of the plane, I unbuckle, grab my luggage, and storm over to him.

His eyes widen as I near. He stumbles over his words, but as soon as the stairs have fully unfolded and are touching the ground, I stomp past him.

The stairs are steep, so I have to carefully maneuver my black Valentino Garavani leather booties so I don’t fall.

My eyes are trained on my feet. As soon as my shoes hit the asphalt, I lift my gaze.

Trees.

Trees.

More damn trees.

I swivel around to look back at the plane. Behind the plane is a small hangar. No. This is definitely a dream. I’m still flying on the way to Costa Rica and I’m asleep. I pinch myself hard enough it’ll bruise.

Still here.

Something comes barreling down the asphalt, snarling and big. A flash of light brown. Oh my God. I’m going to die. In this stupid not-dream. I turn to face the creature, but it’s moving too fast. Straight for me.

“Get away from me,” I screech, holding a hand out in front of me.

The thing ignores me and pounces. I’m going to be mauled to death by a lion. I’m tackled to the asphalt and my head hits hard, causing stars to swirl around me. Something wet drags up my face. It’s licking me. The thing is licking me.

It’s then I lose it. I start to cry. Full-bodied sobs as this—I think it’s a dog—thing licks away my tears. It’s heavy and it stinks, but I don’t have the strength to push it away.

“Oh. Em. Geeeeeee!” Damian screams. “It’s eating her! Help! Handsome, pilots, help!”

“Toro,” he calls out. “Toro, ven con papá ”

Toro—the huge creature—launches toward CZ, otherwise known as the obnoxious co-pilot. They have a jolly reunion while I sit up and blink away my daze. Everyone is piling out of the plane and stretching, smiles on their faces like we didn’t just get dumped in the middle of freaking nowhere.

“Are you okay, Sherrie-dan?” Estefania asks, prancing over to me in her too-high heels that make her legs look impossibly long.

“I hit my head,” I grumble. “I’ll be fine.”

Damian—whom I pegged to be a diva—isn’t unnerved.

Instead, he’s preening for the camera that Kyle is holding up for him.

“Followers, as soon as we catch a signal, we’ll upload this video from”—he waves his hand in the air—“wherever this is and it is exquisite! I cannot wait to live stream you all and give you a tour! Perhaps we’ll check out the marina! Might find us a fixer-upper!”

Estefania helps me to my feet, a smile on her pretty face, until I jerk my arm from her grip. God, I’m such a bitch. This woman has been nothing but nice to me and I’m unfairly taking it out on her.

No, this is his fault.

I pull out my phone and am not surprised to find I have no service. It simply adds to the mountain of terrible things. I toss it back in my bag with a growl of frustration.

Abandoning Estefania and my luggage, I storm over to CZ. When he sees me rushing him, he stands up and lifts a challenging brow. The moment I reach him, I shove him with both hands. Of course he’s solid under that pilot’s uniform and doesn’t budge an inch.

“You’ve done this on purpose,” I accuse, my voice rising several octaves. “You think you can play these games with me?”

He smirks. “What games would those be?”

“These!” I cry out, throwing my hands up in the air. “Landing us in the middle of nowhere because of a freaking non-existent hurricane because you’re on some stupid power trip!”

“It was the captain’s call to land, not mine.”

“Where the hell is he?” I growl, not taking my eyes off CZ.

“Waiting for Alejandro.”

“Who’s Alejandro?”

“He owns this airstrip.”

“Good,” I fire back at him. “I’m going to talk to him too. I’ll catch the next flight out of here. Away from you.”

CZ laughs, rich and deep. I hate the sound. “There are no other flights, abejita . You’re stuck here with me.” He reaches down to pet the dog. “Right, Toro? She’s a little bee with no wings.”

Toro barks and smiles at me. Wait. Is that dog actually smiling at me? His tongue hangs out of his mouth and he stares at me with big brown eyes.

Ew.

I don’t do animals.

“Take me to Alejandro,” I demand, pulling my stare from the ugly dog to the annoying idiot in front of me.

“Alejandro will come to us,” he says cryptically.

Awoooga! Awoooga!

The sound of an obnoxious horn cuts through the air, stealing my attention. A green bus bounces toward us along the airstrip. I’m in hell. Only answer for all this. The bus comes to a halt near us and a man bounces out of the bus.

“Camilo,” Alejandro booms, holding his arms out. “ La estrella .”

“Alejandro,” CZ or Camilo says, grinning.

They hug and then start chatting in rapid fire Spanish. I cross my arms over my chest and frown at them. Alejandro starts ushering people into the green bus. When I overhear the word “hotel,” I breathe a sigh of relief. At least there, I can gather my bearings and call Daddy.

My head is throbbing from my fall, but I ignore it as I make my way back over to Estefania, who stands watch over my things like an Amazonian princess. God, she’s so pretty it hurts to look at her.

“You like the pilot, no?”

I follow her gaze over to Camilo. “No,” I grit out. “Big no. Hell no.”

She laughs. “But he is so handsome.”

“Not even close,” I grumble.

Lies. He’s hot, but he knows it, which makes it all the more annoying. Plus, he’s a dick. Probably knows that too.

“ Vengan, amigos ,” Alejandro calls out to us, waving us to the bus.

Estefania waggles her brows at me, as though we’re sharing a secret about our mutual crush over some boy. Gross. No. She can have him.

I grab my luggage and hurry over to the bus.

Alejandro opens a side compartment and helps us load our things inside.

When my things are safely stowed away, I climb onto the bus that reeks of body odor.

Yuck. My nostrils flare in disgust as I take a seat right behind the driver’s seat.

As much as I don’t want to smell him, I need to be able to ask him pertinent questions.

Estefania boards next and her nose crinkles up.

She eyes the seat beside me but then shakes her head, opting for the back seat instead.

My eyes drift out the window and I watch as Camilo trots over to the hangar and lifts the garage bay.

Captain Klein must be the one taxiing the plane, because it slowly makes its way over to the open bay.

Once it’s inside, they both exit and close the garage door.

Ugh.

Doris and Dale make their way onto the bus and sit behind me. Then, Damian and Kyle get on next. They choose a seat near Estefania. Alejandro trots up the stairs and hefts himself into the driver’s seat. Captain Klein boards and has a seat across the aisle from Doris and Dale.

“We could leave him,” I offer under my breath.

Captain Klein snorts out a laugh.

Toro bounds onto the bus and barks at me before throwing himself down in the seat across the aisle from me, panting hard.

“Welcome to Tahueca,” Camilo says as he steps onto the bus, greeting everyone. “You’re in the loveliest town of Oaxaca in Mexico. You’re in for a real treat. Soon, you will be guests of the best hotel in town.”

“Only hotel,” Captain Klein says with a chuckle.

“Still the best, Carson,” Camilo argues with the captain.

“Can we go already?” I snap. “I need to call my father.”

The humor fades from Camilo’s face as he sits.

Right next to me.

“Seriously,” I growl. “Of all the places you could sit—oh!”

The bus takes off and I’m thrown back. Camilo laughs at my shock. I want to shove him into the seat with his dumb dog. His arm stretches across the seat behind me as he leans in to look out the window. It’s too hot and sticky here to have him of all people in my space.

“Are you always this angry?” he asks, his minty breath invading me.

“Are you always this obnoxious?”

“Yes,” Carson offers from nearby. The damn dog barks too.

I smirk at Camilo.

“Do you have plans for dinner?” Camilo asks, wiping said smirk right from my face.

“I’d rather starve than eat with you.”

“Oh, come on, I’m not that bad.”

“Nope, you’re definitely worse.”

He snorts. “Do you even have any friends because it’s hard imagining you being nice to anyone?”

I scowl at him and then turn away to look out the window. Rude ass. I have friends. Lots of them. Daddy. And David of course. Oh, and my assistant Helen. Daddy’s assistant Mark is my friend too. David’s son, Garrett, from a previous marriage. Lots of friends.

“Who’s your best friend?” he asks, still invading my space and mind.

“None of your business.”

“You don’t have one.”

“His name is David,” I lie. While I want David and me to carry on being more, I wouldn’t say we’re best friends. I can barely get him to make time to have dinner with me.

“Wrong.”

“What do you mean, wrong? You don’t know me,” I hiss, refusing to look at him.

“I know you’re lying. It’s a hunch.”

“Screw your hunch.”

“I could be your best friend,” he purrs, his knuckle rubbing along my bicep.

I snap my head to look at him. Too close. My heart does a little flutter and it makes me angry. He can be sexy all damn day, but that doesn’t change the fact he’s the most obnoxious man I’ve ever met.

“I’d rather be best friends with Toro.”

Toro barks happily.

Camilo’s lips curl into a wicked grin. “I’m going to have fun with you.”

“At least one of us will be having fun,” I sneer. “Hope you don’t get too attached. I’ll be gone the second I can.”

His eyes drop to my lips, making my stomach do a flip. “You’re not going anywhere until Rodrigo is no longer a threat.”

“Newsflash, Camilo,” I snap. “It’s sunny. Not a raincloud in the sky. Maybe you should rethink your career.”

His jaw clenches. “Rodrigo is coming.”

“Kyle!” Damian calls out. “Take a picture of me with the beach behind me. It’s gorgeous.”

Jerking my stare from Camilo, I look out the window. The water sparkles in the freaking sunshine, but the waves are choppy and the wind blows the trees lining the beach. It is beautiful, but it’s wrong. I’m not supposed to be here.

“For the record,” Camilo says softly, “I’m right. It’s not safe to fly.”

I ignore him until he gets up to go sit with Toro.

Good.

It’s better this way.

Alone.