Page 7 of The Awakening (The Morton Family Saga #3)

Chapter Five

Elie

W e arrived at the airport, and I—a bit bewilderedly—followed Gavin to a private plane.

First class would have been more than I could have imagined.

A coach seat, crammed between Gavin and a woman with a crying baby, would have been perfect.

I’d never flown before, and always hoped I one day could.

But a private plane? The nerves returned.

How different was Gavin’s life from mine?

Was he used to this kind of luxury? Maybe I was more of an inexperienced mountain girl than I’d realized.

After all, I hadn’t even been out of state before.

Gavin turned back to me. “Are you going to stand there all day?”

“This is a private plane, Gavin.”

“Would you rather fly commercial?” He didn’t wait for me to respond. “We can if it would make you feel more comfortable, but it seems kind of pointless when the plane is already here. Tony had to leave his family early this morning to get here.”

“I’m sorry, I was just surprised. I haven’t flown before, let alone taken a private plane.”

Gavin doubled back, giving me a gentle push toward the plan.

“There’s a first time for everything. Go on, we have things to discuss.

” He grinned when I finally got my feet unstuck and moved toward the plane.

How was he so relaxed about all this? Our worlds had been flipped upside down, and he acted like flying in a private jet with his new wife to surprise his family was an every-day occurrence.

He followed close behind as I walked up the steps to the open door of the plane.

The seats were leather, the color of buttercream.

A couch ran along the one side of the cabin, with a table and chairs across the aisle.

There was a large television on the back wall, and a bar in the corner with a smiling flight attendant standing behind it.

The plane was fancier than the home I’d grown up in.

Who was I kidding? It was fancier than any home I’d ever set foot in. “Whose plane is this?”

“It belongs to my family. Since I fly back and forth to Montana so frequently, it was the practical thing to do.” Gavin said nonchalantly.

“So practical.” I didn’t see the practicality in it at all, but I nodded and at him, anyway, moving my head in a way I hoped would be convincing.

His laughter reverberated through the cabin of the plane. “I guess it’s somewhat impractical, given the way you grew up. But it’s been our normal for quite a while.”

I stood in the aisle. He was right about that. It wasn’t something I was accustomed to at all. Again, why would a man like him, who had the world at his fingertips and could jet off anywhere he liked in a private plane, tie himself to me?

He pointed to one of the chairs at the table. “Have a seat over there and buckle up.”

A man in what I assumed was a pilot’s uniform walked over to Gavin and shook his hand. “Mr. Morton, it’s always a pleasure to have you aboard.”

“Thank you for making this unscheduled trip, Tony. At least there won’t be a return flight any time soon.” The men laughed.

“Ellie, this is Tony. He’s our family pilot,” Gavin said.

I nodded at him, and he gave me a warm smile.

Gavin stretched an arm in my direction, then introduced me. “Tony, this is Ellie. My wife.”

Tony’s smile disappeared, and he blinked, a look of shock, or maybe disbelief, descending on his face.

He schooled his expression so quickly I didn’t think Gavin had even noticed it. “Ellie, it’s nice to meet you.” He stuck his hand out and I shook it.

“And you Tony.”

“It’s her first flight, so make sure it’s a good one.” Gavin patted Tony on the back, and they shared another laugh before the pilot walked away. Was there anyone my husband couldn’t charm?

“You have a family pilot?” I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to keep the smirk off my face.

He shrugged. “Of course, don’t you?”

I shook my head and sat in my seat, trying to hide a moan of pleasure as I melted into the soft leather, and fumbled with my belt.

He rounded the table and slid into the seat next to me before taking the belt from my hands.

He clicked it closed and tightened it around my hips.

“I know how to buckle a seat belt, Gavin.”

“You could’ve fooled me.” He smirked, then, instead of returning to his seat, he buckled up next to me.

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. I tried to convince myself it was because I was about to fly for the first time, and that it had nothing to do with how close Gavin was.

The kiss we’d shared at the courthouse replayed in my mind, as I sat back and tried to calm myself with a few deep breaths.

I’d always envisioned being allowed to travel once I was a married woman, but I never imagined I’d be doing so with my fake husband while carrying a baby that wasn’t his.

The plane rolled forward, and I jumped in my seat.

Gavin reached over and took my hand in his and held it while the aircraft hurtled down the runway and lifted off into the air.

My stomach flip-flopped, whether from the takeoff or the touch of Gavin’s hand, I wasn’t sure.

It was equal parts exhilarating and terrifying.

“We could join the mile high club once the seat belt signs are off. Consummate this marriage before we get to Texas.” Gavin wiggled his eyebrows and gave me a sly grin.

“No.” I rolled my lips inward and bit down on them, suppressing a smile.

There was something mischievous about this man, and I suspected he’d only given me small glimpses of it so far.

I wondered what it would be like if he turned his full boyish charm on me.

On the exterior, he was a worldly man: rugged and handsome.

But inside there was a youthful spirit waiting for any opportunity to come out and play.

The plane shuddered.

Bile rose in my throat, catching me off guard.

I broke out into a cold sweat as nausea overtook me.

Gavin reached down beside his chair and pulled out a small paper bag. “You’re pale. Do you need some ginger ale?”

I unfolded the bag and shook my head, too afraid to open my mouth for fear that more than words might come out.

“I’ll be right back.” Gavin got up and left his seat.

Resting my head back, I took long, slow breaths, hoping to calm the storm churning in my gut.

“Okay, let’s get you covered up.”

At the sound of Gavin’s voice, I opened my eyes, still cautious of making any fast movements. There was an open can of ginger ale on the table in front of me, and he and he was covering me with a blanket.

“Here, lift your head, but do it slowly. Don’t make any sudden movements.”

He slid a small pillow between me and the seatback, then he sat down and took my free hand in his once again. “There, you might be more comfortable now.”

I chanced a quiet “thank you” before shutting my eyes. Keeping them closed made the nausea almost bearable. There was so much we needed to discuss if we were going to convince his family that we were a married couple, but I couldn’t think of anything other than my stomach.

Soon after, I must have nodded off. When I woke, the nausea was gone, and I had unconsciously given up the pillow for the comfort of Gavin’s shoulder.

“It’s about time you joined the land of the living again,” he teased, reaching for the aluminum can in front of me. “Drink some ginger ale.”

“Thank you. It was sweet of you to make me feel comfortable. I guess it worked a little too well. How long was I out?” I asked before taking a sip of the almost flat soda. It felt good in my dry mouth.

“An hour or so. Have you had a lot of morning sickness?”

His question threw me for a loop. Why was he worried about that? “The plane made me nauseous, not the baby.”

He frowned at my reply, adjusting the bookmark in the book he’d been reading. “I’m trying to get to know you better, Ellie. These are things people are going to expect me to know about my pregnant wife. I’d like to answer them with some confidence.”

“Oh. No, not really. Today was the worst, but I’m not sure if it was morning sickness or nerves.

I was so busy up until now I hadn’t thought of it.

” I peeked over at him and fiddled with the pillow I’d been using.

“You know, aside from Ray, you’re the only other person I’ve told.

” That made the pregnancy feel more real.

He nodded and silence filled the plane as he looked back at the book in his lap. “Gavin, if I’d told you last night, would you have handled my father differently?” Looking down at the pillow I held tight to my chest, I waited for his answer.

“No. If anything, the opposite of that would’ve been true. The rumors about how hard your life had been were enough to make me fight for you, but if I had known about the…” He paused. “… your baby, I would have been even more determined to make sure you didn’t go back with them.”

Turning to look at him, I couldn’t help but smile. “You were pretty determined as it was. It has to be said. You truly are a good man, Gavin.”

“Not always.” He winked and I couldn’t help but laugh.

I took another sip of ginger ale before setting it back on the table. “Tell me about your family?”

He clicked his tongue. “That isn’t fair to you while you’re stuck on a plane. You should be free to run away once I tell you about them.”

The ominous way he spoke of his family confused me. He was so kind and wonderful. How could his family be any different? I didn’t press him any further. He’d extended me the courtesy of dodging some of his questions. It was only fair I did the same for him.

“All right, sleepyhead, we have a lot of ground to cover and not much time. So let’s get down to business.”