Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 103665 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103665 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
Daisy walked in from the kitchen. “I like her.”
“Ditto.” Amka grabbed the coffee carafe and walked down to refill Ace’s cup. She leaned over the bar and rested her chin on her hand. “You don’t have to watch me all day just because Christian asked you to.”
Ace shrugged. “I don’t have anything else going on. Plus, the food’s good, and the ambiance is better.” He nodded toward the bottles behind her. “How about a bit of Kahlua in this coffee?”
“How about no,” she said. “You start with Kahlua, and next thing I know, you’re fighting tourists on my floor, and I’m dragging you out the door.”
His gaze sharpened. Both eyes were the same pale green as Christian’s one green eye. “All right, then how about we have a little chat? What’s going on between you and my brother?”
“Nothing.” She leaned back. “He’s decided I need protecting, and apparently nothing sways him.”
Ace jerked his head and grinned. “Ain’t that the truth. Believe me, I know.” He looked around the tavern. “Where’s your fiancé, anyway?”
“Still in Anchorage.” As far as she knew, anyway. She glanced toward the windows. The morning plane hadn’t come in yet, and she hoped it stayed grounded. One more day of peace wouldn’t hurt. She looked down at her bare hand. Why put on the ring?
“You gonna tell Jarod you stayed out with Christian last night?”
She blinked once. Then again. “You knew I stayed with Christian?”
“I knew he took you home. Figured he stayed there with you.”
She gave a noncommittal shrug. “Huh.” So Ace actually didn’t know about Christian’s cabin. That was kind of funny.
Ace stretched his neck. “Amka, if you’re playing games with Christian, I’d stop. Like right now.”
A slight chill wandered down her back. “He said he doesn’t play games.”
“He doesn’t.”
Now she shivered. “I’m not playing games. He’s the one who insists that I need cover.” That was enough discussion about the man who wouldn’t leave her mind. She cleared her throat. “So, Ace, I’ve been thinking.”
“Oh yeah?” He leaned back on his stool. His long gray T-shirt stretched over broad shoulders and a frame that matched his brothers’. Around town, it was common knowledge he stood one inch taller than the other three Osprey brothers at a proud six foot six. He liked reminding them every chance he got.
She didn’t think one inch made much difference, considering they all towered over her, but she liked that he still had a sense of humor about it. “Yeah. I’ve got some money I need to invest. What do you think about starting a new company?”
“A new company?” His eyebrows lifted. “Tell me more.”
How carefully did she need to tread here? “At some point, you’re going to have to fly again. I’ve known you my whole life, and you’ve always loved the air more than the ground or sea. I don’t know what happened exactly, but I do know you’re not meant to stay grounded.”
Ace didn’t reply right away.
“Let’s be honest,” she continued. “The other small commuters around here suck. One of them had to crash-land on a glacier last week.”
He snorted, but his eyes stayed on her now, sharp and measuring.
“I’m not just looking to park my money,” she said. “I want to help someone get back to doing what they’re meant to do. For the safety of Knife’s Edge, too. You know some of the others don’t take care of their planes.”
He winced. Anger flickered in his eyes and burned deeper. “It’s a travesty they’re still in the air.”
“I know,” she said, leaning in a little. “So…what if we started an LLC?”
He tilted his head.
“I’ve got the money right now,” she continued. “You could put in whatever you have. The town still uses your plane, but it’s technically yours, so that could count as your collateral.”
He didn’t interrupt. That was a good sign.
Her heart rate increased. Was she getting to him? She’d protect her money and maybe help him out. Somebody needed to do it. “I’ve been thinking about building something next door where the old storage building used to sit. We could put an office in front, but Wyland and I could still use the back half for storage. We could even build an additional rental for new businesses. Knife’s Edge is growing. We could use the income.”
“I don’t know.” He glanced again at the bottles of alcohol.
She reached out and put her hand over his. His skin felt warm. “It’s time you did something again. I need a place to invest, and this makes sense to me.” The idea had come out of nowhere, but now that it lived in her head, it felt solid. “We’ll come up with a name. How about Ace’s Flying Company?”
He rolled his eyes. “I don’t think so.”
“We’ll figure it out. We’ve already got one plane. Maybe later we get a second and bring in another pilot.” She paused as she mentally ran through plans. “We could do daily runs between towns. Mail, freight, people. Then take on charters for hunters, fishermen, mountain climbers, and tourists. You know how many people ask about backcountry flights and can’t find one that’s safe?”