Josh flicked her a sideways glance. “Won’t be as bad as you think.”
“Why not?”
He smiled. “Because we aren’t flying out of Dallas-Fort Worth. I called my brother. I don’t like asking him for favors, but I figured this was important. According to Linc, the Iron Springs Municipal Airport has a five-thousand-foot runway. He’s sending a jet to pick us up and take us to Arizona.”
“You’re kidding, right? Your brother has a private jet?”
“Company jet. Citation SII. Linc owns half of Texas American Enterprises.”
Her eyebrows shot up. She had seen Tex/Am trucks on the highway. Everyone knew the Dallas corporation was mega-successful, but she hadn’t connected the business in any way to Josh or his family.
As an advertising exec, she had flown on a chartered jet a couple of times, but those days seemed an eternity ago.
“I can’t believe your brother is loaning us his plane.”
“Yup. We can be in Scottsdale in about two hours.”
She said a silent prayer of thanks. She needed to get to Lisa as quickly as possible and now she would be there in very short order. “It costs a fortune to fly one of those things.”
Josh just smiled. “Linc’s always asking me if there’s anything I need. This time I said yes.”
It wasn’t long before the pickup was parked at the airport and they were settled aboard Lincoln Cain’s fancy Citation jet.
“From sleeping in the backseat of my car in the Walmart parking lot to this—” She gestured toward the plush cream leather interior and polished mahogany tables. “I feel like I’ve stepped into an alternative universe.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean. It’s not the life for me, but it suits my brother. Linc’s as comfortable on a jet as he is on the seat of his Harley.”
“Your brother rides a Harley?”
“He says it relaxes him.”
“Sounds like an interesting man.”
He flicked her a hooded glance. “He’s happily married.”
Tory just smiled. “Believe me, one Cain brother is more than I can handle.”
Which was pretty much true, though at the moment, with her friend’s life hanging by a thread, sex wasn’t a high priority.
She glanced over at Josh, who had relaxed back in his seat, and guilt slipped through her. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
Those blue eyes swung in her direction. “Yeah? What is it?”
“My name isn’t Ford. My real name is Victoria Bradford.”
His features tightened. “You’re kidding me. You lied about your name?”
“I had to. I went by Terry Rutherford for a while, but I hated being someone else. When I got to the ranch I felt a little safer so I used Tory Ford, which was closer to my actual name.”
“I don’t like being lied to, Tory.”
“I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner. I wanted to, I just . . . I don’t know . . . it’s hard for me to trust people anymore.”
“What else haven’t you told me?”
“Nothing. I swear. You’re the only one who’s ever helped me. You deserve the truth. I meant to tell you the other night, but we . . . umm . . . got distracted.”
His expression changed. His eyes heated as he remembered their encounter; then the corners crinkled with amusement. Finally, he relaxed. “Okay. But from now on, no secrets, all right?”
