No Matter What (The Billionaires of Sawgrass #4) - Delaney Cameron Page 0,60

Beach Bowl Friday night. I realized a while back that something in your life had changed, but I didn’t know what it was until a little bird told me who you were with.”

“So I can’t spend an evening with friends without raising suspicions. You’re as bad as everyone else.”

“Did you ignore the part where I said something about you was different? Anyway, I’ve thought from the beginning that Robin was with the wrong stepbrother.”

His lips twitched. “It’s nice to have you on board, but Robin has yet to weigh in on it. At the moment, I’m firmly in the friend zone. Please remember that when you see her today.”

“I don’t think your stay there will be long. I’ve seen what you’re capable of when you’re not even trying. I can only imagine the result when you’re giving it your full attention.” She rose to her feet. “I’m going to my office and try to get some work done. It’ll be hard, though. This is all so exciting.”

He laughed. “You might want to tone it down a bit before Lonnie notices. We can’t have him getting the wrong idea.”

* * * * *

Robin had told Kait that today would be about Owen, but that wasn’t strictly true. Reece had divided his attention between her and Owen equally. The three of them had walked every square inch of the gray corrugated-steel hangar, explored the luxurious interior and ultra-modern flight deck of the newest edition to Reece’s fleet of planes, and taken turns on the flight simulator. After seeing her poor performance on the latter, he’d jokingly told her to stick with baking cakes.

Along with getting a clearer picture of what owning a charter service entailed, Robin realized that what Diamond Jet offered was on a different scale from commercial airlines. There were no long lines, ticket counters, or crowded terminals. This was as close to personalized air travel as it got without owning your own plane.

While Reece and Owen had talked to one of the mechanics, Robin had visited with Sylvie in her spacious office. Over coffee, Robin was given a more detailed history of Diamond Jet. Reece’s father had started the company with a single plane in a rented hangar. His gamble that a small charter service could compete with the big boys had paid off. Sylvie had gone on to say that there was a lot of Carlson Diamond in his son. They were both pilots first and businessmen second.

Robin had learned something else, too. Something Reece never mentioned (or Wade, either, for that matter). Diamond Jet was heavily involved in Angel Flights, a free non-emergency medical flight service. Reece and other pilots in the area volunteered their planes and fuel to transport patients who needed medical treatment. There were many who’d be quick to point out that Reece was a billionaire and could easily afford to be generous. But he was donating more than money to cover operational costs. He was giving up his evenings and weekends as well.

It was a sad (and not altogether comfortable) fact that she’d still be in the group of people who believed the worst about Reece if not for Wade. As far as Robin was concerned, that was one of the few positives to come out of that doomed relationship.

For the last half hour, she, Owen, Reece and Sylvie had been sitting on the observation deck enjoying the nice weather while they watched the planes take off and land. Owen’s satisfaction with the day’s activities wasn’t in doubt to anyone. He was in seventh heaven. Seeing him so happy was surely justification for the level of appreciation and admiration Robin felt for the man who’d made it possible.

Her glance instinctively shifted in Reece’s direction. He looked both formal and excessively handsome in his pilot’s uniform. Robin surmised that more than one female passenger had probably succumbed to his abundance of charm and special brand of wit. Every time they were together she discovered another side to him. How many more were there? Would she have the opportunity to find out? It wasn’t likely, not if what she’d told Kait earlier turned out to be true. Her thoughts ground to an untidy halt as she realized how much she didn’t want Reece to slip out of her life again. And it wasn’t just for Owen’s sake, either.

“What kind of plane is that?”

Owen’s question, spoken in a louder voice than usual by virtue of their location, took Robin’s attention to the sky and away from