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Back The Runaway Heiress Save as PDF
Chapters (75)
  1. Cover
  2. PRAISE FOR MEG TILLY AND HER NOVELS
  3. TITLES BY MEG TILLY
  4. Dedication
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
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  20. 15
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  22. 17
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  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
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  54. 49
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  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  69. Excerpt from SOLACE ISLAND
  70. 1
  71. 2
  72. 3
  73. 4
  74. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  75. What’s next onyour reading list?

“And that is the mark of true bravery.” He wrapped his arms even tighter around her, his head bowed over hers. “You humble me.” She felt his lips brush her forehead, and then he placed a finger under her chin and nudged it upward, his face visible now. His eyes were determined. “I’m coming with you, Sarah.” His voice was gentle but firm. “No way I’m letting you face this alone.”

37

Sarah handed her boarding pass and ID to the flight attendant at the gate. The attendant scanned her boarding pass, his eyes flicking to her ID and back to her face, and gave her a cursory smile. “Thank you, Ms. Jones,” he said as he handed her ID and boarding pass back. “Have a good flight.”

Sarah walked past slow and steady, busying herself with tucking her fake ID back into the zipper compartment of her purse. “Thank you, Mr. Talford,” she heard the attendant say to Mick. “Have a good flight.” A moment later she felt Mick’s solid, strong presence beside her, safe and comforting. This is how a relationship should be, she thought, and she flashed to her parents again. They were always there for each other, too, a united front. And for a moment the longing, the pain of their absence, rose to the forefront.

“What are you thinking about?” Mick’s voice murmured. “You look sad.”

Sarah turned and looked up at his face, a face that had somehow in the last two weeks become so familiar and dear to her. “I was thinking of my parents,” she said. “And how much they would have loved you.”

A puff of air escaped Mick’s lips as a shadow crossed his face. “I can say with certainty your parents wouldn’t have ‘loved’ me. If anything, they would have run screaming in justified terror and locked you in a gilded tower for a good forty-five years.”

“You’re wrong,” she said, taking his hand in hers. “My dad was an excellent judge of character. He. Would. Have. Loved. You.” Mick probably would have argued some more, but they had arrived at the door of the plane.

The stewardess glanced at their boarding passes. “2A and 2C. Welcome aboard.” She gestured with her hand. “Straight ahead and to the left.”

They settled into their seats. The steward double-checked their names, handed out menus, and offered a choice of champagne, orange juice and/or mineral water before takeoff.

“Orange juice for me, please,” Sarah said.

“Same. And would it be possible to get some of those warmed nuts?”

“We generally distribute those after takeoff. However, I’ll check and see if we can make an exception, Mr. Talford.”

“It would be greatly appreciated. We’re ravenous.”