Tinsel (Lark Cove #4)(58)

“I’m aware,” I muttered.

“There’s no shame in letting them do something nice for you.”

“It’s not that.”

She cocked a hand on her hip. “Don’t be that man.”

“What man?”

“The one too proud to be with a rich woman. Because it’s not Sofia’s fault she was born wealthy.”

“That’s not . . .” I stopped myself before I could deny it. Because maybe there was some truth in what Thea was saying. And I really could use a free flight. “Okay. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll let Logan know you’re hitching a ride.”

I nodded, waved good-bye and left the bar. The second I got in my truck, I pulled out my phone and called Sofia. She answered on the first ring.

“Hi. So? Are you coming? Please tell me you’re coming.”

I grinned. “I’ll be there.”




“Shit. You guys are loaded, aren’t you?”

Logan chuckled as we left his private jet and walked down the private runway toward a private helicopter pad where a chopper was waiting. “Friday night in the city. Traffic will be a nightmare.”

I shook my head, trying to figure out what alternate reality I’d stepped into where a middle-class kid from a poor reservation was hanging with one of the richest men in America. From the moment I’d stepped into their cushy Gulfstream, I’d been waiting for someone to pinch me awake.

We loaded up our bags, got into the helicopter and put on some headphones. I’d never been in a helicopter before, so as the pilot made an announcement and took off, my jaw was on the floor.

I wanted a helicopter. I mentally scratched it on the list of things I’d buy if I won the lottery.

“You ever been?” Logan asked as the pilot flew us toward the towering skyscrapers in the distance.

“To New York? No.” I glanced at him as I spoke, but it was nearly impossible to take my eyes off the view.

Pictures of New York City did it no justice. The sheer magnitude of the buildings beneath us, the number of people all living in a few hundred square miles, it made my pulse race.

This was what I was working for. This. To see the world. To experience things firsthand and get this rush of energy.

When I retired, I wouldn’t be flying in private planes or taking helicopters instead of taxis. But I’d get to see the world.

In the distance, I spotted the Statue of Liberty, her arm raised high. That statue was a marvel. As an American, I appreciated her as a symbol for my country and my freedom, something my grandfather had fought to preserve in World War II. But as an American Indian, my ancestors hadn’t come through Ellis Island. They’d been here long before, living off the earth.

The pilot signaled we were approaching our destination, forcing my eyes back to the buildings beneath us.

“That is the Kendrick Enterprises building,” Logan spoke into the headset, pointing out the window to where we were headed. It wasn’t as tall as some of the massive skyscrapers in the surrounding blocks, but it was wide with gleaming glass windows from top to bottom. “My family’s company. My father and sister Aubrey work there.”

I nodded, not having much else to say as the pilot began his descent to the landing pad.

The Kendrick fortune was unfathomable. It was impossible for me to wrap my head around that kind of money. I owned hundred-thousand-dollar rental homes in Kalispell, Montana. They owned a tower in Manhattan.

The pilot put us down on the rooftop, the blades whirling above us as we opened the door and stepped out, taking our bags with us.

The duffel bag I’d packed for the trip was a cheap thing I’d picked up years ago in a department store. One of the straps was broken and I’d duct taped it back together. When I’d handed it over to the flight attendant at the runway this morning, I’d regretted not buying a new suitcase. As I walked beside Logan into the elevator off the helipad, I covered the tape with my hand.

This was so damn intimidating.

At the elevator, instead of pushing the button to the ground floor, Logan pulled out his wallet, held it to a pad next to the buttons and pressed P. The access card in his wallet lit up the button on the board.

“Thanks for letting me tag along,” I told him.

“Anytime.” It was the same response he’d given me the other six times I’d said thanks.

The ride was short, but before the doors opened, Logan looked over and grinned. “See you on Monday.”

The doors opened with a ding. He took a step out first, waving to a receptionist before walking to a huge glass office in the corner. Aubrey stood from her desk and hurried to the door to greet her brother.

“Hey.”

My head whipped the other direction toward that sweet voice.

And there she was.

I swallowed hard. “Hey.”

Sofia’s face was made up flawlessly. Her hair was curled and falling down her chest, draping over the curve of her breasts. She’d worn black slacks today with a white silk blouse tucked into the waist.

I was in jeans and a blue button-down shirt I hadn’t thought to iron. My brown boots were scuffed, like they’d been for years. But the nerves and insecurities I’d battled all day went away.

I didn’t give a fuck what I was wearing. I didn’t give a fuck where I was standing.