It was Always You

By Kathryn Kaleigh

Having her back in my life was like finding that one puzzle piece that had gone missing.

 

Pilot Joshua Beaufort needed a date for his cousin's wedding. He needed to find a date quickly or he would end up sitting next to Lucy. Not that there was anything wrong with Lucy. She just did not measure up to the one who had se

• Language: English
• Publisher: KST Publishing Inc.
• Release date: Dec 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9798869081933

Kathryn Kaleigh

Kathryn Kaleigh is a bestselling romance novel and short story writer. Her writing spans from the past to the present from historical time travel fantasy novels to sweet contemporary romances. From her imaginative meet-cutes to her happily-ever-afters, her writing keeps readers coming back for more.

Book preview

Chapter One

VICTORIA GONZALEZ

Yes, Mr. James. I had my cell phone on speaker, lying next to my MacBook on my desk. I will have this completed for you by Monday.

This is very important. Mr. James used his gruff voice to purposely intimidate people. Even knowing this, I still hated how small he could sometimes make me feel.

As a consultant, I could pick and choose who I worked for. Mr. James was not on the top of that list. Except that he was. First and most importantly, I liked the work he offered and the autonomy. Sometimes he had unreasonable deadlines. Like he did on this project he called JamesCo. A little narcissistic, to say the least.

The second reason I continued to take jobs for him was quite simply the money. He paid well. He paid well and he paid quickly. That was not always the case in my industry.

There were rumors about the field of data engineering becoming obsolete in the few years. If I was starting college now, I might take that into consideration, but at this point, two hundred thousand in student loans and ten years of my life, I was more than a little committed.

A Ph.D. did that to people. Getting into graduate school was like boarding a fast train to the unknown with no way to get off.

I understand, Mr. James.

I’ll call you tomorrow, Victoria.

I winced. Another downside to working for Mr. James. He never called me Dr. Gonzalez. Maybe it didn’t mean much to most people, but it was a token of respect to the number of years I’d been in school. Sort of like respecting the rank of an officer.

I disconnected the line and sighed.

I’d been deep into the very work he referred to when he had called.

Now I had to figure out where I left off.

But first I needed to check my email. Anything to get his voice out of my head. Maybe I’d have some of that tea my sister kept giving me. She called it Organic Egyptian Chamomile black and green tea blend. Or something of that nature. I just called it Cindy’s tea. Personally, I didn’t see how something so bitter was supposed to be calming.

Other than the fact that we looked a lot alike, Cindy and I couldn’t be more different if we had been born in different countries to different parents. I ate math for breakfast. She couldn’t balance a checkbook.

My work clothes were jeans and sweatshirts. Cindy was a year older than me, but she had never held a job. Her wardrobe consisted of flowy skirts and loose blouses.

Although we were the same size, she and I had never raided each other’s closets.

Still. She was a good big sister. She gave me gifts like chamomile tea. Things that were supposed to be healthy.

It was funny. Graduate school had taken the health out of my diet. She’d graduated college with a degree in art and now she was not only an artist, but a health nut.

Nonetheless, now seemed like the time for some of that hot tea.

I turned on the tea kettle and leaned against the counter to look outside. On the twenty-first floor of a one bedroom high rise apartment facing west, I had a clear view of the Houston Galleria.

As I waited for the water to heat, I tracked a jet traveling south to north, then looked down at the trees far below. There was no wind. The airplane would be heading to the Houston Airport north of town.

My flame point Himalayan cat, Pooh, sleeping on his favorite little couch in front of the window, yawned and stretched.

Pooh had been with me through thick and thin. With his very encouraging demeanor, I attributed a lot of my success to him. I would have dropped out of graduate school several times if not for Pooh’s calming presence. He was the best listener and he never judged.

I dropped onto the couch and rubbed his ears.

When the tea kettle whistled, I went over and filled a mug with hot water and added a little of the disgusting tea.

I’d found one good use for the hot tea anyway. It warmed my hands and if I breathed in the steam, it actually was a little calming, especially on a cold February day like today.

I sat back down at my desk, the warm mug in my hands and breathed in the warmth of the tea. It really wasn’t so bad as long as I didn’t taste it.

Opening up the data file I’d been working on, I retraced my thought pattern and got myself back into a rhythm.

I barely noticed the firetruck that rushed down Westheimer followed by two police cars.

But then my phone chimed with a text message, immediately getting my attention.

It was a certain chime I hadn’t heard in a long time, but I instantly recognized it.

I scowled at my phone. It was a mistake. It wouldn’t be the first time my phone had gotten confused since I upgraded to the latest version.

I went back to my numbers, but that only lasted about two seconds.

Being a product of my generation, I really had no choice but to preview the message.

It was an undeniable curse of being a Millennial.

Tapping my phone to show the message, my heart slammed against my chest.

I unlocked the phone and, picking it up to see it better, opened the message.

My phone had not gotten confused after all.

The confusion was coming from somewhere else.

It was coming from the universe.

The message was from Joshua Beaufort—my ex-boyfriend I hadn’t seen since my senior year of undergrad. Graduation day to be exact.

Chapter Two

JOSHUA BEAUFORT

Grandma Savannah needs to talk to you, Kayce said.

My hands froze on my iPad, but I refused to look over at my cousin, Kayce Worthington. I was right in the middle of our preflight checklist. Kayce was just trying to distract me. Probably still sore that he was in the copilot seat on this flight.

It wasn’t my fault he’d been too busy courting his fiancé to get his certification updated for flying the Phenom.

He definitely knew how to get my attention. When Grandma Savannah spoke, we all listened.

What about? I asked, tapping the screen with my stylus. I wore my headset down around my neck, so the chatter from the control tower was nothing more than background noise.

I’ll give you one guess. Kayce was grinning. Kayce had been grinning ever since he’d gotten engaged to Bella Alexander last Christmas. Maybe it had been New Years. I wasn’t sure.

Either way it was annoying.

The same age, almost to the day, we’d been friends since babyhood.

As his best friend, I felt compelled to tell him just how annoying he was when it came to Bella. But as his best friend, I couldn’t bring myself to say anything to burst his bubble.

So I just scowled at him. I know it has something to do with your wedding.

He grinned even more. Less than one week to go.

Yes. I know. Saturday.

Then you know that Grandma is working on finalizing the seating.

You still have time to elope. I checked off the fuel gauge box.

I’ll remember this attitude when you get married. He adjusted his headset, then his tie. You’ll have dementia.

I doubt it. We’ll both be in the old folk’s home. I went back to checking gauges. I knew what was coming or some semblance of it anyway. Didn’t make it better.

You know I have nothing to do with this wedding—except showing up—and when it comes right down to it, neither does Bella.

Kayce was the youngest of six children. He’d been born eight years after his next youngest sibling. As a result, Kayce getting married was a big deal.

It’s punishment for being your best man.

Something like that, he said, not even bothering to deny it.

I’ll go see her when we get back from this trip.

Good, he said, checking the gauges behind me.

You could just tell me what it is, I said. Otherwise I’m going to think the worst.

For you it probably is the worst.

I turned my gaze on my cousin. He dropped his dark sunshades over his eyes and grinned.

I made a face at him.

I could, he said. but it’s more fun to see you squirm.

I put my headset on just as the air traffic controller gave me permission to taxi out to the runway to prepare for takeoff.

Kayce and I were flying up to Whiskey Springs to pick up his future in-laws. Since as special guests, they were getting to fly in the Phenom, I had been appointed to go with him, considering he had let his certification lapse.

After taxiing over to the runway, we sat waiting for our turn to take off.

Okay, Kayce said. I’ll tell you.

Great, I said. I’d been hoping to forget it for a while, at least. The whole point of flying was to have some peace away from the rest of the world.

Cleared for takeoff. The flight controller’s voice came through loud and clear.

Kayce sat quietly while I took the plane into the air.

There was nothing like that rush when the plane went into that initial ground effect—when the air seemed to push the plane from the ground up, not letting it fall back to the ground.

I concentrated on getting us into the air, pushing through a bank of cumulus clouds before we got up above the world and I locked in the altitude at ten thousand feet. Ten thousand feet was the altitude Kayce and I both agreed was best.

Ten thousand feet was that point that was high enough but not so high that trees didn’t look like trees and roads