The Substitute (3 page)

Ordinarily, he wouldn’t. He’d be looking for the first opportunity out of this crazy conversation. But God help him, he was genuinely curious when he asked, “What?”

“She’s going to say, ‘I told you so.’” Tears filled her eyes. “They’re her favorite words.”

“Maybe she won’t. Families surprise you sometimes.”

She shook her head. “You don’t know my mother.”

There was no doubt about it, she was in a difficult position, and he wasn’t sure how to respond. But there was no need. Her alcohol-induced ADD kicked in and she started digging through her bag again. “Where is it?”

“What are you looking for? Maybe I can help.”

“Tina lied. She swore that Dramamine would keep me from feeling sick, but I feel like I’m about to puke.”

“Dramamine?”

“Maybe I should take more.”

He grabbed her bag and pulled it from her. “
You took Dramamine?
When?
”

“When I was boarding the plane. The last time I flew, the turbulence made me sick. I didn’t want that to happen again.”

“How many drinks have you had?”

“Only two,” she said, looking indignant, then a little sheepish. “Plus the rest of yours.”

“That’s two and a half too many. You can’t drink with Dramamine.” He reached over his head and pushed the call light. The flight attendant appeared within seconds and he found himself mentally calling her the Almost-Future Mrs. McMillan. “Can I get more water for…” He looked at the nearly incapacitated woman, realizing he didn’t even know her name.

“Megan,” she offered.

“…for Megan. She’s not feeling well.”

The flight attendant looked disgusted. “Is she
drunk?
”

“No. She just needs water.”

The woman released an exasperated sigh and spun on her heels.

“She’s pissed at you, you know,” Megan mumbled, leaning back in the seat. “She’s jealous.”

“Let her be,” he grumbled. “Didn’t you know you shouldn’t drink with Dramamine?”

“No.” She closed her eyes and rested her head against the window.

The flight attendant brought the water and handed it to Josh, who took it without giving her a glance.

“Megan, why don’t you drink more water before you take a nap.” He looked back at the attendant, who stood in the aisle watching. “Can you bring her a blanket?”

She stomped away, returning with the blanket a few moments later. By then he’d coaxed Megan to drink more water. He leaned her seat back and spread the blanket over her as she passed out. He watched the rise and fall of her chest for a moment, feeling a bit better when it appeared normal. As long as she was breathing okay, she’d be fine. He considered telling Tiffani what was going on, but he didn’t expect much sympathy. Megan was right. The flight attendant was jealous.

He was about to engage in a last stand for the company that had been his life’s work—and his father’s and brother’s—so how had taking care of this woman become his top priority? The only thing he knew was that it felt right.

Josh spent the rest of the flight worried about the woman next to him, so much so he had trouble focusing on his own issues. How was he going to prove that Andrew Peterman and Bart Vandemeer’s firm had stolen the plans? It wasn’t like they were just going to hand over the information willingly. He hoped fate would intervene and do him a solid. Ten employees were counting on him, including Ted Murray, an engineer close to retirement age who’d been hired by Josh’s father before Josh was even born, and Missy Dunston, their seven-months-pregnant receptionist. Neither one would have jobs lined up and waiting. They were counting on him to protect them, whether they knew it or not.

Megan was still snoring softly beside him as the plane made its descent and then landed with a hard thud on the tarmac. He pulled out his phone and turned it on, finding two missed calls and a text from his brother. His brother was the last person he wanted to deal with right now. After all, this whole mess was indisputably Noah’s fault and his answer seemed to be to just throw in the towel. Josh shoved the phone back into his pocket. Well, he wasn’t going down without a fight.

He turned to the sleeping woman in the next seat. “Megan.”

She didn’t stir.

“Megan,” he said louder, giving her arm a little shake.

She roused, but her eyes were still squeezed shut. “Leave me alone.”

“Megan.” He jostled her harder this time. “We landed. You need to wake up.”

“I’m tired,” she murmured, burrowing under the blanket.

“You can sleep after you get off the plane.” But he knew she couldn’t. Her mother was picking her up, which meant she wouldn’t get to sleep for quite some time. She’d be busy explaining why her fiancé was a no-show.

How was she going to face her mother in this condition?

She still hadn’t roused by the time the plane pulled up to the gate. The first class passengers began to bolt from their seats, fumbling with the overhead bins with all the excitement of toddlers on Christmas morning. Josh waved Tiffani over, who shoved passengers out of the way in her hurry to reach him.

He motioned to Megan. “She’s going to need help getting off the plane.”

The flight attendant shot Megan a snotty look, then rolled her eyes. “Sure. We’ll call security to take care of the problem.”

“Security? Can’t someone just help her off the plane? Her mother’s out there waiting for her.”

The attendant gave him a stern look, but he saw a flash of vindictiveness in her eyes. “We take public intoxication very seriously, Mr. McMillan.”

“She’s not drunk. She had a drug interaction with the alcohol she drank.”

The attendant’s eyebrows arched. “So she takes drugs too? Then she’s a sloppy drunk.”

“I told you she’s not—”

“Not to worry.” She patted Josh’s arm. “You are so sweet to feel responsible, but you can go about your business. We’ll take care of her.”

Josh worried
how
she’d take care of her. He hardly knew the woman next to him, but for some reason he
did
feel responsible for her. “That’s not necessary. I’ll help her off.”

The attendant shook her head, her mouth twisting into a mock sympathetic pout. “Sorry. You’re not traveling together and we can’t let an unconscious woman leave with a
stranger
. Imagine the liability to the airline.”

“If she wakes up and tells you she wants to leave with me, will you let me help her?”

She studied Megan, who was audibly snoring again, for a moment before giving Josh a smug grin. “Of course.” Then she returned to the front of the plane.

The cabin door opened and the passengers started to rush off. The sensible part of Josh told him to get up and walk away, but he just couldn’t do it.

“Megan.” He shook her arm more vigorously. The passengers exiting from the back watched the scene with morbid curiosity.

“What?” she finally groaned, turning toward him.

“The Almost-Future Mrs. McMillan is going to call security unless you get up and walk off this plane.”

Her eyelids fluttered open. “Sorority Bitch?”

He grinned. “That’s the one.”

She tried to sit up and swayed in her seat. “Why’s the plane swaying?”

“It’s not. You’re still out of it.”

She leaned back in the seat. “I’m just gonna take a little nap…” Her voice trailed off.

“
Megan
.”

She jolted upright, her eyes wide. “What?”

“Sorority Bitch will let me help you off the plane, but you have to tell her that you want to leave with me.”

She grinned and waggled her finger in his face, sing-songing, “She’s not gonna like it…”

“I can deal with it. Will you tell her?”

Her grin widened, but her gaze was still unfocused. “Oh…yeah…”

Josh started to get out of his seat. “Do you have anything in the overhead bin?”

“What?… No.”

She was fading again, so he quickly grabbed his overnight bag and darted into the aisle, blocking the path of an irritated passenger from the back of the plane. He set his rolling case on the seat in front of him and grabbed Megan’s purse off the floor, slinging it over his shoulder. “Let’s stand you up and get going.”

She didn’t answer, already asleep again.

He leaned over and pulled the blanket off her. “
Megan
.”

She startled and jumped up, the top of her head hitting the bottom of his chin.

“Oww!” He jerked upright and whacked the top of his head on the ceiling over the seat. Frustrated, he stopped and took a deep breath. How the hell had he gotten himself into this situation? He briefly considered running for the exit. Without her. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t leave her with Tiffani.

“Hey, buddy,” the irritated man behind him grumbled. “Some of us want off this plane.”

“Just a second,” Josh barked as he glanced down at Megan and found her staring up at him. Or as much as she could through squinted eyes.

He reached for her arm and pulled her into a standing position. “First we walk off the plane, then we’ll figure out the rest.”

“Okay,” she murmured, but her limbs were limp. He’d be lucky to get her down the short aisle. Somehow she found some inner reservoir of energy and managed to stand and maneuver her way around the seat and into the aisle.

He knew things were going too well, especially when the Almost-Future Mrs. McMillan stopped her. “Miss, are you leaving of your own accord?”

Megan shook her head and Josh’s heart slammed into his chest. If she told them no, could he be arrested for kidnapping? “I don’t have an Accord,” Megan slurred as she began to wobble. “I have a Civic.”

The flight attendant scowled. “Do you know the man you’re leaving with? Do you want to leave with him?”

Megan’s eyes widened as she tried to focus on the woman in front of her. She said in a mock serious tone, “Yes, I know this man.” She winked up at him, then turned back to Tiffani. “He’s Mr. McMillan and we’re leaving here together.” She stuck out her tongue at the flight attendant, who had a horrified look on her face. “So no little McMillan babies for you.” Then she tried to tap the other woman on the nose, missing and jabbing her cheek instead.

“Okay…” Josh grunted, pulling Megan toward the door while he tried to maneuver his rolling carry-on bag with one hand. “Let’s save the birds and the bees speech for later.”

He hadn’t waited for permission to take her, so he half-expected to be stopped as he coaxed Megan out of the plane and down the tunnel to the terminal. They were ten feet from the door when her knees buckled. He pulled her up against his chest, his arm wrapped around her back to support her. He glanced down at a wheelchair at the entrance to the plane. One of the baggage handlers was watching him with wide eyes.

“I don’t suppose I can use that wheelchair?” Josh asked.

The man shook his head, grabbing the handle. “No can do, Mister.”

“Thanks for nothing.”

The airline employee chuckled—actually chuckled—in response. If Josh had been the type of guy to write nasty letters…

“Megan?” Josh gently shook her. “Can you keep walking?”

Her eyes were tiny slits as she flopped her head back to look at him. “No, thank you. I don’t want any peanut brittle…”

He supposed that was as good an answer to his question as any. Now he needed to figure how to get her, her purse, and his bag down to arrivals.

Squatting, he pressed his shoulder into her abdomen, then stood, carrying her in a fireman’s hold. Her upper body dangled down his back, her drooping arms swinging and brushing his ass. This was going to look suspicious as hell, but it was the only way he could get her out without leaving their stuff behind.

He grabbed the handle of his suitcase and set her purse on top of the bag, hurrying for the door once he had her steady. He’d never flown to Kansas City, so he wasn’t expecting the cramped waiting area and the dense crowd preparing to board the next flight. Thankfully, the exit was only twenty feet away.

Megan’s upper body still dangled down his back. He knew they were a spectacle, and the outright stares confirmed it. “She’s my fiancée,” he muttered, breaking one of his cardinal rules—never explain yourself, especially not to strangers. But he knew that some of those stares were from people who were worried that he was kidnapping her. “She’s not feeling well.” He tugged on her legs. “Tell the people you’re not feeling well, Megan.”

One of her dangling hands waved around as she spoke. “I’m the one helping you. I saved you from that awful woman.” Then she patted his backside. “You have a really nice ass. No wonder she wanted to have your babies.”

To his horror, Josh’s face began to burn. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d blushed. “Megan, there are
children
around us.”

Her hand dropped, but he wasn’t sure if his admonishment had stopped her or if she’d simply passed out again.

She wasn’t a large woman, but he hadn’t been very faithful at the gym lately, so he was feeling the physical exertion of carrying her dead weight. He made it out of the secure area, despite a suspicious once-over from the security guard at the door. As soon as he stepped out into the hallway, he wondered what on earth to do with her next. A group of three people stood clustered in a group and they all turned their horrified gazes to the woman draped over his shoulder.

“It’s okay,” he assured them. “I’m her fiancé.”

Only then did he realize one of the women was an older version of Megan.

Oh
.
Shit
.

The woman in question looked at the woman hanging down his back. She squatted and tilted her head upside down. “
Megan?
”

Megan gave an exaggerated wave. “Hi, Mom. Why are you upside down?”

Her mother released a horrified gasp. “Are you
drunk?
”

Josh took a step toward her, his heart hammering in his chest. How the hell was he going to get himself out of this one? “She took some Dramamine and apparently it has a pretty strong effect on her. She’s okay.”

“How much did she
take?
”