The Good Provider Read Online Free PDF Page B

William didn’t doubt their sincerity. “I will see you tomorrow, then.”
    “Okay. Fly safe.”
    He hit the off button and looked at Morgan. “Tomorrow.”
    “That’s fast. How’d she sound? Damaged? Frightened?”
    “Businesslike.”
    She nodded. “Oh…your type.”
    My type? “She’s a mum, doing what’s best for herself and her children. How does that make her my type?”
    Morgan sighed heavily. “Look at this place, William. Your last girlfriend called you Mr. OCD.”
    William opened the filing cabinet where he kept the plane’s log book. “She spilled a martini on my BlackBerry. Didn’t apologize. Or offer to replace it. If that makes me neurotically picky, so be it. What does that have to do with Daria?”
    “You’ve lived alone too long.”
    My entire life, actually.
    “This kind of perfection isn’t natural, you know. You need rowdy, messy chaos to shake things up a little.”
    “That’s why I have clients. You’re the exception, although I remember a few months ago when your life was fodder for the tabloids. You weren’t overly pleased at the time, if I recall correctly. I think I’ll stick with neat and tidy, thank you.”
    “Boring.”
    He opened a drawer and withdrew the leather-bound flight log that had come with the eight-passenger Twin Commander Turbo prop plane he’d purchased with Cooper and Shane. The others called it a jet, which it wasn’t, though it was jetlike in speed and range. Since he was the only licensed pilot of the bunch, he’d recorded a fair amount of hours flying to South Dakota and back. When one of the men accompanied him, William generally didn’t bother with a copilot because both Coop and Shane had taken an emergency training course. This time, however, he intended to hire someone.
    The additional expense would be well worth the peace of mind an extra set of hands and eyes would provide. Daria sounded capable and in control of the situation, but she’d also mentioned keeping the intent of the trip a secret from her daughters. He glanced at his notes. The eldest was twelve. He’d worked with several young actors in the past, and he guessed there wasn’t a teenager on the planet that didn’t know a great deal more than his or her parent thought they knew.
    Best to be prepared. For everyone’s sake.
    “William?”
    William looked up. He’d forgotten Morgan was still there. “Yes?”
    She cleared the distance between them and touched his shoulder lightly. “Your father would be proud of you.”
    “You have absolutely no basis for that opinion. You’ve never met my father.” He saw her surprise at his caustic tone and was quick to add, in a less prickly voice, “But I’m sure my mother would approve. She’s spent the better part of her career trying to help women and children.”
    “I meant that since you can’t be in two places at once, at least you’re doing something worthwhile. I’m sure any father would understand and appreciate that.”
    His father’s words that morning came back to him. “You can’t blame the boy for following in the footsteps his mother and I have lain down for him,” Father had argued on the extension a few hours earlier when Notty had called to berate William for not catching the next flight to England. His father’s support had been a great deal harder to shoulder than his uncle’s scolding.
    When he didn’t say anything, Morgan went on. “Anyway, Libby and I have decided to make you guest of honor at the next meeting of the Wine, Women and Words book club. It won’t be until after the baby is born, but I thought I’d give you plenty of time to think up excuses not to come.”
    “What makes you think I won’t come?”
    She shook her head and walked to the door. “You might put in an appearance, but you won’t stick around for the nitty-gritty talk about life, love and books. Like I said, that kind of stuff is too messy for your taste, but, William—” She paused in the doorway. “You don’t know