The Right Time Read Free Page A

to them alone.
    Stephanie bit her lip and didn’t even seem to notice that Ransom stood beside her new husband. When her mother spoke, she returned her attention to her.
    “If I hadn’t done something completely impulsive, I never would have won Stephanie back and be standing here today. Can’t believe I almost lost her for good.” Giles shook his head.
    “Hmm,” Ransom said, for lack of anything better to say. He often found effusive declarations of love and feelings to not only be boring, but exaggerations. He scanned the room, searching for a viable candidate for a hookup later. “There simply aren’t enough single women at this wedding.”
    “My mistake. I should have given more thought to your needs when Stephanie and I put together the guest list.”
    Ransom drained his glass and set it on a table nearby. “You can work on that for your next wedding.”
    “Not happening, friend. She’s stuck with me for life.”
    “Unless yours becomes one of the forty to fifty percent of marriages that end in divorce.” With numbers like that, he could never understand why couples spent such an exorbitant amount of money celebrating one single day—one single moment—that would soon be forgotten in the monotony, stress, and acrimony of married life.
    “You know as well as I do those numbers are questionable, but even if true, it means fifty to sixty percent of them last. And don’t worry, I won’t tell Stephanie the horrible conversation you’ve sucked me into on our wedding day.”
    Ransom grinned. He couldn’t dispute the topic wasn’t the best. “Please don’t. She’d never forgive me.”
    Giles and Stephanie exchanged another look and his friend shoved away from the wall. “I think it’s time I get my bride out of here.” He clapped Ransom on the arm. “Maybe Lisa wasn’t the right woman for you, but one of these days, you’re going to meet her. Seize the moment or you’ll end up with regrets.” He flashed a grin and then strolled to the other side of the room.
    Ransom checked his watch. He could go to his room and work, but it was still early. He scanned the room again. Sleeping with a coworker was out of the question, and the few other single women there didn’t pique his interest enough to pursue them. He’d go to the casino and gamble a bit, and then head back to his room to get some work done.
    Unlike Giles, Ransom had his priorities straight.

Chapter Three
    Ransom sat at the roulette table with a British couple off to his right. They whisper-argued before placing each bet, the female gesticulating widely, emphasizing the words with her hands, while the male took slow, deep breaths every few seconds and shook his head, then spoke between his teeth. A couple of seats down to the left sat a boisterous American male in a black T-shirt that highlighted his pale skin. He clearly hadn’t taken advantage of the sun’s rays yet.
    Ransom watched the little white ball bounce along the wheel and land on red twenty-one. He grunted, a sound of dismay that joined the groans of loss going up from the table. He lost sixty dollars this time. Perhaps roulette wasn’t his game.
    “Well, if it isn’t my hero.” The friendly voice came from off to his right.
    Ransom looked up to see the flight attendant from Noble Airlines, and his eyes settled on her in appreciation. She wore more makeup than the day before, her lashes brushed into long sweeps over wide gray eyes. The prim and proper uniform had been exchanged for a touristy sunburst sundress that brightened her light, amber-toned skin. Her hair was much longer than he originally realized. On the plane it had been pinned at her nape in a wavy ball, but this evening she let it hang loose to fall over her shoulders and graze the tops of a pair of impressive breasts. Colorful bangles adorned her wrists, and a pair of gold sandals showed off shapely calves.
    His spirits immediately lifted, and his interest instantly piqued. “Heroes wear capes,” he tossed