AllFreeNovel
Share Us
ChapterOne
Louisa
From up here, the towns and cities appeared like nothing more than specks of dust on the vast canvas of the earth, making them seem inconsequential. As I stared out the plane window at the landscape thirty-five thousand feet below us, I was impressed with the Rawlins’ private jet. It wasn’t a huge thing, but it was comfortable.
Comfortable?
I scoffed at myself.
Comfortablewas the fucking understatement of the year.
Byron and Royce were sprawled out on a small couch watching a movie on the fifty-six-inch television like it was the most regular thing in the world. They were right at home devouring that bowl of popcorn together, and not for the first time was I reminded of exactly how much money five of my men had.
You wouldn’t have known it to look at some of them.
Except for Tate, the CEO of his family’s company, Rawlins Industries, and Harris, one of America’s top chefs, most of the brothers lived their lives in ways you wouldn’t think boys who’d grown up rich would.
Byron loved working with his hands, building and maintaining things. Royce was always happiest at the beach, surfing with our Hawaiian boyfriend, Jack. Eric worked in the service industry as a firefighter and as the owner of a community center and soup kitchen in Wayborough Shores, the town we all lived in.
Jack and I were the odd ones out, having come from virtually nothing, so we were adjusting to the more opulent parts of the Rawlins’ lifestyle together. We were still getting the hang of not having to scrimp for every dime or save up to buy a treat or a more expensive necessity like a car or a computer. Even now, we were budgeting for this trip.
I suppressed a giggle as I watched Jack setting different amounts of cash into separate Ziplock bags. “Would you like some help?”
He lifted his dark brown eyes to me. “Sure.”
I moved across the aisle and settled next to him on the long couch lining the opposite wall. Folding my arms on the tabletop in front of us, I gazed over each bag.
Sightseeing money, food and drink money,andemergency money.
I noticed a fine black marker and a box of extra bags beside him. “So, what’s your process here?”
“I’m splitting the money into these bags for the first couple weeks of our trip. This is my budget for London alone, and I’m not allowed to touch anything in my account until we leave the UK. That will be my Kenya money.” Jack counted out some of the money, sealed it in a bag, then tucked it into a larger bag labeledWeek One.
I caught onto his pattern after a few moments and followed suit. “You’ve got this down to a fine art.”
Jack nodded. “That’s how I travel on a shoestring budget. I don’t spend too much on keepsakes. I prefer to collect memories and experiences instead ofthings. I buy groceries and cook for myself instead of dining out all the time, and I usually travel around in a van and camp out, which saves a lot on hotel costs.”
I smiled wistfully. Jack’s love of camping in his van was how we’d first met in the woods not far from Wayborough Shores. “I love your van.”
“You do, huh?” Jack nudged me, his smile somewhat suggestive.
I leaned closer to him and breathed in his earthy scent. “I’ve yet to properly utilize it with you, but yes, I do.”
Jack moved his mouth close to my ear, and his voice was a low growl as he said, “We might have to fix that oversight when we get back.” The deep huskiness of it shot straight to my lady parts.
The tips of our noses brushed against one another as I turned my face toward his. “I’ll hold you to it.”
Picking up another bag, I slipped some money into it.
With a lopsided smile, he asked, “Will this be your first visit to London?”
“Yep.” I rested my head on his shoulder. “It’s my first trip anywhere outside the States, aside from the odd trip home every couple of years since I married Alex. We would save up to go see my mom every second Christmas. What about you?”
“I passed through Heathrow on the way to Mombasa, but that’s all.”
My eyes traveled across to Byron and Royce once again. “Looks like we’ll be in the others’ capable hands, then.”
A cheeky smile flashed across Jack’s face. “Just how we like it, huh?”
