The Substitute Read Online Free

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.
     

Chapter Three
     
     
    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,