Free Stealing Luca's Heart by Ellie Lyons Page A

that offer sounds more than nice.
    After finishing her sandwich, Ally started to feel drained and in need of a shower. She leaned back and ran her hand through her hair. She noticed Luca watching her intently.
    “Cal’s a lucky man to have a daughter who would fly around the world at a drop of a hat to be by his side,” he said gently.
    “Well, I shouldn’t get all the accolades. My sister would be here too if she wasn’t out camper vanning somewhere with God knows who. I’m sure she’ll be here as soon as she gets my hundred or so messages.”
    He smiled. “Cal’s a great guy. Can’t fish or play rugby worth a darn, but he’s a class act.”
    “Yeah, that’s Dad,” she said quietly, suddenly feeling the weight of the past two days piling on top of her.
    Luca must have sensed she was winding down. He opened a cabinet above her head, producing a pillow and blanket. Coming back around to her seat, he placed them on the open couch.
    “We have another hour before landing in Queenstown. You might want to try and close your eyes for a bit.”
    She moved over to the coach and didn’t realize how grateful she was until her head hit the pillow.
    “My cousin Gabi is meeting us in Queenstown, you’ll like her.”
    Ally yawned and stretched out.
    Luca shook his head and walked up toward the cockpit. When he came back, he was glad to see Ally was fast asleep. Sue must have given her decaf.

Chapter 7
    A cool breeze washed over Ally’s face. Feeling relaxed, she slowly pried her lids open. She was jolted fully awake when she realized where she was. She saw that the airplane door was open next to her, and Luca was sitting on the other couch reading a sports magazine. She sat up and Luca glanced over at her.
    “When did we land?” she asked, stretching out her legs. She pulled off the blanket and folded it, laying it neatly next to her. She prayed she hadn’t been drooling.
    “Half an hour ago,” he said, closing his magazine and setting it aside.
    She looked around the empty cabin. “Is everyone gone?”
    “Almost. Gabi is outside on the phone.”
    She stood, stretched, and straightened her hair and clothes. What a difference a cat nap made. “How long was I asleep?”
    “Couple hours. You were practically snoring, so we didn’t want to wake you.”
    Her eyes popped open. “I was snoring?”
    “Luca, be good for a change, will ya?” said a female voice coming from the doorway. “I thought I heard voices in here. Hey, Ally. I’m cousin Gabi.”
    She couldn’t help but smile back at the perky, petite blonde woman with a long French braid who was reaching out to embrace her.
    “Wish we weren’t meeting like this, but it’s great to meet you anyway. The way your dad talks about you, I feel like we’re old friends.”
    Gabi wore jeans, flip-flops, and a red T-shirt that said “I Survived the River Rage”. She struck Ally as someone who might have been a gymnast in school. She thought back to what Saren had said about being treated like a long-lost relative. She’d been spot-on.
    “I’m sure Ally has had enough of airplanes for a while. Let’s get out of here so you ladies can get on your way, shall we?” Luca said, standing up. He grabbed Gabi, pushing her out of the plane’s doorway, sending her into giggles as she made her way down the steps.
    That was the second time he pushed someone on the steps. Ally thought, Note to self: Beware of Luca on stairs . They seemed more like siblings, she noticed. She picked up her backpack and followed them out of the plane and into the small hangar.
    There were two cars outside. Gabi was waiting beside her red Jeep. Ally noticed a sign on the vehicle that read RIVER RAGE. She walked over and surveyed the Jeep but didn’t see her suitcase anywhere. She was about to ask where it was when she noticed Luca heaving it into the back of his black Land Rover.
    “Luca, I can take my bags to the hotel. You really don’t need to bother with that anymore,” Ally