tension eased. Dallas couldn't get to her here.
She'd turned off her phone and wandered through the airport
for an hour then went to the deserted gate and sat at a window seat watching
airplanes arrive. Was it just two days ago she'd flown in? Full of excitement
and expectation knowing she'd see Dallas again? It felt like a week. When they'd
made love, it had been the most amazing experience of her life. She let out a
breath. She'd miss it. She'd miss him.
Saying goodbye to him had been one of the—no—the hardest
thing she'd ever done. In less than twenty-four hours, he'd slammed into her
heart like a rank bull, and left his mark. Permanently.
How difficult would it be to see him next weekend? To not
touch him, not kiss him, or stare into his incredible eyes?
Someone jostled her as they sat next to her. She'd been too
spacey the last couple of hours to notice the area filling with travelers.
"We will now begin boarding flight 4214 to New York
LaGuardia…"
Boarding already? Kira jumped up and looked for the girls.
Gigi, Annie, and Bree should be here by now. Taylor was staying, renting a car
and driving to San Francisco to visit her grandparents.
She spotted Annie and Bree standing by the boarding gate.
Hauling her suitcase, she picked her way through the crowd. "Hi. Did you
just get here?"
Both girls looked exhausted. Annie nodded. "We've been
trying to call you."
"Sorry. I forgot to turn my phone back on." She
looked around the area. "Where's Gigi?"
Bree's forehead wrinkled. "We thought she was coming
with you. We haven't been able to get her on the phone, either."
A bubble of panic threatened, then she remembered who Gigi
was with. "She's probably coming to the airport with Boone. He's flying up
to Reno today."
The girls nodded. Bree yawned. "I'm going to have a
cosmo and crash."
"We will now begin boarding first class…"
They moved into the line and in minutes were settled in
their seats. Kira had the window seat in the last row of first class, and Bree
and Annie were across the aisle from her. Gigi would be sitting next to Kira,
whenever she decided to show up.
As promised, both Annie and Bree had ordered cosmos, slurped
them down, and now rested under blankets, with pillows beneath their heads.
As people filed onto the airplane, Kira watched for Gigi.
She turned on her phone. No call from Dallas. Had she expected one? Stupid
cowboy. She deleted the four voicemails from Annie, then called Gigi. It went
right to voicemail. Maybe she was in line to board the plane, and had turned it
off.
Twenty minutes later, the last passenger had boarded, and no
Gigi.
The flight attendant took a call, hung up the phone, and
announced to first class, "We're waiting for one more passenger. It'll be
just a few minutes."
Kira took her first real breath in a half hour. That had to
be Gigi.
Five minutes later, from near the cockpit door, the flight
attendant said, "Welcome. You're in the last first class seat on your
right."
Kira looked up but didn't see who the woman was talking to.
It had to be Gigi. Thank God.
The voice that thanked the attendant wasn't Gigi's. Wasn't
even female. It was low and growly.
Dallas walked down the aisle toward her. His black cowboy
hat sat low on his head, and he wore a dark red cotton button down shirt tucked
into his sexy jeans.
Her heart stopped for a couple seconds then restarted at an
amazing rate. What was going on? Had something happened to Gigi? No, he was
smiling at her.
The flight attendant found a spot for his duffle bag and
inquired about stowing his hat, to which he thanked her but declined. The
cowboy plopped into the seat next to her, and set a black shopping bag on the
floor between his feet.
"Where's Gigi?"
"She's stayin' another night with her fiancé." He
breathed a little fast, as if he'd been running.
"How?" Words wouldn't form.
"Gigi's friend in the travel agency. Cancelled her
flight while booking mine at the same time, and…" He lifted one hand
She'd turned off her phone and wandered through the airport
for an hour then went to the deserted gate and sat at a window seat watching
airplanes arrive. Was it just two days ago she'd flown in? Full of excitement
and expectation knowing she'd see Dallas again? It felt like a week. When they'd
made love, it had been the most amazing experience of her life. She let out a
breath. She'd miss it. She'd miss him.
Saying goodbye to him had been one of the—no—the hardest
thing she'd ever done. In less than twenty-four hours, he'd slammed into her
heart like a rank bull, and left his mark. Permanently.
How difficult would it be to see him next weekend? To not
touch him, not kiss him, or stare into his incredible eyes?
Someone jostled her as they sat next to her. She'd been too
spacey the last couple of hours to notice the area filling with travelers.
"We will now begin boarding flight 4214 to New York
LaGuardia…"
Boarding already? Kira jumped up and looked for the girls.
Gigi, Annie, and Bree should be here by now. Taylor was staying, renting a car
and driving to San Francisco to visit her grandparents.
She spotted Annie and Bree standing by the boarding gate.
Hauling her suitcase, she picked her way through the crowd. "Hi. Did you
just get here?"
Both girls looked exhausted. Annie nodded. "We've been
trying to call you."
"Sorry. I forgot to turn my phone back on." She
looked around the area. "Where's Gigi?"
Bree's forehead wrinkled. "We thought she was coming
with you. We haven't been able to get her on the phone, either."
A bubble of panic threatened, then she remembered who Gigi
was with. "She's probably coming to the airport with Boone. He's flying up
to Reno today."
The girls nodded. Bree yawned. "I'm going to have a
cosmo and crash."
"We will now begin boarding first class…"
They moved into the line and in minutes were settled in
their seats. Kira had the window seat in the last row of first class, and Bree
and Annie were across the aisle from her. Gigi would be sitting next to Kira,
whenever she decided to show up.
As promised, both Annie and Bree had ordered cosmos, slurped
them down, and now rested under blankets, with pillows beneath their heads.
As people filed onto the airplane, Kira watched for Gigi.
She turned on her phone. No call from Dallas. Had she expected one? Stupid
cowboy. She deleted the four voicemails from Annie, then called Gigi. It went
right to voicemail. Maybe she was in line to board the plane, and had turned it
off.
Twenty minutes later, the last passenger had boarded, and no
Gigi.
The flight attendant took a call, hung up the phone, and
announced to first class, "We're waiting for one more passenger. It'll be
just a few minutes."
Kira took her first real breath in a half hour. That had to
be Gigi.
Five minutes later, from near the cockpit door, the flight
attendant said, "Welcome. You're in the last first class seat on your
right."
Kira looked up but didn't see who the woman was talking to.
It had to be Gigi. Thank God.
The voice that thanked the attendant wasn't Gigi's. Wasn't
even female. It was low and growly.
Dallas walked down the aisle toward her. His black cowboy
hat sat low on his head, and he wore a dark red cotton button down shirt tucked
into his sexy jeans.
Her heart stopped for a couple seconds then restarted at an
amazing rate. What was going on? Had something happened to Gigi? No, he was
smiling at her.
The flight attendant found a spot for his duffle bag and
inquired about stowing his hat, to which he thanked her but declined. The
cowboy plopped into the seat next to her, and set a black shopping bag on the
floor between his feet.
"Where's Gigi?"
"She's stayin' another night with her fiancé." He
breathed a little fast, as if he'd been running.
"How?" Words wouldn't form.
"Gigi's friend in the travel agency. Cancelled her
flight while booking mine at the same time, and…" He lifted one hand
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