on both: CRESCENT CHINA TOURS . She almost believed it for a minute.
She felt rather than saw Kathryn Lucas step up behind her. “What do you think, Nikki?”
“What I think is, we’re all going to China to rescue a little girl. What are you thinking? Is something wrong, Kathryn? You don’t seem like yourself. Are you worried about us, Lily, or Bert?”
Kathryn raised her hand to shield her eyes from the sun that was getting brighter by the moment. She tensed as she struggled to find the words she wanted. “It’s Bert. We had an understanding, but he’s stepped off the grid and is pressuring me. He does this every so often—we fight, we make up, then it happens all over again. I can’t take it anymore.”
Alarm registered on Nikki’s face. “And yet, here you are. You should have recused yourself this time around. Your thought processes are not one hundred percent on the mission. One little slip and you could put us all in jeopardy. You realize that, don’t you?”
“Of course I do, and it’s not true, Nikki. I can do my job. You don’t have to worry about me. Bert didn’t have to go to Macau. The person who should have gone is Dixson Kelly. Bert chose to go because of me. I resent it. I really do.”
“That’s what I’m talking about, Kathryn. You’re dealing with emotion here. This is not good. I’m going to have to tell the others. Sometimes I simply don’t understand you, Kathryn. What is it you really want? What can’t you come to terms with? We’ve gone over this so many times that I’ve lost count.”
Kathryn’s facial features went taut. “Let me assure you that the one thing you do not have to worry about is me. Listen to me. I’m going to tell you something in confidence, friend to friend, girl to girl. Bert and I parted company. We’re done. We’ve had a very long, contentious relationship, but it no longer works for me. I’m not sure why he was so insistent on doing this China thing, which, as I said, in my opinion is a mistake. And before you can ask, Nikki, all I feel is a sense of relief. Like a thousand pounds have been taken off my shoulders. I’m good here, I really am. Just so you know, I moved all my stuff out of Bert’s place. I’m back at my home space in Virginia with Murphy, who, by the way, is at doggie camp until I get back. If you want me to sum this up, it’s that I need to be free to be me. Right now I actually feel as if I could fly to China with my own wings. Look, Bert wants to get married and have a family. That’s not in the cards for me. I care about him enough to want him to have those things. Just not with me.”
Nikki stared into Kathryn’s eyes, and whatever she saw there satisfied her. She smiled. “I think you are good. I understand. Your word is good enough for me. I do have a question, though. What happens if you come face-to-face with Bert in Macau?”
“Two old friends meeting up on the other side of the world. Nothing more, Nikki. Please, you need to believe me.”
And, Nikki realized, she did believe the long, lanky truck driver. Kathryn might be many things—outspoken, bombastic at times—but she never lied. The two women eyeballed each other one last time. Kathryn spoke first: “I know, I know, if I screw up I go to the sidelines. It ain’t gonna happen, Nikki. For the first time in a good many years, I finally feel as if I’m my own person again. I like the feeling, and I intend to keep it that way.”
“Okay. Come on, we have a plane to catch.”
“Ah . . . Nikki . . .”
“This conversation never happened. You’re back in your own ballpark again.”
Kathryn laughed, a sound of pure mirth. Nikki felt stunned for just a bare moment as she tried to remember the last time that she’d heard Kathryn laugh like that. Probably never, was her best guess. She ran then to keep up with Kathryn’s long-legged stride.
Ten minutes later, the two private planes were airborne and climbing steadily to their cruising altitude of
She felt rather than saw Kathryn Lucas step up behind her. “What do you think, Nikki?”
“What I think is, we’re all going to China to rescue a little girl. What are you thinking? Is something wrong, Kathryn? You don’t seem like yourself. Are you worried about us, Lily, or Bert?”
Kathryn raised her hand to shield her eyes from the sun that was getting brighter by the moment. She tensed as she struggled to find the words she wanted. “It’s Bert. We had an understanding, but he’s stepped off the grid and is pressuring me. He does this every so often—we fight, we make up, then it happens all over again. I can’t take it anymore.”
Alarm registered on Nikki’s face. “And yet, here you are. You should have recused yourself this time around. Your thought processes are not one hundred percent on the mission. One little slip and you could put us all in jeopardy. You realize that, don’t you?”
“Of course I do, and it’s not true, Nikki. I can do my job. You don’t have to worry about me. Bert didn’t have to go to Macau. The person who should have gone is Dixson Kelly. Bert chose to go because of me. I resent it. I really do.”
“That’s what I’m talking about, Kathryn. You’re dealing with emotion here. This is not good. I’m going to have to tell the others. Sometimes I simply don’t understand you, Kathryn. What is it you really want? What can’t you come to terms with? We’ve gone over this so many times that I’ve lost count.”
Kathryn’s facial features went taut. “Let me assure you that the one thing you do not have to worry about is me. Listen to me. I’m going to tell you something in confidence, friend to friend, girl to girl. Bert and I parted company. We’re done. We’ve had a very long, contentious relationship, but it no longer works for me. I’m not sure why he was so insistent on doing this China thing, which, as I said, in my opinion is a mistake. And before you can ask, Nikki, all I feel is a sense of relief. Like a thousand pounds have been taken off my shoulders. I’m good here, I really am. Just so you know, I moved all my stuff out of Bert’s place. I’m back at my home space in Virginia with Murphy, who, by the way, is at doggie camp until I get back. If you want me to sum this up, it’s that I need to be free to be me. Right now I actually feel as if I could fly to China with my own wings. Look, Bert wants to get married and have a family. That’s not in the cards for me. I care about him enough to want him to have those things. Just not with me.”
Nikki stared into Kathryn’s eyes, and whatever she saw there satisfied her. She smiled. “I think you are good. I understand. Your word is good enough for me. I do have a question, though. What happens if you come face-to-face with Bert in Macau?”
“Two old friends meeting up on the other side of the world. Nothing more, Nikki. Please, you need to believe me.”
And, Nikki realized, she did believe the long, lanky truck driver. Kathryn might be many things—outspoken, bombastic at times—but she never lied. The two women eyeballed each other one last time. Kathryn spoke first: “I know, I know, if I screw up I go to the sidelines. It ain’t gonna happen, Nikki. For the first time in a good many years, I finally feel as if I’m my own person again. I like the feeling, and I intend to keep it that way.”
“Okay. Come on, we have a plane to catch.”
“Ah . . . Nikki . . .”
“This conversation never happened. You’re back in your own ballpark again.”
Kathryn laughed, a sound of pure mirth. Nikki felt stunned for just a bare moment as she tried to remember the last time that she’d heard Kathryn laugh like that. Probably never, was her best guess. She ran then to keep up with Kathryn’s long-legged stride.
Ten minutes later, the two private planes were airborne and climbing steadily to their cruising altitude of
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