by Lola Karns
Out of her peripheral vision, a large pair of shiny black shoes grew closer until they stopped beside her. A familiar, deep voice rattled her.
“Gwendolyn Jones, is that you?”
A gorgeous, sandy-haired man bent toward her. She’d recognize him anywhere. The most horrible day of her life just got worse.
“Kyle Collins, how have you been?”
She was a mess, flecked with splats of vomit? Good thing his gag reflex had quit working part way through his first tour of duty. Her brown hair appeared disheveled but not unrecognizable. How many times had he glimpsed a brunette only to be disappointed when she turned around? The lilting way she said his name left no doubt, this was the same Gwen. Her quick-to-flush cheeks hadn’t changed either. The babe in arms was new. Gwen’s a mother?
Taking her words as an invitation, he settled on the floor. He preferred chairs. His legs ached when he sat too long, but no empty chairs remained in the crowded gate area, much less one with a view like this. Her expectant, wide-eyed gaze bore into him, demanding a response. How was he? He could give an honest answer, but in his opinion, most people wanted the believable lie.
“I’ve been good.”
The soft smile and way she tilted her head made her seem pleased, as if she derived a sense of peace from the world. The sleeping baby in her arms gurgled. He missed his sister and his niece already, even though he’d left their house only a few hours before. Gwen looked right holding a baby. She would be a great mom and wife if the way she’d nurtured their ragtag study group was any indication. But he wasn’t ready for her or the home front she represented. College was a long time ago. Of all days to run into her. He couldn’t escape the Land of Happy Families, a place where every step brought joy if you held the right map.
His gaze kept returning to the baby. “I see you’ve had a few changes over the past few years.”
“Nine years. Can you believe it’s been that long?” She dropped her chin, indicating the baby. “This lovely little girl is my daughter Chloe. She’s six months old.”
“She’s beautiful.” Like you.
Her pearly whites pressed against pink lips. Every time she’d borrowed a pen from him, it had come back with teeth marks.
“I must apologize for my appearance. We hit turbulence on my last flight.”
“You always were a bad traveler. Remember that trip to the Air Force museum in Dayton?”
Her laugh jostled the baby, but Chloe slept. “I rode in the front seat of Matt’s two door while three six-footers crammed in the back.”
“On the way back, you took that medicine, fell asleep, and drooled all over him.”
He’d been jealous of his friend. Besides, at the time, she’d had a boyfriend. Reality set in again. A husband or at least a boyfriend waited in the wings somewhere. There was no way she was single. Luck had abandoned him long ago, right about the time Gwen disappeared. Past her shoulder, he scanned the walkway in search of someone who belonged to her.
“Where’s your husband? Shouldn’t he be helping you with Chloe so you can take that stuff that knocks you out?”
Her mouth twisted, probably from her old habit of chewing on her cheek in concentration. She never could hide her thoughts from him.
“Actually, I’m not married. Never was. Chloe’s father and I were….” The sparkle in her eyes faded. “It’s a long story that doesn’t end well. How about you? Are there any little Collinses running about?”
He swallowed hard. Unlike earlier, a lie seemed downright dishonest, but he didn’t have to reveal all, did he? He caught sight of his hands, resting on his thighs.
After lifting his left hand, he pointed to his ring finger. “No ring, no tan line, no indent, so no kids.”
“That doesn’t mean anything these days.”
“It does to me. No kids, just nieces and nephews.”
Based on the way she rolled her eyes up and to the left, he suspected marriage and wedding vows meant something to her, too, even if plenty of people didn’t think much of them. His ex-wife sure didn’t. He needed to change the subject. Why waste this chance encounter making themselves unhappy?
“So, are you headed out to see your parents?”
The intercom announced yet another delay.
“Yes, if this flight ever gets off the ground.” She exhaled a whoosh of air. “Sorry, that came out harsh. The delays are making me more nervous.”
“Since there’s plenty of time before we leave, why don’t I try to change my seat? That way, if you need help, you’ll have a friend to turn to.”
A strange expression swept across her face. Her eyes closed and jaw slackened in a blend of discomfort and relief. He tried to be reassuring. “I’m good with kids. I just spent a week and a half visiting my sister and helping with my nephews and one-month-old niece.”
Her shoulders relaxed, and the corners of her mouth softened for the first time since he’d noticed her sitting in the corner. “Having another set of hands to help with Chloe would be great. Promise not to yell if she gets grabby.”
“I promise.”
She trusted him with her boarding pass. Lacking trust was never their issue. As he walked to the podium, she forgot her own problems for a bit and admired the view. Time had been kind. His shoulders had grown broader, but he still maintained the fit body he’d had in college. The sight of him in swim trunks back then had been enough to make her forget to worry how she looked in her own swimsuit. His backside was ogle-worthy, but he must be worn out from his travel or babysitting. Maybe his leg had fallen asleep after being on the floor because he seemed to limp a little. She stretched her ankles and toes inside her sneakers, in hopes of avoiding that problem.
Of all the people to run into…. She’d expected to see people she knew since she was moving back to her parents’ house. She didn’t expect to run into her college classmates, especially not Kyle. He was supposed to be off in some exotic part of the world in one of those elite military forces. All through college, he’d trained extensively for an endurance test, sometimes letting her hold the stopwatch. At the very least, she’d figured he’d be married. A trail of women had vied for his affection back in the day. She wasn’t as flashy as the others, so he’d never noticed her as anything other than a pal.
How different her life could have been if a good man like him had fathered Chloe rather than that louse Cody.
A soft noise ended her trip down self-pity lane. She startled at the intrusion, but not enough to wake Chloe, as he dropped a plastic bag on the floor.
“We’re set with the seats. I needed some gum, and I thought you might want a few things, too.”
After sitting, he spread out the thoughtful bounty, ginger ale, non-drowsy Dramamine, pretzels, and a picture book with a fuzzy yellow duckling on the cover.
“Thanks. Chloe is going to love this. How much do I owe you?” Please be less than five dollars.
“Nothing. I sent a similar one to my oldest nephew when he was an infant. My sister told me how much both my nephews liked them. The younger one thought they were delicious. After seeing how bedraggled her collection is, I know what to give my niece for Christmas. It seems everyone, including me, bought frilly dresses to welcome Ashley’s arrival. I didn’t think about books until I saw how much my nephews had chewed the rest. Most were covered with tape.”
He offered her the bottle of Dramamine and the ginger ale. “I know you’re supposed to take these before your flight. Since your hands are full with that adorable little girl, can I open them for you?”
Her arms tingled from the weight of her sleeping baby. She glanced at the floor, the items in his hands, and then at his face. “You’re a good uncle.” It was too much. “Actually, I can’t use the medicine. Chloe nurses, and I didn’t get the doctor’s approval. I’d love some ginger ale though.”
He didn’t blink an eye when she mentioned nursing. Nor did he glance at her boobs, as most men did. She looked away before she got lost in his green eyes. Desperate to regain c
ontrol, she forced a slow breath through her nostrils before peeking at him.
“Thank you, for everything. It was thoughtful.”
An announcement for pre-boarding came over the loud speaker. After helping Gwen to her feet, he gathered all their carry-on items. Chloe stayed asleep in her arms. The airline employee treated them as if they were a family, allowing them advance seating without questioning. The cool air in the cabin reminded him of his sister’s words about babies getting cold easier than adults. He pulled his jacket out of his carry-on.
“This should help keep her cozy.”
The corners of her eyes crinkled as her mouth lifted into a grin. “Thank you. Most of her blankets got dirty on the last flight. I’ll try to keep your jacket clean.”
She had so many smiles—the smug Yes!-I’m-so-prepared-for-this-test smile, the cockeyed I’m-a-bit-tipsy version, and this one, her slightly coy, grateful one, as if she were embarrassed that someone would do something nice for her. Her eyelashes seemed impossibly long when she lifted her gaze, but not her whole face, to look at him.
“It’s washable.” He shrugged. Travel had wrinkled it anyway. “Do you think she’ll let me hold her while you fasten your seat belt?” Although impressed with what she’d accomplished one-handed so far, he doubted she could manage this two-handed job.
She glanced at Chloe then, cradling the baby with both arms, and lifted her higher. “Actually, would you mind fixing it?”
“No problem.” He reached across her body, tugging the strap snug across her hips. He swallowed hard, performing the simple act. His fingers scarcely grazed her jeans, yet the intimacy seemed something a husband would do for a wife. She trusted him to protect her. Or maybe, he read too much into it. Her voice brought him back to the moment.
“Is it homecoming weekend, or do your parents still live in the area?” She shuffled her daughter into more upright position against her chest. The baby sighed but did not awaken. She tucked his jacket around the sleeping girl.
“I’m headed home. This is my first year as an assistant basketball coach at Corwin.”
“Really? I remember you played, but weren’t you gung-ho on a military career? You spent a lot of time training.”
“I joined the Rangers and served my country for six-and-a-half years. I left the army about a year ago.” He stopped short of saying more, not wanting to tell her the circumstances around his honorable discharge. His stupid, ruined leg offered frequent reminders. “When Coach Meyer found out I was a civilian and looking for work, he offered me a job and here I am.”
“I can’t believe Coach Meyer is still there! He has to be getting close to retirement age, but the team did okay last year, right? My dad didn’t complain, much.”
“They had a winning record, but lost the conference playoff. Coach Meyer is sixty-four, but I don’t think retirement is in his future. He’ll stay at Corwin as long as the athletic department renews his contract. He’s happy there, even when he grumbles about the increased traffic and weekend noise. He loves the place. Me, too. There are a lot worse places to be. You, on the other hand, couldn’t leave fast enough. How long are you visiting your parents?”
“For once, I don’t have a departure date in mind. I’m moving back. It seemed like the right thing to do, so Chloe can be around family who loves and supports her. The town lacks a bakery. I thought I’d put fliers in the dorms to sell cookies through finals, maybe even offering a one-hour window for delivering oven-fresh cookies for late-night study sessions. The storefront should be open before winter semester starts if everything goes according to plan. I’ll set my own hours and work around Chloe’s sleep schedule, so that I can spend maximum time with her.”
The excitement in her voice grew, tangling him in her web of enthusiasm, as it had a decade ago when she’d dragged him to some party or other, promising him it would be fun.
“Sounds like a great idea. Please tell me you’ll make those brownies you brought when we were getting ready for that history final at the end of freshman year. Matt and I sometimes played a game called ‘Last Supper’ when we were in the field. Your brownies were the one mainstay both of us put on our menus.”
“Last Supper?”
“On a few missions, we had to chug down gel packs instead of real food. We preferred to think about what we wished we could eat instead. Didn’t make the gel taste better, but made us want to get home.”
“I’m flattered you remembered them. I still have that recipe, but I think I’ve improved it. Since you’ll be around, maybe you could taste test a few recipes for me before I put them on the regular menu.”
There was that lilt again. Was she flirting or being the sweet Gwen he remembered?
“I’d like that.”
He met her eyes and held them for a beat longer than necessary. His fingers itched to push a stray, chocolate-colored wave off her face so he could see those eyes more clearly, but Chloe wiggled and started screaming.
“Need help?”
Chloe turned her head, wrinkled up her nose, and stared at him as if assessing his threat level. She quieted as Gwen cooed. “It’s okay, Chloe. Kyle is mommy’s friend.” He liked the sound of that.
Her muscles slackened for about a minute before she fussed again, clutching at Gwen in a flurry of arms and wiggles.
“She wants to nurse.” She breastfed Chloe on earlier flights, but never with someone she might see again close by. The illuminated bathroom light eliminated that option. Besides, who wanted to eat in a germy, stinky place? Nope. Strangers might judge, but their opinions held no sway. She might and hoped to see Kyle again. After all this time, she cared what he thought, but he seemed unfazed, not disgusted, embarrassed, or eager to sneak a peek.
“Is your cover-up in the diaper bag?”
“Yes.” Nerves choked her words. She had to relax.
“I’ll get it.” He rummaged in the bag until he pulled out a blanket and the rest of the ginger ale. “My sister nursed her children, too. She trained her husband to bring her a drink every time one of them cries. Now he brings her a drink every time a kid cries, whether she’s nursing or not.”
His soft chuckle eased her tension.
“Do you think she’d let me hold her while you get set?”
She handed her to him. Chloe wiggled a bit, using her arms to push away from his chest and study his face, but she remained calm. As she tucked his coat around her on one side and spread the blanket across her chest, her heart skipped a beat watching him make faces and silly noises at Chloe. His efforts were rewarded with one of her gurgles, eliciting laughter all around. He was far more comfortable being with the baby than Chloe’s own birth father was. Swallowing hard, she suppressed the weight of raising a daughter who would miss out on the love of two parents.
“All set,” she muttered and extended her arms to receive her little girl.
The ensuing silence made her self-conscious about what she was doing. But it was cute that Kyle turned his head to the opposite side of the plane in an attempt to give her privacy. Talking about long-lost friends sounded more fun than rehashing old lectures since she’d cut ties with everyone when she left.
“How is Matt these days? It sounds like you two have kept in touch, playing ‘Last Supper’ and all.”
He rotated toward her, reddened in the cheeks, and then looked at a spot somewhere near her ear. “We were in the same unit. He’s still in, spending more time over there than here. He’s been married for about five years to a great woman and has a two-year-old son and another child on the way. They’re based at Fort Bragg. He loves it so much down South, I don’t think he’ll ever move back. Leah’s family is from there, so she has help even when Matt is on assignment. That makes a difference.”
“I know he thought I was a bit of a flake, but next time you talk, tell him I said hi and congratulations on his children. I think it’s great you have friends from your college days. I didn’t keep in touch with anyone. What about Brooke? Weren’t you two dating at one po
int?”
Kyle and Brooke had dated, partially prompting her quick departure by loading up on summer-school courses. Brooke had said they went ring shopping. She taunted Gwen as only a roommate could, with casual asides and a fridge full of photos, knowing of her crush on Kyle. “You’d be a great bridesmaid,” she’d chirped, “as a reward for bringing the happy couple together.”
“We dated. It didn’t end well.” His mouth pressed into a thin line.
Interesting. There was a story there, but he spoke with a forceful tone, declaring the topic over without further details.
“Other than losing track of everyone and having a cute babe, what have you done for the past few years?”
She adjusted Chloe, removing her from her breast with a finger since she played more than ate. In a different time and place, she might not worry about being discrete, but not with this handsome man beside her. “Remember how I went to teach English in Prague after I graduated?” She rested Chloe on her shoulder, patting her on the back more as an act of comfort than to induce a burp.
“I didn’t know you taught English. You disappeared.”
His barb jabbed into her subconscious, but he didn’t need to know that. “It kept a roof over my head and beer on the table. I fell in with what I call the expat-information underground. I spent the next two-and-a-half years hanging out in bars, finding out about jobs elsewhere, telling people about jobs I knew of, and through this extraordinary networking of ‘a friend of a friend told me’, I ended up finding jobs all over the place. I worked in Prague for a while, then Bosnia, Lebanon, and ultimately Malaysia. By then, I was broke and tired of the itinerant lifestyle.”
“You did all that traveling?”
“Turns out I don’t get sick on trains. I took as few flights as possible, except to cross oceans.”
“So, are you coming from Malaysia now?”
“No. A friend helped me find a job in Phoenix at an import company. They went under, but I stayed in Phoenix working for a family-run restaurant-supply shop. It was a great job. I worked there for four years and the owners became like family to me.