by Sara Mack
Garrett’s cell phone rings, scattering my thoughts and making me jump.
“Hello?” he answers. I watch him look at me and nod. “We’re leaving now.” He hangs up.
“Who was that?” I ask, my nerves rattled.
“James,” he says. “It’s time to go.”
“Where?”
“Kalamazoo International Airport.”
It takes only fifteen minutes to get there. I lug my overstuffed backpack and LB inside; Garrett carries my suitcase. We find a long bench opposite the ticket counter, and Garrett takes a seat.
“Now what?” I ask. “Where are we going?”
“Only you’re going,” he says and looks around. His eyes land back on me. “But I don’t know where.”
I roll my eyes. Fabulous. More unanswered questions. I plop down next to him on the bench. The stress and anxiety of the last couple hours is taking its toll. It’s late and I’m exhausted; my interrupted nap did nothing to compensate for my lack of sleep over the last five nights. I yawn as I ask, “So, what do we do? Wait for James?”
He nods.
Well, he should be here any minute, diligent Guardian that he is. I try to people watch as I comb through the possibilities. Where would James want me to go by plane? He must want me to get as far away as possible. Alaska? I shiver at the idea. I hate the cold. Garrett said James didn’t want me to be alone. I have no family out of state except a few cousins in Colorado that I never see. That must be it. James has never met them, and I’ve never visited there. But, wait, no. They would be sure to call my parents and let them know I unexpectedly traveled across the country to visit unannounced. My mind continues to spin and then starts to fade as my eyes grow heavy. I find myself falling asleep and then jerking awake as soon as my chin hits my chest. Garrett notices.
“You can lean on me if you want.”
The offer is enticing. What I wouldn’t give to lie down right now. He nods toward his shoulder and I lean over, setting my head against it. He wraps his arm around my back and side to keep me upright. I feel myself fading into sleep again as I wonder what is taking James so long. Let’s do this already.
As I’m intermittently awakened by flight announcements, I lose track of time. I fade in and out of consciousness, and gladly too. My body and my mind need to rest. I do think about LB though, and if she needs to use the litter box. Poor thing. I hope Garrett’s reiki calmed those urges, too; I have no idea where I could take her. As time passes, a deeper sleep finds me and I welcome it.
“Emma? Emma, wake up.”
I hear James’ voice and feel my shoulder being nudged.
“Wake up, Em. It’s almost time to go.”
I force my eyes open to a squint, and James’ face is fuzzy. “You’re here,” I croak, my throat thick with sleep.
His face is level before me, and he gives me a sad smile. “I am,” he says. “You need to start waking up. Your flight will be boarding soon.”
I try to widen my eyes and focus. “What took you so long?” It feels like I’ve been passed out for hours.
“I brought someone to go with you,” he says. “So you won’t be alone.”
My face twists. Is he kidding? That can’t be possible. I blink and things go fuzzy and then clear again. I must be dreaming. I rub my eyes to make sure. No, I’m awake.
James stands and steps to the side, so he’s no longer blocking my line of view. Who he reveals makes me second-guess my sanity. Maybe I am still asleep. That or I’ve stepped into an alternate universe.
My travel companion steps forward. “Hey, Grace.”
Chapter 22
I’m speechless.
I look from Dane, to James, and then to Garrett in disbelief. “Did you know about this?”
He nods.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I asked him not to,” James says, redirecting my attention. He glances at Dane. “I wasn’t sure if he would play along.”
I stare at James wide-eyed and then look at Dane. He gives me a small shrug and shifts his weight uncomfortably. Never in a million years did I think anything like this would ever happen.
“Come on.” James reaches for my hand. “We have to get you two through security.”
He helps me stand and my legs feel stiff and disjointed after sitting for so long. “What about LB?” I ask. “Did you make arrangements for her, too?”
“Shit.” James drops my hand and looks at Dane. “We forgot about the cat.”
“I’ve got it,” Garrett says and stands, looking at me. “You need to get going. I’ll take her with me,” he hesitates. “That is, if it’s okay with you.”
I look down at LB. I know I’ll miss her if I send her away. I lift the carrier off the floor, placing it on the bench, so I can peer inside. The movement wakes her, and she hisses at me. Apparently she won’t miss me as much. “Love you, too,” I tell her and give her a sad smile. I stand and turn to Garrett. “I think she likes you better anyway. Thank you.”
“I’ll take good care of her,” he promises.
My eyes jump to Dane, and I see he has my suitcase in one hand and his in the other. I turn around to grab my backpack and throw it on my shoulder, then pause. “Here.” I reach into my purse and fish out my car keys, handing them to Garrett. “You’ll need LB’s things, so you might as well take my car. It doesn’t look like I’ll need it.”
He pulls the keys from my hand. “I’ll take good care of that, too,” he says quietly.
Dane clears his throat. “We should probably get these bags checked in,” he says. “Our flight leaves in less than an hour.”
My eyes lock on James. He nods his approval, and I follow Dane as he tows our luggage to the ticket counter. The woman working the desk gives us a friendly smile and asks Dane’s last name.
“Walker,” he says.
“Party of two?” she confirms.
“Yes.”
“Checking any bags this evening?”
He eyes my backpack. “Do you want to carry that or check it?”
It’s heavy and bulky. “Check it, please.”
“Three.”
The woman asks to see our ID and then presses a few keys. “I’ll have your boarding passes in a moment,” she says and steps away.
“Wait,” I say in surprise. “When did you buy the tickets?”
He gives me half a smile. “About three hours ago.”
The woman returns with the passes, tears them apart, and hands them to Dane. She then grabs the luggage tags and loops them through each suitcase handle. I hand her my backpack. When everything is tagged, she says, “You’re all set. Enjoy the Caribbean.”
What?
“Thank you,” Dane smiles and turns away from the counter.
“The Caribbean?” I ask under my breath as we make our way back to James. “Isn’t that a little extravagant?”
“We’ll talk about it later,” he whispers.
When we reach James and Garrett, Dane gives them a nod and leaves me alone with them, walking several feet away to lean against a post. My throat goes dry and my heart begins to pound.
“Stay safe,” Garrett says. “Remember, I’ll only contact you if it’s necessary.”
I inhale like I’m confident. “Got it.” I gesture toward LB. “Don’t let her take advantage of you.”
He gives me a timid smile. “I’ll try not to.” He looks between James and I. “I’ll let you two have a few minutes. I need to get going myself.” He turns and collects LB, then looks at me sincerely. “Have a safe trip.”
I nod and my throat constricts. When will I see them again? Will I see them again?
Garrett pauses next to James. “You too. Be careful.”
James and I watch as Garrett carries LB toward the exit. When he reaches the sliding doors, he gives us one last look and a small wave, which makes the blood drain from my face.
“Hey,” James steps to my side. “Everything will be all right.”
I give him a wary look.
“Listen.” He stands directly in front of me, placing his hands on either side of my face, cradling it. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. Got it? Believe in that.”
I close my eyes and whisper, “It’s not just me I’m worried about.”
His cold lips graze my forehead. “I’ll be fine.”
I open my eyes. “You promise?”
He nods and steps back, his hands sliding down my arms. I catch a glimpse of Dane over his shoulder and ask, “You’re sure you want me to do this?”
He gives me a questioning look.
“Run away with Dane?”
“No. I want to be the one you run away with.” He glances over his shoulder. “But since I can’t be,” he turns back around, “he’s the next best choice.”
My mouth falls open.
“The most important thing is your protection,” James says earnestly. “I remember what he did for you last summer. He did something I couldn’t, and he’s here to do it again.”
“But…” I protest.
“Regardless of how I feel, this isn’t about me. It’s about what’s best for you. Dane and I had a long talk about it on the way here,” he says and looks into my eyes. “Let him take care of you, Emma.”
I can’t believe I’m hearing this.
“Um, guys?” Dane asks, hushed, from behind James. “People are staring.”
I glance around and catch a young couple avert their gaze.
“It looks like you’re talking to yourself,” Dane says.
I quickly adjust my features and focus on Dane’s face. “Thanks.”
James looks from Dane to me. “You should go. You don’t want to miss your flight to where ever,” he says, trying to be lighthearted.
My pulse accelerates. “I don’t want to say goodbye.”
“Then don’t,” he says in all seriousness. “I’ll see you soon. Before you know it.”
I remain motionless as he steps forward and kisses me softly on the lips. Every part of me wants to wrap my arms around him, but I don’t. I don’t want to draw attention to myself again.
“I love you,” he says.
“Love you, too,” I barely whisper.
And just like that, he vanishes.
I blink away the few tears that pop into my eyes. When they’re clear, I raise my head to find Dane standing with his back to me, blocking me from the view of the ticket counter and the people that wait there.
“He’s gone,” I say and step around him.
Dane looks at me with a mixed expression. I can’t tell if he feels bad for me or if he is irritated. He starts to walk in the direction of the escalators, and I follow.
It doesn’t take us long to get through the security line; Kalamazoo International is a relatively small airport. Dane waits for me to retie my tennis shoes and slip my jacket on before heading to the gate. We round a corner and end up at gate four, destination Miami, Florida.
“Miami?” I ask as we find two empty seats.
“We have a small layover.” He leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees and gives me a wry smile. “It’s the best I could do on short notice. Then it’s on to St. Thomas.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “As in the Virgin Islands?”
“The same.”
Of all the places in the world, how did he come up with the Virgin Islands? Not that I’m complaining. If anything, it’s not Alaska. I can do tropical.
“So…” Dane drifts off and looks uncomfortable.
He looks lost for words, as am I. I twist my fingers in my lap. He must have a million questions.
“James never left you,” he says matter-of-factly.
I shake my head, sheepish. “No.”
“It explains a lot,” he says and looks at his feet. “It explains a whole lot.”
“I’m sorry.” I lean forward and try to catch his eyes. “You know why I couldn’t tell you, right? I tried to deal with things as best I could, but I was terrible at it. I’m so s –”
“Stop,” he interrupts and looks at me. “It’s not your fault.”
I frown. “Of course it’s my fault! The last time I saw you, I handled it completely wrong, and I hurt you, and –”
He sets his hand on my knee. “I said stop.”
I shut my mouth.
“There’s only one person I blame for your actions and it’s not you,” he says as he searches my face. “So stop apologizing.”
Who does he blame? Himself? That’s not fair. “You can’t blame yourself,” I say, appalled. “You had no idea what was going on.”
He snorts. “I don’t blame myself.”
A voice comes over the PA. “Good evening, passengers. We will now start boarding flight 513 with non-stop service to Miami. At this time, we’d like to start with our first class passengers and any guests that require special assistance. Again, that’s flight 513 with service to Miami. Welcome aboard.”
Dane stands. “That’s us.”
A line of elderly people begins to form near the jet way. I see a man in a wheelchair and a woman using a walker. I look up at Dane and smirk. “Do I require special assistance?”
He rolls his eyes. “No, doofus. First class. Let’s go.”
I stand, impressed. “Do you treat all the girls you save from the supernatural this way?”
He grins. “Only you, baby. Only you.”
Our seats are in the second row of the plane. Dane graciously allows me to take the window seat, and I fiddle with the seatbelt as he gets comfortable. I look around and play with the window shade, and then pluck the safety card out of the seat pocket in front of me. As the other passengers file in, I open the card and study the pictures of the emergency exits and use of the oxygen masks.
“What’s so interesting?” Dane leans over my shoulder.
“Have you ever heard of the oxygen masks actually being used?”
“No. Why?”
“Just curious.”
I continue to study the card, twisting around to locate another exit. First class is blocked by a partition, and I can’t see more than two rows behind me.
Dane frowns. “What are you looking for?”
“The exits,” I say seriously. “I’ve never flown before.”
“You’re kidding.” He looks shocked. “You’ve never been in a plane?”
I shake my head.
“Ever?”
I roll my eyes. “That’s what no means.”
He looks amused. “Are you scared?”
I give him a stale look. “No, I’m not. I’m just trying to be prepared.”
He tries not to smile. “FYI, your seat cushion can be used as a flotation device.”
“That’s very helpful,” I say sarcastically, “seeing as how we’ll be flying over land the entire time.”
He laughs.
Eventually, the plane is full and the flight attendants give us their spiel as we taxi. When it comes to the actual takeoff, I have to admit that it’s kind of a rush, and I like it. Dane gives me a few sideways glances; I think to make sure I’m not nervous, or ready to puke, or anything. As we climb higher in the sky and the plane levels itself, I stare out the window into the darkness as a realization settles over me. I’ve just left behind everything comfortable and familiar in my life. I’ve left behind everyone I love for something I can never explain, and they don’t even know it. I feel my throat constrict.
Dane nudges my arm. “Would you like something?”
I rip my eyes from the window and see one of the flight attendants hovering over him. “Like what?”
“We have water, coffee, juice, soda, wine, and liquor. Would you like a cocktail?” she asks, too perky for this time of night.
“Um, water. Please.”
She hands me a bottle from her cart. “And for you, sir?”
Dane looks at me. “I think I could use something stronger than water.” He turns back to Ms. Perky. “What have you got for mixed drinks?”
I focus my attention back on the nigh
t sky, blocking them out and ignoring what he orders. He deserves to have whatever he wants; shoot, give him the whole damn bottle of whatever. Tonight, he left his life behind, too.
All because of me.
I close my eyes as the thought weighs heavily on my conscience. How will I ever repay him?
“Here.” He nudges my arm again and hands me a small plastic bag. Ear buds. “They’re complimentary.”
“Thanks,” I say quietly and slowly take them from his hand.
His hazel eyes register concern. “What’s wrong?”
I immediately force a weak smile. “Nothing. Just tired.”
He frowns. I know he doesn’t believe me. I busy myself by tearing open the bag and locating the connection in the armrest, just like I saw the woman across the aisle do. I pop the buds in my ears and find the first tolerable music station, then close my eyes and lean back in my seat to lose myself. I can’t have a heart to heart talk with him right now. You think a crying baby on an airplane is bad? Nobody wants to have their flight ruined by a sobbing mess of a grown woman.
Our layover in Miami is only thirty minutes, which allows us just enough time to get from one gate to the next. The plane we’re taking to St. Thomas is nothing like the jet we took from Kalamazoo; it’s tiny, with propellers on the wings, and we have to walk out onto the tarmac to board. When we’re seated, the plane holds only six passengers, including us. Two of them are clearly a couple; they’re all over each other kissing and giggling.
“Geez,” I mutter under my breath. “Get a room already.”
Dane snickers.
The flight is a short hop to the island, and I’m so grateful to be nearing the end of this journey. The Cyril E. King airport in St. Thomas is even smaller than K Zoo International, and it takes us no time to collect our three bags. I follow Dane to the car rental counter.
“Why don’t you sit down?” he suggests, concerned. “You look like you’re ready to keel over.”
I eye a nearby bank of chairs and shuffle my way to one of them. I take this opportunity to remove my jacket. It’s hot here, even in the dead of night. If I’d known where I was headed I wouldn’t have chosen my jeans and tennis shoe ensemble. My feet are starting to sweat in my socks. I can’t wait to lie down in a bed, with blankets and sheets and a pillow. A random thought hits me. Where are we staying? Was there enough time to find a place or will we have to search for an open room somewhere? Will we end up camping on a beach? The thought of more uncertain travel makes me scowl.