5. Noah
CHAPTER 5
NOAH
“She’s not coming.”
The plane is fueled and ready for the first leg of the trip to Australia, but Sabrina is MIA.
Fisher reclines his chair, settling in for the long flight, and crosses his arms over his chest, his lips turned up in amusement. “She’ll be here.”
“She’s late,” I bite out, my tone clipped.
He ducks his head and peeks at his watch. “No, she’s not.”
“In fifteen minutes, she is.”
With a sigh, my best friend crosses a leg over his knee. “If we’re going to be technical about it, then she has twenty-one minutes and…” He looks again at his watch. “Seventeen seconds.”
“Smart-ass.”
The door to the lavatory pops open, and Maddie appears, washed hand extended. “I heard that. Pay up, Daddy.”
Grunting, I fish my wallet out of my pocket. It’s my own damn fault for starting the swear jar in the first place. I cuss way more than I thought I did.
I pass Maddie a dollar.
She eyes it with a grin and stuffs it into her pocket.
Fisher tries to stifle a laugh.
“Don’t gloat,” I warn him. “She’ll come after you too.”
My daughter has moved on, now rifling through her backpack. “Is Sabrina here?” With a flourish, she pulls out a Barbie coloring book and crayons.
“Not yet.” Bent at the waist, I peer out one of the small windows and survey the tarmac. “You’re sure she has everything she needs to be gone for so long?” I turn an accusing look to my friend and coach.
“I took care of it all,” Fisher says. “Now will you shut up?”
Maddie zips up her backpack and holds out her hand. “Shut up is not nice words, Uncle Fisher.”
He smiles, eyes crinkling. “But it’s not a curse word. I owe you nothing, you little hellion.”
Her shoulders droop. “Fine. It was worth a try.”
I look at the time on my phone again, only to have it yanked from my hand.
“She’ll be here.” Fisher, who has magically appeared beside me, tucks the device into his pocket.
I glower, hand held out. “Give that back.”
“Stop being a prick, and I’ll consider it.” He settles in his seat again, the picture of calm, cool, and collected.
“Um, is prick a bad word?”
Groaning, I pinch the bridge of my nose. It’s going to be a long-ass flight. “It’s not a nice word, but no, it’s not a bad word like you’re asking.”
“Oh.” She hops into her own seat, grasping her teddy a little tighter.
Though they’re both content to sit and wait, the anxiety coursing through me makes it impossible for me to stop moving. “I’m going to wait outside.”
“Thank God,” Fisher mutters behind me.
If Maddie wasn’t there, I’d give him the finger. Instead, I settle for a huff and a glare.
As I descend the steps, I scan the tarmac. There’s still no sign of Sabrina. I cross my arms over my chest and let out an annoyed sigh. If she’s not here before we’re scheduled to take off, then she can kiss this job goodbye. I’ve got a schedule to keep, and we don’t have time to wait on her.
With less than ten minutes to spare, she appears, stepping out of the building with a guy from security on her heels.
“Tick-tock, Howard,” I say as she approaches. “Cutting it close, are we?” I tap the nonexistent watch on my wrist.
“It’s not my fault. I got held up in security. But it’s okay, big guy.” She gives my chest a pat as she passes me and heads straight for the stairs. “I got my own escort and everything.” Without turning back, she clambers up the steps and into the plane.
Crossing my arms, I eye the guy who followed her out. “What was the problem?”
It’s a private airport. Typically they’re a little more lax.
“You know how Stephen is.” He shrugs.
Stephen . I should have known. That security officer in particular is a giant douchebag. Actually, douchebag is too kind for him. He’s a racist fuckwad.
“He took her hair products, and she gave him lip about it.”
Of course she did. My lips twitch, but I force my expression to stay neutral.
“Hey.” Fisher pokes his head out the door, his hair ruffling in the wind. “Do you want us to leave without you?”
I jog up the steps, extending my hand. “I need my phone.”
Brow furrowed, he pulls it from his pocket. “Why?”
“Because Stephen in security is getting fired.”
His eyes widen. “What’d he do now?”
“He was mean to my nanny and confiscated her hair stuff.”
He presses his lips together like he’s trying not to laugh at me, but he hands over the device.
It takes a minute to be connected with Pete. He’s a busy guy and definitely too important to deal with the bullshit I’m about to impart to him, but I don’t care.
“Hey,” I say when he picks up. “Fire Stephen, or I’ll fly out of another airport from now on. And get someone to bring the stuff he took from my nanny before we take off. Thanks.”
I hang up without waiting for a response.
Fisher does laugh this time.
Irritation gnaws at me. “What are you laughing at?”
“Oh, nothing,” he practically singsongs.
I frown. What the hell does he think is so funny?
With a shake of my head, I turn away from him and check on my daughter. Maddie’s in the same seat she claimed when we got here, but she’s leaning to one side, getting as close to Sabrina as she can with an armrest between them. With their heads bent together, they’re whispering.
As if she can sense my attention, Sabrina looks up, warm brown eyes meeting mine.
Feeling like a creepy fucker for staring, I drop into my seat.
“Are you ready to begin takeoff?” the attendant, Rachel, asks me.
I shake my head. “No, we’re waiting for something.”
“Oh.” She blinks, as if confused. Probably because I never delay, not for anything. “Okay.”
Across the aisle, Fisher guffaws, the sound far too loud for the small cabin.
“What?” My hackles rise.
“Nothing. Not a thing,” my so-called best friend says, going for serious but unable to hold back a snort.
It isn’t long before Pete himself strides across the tarmac to the plane. I hop up and jog down the stairs, meeting him on the ground.
“Sorry about that.” He holds out a paper bag, the top of it folded over. “He’s been taken care of, Mr. Baker.”
“Thanks. We need to go. We’re late.”
With a nod, he steps back. “Have a safe flight.”
I enter the plane for what feels like the twentieth time today and hold the bag out to Sabrina. “Here.”
Dark brows scrunched, she says, “What’s this?”
“The stuff Stephen took from you. He had no legitimate reason to confiscate it. That’s why I fly private.”
She takes the bag from me, being careful not to touch my fingers. “Thank you.”
Fuck. Does she think I’ve got a communicable disease or something? Ignoring the slight niggle of irritation scratching at the back of my neck, I dip my chin and take the seat in front of her.
“Are you ready, sir?” Rachel inclines her head, attention fixed on me.
“Let’s go.” The sooner we get in the air, the sooner I can get out of this confined space and put some distance between myself and Sabrina. Her perfume, something warm and slightly floral, is already threatening to suffocate me.
“That was surprisingly nice of you,” Fisher comments as Rachel closes the door.
I bristle but play dumb. “What?”
“Don’t be a smart-ass.”
“Ass!” Maddie shouts. “Pay up.”
I turn around, ignoring Sabrina and looking solely at my daughter. “By saying the word yourself, you negated payment.”
The bane of my existence chuckles, garnering my attention despite my best efforts. It takes effort not to count the number of freckles sprinkled across the bridge of her nose. She’s settled in already, having removed her hoodie. Her tight t-shirt and leggings emphasize her every damn curve, of course, and she’s even kicked off her shoes too.
“Aversion to shoes?”
“I’m not wearing sneakers for an almost twenty-hour flight.”
“Pity. Your feet stink.”
“Daddy!” Maddie giggle. “Her feet don’t stink.”
“It’s okay.” Sabrina pats her arms. “It’s actually his feet he’s smelling.” To me, she asks, “You give your kid money any time one of you curse around her?”
Before I can answer, my little girl nods vigorously. “Yes, they do. They’re big potty mouths.”
Sabrina’s eyes twinkle with amusement. “I can see why you need me.”
Though I rack my brain for a witty comeback, I come up empty, so I sink down into my seat and glower at her instead.
Looks like this is going to be the longest flight of my life.
From the silent shake of Fisher’s shoulders on the opposite side of the plane, he knows it too.