Chapter Thirty-One #2
The drive to the airport felt longer this time, but it was also far more enjoyable.
Once their friend turned back to her husband, Kayla settled into the cradle of Mack’s shoulder.
With Mack’s arm around her back and the steady rise and fall of her chest against her cheek, Kayla settled into a doze.
They hadn’t had much sleep the previous night, so they both needed all the rest they could get.
While she never truly fell asleep, Mack must have, because her head jerked up with a confused grunt when the shuttle finally shuddered to a halt at the airport.
“Airports are always more fun when you’re starting a vacation than when you’re ending it,” Mack said as they waited in line to tag their bags.
“Oh, I don’t know.” Kayla squeezed their entwined hands. “I think I’m going to enjoy this flight home.”
“Oh yeah? Why’s that?”
She waggled her eyebrows at Mack. “Because when we land, you’re coming back to my place and I’m not letting you leave until you’re thoroughly satisfied.”
Mack’s eyes went wide, and she made a happy little gurgling sound in her throat.
It would have been very cute and maybe even romantic, but at that moment, the ticket agent barked “Next!” at them.
Mack jumped, attempted to walk over to the desk, and tried to hand over her passport all at the same time.
The result was her slipping on the tile floor and tripping over her own suitcase.
She tumbled forward and just caught herself on the ticket agent’s counter.
Kayla’s approach was only slightly more dignified, doubled over in laughter as she was.
Mack’s blush heated her cheeks all the way through checking in, clearing security, and finding their gate. Every time Kayla laughed, Mack shot a disgruntled side eye her way. Each time Kayla apologized with a slow kiss and a murmured apology, so eventually Mack was only feigning annoyance.
St. Lucia’s main airport was about the size of a regional Midwestern airport in the States.
There were a handful of gates that all shared a waiting area and a few shops and cafes upstairs.
Since most of the island’s resorts emptied on the same day, the waiting area was packed, and they struggled to find a seat.
They ended up in a couple of chairs wedged underneath the stairs near a shuttered jewelry store.
Kayla didn’t mind, though. It was secluded enough that she could steal a few more thorough kisses.
They were locked in one particularly delicious kiss when someone cleared their throat nearby. Kayla reluctantly broke the kiss, certain that she was going to meet the starry eyes of Linda and her husband. It was a completely different couple that met her gaze, though.
“I guess you two worked things out then,” Amy said.
Kayla scrambled to her feet, her eyes and her heart filling with emotion. “You’re still here,” she squealed before throwing herself into Amy’s arms.
“Oh. Hey. Yeah.”
“Sorry.” Kayla pulled back from the hug and swiped her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m just so happy to see you. I never got a chance to thank you. I can’t tell you how much it means that you helped me yesterday.”
Amy pulled her back into the hug with the widest, most genuine smile imaginable. “Are you kidding? Of course. We’re so happy we could help. Aren’t we Skye?”
A moment of awkward silence dropped like a bucket of cold water onto the happy scene.
Turning, Kayla watched Skye, whose eyes had never left the spot where she and Mack had been entwined a moment ago.
Her jaw was set in a way that made Kayla’s breath catch.
She wasn’t? She couldn’t possibly be jealous?
Mack got to her feet slowly, making a business of leaning on her knees and then pushing herself upright.
She stretched to her full height—almost a full foot taller than Skye—and towered over her.
They stood there, staring at each other for a long moment.
Long enough for Kayla to release Amy and prepare to jump in and break up a fight.
They didn’t fight, though. In fact, for the first time Kayla had ever seen, Mack smiled down at Skye. She held out her hand, and Skye only waited a beat or two before taking it in a firm grip and shaking it.
Amy snorted and whispered, “Ugh. Butches can be so macho sometimes, am I right?”
Kayla couldn’t laugh along. Not yet. Not until, after another long moment, Skye smiled and slapped Mack on the shoulder.
Mack said, “Thanks for talking sense into me last night.”
“It’s hard work, but I had to give it a shot.”
Mack laughed and shook her head, but there was something like fondness in her voice when she said, “I can be an idiot sometimes.”
“Takes one to know one.” Skye dropped the smile, and the hand on Mack’s shoulder clenched like she was trying to rip it off. “Treat her right, or you’ll answer to me.”
A lump formed in Kayla’s throat and tears filled her eyes, but she didn’t ruin the moment by letting them fall. Mack nodded and released Skye’s hand. She gave Kayla a little wink, then wrapped an arm around Amy.
Skye tried to pull Amy away, but she nimbly dodged aside and stepped a little too close to Kayla.
She still had that sweet smile pasted onto her lips when she said, “Now that everything is settled, I just wanted to remind you. I’m an orthopedic surgeon.
I know precisely how to separate every joint in the human body.
If you ever kiss my wife again, no one will find a single part of your body. Not even a finger.”
Kayla’s mouth dropped open, and she stood, staring in horror. Amy kept smiling. She didn’t look the least bit angry. She looked perfectly cool and confident. There was a lightness in her, but Kayla had a sneaking suspicion that she would make good on the threat.
Kayla swallowed hard and said, “Understood.”
Skye let out a shaky breath, but she was staring at Amy with an undeniable hunger. “Babe?”
Amy hopped merrily as she turned and took Skye’s arm. She looked back to give them a wave and said, “Safe travels home.”
They only made it a couple of steps when Kayla’s brain kicked into gear and she called them back. “Hey, wait. You said wife. In all the confusion, I forgot, but how could you have gotten to your wedding ceremony when you were helping me?”
Amy shrugged. “Oh, we actually got married on the first day.”
Kayla swayed in confusion. “What?”
Skye scratched the back of her neck, her typical gesture for embarrassment. “We arrived super early and, well, we were excited. We convinced the wedding team to do a quickie ceremony for us right around lunchtime. Then we spent the rest of the day in our bungalow.”
Kayla’s jaw dropped. “So, I was too late even before I started my plan.”
Amy hopped on her toes, looking a decade younger. “Yeah, sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing to me? I’m so happy I didn’t screw anything up.”
Skye wrapped her arm low around Amy’s waist. She spoke to Kayla, but she never took her eyes off her wife. “You didn’t. It was a fun adventure. Brought us closer together.” She jerked her chin toward Mack. “Did the same for you two, didn’t it?”
Mack pulled Kayla into her arms, and Kayla melted into her embrace, more content than she had ever been. “Damn right it did.”
As they turned to go, Amy said over her shoulder, “Guess your Plan of Seduction worked out after all.”
Kayla turned in the circle of Mack’s arms. Looking up into those gorgeous eyes, she locked her fingers behind Mack’s neck and pulled her down. “Damn right it did.”