Chapter Two #2
“No problem, dear.” Her papery skin crinkled when she smiled. “Happy New Year.”
Jovi’s frigid heart softened. For the first time this month, she returned the greeting with genuine enthusiasm. “Happy New Year to you as well.”
She plucked the stuffed animal from its perch, then squeezed back through the line at the door. When she got out into the hallway, she thrust the hippopotamus triumphantly in the air. “Darby Jane, look.”
The little girl dropped her backpack on the floor and ran toward Jovi at full speed.
She grabbed Bobo and hugged it tight. “Thank you. Thank you, thank you. I love you, Bobo, and I missed you so much.”
Jovi bit her lip as she witnessed the girl’s tender reunion with her stuffed animal. Darby Jane’s unfiltered gratitude summoned an unexpected wave of tears. Jovi gulped them back down and forced herself to meet the grumpy dad’s gaze. At least he wasn’t frowning.
“Wow, I did not think we’d find it,” he said. “What did you say your name was?”
“Jovi.”
“I’m Burke. Thanks for your help.”
Was that a smile? She must’ve imagined it, because the curve of his lips quickly flattened back into a thin line.
“Not a problem, Burke. Safe travels.” She hurried on her way. A canceled flight might keep her in Anchorage tonight, but at least she’d made a small difference in a cute little girl’s life. And maybe her kindness would inspire Darby Jane’s father to cheer up.
* * *
He probably should’ve handled that differently.
“But I didn’t even get to say goodbye to her.” Darby Jane pooched out her lower lip.
Burke opened his mouth to encourage Darby Jane to pick up the pace, then changed his mind. He’d been short-tempered enough already with her lately. Did it matter if they took an extra fifteen minutes to walk to baggage claim?
He tucked an errant strand of her hair behind her ear. “Maybe we’ll see her again.”
She eyed him doubtfully. “Where?”
“Well, most people go to the same general area to pick up their suitcases. She might be waiting there. Come on. We get to ride this escalator over here.”
“Oh-kayyy.” Darby Jane stretched the word out into three syllables, then stifled a yawn. “Look. Yummy treats.”
He eyed the snack stand as they passed by.
Chocolate chip cookies beckoned from behind a glass case.
Premade sandwiches, bottled drinks and bags of chips filled the shelves.
Nothing fancy. Burke hesitated. Breakfast had been eons ago, a hurried affair at the hotel where they’d spent their last night in Charleston.
“Sweet pea, as soon as we get our bags and the car, then I promise I’ll figure something out for supper.”
“Those cookies look so good.” Darby Jane slowed again, looking back over her shoulder.
Lord, give me strength.
He hadn’t been great about praying lately. All right, to be honest, since he’d lost Mary Catherine and Henry, he’d pretty much stopped speaking to God altogether. But the long trek across the continent had brought prayer to his lips more often in a single day than he’d uttered in the last year.
“They do look good,” he agreed. “I’m worried that if we eat cookies for supper, we’ll have unhappy tummies later.”
And tending to a sick child on the road alone was not how he envisioned his night going.
“Do you have any apples or carrot sticks left in your bag?”
She nodded. “But I’m not hungry for those.”
He bit back a smile. “Yeah, me either. Careful, please. Watch your step.” Holding her hand in his, he guided her onto the moving escalator.
Had he asked too much of Darby Jane? This move was a huge change.
One that his therapist and her pediatrician had advised against. He’d turned his daughter’s world upside down and expected her to handle it like a grown-up.
As they descended into the airport’s lower level, she held Bobo tucked under her chin, her bright eyes taking in her surroundings. Then her breath hitched. “Is that snow ?”
He stared through the wide windows, trying to get his bearings.
The digital clock on the arrivals and departures screens overhead indicated it was just past five in the evening.
But outside, light from the streetlamps and vehicles punctuated an unsettling inky darkness.
The silvery-blue high beams from a large truck illuminated thick, wet snowflakes.
Oh, my. “You got it, baby girl. Your first snow. How exciting.”
But his stomach clenched. Maybe this wasn’t a great idea. He’d never lived in a winter climate. Twice he and Mary Catherine had flown to New York City as a splurge to see a Broadway show or enjoy a weekend away. Someone else had handled the driving, though.
All the talk of canceled flights propelled him toward baggage claim. He didn’t want to think about having to hole up in a hotel somewhere tonight.
If they could just keep going, hopefully, they’d get safely to Evergreen.
A large sign propped against a stack of three suitcases on top of the baggage carousel reminded passengers to check the names on tags before grabbing their luggage.
People milled about, scanning the sea of duffel bags, suitcases, and ski equipment.
A steady hum of conversation, punctuated by a baby crying and a dog barking, filled the air.
Burke and Darby Jane’s four suitcases had been pulled from the circulating belt and sat waiting for him outside the airline’s baggage claim office.
Darby Jane patiently trailed after him to the luggage-cart rack.
He let her insert his credit card, then showed her how to collect the rented cart and load their bags.
“I’m getting so tired, Daddy. Are we almost done?”
“Yes, I promise.” He swiped at the perspiration on his forehead, then turned and gestured toward the orange-and-blue sign glowing at the opposite end of the airport’s lower level.
“We only have to walk right over there, speak to those nice folks, get our keys to the car we’re renting, then we’ll be on our way. ”
Darby Jane yawned again. “But what about Aunt Lois’s truck?”
“That truck is waiting for us in Evergreen. We’re going to borrow this other car for a little while until we’re sure that Aunt Lois’s truck will be what we need.”
Assuming he could even get it started. His mom, Aunt Lois’s only sibling, had remarried and currently spent the winters with her husband in St. John.
She didn’t care about the house in Evergreen and was thrilled that Burke wanted to assume care.
But that meant its condition was a mystery.
He’d tried not to stress about what he might realistically find when he got there.
“Can I ride on the cart too?”
“No, that’s not safe. Hold my hand, please. We’re almost finished with all this walking.”
They moved slowly, working their way among the frazzled passengers pushing their overloaded carts and strollers with irritable children.
A dog barked again, deep and loud, startling Darby Jane.
The animal with a white-and-black masked face peered through the opening in a large transport crate, its ice-blue eyes trained on them.
“That’s a big doggie,” Darby Jane said, clinging tightly to his hand as she hovered close to him.
“That’s a husky. Such beautiful dogs.”
“No, thank you.” Darby Jane sped up, and he kept pace, rolling the heavy cart along the grungy linoleum floor. She’d been a real trouper today. Hopefully, he could keep her awake long enough to stop someplace for supper.
Lines had formed at all five of the rental car counters.
Tension crackled in the air. Burke’s stomach knotted as he picked up snippets of the conversations.
People were clearly not pleased with the news being delivered by harried customer service representatives.
He maneuvered his luggage cart toward the company that had a car waiting for him.
The woman speaking to the attendant looked like the same person who’d found Bobo.
“That’s Miss Jovi!” Darby pointed, a wide smile spreading across her exhausted face.
“See?” He tapped the end of her upturned nose with his finger. “It didn’t take long to find her, did it?”
Jovi didn’t turn around to speak with them, though. The tone in her voice and the way she clutched at the straps of her backpack indicated there might be a problem. Burke eased the luggage cart to a stop and tried not to eavesdrop.
“How can there not be any more rental cars?”
The older man with thinning salt-and-pepper hair and a robust mustache stared at his computer screen.
“I’m sure it’s not the news you were hoping to hear, ma’am, but this storm’s a doozy.
Several flights have been canceled, and the airport’s entire fleet has all been rented out.
” He slid a business card across the counter and tapped it with his pen.
“Here’s my card. Call first thing tomorrow, and I can give you a better idea of when I might have a car available.
If you don’t reschedule your flight, that is. ”
He craned his neck to see around Jovi and made eye contact with Burke. “May I help you, sir?”
Burke cleared his throat. He didn’t want to infringe on Jovi’s personal space. But she didn’t appear to be in a hurry to move.
“Come on, Darby Jane.” He squeezed past the cart then stopped beside Jovi at the counter.
She turned and faced him. “Oh, hello. Bad news. No more cars.”
“Oh. Um…” Burke feigned a grimace, then shifted his gaze toward the man and held up his smartphone. “I believe I have a reservation for Burke Solomon.”
“Good evening, Mr. Solomon. Let me see what I can do for you.”
Jovi frowned. Her vivid blue eyes toggled between Burke and the man at the counter. “But I thought you said you didn’t have any cars.”
“I don’t have anything available to rent for walk-in customers. But Mr. Solomon’s had this reservation for months.”
Jovi looked as though she’d just tasted sour milk. Darby Jane tugged on her father’s hand for what had to be the millionth time today. “Daddy, we should share,” she whispered.
Burke pretended not to hear, but Darby Jane was not quiet. Her exaggerated stage whisper was tough to ignore.
Jovi stood rooted firmly in place.
The customer service representative scrolled and typed on his computer for what seemed like an eternity.
Finally, he stopped and glanced at Burke again.
“We have a four-door crossover SUV waiting for you, Mr. Solomon. I’ll need to see your driver’s license and verify that the credit card on file is your preferred account. Then you’ll be on your way.”
“Excellent. Thank you.” He fumbled for his wallet, the weight of Jovi’s gaze heating his skin.
She had helped him out when he’d been in an exasperating spot, unable to find Bobo or access the women’s restroom on his own.
But he didn’t know anything about her. Sure, she’d been kind and gone out of her way to help him.
Should he allow her in his car with his kid?
Besides, what if they were going in two completely different directions?
“Daddy.” Darby Jane yanked on his sleeve.
He dragged his hand across his face, then glanced down at her.
“We have to share. It’s the right thing to do.”
“Smart kid you have there, Burke.” The amusement lacing Jovi’s voice made his face heat with shame. He sighed, then slowly turned to Jovi.
Her brows sailed upward toward her blond bangs.
“Do you need a ride?”
She splayed her palm across her chest. “Why, Burke, I thought you’d never ask. Yes, I most certainly do.”
He pinned her with a long look. This was not the least bit funny. “Where are you headed?”
“Home.” Smiling, she bounced up on her toes. “I’m from Evergreen.”
Well, how about that? Burked tried—and likely failed—to mask his annoyance.
“Yay!” Darby Jane tucked Bobo in the crook of her elbow, then clapped her hands. “That’s where we’re going too. Come with us, Miss Jovi. It’ll be so fun.”
Uncertainty flickered across Jovi’s face as her smile faded. “Yeah, so fun.”
Burke half listened to the instructions about how to collect his rental car, then tucked his wallet back in his pocket and pushed the luggage cart toward the exit. Jovi and Darby Jane followed behind, chatting about their favorite road trip snacks and songs.
The muscles coiled in a tight knot between his shoulder blades. What a way to cap off a grueling day of travel. Driving in winter weather with a nearly delirious five-year-old and the most irritatingly optimistic woman he’d ever met.