Chapter Thirty-Three Claire
Chapter Thirty-Three
Claire
Until you spread your wings, you have no idea how far you’ll fly.
—ANONYMOUS
I’m finally home. And by home, I mean Seattle.
I don’t need a man to complete me anymore. I don’t need a man at all. However, I would love to have someone to run by my side as we chase after God. And I wish I had him with me tonight to celebrate New Year’s Eve.
I fall backward onto the leather couch and moan dramatically. It’s what we do in our crash pad. Well, except for Sparrow. If she were here, I’m sure she’d pop her head out to offer facts I don’t want to hear.
Thankfully, I’ve got Angel, and the two of us will be renting our own place together next month.
She’s the only one here with me right now, since everyone else is either working trips or has found better ways to spend the holiday, but she’ll be leaving to work a flight to Hawaii soon as well.
So I lament to her while I can. “For the first time in my life, I have the ability to celebrate New Year’s Eve from anywhere in the world, but I have nobody to celebrate with. ”
“I have an idea.” Angel emerges from our shared bedroom in a gold lamé dress instead of her navy uniform and matching scarf. “You take my trip, and I’ll wear this to dinner at the Space Needle.”
I hate to burst the silver cloud over Angel’s head, but it’s too late to make a reservation at the iconic location. “You won’t be able to get in.”
Angel pops a hip in a sassy pose. “What if I received an invite from a passenger I met in first class?”
I’m not surprised. Though I didn’t think she was dating right now. More importantly, if she is dating, she’s never going to find a better man than Nathan.
Angel holds up a finger. “I know what you’re thinking.”
“That you’re never going to find a better man than Nathan?”
“Actually . . .” Angel crosses her arms and leans against the doorjamb. “I expected you to be judging me for going on a date after I said I’m taking a break from men.”
I grimace. “Are my facial expressions that readable?”
Angel laughs. “To which, I was going to respond that I’m not dating. Tonight is a girls’ night. My new passenger friend is female. Her fiancé had a family emergency, and all her other friends already have plans, so she invited me to join her.”
“Good for you,” I encourage, before remembering that if Angel goes on her girls’ night, she’ll need someone else to take her place at work. Calling out is “unexcused” on holidays, so the only way she can go is if I agree to ring in the new year from thirty-two thousand feet. “Bad for me.”
“Not all bad.” Angel wiggles sculpted eyebrows. “You’ll be flying with Nathan.”
I run through the airport as fast as my ballet flats will carry me. My heartbeat keeps rhythm with the clicking of my luggage wheels against tile. Not because I’m excited to see Nathan but because I’m rushed with the last-minute change of plans—and because I’m excited to see Nathan.
In a platonic way, of course. In a birthday-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-in-Walla-Walla kind of way.
In a wear-heart-sunglasses-to-the-Alamo kind of way.
In a hike-the-Manitou-Incline, dance-in-an-elevator, and cry-in-the-galley kind of way.
Because we love traveling, eating, and laughing almost as much as we love making money while traveling, eating, and laughing. But who doesn’t?
For all I know, Nathan is back together with Joey. Or hey, he might even be disappointed to see me replacing Angel on this trip.
My steps slow as I reach the gate. I hold up my badge for the gate agent and pause for the secure door to be opened and my expectations to realign.
It’s okay if Nathan is disappointed. I’ve accidentally fallen for him because he’s such a great friend, but we’re still just friends. I’ll simply have to cheer him up.
Icy air melts against my flushed cheeks as I resume my journey down the jet bridge. The Pacific Northwest isn’t as cold as Denver, but our constant drizzle brings a chill that only lifts come summer—or from a flight to Maui.
Strange that Angel considered Nathan the selling point for the destination when these trips are usually fought over by the most senior employees. No matter. I’m excited about both. I get to go to Hawaii with my favorite pilot for New Year’s.
There he is now, in the galley of the plane, unhooking his smaller bag from the top of his roller bag. He grins up at the sound of my footsteps, all twinkly dark eyes and stubble-covered jaw.
I wait for his smile to diminish when he realizes it’s me instead of Angel. But it grows. This gives me the confidence to gush.
“Wanna go to Hawaii?” He’s fun to gush around because he always plays off my energy.
He shrugs in faux nonchalance. “If I have to.”
I laugh in delight. “I hope you brought your swimming trunks. I don’t want to be the only one on the beach blinding islanders with my white legs.”
Nathan pauses and shoves his hands into his pockets. “You’re alone? I assumed Wyatt would be coming with you.”
Oh, I haven’t told him about the breakup. Last time we talked, he’d supported my relationship and offered to pray for the outcome. He must have expected God to answer with a happily ever after. Though God was actually protecting me from the opposite of that.
I tilt my head. “Wyatt and I broke up right before you flew on my flight in November.”
His eyes snap to mine. He studies me. “You didn’t tell me. You okay?”
“Yeah. I was still processing at that time.” I twist my lips in recollection. “I’d wanted my relationship with Wyatt to be something it wasn’t. I think I’d already mourned the dream before I finally let it go. And strangely, it turns out I missed Seattle more than I ever missed San Francisco.”
“Hmm . . .” He still looks way too serious for a trip to Hawaii.
“Stop staring at me like a psychologist. I’m fine.” I give his chest a playful push with my fingertips as I pass to stow my luggage, though I walk backward and drag it down the aisle to continue our conversation. “What about you and Joey?”
He scratches his jaw and holds a hand wide, as if he doesn’t know what I’m talking about. “We had closure.”
Hmph. Was that what he’d been trying to tell me when I’d been crying over Wyatt? Could he possibly be single now? I’m afraid to ask, so I say, “And you’re okay with me replacing Angel?”
“I suppose.” Nathan follows with his suitcase. “Since we’re not going to Colorado Springs, I won’t have to carry you up the Manitou Incline again.”
“Hey.” My eyes widen in my best indignant expression. Though the idea makes my breath hitch in my chest. “You didn’t even offer.” The fact that he’s teasing must mean he’s not missing Angel too much.
“Yeah, well . . .” He hoists his suitcase into the overhead bin, then reaches to do the same with mine. “Don’t expect a piggyback ride up Haleakalā either.”
If only. Though I’d been to the volcano to watch the sunrise on my senior class trip, and there’s no hiking involved. You can actually take a shuttle to the top, then rent bicycles to ride down. “What about a race down on bikes?”
When he looks at me again, we’re closer than I’d realized. Just like we had been on our last flight. And it feels even more intimate.
I study the smile lines around his eyes. Are wrinkles supposed to knock the wind out of a person?
After an unexpected stare down, Nathan relents. “Loser buys shaved ice.”
“If you’re offering.” I curl all my toes except the one locked in place, hoping he’ll offer so much more.