Chapter 15 #2
They’d hugged when they reached the entrance for security, and then he’d kissed her so deeply, so thoroughly, that she almost told him she would stay in Harbortown and they could go to Seattle together in a few weeks.
But that would have meant missing her brother’s wedding, and she couldn’t do that.
No matter how much she wanted to.
Then he’d stepped back, hands in his pockets, and said, “It’s going to be okay. We’ll be together soon. I promise.”
Just like that. No grand declarations of love.
It was oddly anticlimactic. But ultimately, it was the quiet understanding that what they had was solid enough to hit pause for a few weeks, and that it would be waiting for them.
But there was a tiny part of her that worried if it actually would.
Like…would Slater change his mind once she was gone?
Out of sight, out of mind, and all that?
She wanted to believe that he wouldn’t, but…
what did she know? She’d spent most of her life being wrong about men, was it any wonder she was having doubts?
Swallowing hard, she glanced down at her boarding pass. Another thirty minutes before they started boarding. Plenty of time to sit here and pretend her chest didn’t feel like someone had scooped something important out of it.
A crackle of static broke through the overhead speakers, interrupting her wayward thoughts.
“Attention in the terminal. Evie Parker, please report to the Horizon Charter desk located in the private aviation terminal.”
She blinked and looked around. A few people nearby glanced around absently as well before returning their attention to their phones.
Her name came again.
“Evie Parker, please report to Horizon Charter in the private aviation terminal.”
She frowned. That couldn’t possibly be for her, although it wasn’t like she had a common name. She also wasn’t the kind of person who got summoned to private aviation terminals.
But curiosity—and a small knot of unease—pushed her to her feet anyway. Maybe there’d been some mistake with her ticket.
Or her luggage.
“I don’t have luggage,” she quietly reminded herself. Milo was shipping everything for her. So that meant…
Walking over to the first gate agent she spotted, she politely asked, “Um, hi. Excuse me. I think my name was just called over the speaker. Something about Horizon Charter?”
“Horizon Charter?” the agent repeated. “That’s an entirely separate terminal.” She typed something on her computer screen before looking up. “Are you Evie Parker?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, hang on one sec…” Then she pointed over Evie’s shoulder. “The shuttle will take you there.”
“Shuttle…?” Turning, she spotted a golf cart and an airport employee waiting for her. “Um…I’m not sure what’s going on. I’m supposed to be on this flight…” She handed her boarding pass over.”
“It looks like your flight has been changed. You’ll need to straighten it out over at Horizon.” Handing the boarding pass back, the agent added, “Have a great day!”
Well.
That wasn’t even the least bit helpful.
Turning away, she walked over to the shuttle and was surprised when the driver knew her by name. “Um…”
“We’ll have you over to Horizon in no time, Ms. Parker. Sit tight.”
Cautiously, she climbed onto the golf cart and held on as they drove away.
The private aviation terminal sat at the far end of the airport, past security and down a quieter hallway where the crowds thinned and the noise faded.
By the time she pushed through the glass doors marked Horizon Charter, the world felt oddly hushed.
It hit her that this was where they had landed when Slater flew them in from Seattle a month ago.
Was it possible that Milo was surprising her with another private flight because he knew she was nervous?
Was that why he offered to ship her luggage?
I have the best boss, she thought to herself.
A receptionist looked up from behind the desk and smiled. “You must be Evie.”
Evie hesitated. “I…am?”
The woman gestured toward the open hangar doors behind her. “He’s waiting for you.”
Evie’s stomach flipped. “Who is?” Was Milo flying with her? Why wouldn’t he have just come with her in the first place? And why didn’t he say anything earlier? Was Nora coming too?
But the woman only smiled again.
Evie stepped past the desk and into the hangar. The smell of fuel and the warm afternoon air drifted in from the open runway outside. And there, standing beside a sleek little plane, was Slater.
Her heart stopped.
Then promptly forgot how to start again.
He looked up as she approached, that familiar crooked smile tugging at his mouth, hands shoved into the pockets of his pants, and looking completely at ease.
“Good afternoon, Miss Parker.”
Evie stared at him for a moment. “I don’t…What are you doing here?”
He tipped his head toward the plane behind him.
“Flying you home.”
Her brain tried very hard to process that sentence. “I’m sorry…what?”
Slater took a few steps closer, his expression softer than she’d ever seen it. “Correction. Flying us home.”
“Slater, I don’t understand.” She looked around before focusing on him again. “I thought you were coming to Seattle in a few weeks.”
“That was the original plan, but…” He shrugged. “It didn’t feel right.”
“It didn’t?” she asked in partial wonder.
“For most of my life,” he said slowly, “I’ve been chasing…something.”
Evie’s breath caught.
“It didn’t matter where I went. What job I took. What city I landed in.” He huffed out a quiet laugh. “I just figured if I kept moving long enough, eventually I’d find whatever the hell it was.”
He stopped in front of her now, close enough that she could see the familiar flecks of gold in his eyes.
“And then you showed up.”
Her pulse hammered in her ears.
“And I knew…you’re it.”
Her throat tightened.
“You’re the thing I’ve been chasing.”
For a second she couldn’t breathe, and emotion rushed through her so fast it made her dizzy. “Slater…”
“I know we’ve talked about this—me coming to Seattle in a few weeks,” he continued gently.
“But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I didn’t want to wait.
” He shrugged lightly. “I kept telling myself I had to and making up reasons why it made sense, but I was lying to myself. And to you.”
Evie blinked at him. “So…you’re…coming with me? Now? Like…now now? Really? But I thought you had…”
He stepped a little closer, his voice softening.
“I’ve spent years chasing the next thing, the next place, the next job, the next big rush.
” His thumb brushed lightly across her hand when he took it.
“Turns out the only place I ever really wanted to land was wherever you were. Because you, Evie Parker, are my greatest rush.”
Evie stared at him, her heart racing so hard she was sure he could hear it. “I can’t believe this is happening,” she whispered. “I wished for it and wanted it, but I told myself I’d be okay waiting.”
“I never want you to just be okay with things,” he told her. “I never want you to settle for second best.”
Her eyes burned. “I think I’m a little in shock. I never thought anything like this would happen to me. I never thought someone would do something this romantic for me. How did you manage to do this on such short notice?”
“The universe must have really wanted this for us because everything fell into place easier than I ever imagined it could,” he began.
“I’ve been in touch with a lot of people lately because I knew I wasn’t going to be staying at the resort, but no jobs were available that interested me.
But while putting out feelers for jobs, I also reached out to several pilot buddies of mine.
That was how I got the plane that brought us here. ”
She looked over at the plane but couldn’t tell if it was the same plane from last time, though it looked smaller.
“Anyway, no one had any long-term gigs, but my friend Dave had a lead on a plane that needed to get to Los Angeles by Tuesday. So, I said I’d take the flight as long as I could take it to Seattle first. Then I’ll get it to L.A. where you and I can get our flights to Costa Rica.”
Her eyes went wide.
“Fly to…but…that’s only three days from now. I’m supposed to…”
Reaching up, he cupped her face and silenced her with a quick kiss.
“You’re supposed to have a life and not worry about everyone else’s expectations,” he reminded her.
“The way I see it, we’ll get to Costa Rica before everyone, and there is some beautiful scenery for us to explore, along with some amazing waterfalls. ”
Just imagining it made her sigh happily. “That sounds lovely, but…”
“No buts, Evie. We’re going to do this, and we’re going to do it right. No matter what. This isn’t your wedding. Your brother and his fiancée can handle their own stuff. Text him and let him know now so he’s not completely blindsided.”
For a minute she was too stunned to speak. If she agreed with him, she’d be letting down her brother and Morgan. But if she didn’t, then she’d be letting Slater down.
And herself.
He was offering her the opportunity to do something for herself—something she desperately wanted to do—but could she?
“What do you say, Evie? I’ve made all the arrangements—including our flights from L.A. to Costa Rica. Nora told me the name of the resort and I booked us a suite.” His hands rested on her waist. “You, me, tropical scenery, and our own private pool. So? Are we doing this?”
Just say yes…just say yes…just say yes…
“Yes!”