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“Chase,” she whispered shakily, “your ticket...”
“It’s okay,” he said, against her lips. “Don’t talk. Just kiss me.”
She did, and it was just the way it had always been. The sweetness of the kiss. The sheer joy of it, and then the rush of excitement that came of being in Chase’s arms...
“Mom! Dad! Isn’t this incredible?”
Annie and Chase sprang apart. Dawn and Nick were standing perhaps three feet away. Nick looked a little surprised, but Dawn’s face showed only absolute delight.
Annie recovered first.
“Dawn?” she said. “And Nick. What are you doing here?”
“Yes.” Chase cleared his throat. “We thought you’d, ah, we thought you’d flown out hours ago.”
“Well, there was a delay. Weather. Something like that. Nothing serious.”
“Great,” Chase said heartily. “I mean, that’s too bad. I mean... Listen, I wish I could stay and talk to you guys, but my plane—”
“We were just walking around to kill time. Are you on this flight to Seattle?”
“Yes. And it’s going to be leaving in a couple of minutes, so—”
“Sure.” Dawn came forward and gave them each a hug. “I think it’s wonderful,” she said, smiling at her parents. “You two, doing this.”
“Dawn,” Annie said, “baby...”
“Annie,” Chase said carefully.
She looked at him. He was right. This was hardly the time to tell their daughter about their subterfuge.
“What, Mom?”
“Just—just keep an open mind, okay? About—about your father and me.”
Dawn nodded and settled into the curve of her husband’s arm.
“I will.”
“Good. That’s good. Because—”
“I just want you both to know how much this means to me, seeing that you’re so serious about giving yourselves another try.”
Chase frowned. “Well, we are, of course. But—”
“I’ll accept whatever decision you reach, especially now that I see you’re putting so much effort into this.”
Annie and Chase stared at their daughter.
“Going off together, to Seattle. That’s wonderful.”
“Oh,” Annie said, “but Dawn—”
“I had my doubts, you know? Whether you were really trying to work things out or if, well, if you were just trying to make me feel better.” Dawn smiled. “Now I know, whatever happens, it’s for real.”
The loudspeaker crackled. “Last call for West Coast Air, Flight 606 to Seattle.”
Dawn looped her arms through those of her parents.
“Come on,” she said, “Nick and I will see you off.”
“No,” Annie said, rushing her words together, “really, kids, it isn’t necessary.”
But they were already marching across the lounge in lockstep, Annie on one side of Dawn, Chase on the other. When they reached the boarding gate, Dawn kissed them goodbye.
“I love you, Mom,” she whispered as she pressed her cheek to Annie’s.
“Dawn. Baby, you don’t understand...”
“I do. And I know, in my heart, this is right.”
“Folks?” Everyone looked up. The attendant at the gate was managing to smile and look stern at the same time. “Hurry, please, if you wish to make this flight.”
“Chase?” Annie said desperately, as his hand closed over her elbow.
“Just walk,” he muttered through his teeth, and steered her forward.
“No. This is impossible!”
“So is turning back. Walk, smile—and when we get on that plane, behave yourself.”
“In your dreams, Cooper. Have you forgotten? I don’t have a ticket.”
Beside her, Chase made a sound that might have been a laugh.
“Sorry,” he said, “but I’m afraid you do.”
“Don’t be silly! I have your ticket. I tried to tell you that.”
Annie waved the envelope in his face, then went white as her ex-husband plucked an identical envelope from his jacket pocket.
“And I bought another one,” he said. “I tried to tell you that.”
“No,” Annie whimpered.
“Yes.”
Annie’s feet felt as if they’d been nailed to the floor. Chase’s hand tightened on her elbow.
“The clerk will notice the names! She’ll see that I can’t possibly be—”
Chase plucked the envelope from Annie’s limp hand and yanked out the contents.
“Hurry,” the attendant said, and the next thing Annie knew, she was seated beside him in the first-class cabin of a 747 as it lifted off into a bright, early-morning sky.
