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November
“Hey,Bug? I’m boarding the plane so I need to hang up, okay?” I nod a greeting to the flight attendant standing near the cockpit.
“Mommy said I can’t stay awake to see you tonight,” Clem pouts.
“No, you can’t. I won’t get there until way after your bedtime, but I promise I’ll be waiting for you in the morning so we can eat breakfast and watch cartoons before you guys have to take off.”
There’s rustling on the phone, a little puff of air hitting my ear. “Is that a deal?” I prompt.
“Ooo-kay.” Her mopey voice tugs on my heart. “Can we make cinnamon roll pancakes and chocolate milk?”
Trapping my cell between my ear and shoulder, I swing my carry-on into the overhead compartment. “Absolutely.” Clem’s cheer busts my eardrum. “I’ll see you in the morning, Bug. I love you.”
“Love you, Uncle Devy.”
Devy. Yeah, my eyes aren’t watering.I should have gone home earlier so we’d have more time together. I miss those kiddos like crazy, and getting out of Miami for a couple weeks is a good idea. Though I haven’t seen Nova since our run-in at the restaurant three weeks ago, the risk is real. Dropping my cell in my pants’ pocket, I situate my belongings in the overhead bin and slide into the leather seat by the window, setting my backpack by my feet.
First class.
This is a new experience. Affording my own plane tickets without having to rely on a credit card is something I never plan to take for granted. There are too many guys out there chasing dreams who’ll never get where I am. Too many who don’t play past college. What a year this has been.
Dev: I told Clem we’d make cinnamon roll pancakes in the morning. Make sure you have the ingredients! And chocolate milk.
Will: I always have the ingredients, but you don’t have to let her guilt you into coming over. You’ll see us when we get back from Texas.
Dev: Be in the same city and miss my favorite girls? Hell no. You and Arch sleep in. I know the code. I’ll be there before the munchkins wake.
Will: Bless you, baby brother. I’ll leave the recipe on the counter. See you tomorrow. xoxo
Dev: Love you too, sis.
I’m smiling as I hit send and raise my head, only to be caught in a blue-eyed tractor-beam two rows away.
A statue in the middle of the aisle, Nova blinks.
I blink back.
Then the man at her back coughs and she moves. One, two rows closer until she’s ducking into my row and plopping her hip on the edge of the empty aisle seat.
“This is a joke, right?” She huffs, fisting her wind-blown hair and pulling it over her shoulder.
The blast of a sugary pumpkin latte fills my head, and I can’t even form words. What the hel—
“You knew I’d be on this flight? Did Willa give you my flight info? What, did you charm an attendant into telling you my seat number?” Her chest heaves like she ran to catch the plane. That would explain her tangled hair and the glimmer of sweat dotting her upper lip.
“Why in the hell are you smiling at me like that?” She cocks her head, eyes narrowing. “We can’t keep doing this, Dev.”
That shocks my brain into thoughts. “Do you actually think I would go through all that trouble just to end up next to you on a four-hour flight?”I’d do that and more, but I didn’t.
She twists in her seat, her head swiveling up and down the aisle.
“Um, they’re not going to move you, Nova. The flight is full. It’s Thanksgiving weekend. We should be thanking our luck that the damn flight is on time.”
Another wave of pumpkin spice hits me as her head snapping my way sends her hair flying. “I’m not trying to change my seat.”
“Like hell you’re not,” I counter, knowing her in a way I’ve never been able to explain.
Her lip curls.
