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“Oh. Yeah. She’ll be at the airport tomorrow.”
“What? Why?”
“Because I asked her if she could pick you up.”
He didwhat?“Your momdefinitelydoes not need to do that. The airport is almost an hour away from Canmore!”
“It’s done, Denny. Don’t argue with me.”
“Elliot—”
“I mean it. You’re not taking a fucking cab.” Clearly, telling Elliot my Aunt Katherine booked a wedding and couldn’t pick me up from the airport was a mistake. “I asked her a week ago. I just waited to tell you until now because I knew this is exactly what you’d say.”
It’s a little freaky how well he knows me. I know him too, enough to know arguing will get me nowhere. “Fine. Tell your mom thanks.”
“I will. See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow,” I repeat. The words feel strange, sitting on the beach next to Lana in my normal life.
I’ll see Elliot tomorrow.
I’m worried it will be awkward. I’m even more worried it won’t be. If I’ve developed this degree of emotion from hundreds of miles away, how the hell am I going to feel when I see him in person? We mostly text, occasionally talk on the phone, and rarely FaceTime. The few times we have were enough to assure me my memory doesn’t really do his attractiveness justice.
“He’s having his mom pick you up from the airport?” Lana asks.
“Yeah.”
She mumbles something under her breath that sounds a lot likeYou’re in so much trouble.I look back out at the water.
* * *
Canmore isn’t large enough to have its own airport. I fly from Los Angeles to San Francisco, and then to Calgary. Eight hours of travel total. I smell like fast food and can barely keep my eyes open by the time I make it through customs and reach baggage claim. Luggage spins around the carousel, but there’s no sign of the black suitcase I tied a yellow ribbon on early this morning. Everyone I recognize from my flight has come and gone by the time I resign myself to the fact that my bag is not going to magically appear at any minute.
There’s no line at the desk being manned by an airport employee. The middle-aged man looks up when I approach. “Good afternoon, miss.”
“Good afternoon,” I reply. “Um, my suitcase isn’t on the carousel. I’m worried it might have gotten lost in San Francisco.”
The man nods then grabs a piece of paper off the desk. “Fill out this form, please. We’ll be in touch as soon as we locate your luggage.”
I sigh. “Okay.” I was hoping he’d tell me they hadn’t sent all the bags out yet or something. No such luck.
I fill out the form and hand it back to him then head for the sliding doors that lead outside. The afternoon air is chillier here than the early morning temperature back in California. I packed warmer clothes…in my suitcase.
My luggage delay ensures the sidewalk outside the airport is half-empty. Only a few cars loiter along the curb still. One is a silver SUV, which is what Elliot instructed me to look for. I approach the car cautiously. A smiling woman with shoulder-length dark hair climbs out as I walk over.
“Auden?”
“That’s me.” I give her a small smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs…”Shit.I know Reid was Elliot’s father’s last name. He’s never mentioned his mother’s.
She solves my dilemma. “Call me Josie, please.”
“Nice to meet you, Josie.”
She smiles in approval then looks at my empty hands. “No luggage?”
“It got lost,” I explain.
“Oh, no. Is there anything the airline can do?”
