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“There’s a whole troop who’ll be seeing us off. If you’re free, you might want to come, too.”
Abby noted that he didn’t ask her to come, but merely informed her of what was happening. She shook her head sadly. “I don’t think so, Logan. I refuse to be a part of it. Besides, I’m not keen on tearful farewells and good wishes.”
“I won’t ask anything from you anymore, Abby.”
“That’s fine,” she returned, more flippantly than she intended. Involuntary tears gathered in her eyes. “But you’d better come back to me, Logan Fletcher. That’s all I can say.”
“I’ll be back,” he told her confidently.
Not until Abby was halfway home did she realize that Logan hadn’t said he was coming back to her.
—
Later that night Abby lay in bed while a kaleidoscope of memories went through her mind. She recalled the most memorable scenes of her yearlong relationship with Logan. One thing was clear: She’d been blind and stupid not to have appreciated him, or recognized how much she loved him.
Staring at the blank ceiling, she felt a tear roll from the corner of her eye and fall onto the pillow. Abby was intensely afraid for Logan.
—
The following afternoon, when Abby let herself into her apartment, the phone was ringing.
Abby’s heart hammered in her throat. Maybe Logan was calling to say good-bye. Maybe he’d changed his mind and would ask her to come to the airport after all.
But it was her mother.
“Abby.” Glenna’s raised voice came over the line. “I just heard that Logan’s joining Dick Snyder on his latest climb.”
“Yes,” Abby confirmed in a shaky voice, wondering how her mother had found out about it. “His plane’s leaving in”—she paused to check her watch—“three hours and fifteen minutes. Not that I care.”
“Oh dear, I was afraid of that. You’re taking this hard.”
“Me? Why would I?” Abby attempted to sound cool and confident. She didn’t want her mother to worry about her. But her voice cracked and she inhaled a quivering breath before she was able to continue. “He’s in Dick’s capable hands, Mother. All you or I or anyone can do is wait.”
The hesitation was only slight. “Sometimes you amaze me, Ab.”
“Is that good or bad?” Some of her sense of humor was returning.
“Good,” her mother whispered. “It’s very good.”
—
The more Abby told herself she wouldn’t break down and go to the airport, the more she realized there was nothing that could stop her.
A cold feeling of apprehension crept up her back and extended all the way to the tips of her fingers as Abby drove. Her hands felt clammy, but that was nothing compared to her stomach. The churning pain was almost more than she could endure. Because she hadn’t been able to eat all day, she felt light-headed now.
Abby arrived at the airport and the appropriate concourse in plenty of time to see the small crowd of well-wishers surrounding Dick, Logan, and company. They obviously hadn’t checked in for their flight. Standing off to one side, Abby chose not to involve herself. She didn’t want Logan to know she’d come. Almost everyone from the softball team was there, including Patty. She seemed more quiet and subdued than normal, Abby noted, and was undoubtedly just as worried about Logan’s sudden penchant for danger as she herself was.
Once Abby thought Logan was looking into the crowd as if seeking someone. Desperately she wanted to run to him, hold him, and kiss him before he left. But she was afraid she’d burst into tears and embarrass them both. Logan wouldn’t want that. And her dignity wouldn’t allow her to show her feelings.
When it came time for Logan and the others to check in and go through security, there was a flurry of embraces, farewells, and best wishes. Then almost everyone departed en masse.
Abby waited, studying the departures board until she knew his plane had left.
Nine
Abby rolled out of bed, stumbled into the kitchen, and turned on the radio, eager to hear the weather report. They were in the midst of a late July heatwave.
Cradling a cup of coffee in her hands, Abby eyed the calendar. In a few days Logan would be home. Each miserable, apprehensive day brought him closer to her.
