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CHAPTER 23
Avery glanced at herwatch as she headed through the gates of LaGuardia. 2:05? She frowned in confusion, then realized she’d never changed it from Estes Park time. It was actually 4:05 in New York.
2:05 at home. She’d be working at Laz’s store, selling fishing poles and snowshoes and everything in between. Later she’d probably head to the mountains with Mercy, walking and talking with El Shaddai. This evening she’d be snug in her cabin—curled up in her favorite chair, safe and content, maybe watching a thunderstorm crackle through the High Peaks.
Her whole soul cried out for Estes Park. She missed the mountains with her every breath. She missed the peace, the wholeness, the beauty. She missed the way life seemed to matter there, how every moment was significant and important—unlike in New York City, where life shrank to the size of a dusty rut. She missed the Avery Miles who lived in the mountains, the girl who was much stronger and braver and happier than the one who cringed now in the concourse of LaGuardia, desperately waiting for a flight.
But most of all, she missed El Shaddai, missed His breath on her, missed the glory of His Presence and the knowledge that He was as close as the snow on the mountains.
Missing El Shaddai? Avery took a deep breath. What was she saying? Laz’s words trickled back to her.He’s not just the God of the mountains...He’s the God of it all.
If He was God of all, then He was even the God of LaGuardia, of the swirling storm that was around and inside Avery at this moment, and she could talk to Him just as she could when she sat on the shores of The Loch.El Shaddai, help me...Avery paused, then finished her prayer with the simplest yet most important request on her mind.
Help me get out of New York City.
That summed it up, didn’t it? If she could only get out of New York City, everything would right itself. Urgency wriggled through her soul. It was selfish, maybe, but escaping from the city just might save her own sanity. She wasn’t sure how she’d lived there for six years. Now she couldn’t even spend six hours in the Big Apple without having twice that many panic attacks.
More importantly, though, somewhere in Chicago—maybe at this very minute—Brian was ensnaring her sister. The very thought made Avery clench her fists in terror until her knuckles whitened. Mentally she berated herself—for the thousandth time since talking with Brian’s secretary.I came right through Chicago on my way here. Right through the middle of town. I even had a layover.
No use blaming herself. The only thing to do now was get out of this horrid place as quickly as possible and backtrack to Chicago. Avery stepped up to the first kiosk. “I need a flight to Chicago.” She swallowed the urgency that made her breath catch. “The soonest one, please.”
“Today?” The man behind the counter raised his eyebrows.
“Yes.” Definitely today.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. All flights to Chicago are booked.”
Avery’s mind raced frantically. All flights booked? Really? “Okay...could I take a flight to another city and connect somewhere?” She knew she sounded as if she didn’t know what she was doing. She didn’t.
“Hmm...no, I’m sorry.” The man studied some charts on his computer screen. “The best option I can offer you is a five thirty flight to our hub in Boston. Then you can catch the nine p.m. to O’Hare.”
“Umm...thanks. I’ll—I’ll have to think about it.” Avery stepped away from the kiosk, her heart pounding in her ears. Nine p.m.? That would never work. She needed to be in Chicago with the speed of thought, not still stuck on the East Coast five hours from now. Every second was precious.
Surely she could do better with one of the other airlines. But half an hour and seven airlines later, she learned she couldn’t. All the direct flights to Chicago that left any time in the next twelve hours were already booked.
“That’s why you should plan ahead and buy your ticket online,” one of the employees had told her, an edge to his voice. “This time of day, everything’s sold.”
“I know. This was an emergency.” Avery didn’t bother to elaborate her explanation, not when her mind was reeling and her very soul was weary with noise and turmoil and failure.
There was nothing to do now except go back to the first airline and book the flight to Boston. She tried not to think of the minutes slipping by—each one putting more and more distance between her and her sister.
El Shaddai...why haven’t You gotten me out of the city?
IT WAS ALMOSTfive o’clock when Addisyn scurried into the airport. She shuddered as she entered the terminal. The fog outside gave everything a weird yellow light. Maybe a storm was coming. She could be in LaGuardia for a while.
Not that it would really matter if she were stranded. Her schedule stretched ahead of her, blank and barren. She checked her bags and headed for the first airline kiosk she saw. “What’s the next flight to Vancouver?”
The man behind the counter consulted a computer screen. “I’m sorry. There’s not another flight to Vancouver International Airport until tomorrow morning.”
Addisyn groaned. Seriously? What else could go wrong?
Five different airlines later, she’d had no better success. Finally, at the last kiosk, a woman must have taken pity on her. “We have a hub in Detroit. You could take a flight there and connect with another flight to Vancouver.”
Addisyn ran one hand through her hair. Vaguely she realized she hadn’t eaten since—when? This morning? Or last night? “Umm...okay. When is the next flight to Detroit?”
The woman squinted at the screen. “Next flight will be at 8:05 p.m.” She gave Addisyn a sympathetic smile. “Sorry. I know it isn’t what you wanted to hear.”
Nothing I’ve heard today has been what I wanted to hear,Addisyn wanted to scream. Instead she sighed. The woman’s option wasn’t the greatest, but it was better than anything the other airlines could offer. “Okay. I’ll do it.”
