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“Coming, sir.”
Rick shook his head, fisting his hand. “Why do they act like kids?”
Madison shrugged. “There’s a lot of anxiety when people are stuck on a plane and feel as if they have no control over their surroundings. When there’s turbulence, the angst turns into panic.”
She left him and took care of the other man.
Their reprieve was short term. The bumps and jerks resumed full strength. The call lights shone on almost every seat, and poor Madison kept rushing from one bed to another, bringing blankets, pillows, bottles of water ...
“Flight attendants, please take your seats and buckle up,” the captain ordered. “We will experience a bumpy ride for the next thirty minutes, due to thunderstorms beneath the clouds. Everyone is to remain seated with their seatbelts fastened.”
“Miss, miss,” several passengers started calling.
Following regulations, Madison ignored the whiners and dashed to the galley.
Did she ever get fed up with her job? Feeling sorry for her, Rick remembered that at one time she’d dumped her fiancé rather than quit her career. Every job had its moments of stress.
Silence settled in first class. Whether exasperated by their immobilization, or affected by high altitude and reduced oxygen, many passengers had succumbed to fatigue and fallen asleep, or maybe they were paralyzed by fear. It was a wonder no one was blubbering now.
Rick closed his eyes, reviewing the highlights of his trip. The tango dance in his room carried the day, and the night in his bed took the prize. As he’d told her at the airport, this was only the beginning for them.
Although he had many promises to fulfill and important projects coming up, he planned to keep Madison by his side and keep her an integral part of his life.
Chapter Eight
When they landed in Miami at six-forty-five the next morning, Madison swiftly swallowed a cup of coffee, urging herself to keep going despite her exhaustion. She hadn’t dozed a single minute, taking care of her passengers whenever the captain’s orders allowed her to. Waiting for all the passengers to disembark, she inspected the cabin, checked the vacant seats, scanned the floor to make sure no one had forgotten anything, and finally left the plane, dragging her carry on.
Rick waited for her at the gate and silently followed her through passport control. When they exited the terminal, he led her to the long-term parking lot and his car. Fighting her sleepiness, she slid into the passenger seat and fastened her seat belt.
“Did you manage to sleep?” she asked when he drove out through the gate.
“Like a baby. How about you?”
“Not a minute. Too much was going on during that bumpy flight.”
“So you must be about to collapse.”
“I will, as soon as you drop me at home. I’ll sleep the day away and the night as well. That’s what I usually do after a long, rough flight. What are your plans for today?”
“I’m going to the office. I have to organize the work for the new contract I signed in Buenos Aires, then I need to plan the children’s trip.”
She spun her head toward him. “For when?”
“I want them here for Halloween. It’d be a fun thing for them to experience. Once you recover, we’ll talk about the exact day.”
Remembering he’d asked her to bring his children, she frowned. “Rick, I can’t—”
“Don’t worry, babe. After our bumpy flight, I’ve decided I’ll fly to Geneva and bring them back myself. I wish you could be on the same flight. I may need your help.”
She smiled. “I can’t wait to meet them. Give me the details. We’ll see how we can manage to travel together.”
He squeezed her hand. “Thanks. I have to book a flight for their Nanny, Maria, too. She’s from the Philippines. The boys love and respect her. Maybe she’ll help them adjust to their American grandmother.”
“Poor Arlene, she’s worried that they may not love her, especially when she’s coming into their lives so late.”
His frown betrayed his own anxiety. “Maria would be a good bridge between their former life and their new one. Madison, I won’t call you. I don’t want to interrupt your sleep. Call me when you’re fully rested. I’ll come and pick you up,” he said when he stopped in front of her building.
“Would you like to come upstairs for a cup of coffee?”
