Page 130 of First Bride to Fall
She slumped back against her seat and closed her eyes.
Happy birthday, Grant.
Then, she said in her heart the words she wished she’d said out loud.
I love you.
Chapter Twenty-Four
By the time Grant reached the airport, he was frantic. Traffic had been gridlocked everywhere. He’d kept his eyes on the road and the other passengers, but since Nell had taken a car service it was impossible to know which vehicle she was riding in.
He pulled up to a spot in airport departures and put his SUV in park.
An airport cop tapped at his window. “Sorry, buddy. There’s no parking here.”
“But I just need to dash inside for a moment.”
The cop shook his head. “Nope.”
“Right.” Grant put his SUV in drive and roared toward short-term parking. He’d texted Nell twice but hadn’t heard back.
We need to talk.
And…
Coming to the airport!
He checked his watch. No.
Her plane was boarding soon.
…
Nell hustled into the airport, dragging her rolling suitcase behind her. She had her athletic bag slung over her shoulder. She scanned a monitor screen, identifying her gate, and then raced toward the escalator. She hurried up each moving step, her rolling bag thumping behind her as she squeezed past stationary travelers. “Oh. Sorry! Excuse me.”
She was dressed for the outdoors and growing warm in the knit hat and scarf that she wore with her gloves and jacket, but there was no time to remove anything now. Her phone kept dinging in her purse, and she suspected that was her sisters responding to her photo of the flat tire. She’d read their texts and reply once she was safely seated on the plane.
She reached the top of the escalator and saw the security line for her section of gates stretching on for what seemed like miles. Great. She ran up to one of the security guards, waving her boarding pass and passport. “I’m boarding in ten minutes!”
He pointed to the priority line, which was only five passengers deep.
Nell nodded, huffing and puffing. “Thanks!”
…
Grant hustled his way through the crowded airport, turning sideways to squeeze between passengers carting large duffel bags, backpacks, and rolling suitcases with them. He followed directions to Nell’s gate, racing up the escalator and scooting past those standing still.
There! Security!
His heart raced.
Nell.
She’d just gone through the metal detector.
He bounded in her direction. “Nell!” he called out as loud as he could. “Nell!” Still, his shouts were mostly drowned out by the hubbub of the airport.
Through the glass-wall protective barrier, he saw Nell grab her luggage and jacket off the conveyor belt. She wiggled into her boots, preparing to take off. No.
