Page 77 of The Meeting
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Chase and Kailynn stepped off the plane in Great Falls, Montana. The cool, clean air hit Chase’s nose, and he took a deep breath as they walked across the tarmac to the airport. Stepping into the building completely energized him. He was about to see his family for the first time in several months, and he couldn’t be more excited.
Chase stole a glance at Kailynn, who pulled her rolling suitcase behind her. Her auburn hair laid down straight across her shoulders. She smiled at him as they made their way through the airport.
Kailynn had been bouncing her knee for the majority of the flight. Her hands had slid down her pants several times as if she was wiping off palm sweat regularly. He tried to calm her the best he could, but knew it would not be easy. She would only relax once she had actually met them and realized they wouldn’t grill her.
He took her hand and gave it a squeeze.
“Ready to meet my family?” he asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
They skipped the baggage claim as they both had only brought small carry-ons. Chase had texted Derek as soon as they landed, and Derek told them where he was waiting for them in the passenger pickup parking lot.
They went out the automatic double doors and walked across the street to the parking lot. Chase looked around, trying to spot his brother’s old tan pickup truck.
“Over here!” Derek’s voice rang out.
Chase turned toward the voice to find his brother standing outside of a newer black truck with an extended cab. He gave Kailynn’s hand a squeeze as they walked the short distance to where his brother stood. As soon as they approached, he let go of Kailynn’s hand to give his brother a hug.
“It’s so good to see you, man,” Chase said.
“Same, bro. Mom is going to lose her mind.”
They pulled apart and Chase put a hand at the small of Kailynn’s back.
“Derek, this is Kailynn.”
Kailynn held her hand out to shake his, but Derek pulled her into a hug. She giggled, surprise clearly written across her face.
“You’re family. We hug here,” Derek said by way of explanation.
When they pulled apart, she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.
“It’s nice to meet you.”
Derek took Kailynn’s suitcase and put it in the back of the truck, while Chase took care of his own.
“So Mama still doesn’t know?” Chase asked.
“No idea. Not in the slightest.”
“How about Papa?”
Derek shrugged. “I’ve been trying to keep it a secret, but he may have caught on. I think I slipped, but I’m not sure if he caught it. And I can’t exactly ask.”
Chase helped Kailynn into the backseat of the truck before pulling himself into the front seat after she insisted he needed to catch up with Derek.
“The party is tomorrow, right?” Kailynn asked.
“Actually, it’s tonight.”
Chase glanced over at Derek, who was pulling out of the parking lot.
“Tonight? I thought it was some afternoon thing tomorrow?”
Derek drove along the street, exiting the airport. “That was originally the plan, but I figured you’d want to spend as much time with mom and dad as possible. It’s only noon here, and you would be spending the entire day today and most of tomorrow just hanging out. I thought you’d want to see them sooner than that. No one, and I mean no one, is going to ruin this epic surprise.”
