Chapter 29

29

KANNON

A irports sucked. Lines, crowds, overpriced everything—it was like they were designed to piss people off. I gritted my teeth as Merritt and I joined the herd heading into the security line, trying to ignore the way people kept bumping into me like they didn’t see a six-foot-something guy standing right there.

I supposed that was one way to humble a man. I was insignificant. Just another cog in the wheel. I did my best to keep my temper in check.

Merritt, on the other hand, was a ray of sunshine. She stood beside me, smiling like she was about to walk into Disney World instead of some overcrowded, chaotic nightmare.

“You’re awfully chipper,” I muttered, shifting my duffel bag to my other shoulder.

“I love flying,” she said, like that explained it. “It’s exciting! And my favorite part is after you land, when you get to baggage claim, and people are reunited with their loved ones. How can that not make you smile? I always hope I’ll get to see a big reunion. Maybe like a military dad coming home to his family or a long-lost child meeting his biological parents for the first time.”

“You have an active imagination.”

“I do, but I always keep waiting for the chance to see one of my little fantasies play out. And it makes me excited. Why can’t you smile?”

I grunted, stepping forward as the line crawled ahead. “I can think of plenty of reasons.”

She nudged me with her elbow. “You’re such a grump. Look around—travel is full of moments to appreciate.”

I glanced around. All I saw were screaming kids, people rushing like their lives depended on it, and a guy arguing with a gate agent over a missed flight. “Yeah, it’s a real paradise,” I deadpanned.

Merritt just laughed, and somehow, it didn’t irritate me. She was impossible to stay annoyed with.

When we finally got to the checkpoint, she breezed through like she’d done it a hundred times before, chatting casually with the TSA agent as she handed over her ID. Somehow, she even managed to coax a faint smile out of him before she strolled toward the conveyor belt to load her bags.

Me? Not so lucky.

“Sir, you’ve been randomly selected for additional screening,” one of the agents said, motioning for me to step aside.

Of course, I had.

Merritt glanced back, her expression tensing. She mouthed, stay cool, but I was already biting back a string of curses.

The agent started rifling through my bag, pulling out everything and laying it out on the table like he was hosting a yard sale. I stood there, arms crossed, as another agent waved a wand up and down my body. When it beeped, they patted me down like I was hiding something.

When one of their hands strayed a little too close to my dick, I stiffened. “Easy, champ,” I said through gritted teeth. “You’re going to have to buy me dinner before you try and tug on that.”

The agent didn’t look amused. He moved his hand back slightly but took his time finishing the pat-down.

“As if I’ve never heard that before,” he muttered.

By the time they finally let me go, my mood was ice cold. Merritt was waiting nearby, arms crossed and lips pressed together like she was trying not to say something that would make it worse.

“You good?” she asked quietly.

“Peachy,” I said, shoving my stuff back into my bag. “I was wondering if they were going to ask me to drop my pants and demand I bend over and cough.”

“Well,” Merritt said, the corners of her mouth twitching upward. “That would’ve been quite the spectacle.”

I grumbled something under my breath, zipping my bag closed with more force than necessary. “Let’s just get this over with.”

She gave me a onceover, then took my hand and tugged me toward the concourse. “Come on. Let’s find something to distract you.”

I wasn’t in the mood, but Merritt was relentless. She dragged me into one of the shops, plucking a ridiculous touristy hat off the shelf and plopping it onto my head.

“What do you think?” she asked, tilting her head as she studied me. “Does it scream ‘sophisticated world traveler’?”

I scowled at her, but she was grinning so wide I couldn’t help the smirk tugging at my lips. “It screams ‘get this off me before someone sees.’”

She laughed and swapped it out for an even uglier one. “This one, then.”

I rolled my eyes, but before I knew it, I was following her through the shops, watching her sniff every perfume bottle she could find and load up on snacks for the plane. She had this way of making everything seem fun, even something as mundane as killing time in an airport.

In one store, she tried on a dozen pairs of designer sunglasses, striking exaggerated poses like she was on a runway. “What do you think?” she asked, donning a pair of oversized aviators and pouting dramatically.

I chuckled. “You look like a movie star. Or a spy.”

“Good,” she said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Because these are definitely going on my wish list.”

Then something sparkly caught her eye and she darted over to the jewelry display. I hung back, watching as she picked up a bracelet and turned it over in her hands, her face lighting up. It wasn’t expensive looking, just a simple chain with a few charms, but she examined it like it was a treasure.

I checked my watch. “We’ve got about an hour before boarding.”

She nodded, reluctantly putting the bracelet back. “We should get something to drink. I’m hungry.”

“Isn’t it a short flight?”

“Yes, but I’m hungry. Let’s get Popeye’s.”

“Of course, how could I forget that fried chicken trumps everything for you?”

Merritt shot me a mischievous grin over her shoulder as she headed toward the familiar scent of fried goodness rising from one corner of the concourse.

She ordered her usual fried chicken with an extra side of biscuits.

Waiting for our food, I listened to her chatter on about Miami and all the things we were going to see and do. She was clearly excited to go home. That gave me some pause. What was I doing messing with her when she was just going to go back to Miami? That was where she wanted to be. She didn’t want to be with me in Texas. I pushed the thoughts away. I didn’t want to get ahead of myself.

We sat down, sinking our teeth into the chicken. “Remember when we used to get money from my dad and go to that chicken place?” she asked.

“Chicken Palace, wasn’t it?” I asked, relishing the taste of my spicy drumstick. “The one next to the laundromat.”

“Yeah,” she said with a smile of remembrance. “That place had the best crispy chicken. And those hot, fluffy rolls.”

“Right! Slathered with honey butter,” I joined in as fond memories filled my mind.

Merritt laughed. “It’s funny how food brings back memories.”

“Good times,” I conceded before biting into another piece of chicken.

“How often do you travel?” I asked. “You seem to be pretty used to this shitshow.”

She laughed. “Let’s just say I’ve had my fair share of airport escapades.”

“Ever get felt up by one of the TSA guys?”

She shook her head. “Nope.”

“Lucky me.”

“You have the look,” she said with a shrug.

“Of a terrorist?”

She grinned. “Like someone who wants to start shit.”

“I’m a fucking teddy bear.”

“A teddy bear with a penchant for trouble.”

“That’s a pretty accurate description,” I said “Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. You’re the one taking me on a plane. Are you sure you want to do that?”

“Are you backing out of your free trip to Miami?”

“Nope.”

We finished our food and made our way to the gate. Merritt kept up a steady stream of chatter about Miami and her friends there. Her excitement was infectious, and I could actually feel myself relaxing.

I checked the board and saw our flight was delayed twenty minutes. “Great,” I said. “This is why I don’t fly.”

“Relax,” she said. “It’s not a big deal. You have to factor in delays. Let’s sit down.”

My foot bounced up and down as I looked around.

“I’ll text Lucia and let her know we’re delayed,” she said.

I sized up the other people waiting in the same area. They were the people I was going to be riding in a flying tin can with. It was good to know whose air I was breathing.

I continued to fidget and look around uneasily at our fellow passengers. Merritt placed her hand on my bouncing knee.

“Relax,” she said softly. “Everything will be fine. Flying is very safe.”

I took a deep breath. “I know, I know. I just don’t like being trapped in a metal tube hurtling through the sky. With two hundred strangers.”

“Would it help if you knew them all personally?” she asked with a smile.

“No, I suppose not.”

It wasn’t long before our flight was finally called to board. We got in line once again. It felt like the whole day was spent standing in lines, one of my least favorite things to do. Merritt pulled out our tickets and handed mine to me.

It felt like we were being herded. We presented our tickets and fell back in line following people down the jetway. There was a serious bottleneck up ahead, causing everyone to have to stop and wait. I could hear raised voices and knew someone was arguing about the size of their bag. I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

Finally, we started moving again. Slowly. The stuffiness was enough to make me feel claustrophobic as we waited for people to take their seats. “Right up here,” Merritt said. “Twelve A and B. Wait.” She stopped short, frowning.

“What’s wrong?”

She pointed to a man sitting in her seat, flipping through a magazine like he belonged there. Merritt glanced at her ticket, then back at him.

“Excuse me,” she said politely. “I think you’re in my seat.”

The man barely looked up. “I don’t think so.”

I inched closer, my irritation flaring. The man sat there flipping through the pages like it was no big deal.

But it was a big deal.

A really big fucking deal.