watchful, jittery. Moments before, she felt anonymous in the noise and
hurry of the airport. Now, now that she was alone, she only felt
vulnerable.
She couldn't shake the feeling that Drew might be hidden somewhere in
the crowd-there behind the family on their way to Phoenix, or there,
among the businessmen waiting to board for Chicago. She kept her head
lowered, nerves jumping as she passed a gift shop. He could be in
there, idling by the magazine rack, biding his time. He would step out,
smiling, saying her name, just before he put a hand on her shoulder in
that way he had, fingers digging in, grinding against the bone. She had
to force herself to keep moving forward, not to run back to the gate and
beg them to stop the plane so Marianne could get off again.
"Emma."
Her breath pushed out of her lungs, her knees buckled as a hand dropped
to her shoulder.
"Emma? It is you."
Dead white and dizzy with panic, she stared up at Michael. He was
saying something, she could see his lips move, but couldn't hear over
the roaring in her head.
The pleasure died out of his face. Eyes narrowed, he pulled her to a
chair. It seemed he could almost pour her into it, so boneless were her
limbs. He waited until her rapid breathing slowed.
"Better?"
"Yes. Yes, I'm fine."
"Do you always faint when you run into friends at airports?"
She managed what passed for a smile. "Bad habit of mine. You did
startle me."
"I could see that."
"Startled" wasn't the word, he thought. The word was "terrified." She'd
looked the same way when he'd dragged her to the surface of a wave over
ten years before. "Will you wait here a minute? I'd better go let my
parents know why I ran off on them."
When she only nodded, he repeated, "Wait."
"Yes, I'll wait." It was an easy enough promise since she was sure her
legs wouldn't support her yet. Alone, she took long and careful
breaths. She was already embarrassed enough and didn't want to be a
gibbering idiot when he returned. He was gone only moments, but she was
confident she was in control again.
"So, where are you going?" she asked.
"Me? Nowhere. My mother's got some kind of convention and
Dad's tagging along. I dropped them off because he doesn't like to
leave his car at the airport. Did you just get into town?"
"No, I've been here about two weeks. I was just seeing off a friend."
"Here on business?"
"No. Well, yes and no."
A flight had just deplaned. Streams of people marched by. She had to
fight down fresh panic as she scanned for Drew.
"I've really got to go."
"I'll walk with you." He didn't offer his hand because he sensed her
shying away from being touched. "So, you're here with your husband?"