Chapter 21
Luke switched the bouquet of flowers to his left hand and wiped his right palm on his jeans. Why were flowers so awkward to hold? Scanning the faces of passengers coming down the wide hall, he chanced a glance at his watch.
Nine forty-three. Rowan’s plane had touched down sixteen minutes ago—two minutes ahead of schedule. The arrivals board confirmed it. He’d never timed how long it took for him to walk from the gate area to baggage claim, but it felt like it was taking forever.
Had she gotten cold feet and decided not to come? Shit. He should have sent a driver to pick her up in Denver and take her to the airport, but she’d insisted on paying for her own plane ticket and taking a taxi.
There. He leaned to the side, trying to see around the people swarming into the arrivals area. Her dark blond hair was pulled up into a bun on top of her head. Nothing about her casual jeans and shirt should have made her stand out from the other travelers, but she still had that aura that drew his attention to her. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one—several men checked her out as they passed.
The cellophane around the flowers crinkled when his fist clenched around them. He fought the urge to punch one particular guy in the face when he was a little too appreciative of Rowan’s curves, especially when a pretty woman ran to hug him as he cleared the secure area. Asshole.
Weaving through the last of the group of people, he stopped short of picking Rowan up in a hug. “Hey. You made it.”
She smiled softly. “I did.”
“Here, I’ll trade you.” He thrust the flowers forward and took the handle of her small roller bag. “Do you have checked bags?”
“Just one.” She smelled the bouquet. “Thank you for the flowers—you didn’t have to.”
Switching the bag to his other hand, he placed his palm in the small of her back to guide her toward baggage claim.
“I wanted to have something for you.” He didn’t admit he hadn’t thought of it until he’d seen a guy holding some and had then rushed through the kiosks looking for a florist. “Although…I don’t know if I have a vase at the house.”
“We’ll figure it out.”
They reached the carousel and joined the other passengers waiting for their bags. He didn’t know what to talk about or what to do with his hands. His natural inclination was to pull her against him. To press his lips to her temple. Six years ago, if they were close to each other, they were touching. Now there were only inches between them, but it felt like miles.
He cleared his throat. “How was your flight?”
She looked up at him. “It was good.”
“Are you hungry? It’s late so not too many restaurants will still be open, but we can stop for fast-food or I might have food at the house. Maybe. I should have food.”
That got him a smile. “You’re not sure if you have food?”
“Well, my housekeeper does the shopping for me, but I only got home this morning,” he said.
“Where were you?” she asked.
“I was at Mama’s. I always go home after a tour to decompress.”
Her head nodded. “How is she? Is she still in Flat Holler?”
“She’s good. I moved her to Johnson City a few years ago.”
“How’s Shelby?” she asked.
Luke smiled. “She’s good. She’s in Johnson City, too, teaching second grade. She’s coming out to visit soon.”
She nodded again but didn’t say anything else. He was ready to talk about the weather just to keep her engaged when she stepped forward to get her suitcase.
“I got it.” He reached around her and grabbed the handle, pulling it off the belt. “Is this it? It’s kind of light.”
“It’s only a few days’ worth of clothes. I wouldn’t have checked a bag except I couldn’t fit all my toiletries into the little bag.”
“Only a few days?” He’d hoped she’d stay at least a week. She shrugged and he realized he didn’t even know when she planned on leaving. He didn’t want to start her visit off on an even worse foot, so he didn’t ask. Guiding her through the clusters of people, he led her to the parking garage and his truck.
They were both quiet, even though they snuck glances at each other out of the corners of their eyes. He stowed her suitcase in the bed of the truck while she got in. They remained silent while exiting the garage and halfway to his house. It was uncomfortable—they’d always been able to just be with each other without feeling like they had to fill some kind of void—but he wanted to hear her voice.
