McKenna frowned and spread her fingers enough to look at him. “Wouldn’t they have it because they found it? Now you’ve got me confused. I’m calling them back.”
She lowered her hand from her eyes and sent him a side glance as she started tapping her phone screen. “Make sure that towel stays in place, buster,” she muttered right before saying, “Hiiii, me again. We just talked about the missing luggage. You did say that you found it, right?”
“Ask if they have it in their possession,” Nate said.
“Shh,” McKenna said to him. “No, not you,” she said in the phone. “I was shushing someone else. Go ahead. What were you saying?”
“Put it on speaker,” Nate said.
“Put on some clothes,” McKenna said. “Not you. I’m sure you’re dressed fine. Keep talking.”
“Speaker,” Nate said again, stepping closer.
“Stop crowding,” McKenna whispered, pushing against his chest. “Sorry, say that again? Youhaveit. That’s what I thought you said. Theyhaveit,” she said to Nate. Her eyes, more blue today than green, dropped to where her hand splayed across his right pec muscle.
She jerked her hand back. “Sorry. No, that was a sorry to him. Go ahead with what you were saying. You have it located. Great. That’swhat you’ve been saying all along? I know. I think we’re all on the same page. So we can come pick it up now?”
Her brows dipped as she listened.
Why did her brows dip? What was the other person saying? “Can you just put it on speaker?”
McKenna tapped her screen and held her phone in front of them as they now stood shoulder to shoulder in the steamy little bathroom, listening to the airline worker’s voice say, “Took a lot of work, but we have definitely found your luggage. We have no doubt now that it’s sitting in a port on one of the Virgin Islands.”
McKenna looked at Nate. “Did she just say Virgin Islands?”
Now Nate was the one shushing. He grabbed McKenna’s wrist to lift the phone next to his mouth. “Did you just say Virgin Islands?”
“St. Thomas, I believe,” answered the much-too-chirpy voice. Must be Alice. “Wonderful news, isn’t it?”
“How is that wonderful?” McKenna said to Nate.
“How is that wonderful?” Nate said to Alice.
“Well, we found it, for starters. Honestly didn’t think we ever would. And my goodness, what a lovely location, right? When you get that luggage back, just think, you’ll be touching something that’s touched a slice of paradise here on earth.”
“It’s all about perspective, remember,” said another voice. Mr. Security Guard must be standing next to Alice. They were probably standing shoulder to shoulder with the call on speaker too.
“I’d sure like to send them into the next paradise,” McKenna muttered.
“Shh,” Nate said, pressing a finger over McKenna’s lips. “The slice of paradise, Alice? When can we touch it?”
“Well now, that I can’t say. The islands are entering tropical storm season and looks like a biggie is headed their way. No flights are getting in or out for at least, oh... another day.” They heard lots ofclick-clacking.“Maybe a few days, give or take a week or two.”
“Give or take a week or two,” McKenna shouted against Nate’s finger still pressed against her lips.
“Shhh,” said Nate, Alice, and Mr. Security.
“But I promise we will call you the second we have it in our possession,” Alice said. “Who knows? Maybe the storm will bypass the islands completely and everything will be back up and running by tomorrow. Anything’s possible.”
“It’s all in the perspective,” added Mr. Security.
McKenna groaned as soon as the call ended. “I need that ring.”
And Nate needed that letter.
They stood in miserable companionable silence for several seconds. Long enough for a short ringlet near McKenna’s temple to tighten into a corkscrew from the humidity of the shower.
Finally, McKenna said, “How long are you going to keep your finger on my lips?”
