“What happened to me sleeping on the way?”
“Sorry, my favor is not fully formed.”
“Then my answer isn’t either.”
She laughed out loud. His sly remark had the opposite effect on her than it probably did others. Some may have been offended by it, but she had to fight off a sudden urge to throw herself into his arms. He made her laugh like few could. He didn’t reject the whirlwind, as he called it, but seemed to set up camp, anchor down, and ride it with her—in the calmest way, of course.
“Come on, Doctor, do this favor for me and eventually yourself. Live a little.”
He glanced at his watch. “What time is all this supposed to commence?”
“T-minus two hours. You have most of that to take a nap and dress a little nicer than you are right now. Like going to the club but still ready to run a marathon if needed. And make sure you have your ID with you. Okay, bye-eeee!”
No need to give him time to change his mind. Because if she was starting to understand one thing about Dr. Anruchi, it was this—he didn’t like disappointing anyone, and she had a sense she was making her way to the top of that list.
WATCHING SOLOMON’Sface when she told him to drive them to the Huntsville airport had delighted her more than she dared to admit. He had balked at first, but then her heart swelled when she watched him swallow his apprehension and hand his ID to the ticket agent.
He trusted her. And the impact of that took her breath for the first few moments. Lingered with her as they made their way up the escalator, walked through security, and sat down at their gate. Kenya wiggled her fingers, the only movement she would allow herself, even though her whole body vibrated with anticipation.
He probably thought that she was slightly out of her mind. And she probably was. She was basically kidnapping the doctor andhad commandeered his time to take him not just down a street or two but all the way out of state.
But what an incredible idea it was, and hopefully it would be an amazing surprise. Maybe it was selfish of her, but at least for now—for just this afternoon and evening—she could have him all to herself. He wouldn’t be distracted by his patients or the pressing decisions that seemed to weigh him down or all the plans for his family or the expectations that drove him that he probably didn’t think she noticed. Not even her foot would get in the way.
She snuck a glance at him tapping out a rhythm on his pants then shaking his hand out. A silver watch glistened on his wrist. Not his Apple Watch. He wore a button-down shirt with a crisp collar and an athletic jacket. And sitting there next to him felt like exactly where she needed to be.
His hand on the armrest was tempting. She pictured herself sneaking her more petite one under his. Maybe if she did, he would remain stiff and unbothered, but maybe he would hold on, squeeze tight.
“So.” His voice startled her out of her distracting perusal. He sent a glance her way, his mouth tipped in knowing. How long had he sensed her looking at him?
She willed herself to respond casually, not with the longing permeating her being. Couldn’t even sit next to this pillar of a man without swooning all over him in her mind.
She smoothed her hands down her lap, careful not to snag her gold bangles on the fabric of her peach dress. The dress flared out over ankle booties she’d finally been able to put on, although she may regret it by the end of the night.
“Are you going to tell me exactly where we are going?”
“You are at the Atlanta gate.”
He guffawed. “True. But Atlanta is a big city. Much bigger than Huntsville.”
Kenya squirmed in her chair. “Leave it alone for a moment. Idon’t want to give it away yet, and if you ask me more, I’ll spill the details.”
“Ha.” Solomon slanted his eyes at her. “If you really wanted me to leave you alone, you wouldn’t have dragged me along on a trip that involves a flight.”
Kenya offered a demure smile. “But you still said yes. And the flight is less than an hour.”
He stayed silent, but she sensed his demeanor relaxing even more, his grip loosening.
“Do you have trouble with the unknown, Doctor?”
He released a breath. “I don’t have trouble with the unknown as long as I remember theOneI follow knows way more than me.”
She chewed on that for a bit. Sat back in her seat.Hmm.She prided herself on going with the flow and making something out of all the scraps that life threw her way. The last few months had blown her processes out of the water. Every step she took lately seemed more compounded and cumbersome than before. But maybe that wouldn’t be an issue if she trusted God better, the One who knew infinitely more than she did.
“What about you, Kenya?” She must have been imagining the tender way her name rumbled from his throat. Surely the texture in his tone when he said her name didn’t have any other meaning besides the perfect way that God formed his vocal cords. “Has the unknown been troubling you lately?”
She turned from watching a plane taxi to the adjacent gate, her laugh an exhale. “That’s an interesting way to put it. I don’t think I’ve been troubled with the unknown as much as I have with the present. My flaws have been very evident, in real time.”
“In time, injuries heal. I can attest to that.” He paused, rubbing his kneecap. “I can also confirm that some injuries last, even when we don’t see them as clearly.” The words were said almost to himself.
