Chapter One
Zahir
After seven days in Toronto on a business trip, I was more than ready to head home to my senior mutt—Daphne. Yes, she was staying with my friend Quinton and his family—husband Leo, son and daughter, Melodie and Trevor, Quinton’s mama, as well as her rescue Puff. I was so damn lucky they loved Daphne almost as much as I did. Mama Zhang sent pictures every day of the pups playing together. Well, Daphne wasn’t a pup—but she sure acted like one when around Puff the dachsund/bichon mix.
“Here’s your boarding pass.” The young woman, who couldn’t have been more than twenty-one, handed me back my passport and my pass. “Gate thirty-six. You’ve got some time.”
“I like to be early. I think I’ll grab a sandwich—”
“Sir, are you certain you’re okay? You’re shaking and—”
I turned to look at the guy at the counter next to me. His dark skin made color difficult to discern. That said, if a Black man could be pale, he certainly was.
With a compulsion I didn’t understand, I stepped toward him.
The WestJet check-in person eyed me with wariness.
I didn’t blame him.
“Is this gentleman going to Abbotsford?”
“Yes, but—”
“We haven’t seen each other in a while and I almost didn’t recognize him.” I snapped my fingers. “I’m Zahir. And you are? Sorry I’m so rude.”
The guy blinked. “Uh…Andre.” The name was spoken so softly that I almost didn’t understand him.
“Great, Andre. I’d forgotten how much you hate to fly. Again, sorry about that.”
“The note on his file says this is his first flight.” Again the officious WestJet agent.
“Oh, you finally found the courage to fly. I’m so proud of you.”
Again, Andre blinked. That was the only reaction.
I turned to the check-in guy. “Surely you can arrange for us to sit together.”
He held out his hand for my boarding pass. After examining it, he shook his head. “You’re business class and he’s coach.”
“Oh. When I checked in last night, the seat next to me was still empty. Is it now?”
“Well, yes.”
“So you could perhaps upgrade him? Or I could go to the back—”
The guy shook his head. “Coach is full on the flight to Abbotsford.”
I yanked my credit card out of my wallet. “Whatever it takes.” I could spare the cash. Why I felt so strongly that I needed to help this stranger defied logic…but I just knew I had to help.
“Happy to oblige.”
I gently took Andre’s boarding pass back from him and handed it to the young man. As he fixed things, I chanced a glance at Andre. Mid-twenties, if I had to guess. Tall, slender, shaved head, dark-brown eyes wide. With terror? I couldn’t be certain. His black leather jacket and dark-blue jeans gave him an almost rakish appearance while his pale-blue dress shirt was almost incongruous. His hand shook, so I moved closer. Near enough to whisper, but not too much in his space. “It will be all right. I’m assuming you have a reason you need to fly? There’s always the train—”
He shook his head—his eyes going a little wild.
“Okay, then. We do this together.”
“Mr. Parnal?”
