The Wedding Pact Box Set - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,380

to find out.

She grabbed her phone and found the itinerary he’d emailed her before he left, then pulled up the airline’s website and plugged in the flight number—delayed.

Well, that explained it. He was probably stuck in Denver. So why hadn’t he called her? And why had he sent that text saying that he was boarding his plane and that he’d see her in K.C.?

Maybe he’d changed his mind.

She knew the idea was ridiculous even as it popped into her head, yet once it was there it continued to mushroom out of control. Garrett was the committed one in the relationship. She was the one with the issues.

But what if he’d gotten tired of her brick wall and decided he’d had enough? The quip for him to take the San Diego job was too much for anyone to take. Even Garrett.

She poured another glass of wine and started zipping through channels again. She flipped past a national news channel but turned back when she realized the images on the screen were of an aircraft in flames.

“…again we have confirmed that there are casualties,” the newscaster said in a grave voice. “But we have no confirmed numbers. To recap, Western Airlines Flight 756, originating in Denver and headed to Kansas City, made an emergency landing at Topeka Regional Airport at approximately 5:38 Central Time. The flight crew had informed air traffic control of a reported engine failure and requested an emergency landing. Air traffic control diverted the plane to Topeka, where it touched down, then skidded off the runway and burst into flames. We know that at least fifty passengers have made it off the plane, many with injuries, but we have no idea how many are still on the plane. Once again, Western Airlines Flight 756 has crash-landed at the Topeka Regional Airport.” The newscaster paused, pressing his earpiece into his ear as he listened. “Authorities are now confirming that there are ten casualties and that twenty passengers are unaccounted for.”

Blair stared at the TV in shock, dropping her wine glass onto the hardwood floor. The glass shattered, splashing Blair’s feet with wine.

Western Airlines Flight 756 was Garrett’s flight.

She picked up her phone, her fingers fumbling to pull his number up on speed dial. After five attempts, she finally got the call to go through, only to have it immediately go to voice mail.

Some rational part of her brain told her to remain calm. Freaking out wouldn’t do any good, but she had to look at the facts. If Garrett were in a plane crash, his first plan of action would be to call her and reassure her that he was okay. If the plane crashed shortly before six, he’d had over an hour to call her.

Oh, God.

She tried calling him again, chanting to herself, “Please pick up, please pick up, please pick up,” and then released a cry of anguish when the call went to voice mail again.

What should she do?

Think, Blair. Now is not the time to panic. Call the airline.

It took three times to pull up the airline’s website and find a number to call, only to be placed on hold by the automated system.

“You’re expected wait time is ten to fifteen minutes,” the recorded voice said in a soothing tone.

“I don’t have ten to fifteen minutes!” Blair shouted into the phone as her tears broke loose. She considered hanging up, but she had to know—one way or the other.

But sitting on hold wasn’t enough. She had to do something else.

Then it hit her—call the Kansas City airport from the home phone while she was on hold with her cell phone. Jumping off the sofa, she stepped on a piece of broken glass with her bare foot. She fell forward, pain shooting through her foot, and landed on her hands and knees. Then she looked back at the insole of her foot; a half-inch piece of glass was sticking out of the sole of her foot, blood oozing around it.

She lifted her gaze to the TV, taking in the raging fire on the screen. That was Garrett’s flight. What if he hadn’t made it out? What if he’d been injured a hundred times worse than her foot? What if he was on the burning plane and was never coming home? She thought of his body, mangled and bloody, and her sobs broke loose.

Their last conversation had been that stupid argument over his job offer. She’d been in such a damn hurry to get off the phone. But why?