traveling together, and we can’t let an unconscious woman leave with a stranger. Imagine the liability the airline would face.”
“If she wakes up and tells you she wants to leave with me, will you let me help her?”
She studied Megan, who was audibly snoring again, for a moment before giving Josh a smug grin. “Of course.” Then she returned to the front of the plane.
The cabin door opened, and the passengers started to rush off. The sensible part of Josh told him to get up and walk away, but he just couldn’t do it.
“Megan.” He shook her arm more vigorously. The passengers exiting from the back watched the scene with morbid curiosity.
“What?” she finally groaned, turning toward him.
“The Almost-Future Mrs. McMillan is going to call security unless you get up and walk off this plane.”
Her eyelids fluttered open. “Sorority Bitch?”
He grinned. “That’s the one.”
She tried to sit up and teetered in her seat. “Why’s the plane swaying?”
“It’s not. You’re still out of it.”
She leaned back in the seat. “I’m just gonna take a little nap . . .” Her voice trailed off.
“Megan.”
She jolted upright, her eyes wide. “What?”
“Sorority Bitch will let me help you off the plane, but you have to tell her that you want to leave with me.”
She grinned and waggled her finger in his face, singsonging, “She’s not gonna like it . . .”
“I can deal with it. Will you tell her?”
Her grin widened, but her gaze was still unfocused. “Oh . . . yeah . . .”
Josh started to get out of his seat. “Do you have anything in the overhead bin?”
“What? . . . No.”
She was fading again, so he quickly grabbed his overnight bag and darted into the aisle, blocking the path of an irritated passenger from the back of the plane. He set his rolling case on the seat in front of him and grabbed Megan’s purse off the floor, slinging it over his shoulder. “Let’s stand you up and get going.”
She didn’t answer, already asleep again.
He leaned over and pulled the blanket off her. “Megan.”
She startled and jumped up, the top of her head hitting the bottom of his chin.
“Oww!” He jerked upright and whacked the top of his head on the ceiling over the seat. Frustrated, he stopped and took a deep breath. How the hell had he gotten himself into this situation? He briefly considered running for the exit. Without her. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t leave her with Tiffani.
“Hey, buddy,” the irritated man behind him grumbled. “Some of us want off this plane.”
“Just a second,” Josh barked as he glanced down at Megan and found her staring up at him. Or as much as she could through squinted eyes.
He reached for her arm and pulled her into a standing position. “First we walk off the plane. Then we’ll figure out the rest.”
“Okay,” she murmured, but her limbs were limp. He’d be lucky to get her down the short aisle. Somehow she found some inner reservoir of energy and managed to stand and maneuver her way around the seat and into the aisle.
He knew things were going too well, especially when the Almost-Future Mrs. McMillan stopped her. “Miss, are you leaving of your own accord?”
Megan shook her head, and Josh’s heart slammed into his chest. If she told them no, could he be arrested for kidnapping? “I don’t have an Accord,” Megan slurred as she began to wobble. “I have a Civic.”
The flight attendant scowled. “Do you know the man you’re leaving with? Do you want to leave with him?”
Megan’s eyes widened as she tried to focus on the woman in front of her. She said in a mock serious tone, “Yes, I know this man.” She winked up at him, then turned back to Tiffani. “He’s Mr. McMillan, and we’re leaving here together.” She stuck out her tongue at the flight attendant, who had a horrified look on her face. “So no little McMillan babies for you.” Then she tried to tap the other woman on the nose, missing and jabbing her cheek instead.
“Okay . . .” Josh grunted, pulling Megan toward the door while he tried to maneuver his rolling carry-on bag with one hand. “Let’s save the birds and the bees speech for later.”
He hadn’t waited for permission to take her, so he half-expected to be stopped as he coaxed Megan out of the plane and down the tunnel to the terminal. They were ten feet from the door when her knees buckled. He pulled her up