Nonstop (Open Skies #3) - Becca Jameson Page 0,48

would be easier to talk about, but not yet.

“I’m glad you’re taking some time to get away for a week,” Shayla said.

Bex looked at her. “We’re on your flight to Portland tomorrow.”

“Oh good. Raeann is working that flight with me. We’ll take excellent care of you. I bet we can get you in first class. I don’t think it’s a full flight.”

“Not gonna lie. I’m freaked out about flying again. Bracken thinks it will be a great way to see how nervous I get.”

“Well, think of it this way,” Shayla said, “statistically nothing bad can happen. You’ve already paid your dues to the flight gods.”

Chapter 20

Bex had never been so nervous in her life as she took her seat on the plane next to Bracken the next morning.

Six weeks. It had been six weeks since she’d stepped foot on a plane. She could technically have gone back to work today. She’d deferred her return without actually quitting her job.

Bracken was right. She needed to do this. If she could at least be a passenger on a plane, maybe she could manage to return to work.

The fact that Shayla and Raeann were working this flight helped immensely. At least Bex knew two flight attendants on the plane. She also had some Xanax in case she started to panic.

She chose the aisle, thinking this way she could get up and stretch her legs if she needed to move around. They were in the first row too, so really it wouldn’t have mattered. There were only two seats. Bracken was at the window. Plenty of legroom. Less reason to panic or feel claustrophobic.

Bracken was holding her hand. She was gripping his tightly. As the flight filled with people, Bex worked hard not to watch every single passenger with scrutiny. She felt like she was judging them. Could one of them be another human trafficker?

She took deep breaths, tapping her feet while staring at them. Every once in a while, someone would bump her and she’d stiffen.

Bracken cupped her face and urged her to look at him. He leaned in close, bumping his head against hers. “I’ve got you.”

She nodded. “I know.” Nothing about her reaction to flying was rational. It just was. She was more likely to get struck by lightning than end up on another flight with a human trafficker.

She wondered if there was an air marshal on board and started looking around in a new panic. There was no way to tell of course. Air marshals didn’t wear anything that made them stand out. Shayla would know, but Bex wasn’t going to ask her. She’d rather not be aware.

Bracken rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. “Let’s talk about something.”

She nodded. “Yes. Good idea. Tell me about your parents’ place.”

He smiled. “Well, it’s on the water. The back of the house is all windows, so no matter where you are in the kitchen or living room or even the master bedroom, you can see the water. The backyard is open all the way to the edge of the ocean. It’s an inlet, so there aren’t really waves. Peaceful. My parents have lobster traps, which they can ride out to on their small fishing boat.”

“Sounds amazing. And what about your parents? What are they like?” Will they like me?

“Bill and Joan are their names. They’re relaxed and easygoing, especially now that they’ve retired. My dad spends a lot of time fishing or playing golf if the weather is nice. My mom does a lot of quilting. She has an entire room dedicated to her projects. Apparently, quilts have to be stretched out and take up a lot of space.”

“I bet they’re beautiful.”

He nodded. “They are. I’m sure she’ll show you dozens of them.” He grinned. “She also belongs to a bridge club with a bunch of local ladies.”

“When was the last time you visited?”

“It’s been six months. I usually try to go twice a year. They start hounding me if I don’t.” He tipped his head to one side. “I’ll warn you. I’ve never brought a woman home before. They’re going to assume that we’re extremely serious. My mom nearly came through the phone with glee when I told her about you. They might have china picked out and an assortment of baby clothes. My mother had resigned herself to never getting any grandkids, so she’s already put the cart before the horse.”

Bex swallowed. “Oh my.” Kids? Bex wasn’t at all sure she could ever have kids. She’d rarely thought