Page 3 of Single Mom's Guide to Love

It’s unsettling.

And panty melting.

“I don’t, but there’s a storm about to pass through in the next thirty minutes that’s going to last until morning. We aren’t going anywhere.”

Storm? I didn’t hear about any storm. I would have heard about a storm that could’ve grounded a plane, right?

“Don’t believe me?” he says, almost as if he can read my mind, which on its surface is alarming. “Check your mobile to see if I’m right.”

I give him one more glare to see if he’s fucking with me before I do just that.

And holy shit, he’s right.

Huge weather alerts. Email, text, and app notifications of my now-canceled flight. And just as I look up at him, still a bit confused, an announcement blares through the lounge.

“All passengers. Until further notice, all flights have been grounded. We’re sorry for the inconvenience.”

Fuck, inconvenient is right. Not only have I been away from home for too long, but it’s a Tuesday. It’s a school night. My sister Ainsley was staying with my son Jayce until I got home so he could be in his routine for school tomorrow. Now I’ll have to ask her to stay or hope that his dad can take him on short notice on his off weekend.

Fuck my life…

I start to grab my things while also firing off text messages to my sister, when I feel a hand on my arm.

“Don’t go.”

His smooth voice and that damn accent stop me in my tracks.

“What do you mean ‘don’t go’? I need to rebook my flight. See about my checked luggage. Change plans at home. Figure out a hotel.”

He shakes his head and signals for me to take back my seat. “Have another drink with me. We’ll figure everything out.”

I don’t sit back down, but I also don’t continue to walk as I intended. How is his stare freezing me in place? How can eyes be that green? It’s disarming.

So much so that I’m considering doing what he’s asking.

“Look at it out there,” he continues, clearly seeing that I’m wrestling with the decision. I look toward the terminal and see droves of travelers speed-walking past. “It’s a madhouse. We don’t need to be part of that. Book a flight from your mobile. Call the airline next week for a refund. Sit here and figure out any sort of plans at home. But do it from here, in the calm.”

He’s right about that. It is calm here, at least comparatively. “But what about a hotel? If no one is flying out tonight, the nearby hotels are going to be swamped.”

Like my words spring him into action, James Bond pops up from his barstool, takes out his wallet and drops a hundred-dollar bill on the bar and buttons his jacket.

“You’re right. Let’s go.”

“Excuse me, stranger danger. I don’t think so.” He might be hot, but I remember what they taught me in elementary school.

“All I’m suggesting is that we get a jump on a hotel. After everyone is done panicking about flights, they’ll realize they need a place to stay for the night. In the meantime, we’ll already be checked in and enjoying a drink at the hotel bar. And I just happen to know of one not far from here that makes a damn good gin martini.”

I wonder if he likes them dirty…

No! Stranger danger! Why do I keep forgetting that?

He holds out his hand, and I still haven’t moved because I have no idea what’s happening. I feel out of control, and that’s not a typical feeling for me.

Who is this man?

Why does his presence shake me?

And why am I considering going with him?

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