Page 126 of Blitzing Emily

She gave Emily a comforting pat on the back. “I hope someone you love is on the other end.”

A few minutes later, Emily was in her seat. The flight attendant slipped her a few tissues before Emily belted herself in for takeoff. Emily didn’t know how she would get in to see Brandon. He’d be getting ready for the game. He’d be whisked out of there when it was over. It wasn’t like he had office hours. He probably wasn’t answering his phone. She could find out where the team was staying, but then she’d have to find his room. NFL teams locked down entire floors. It wasn’t like she could stroll up to the front desk to ask.

Emily settled back to wait some more. The pilot announced that due to the mechanical problem and resulting delay, those connecting to other flights would be delayed. She’d have to rent a car and drive like a bat out of hell to have any chance at all to be at the stadium before kickoff. Oddly enough, though, she was relaxed. It was out of her hands. She did her best, and the rest was not in her control. If this kept up, she’d join hands with the others in first class and recite the Serenity Prayer or something.

The people seated around her went back to working on their laptops, watching a movie on the individual DVD players the flight attendant handed out, or staring out the window. It was another Sunday afternoon flight for them. The minutes dragged by for her.

After what seemed like an eternity, the plane landed in Miami, taxiing to the gate. The best part of Emily’s planning was to bring her backpack. If she ran, maybe she would make it to the rental car desk before the stampede and get on the road.

The plane’s door opened, and she broke into a sprint as she rushed through the Jetway. She turned into the concourse leading to baggage claim and the car rental desk. She dodged people and their bags as she went. Running through any airport isn’t exactly effective, but she had ninety minutes to get to Miami Stadium and get a ticket before kickoff.

She was so absorbed in avoiding toddlers with pink rolling luggage and entire families of people who insisted on walking together that she didn’t pay much attention to anyone or anything around her. A hundred feet or so ahead, though, she glimpsed a tall, muscular man in dress clothes with a wild mop of blond curls, and her heart pounded.

Itcouldn’tbe him. It also couldn’t be anyone else on the planet.

“Brandon!” Emily cried out, and a huge grin spread over his face. She darted around a woman with a double stroller and a businessman talking on his smart phone, and tried to speed up. It was like running through quicksand.

He pushed through the crowd of people surrounding him and broke into a run, too.

“Sugar,” he called out. He threw open his arms, and Emily ran into them. It was just like the movies, except it wasn’t perfect. It was all arms and legs. Her backpack went flying. She kissed his ear instead of his mouth, but finally, they made it work.

He pulled her up off the floor, swinging her around and around, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. She threaded her fingers into his hair. He was saying something in her ear, but she blurted out, “Baby, I’m so sorry. I wrote something so stupid on your card. I should have written something better. It was terrible. I—”

“What are you talking about?”

Emily wanted to pull him around her. She wanted to crawl inside of him. She had spent hours planning what she would say when she finally saw him, but now she forgot it all.

“I said ‘Best of luck.’ Best of luck. What the hell was that? I should have said I’m sorry. I should have said I love you. I should have said that I’m so proud of you, and that I wished I could be at your game, and that I’d never give up on us. I—oh, baby, I messed it all up. I—”

He cut her off. “So, you flew here from New York to tell me this.” He looked amused.

“I came here ... I came here to tell you that I love you, and I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you—”

“You did.” He lowered her to the floor, but didn’t let go. His fingers tangled in Emily’s hair. “I love you, too.”

She wrapped her arms even tighter around him—anything to get him closer. For the first time in months, she could breathe. She was warm. Joy bubbled through her veins like the finest champagne. “I should have trusted you. How could I do that to you?” Emily fisted her hand in his dress shirt. “Why are youhere? I was—”

He laid a finger over her mouth. “Amy texted me with your flight information. I said I’d meet you anytime, anyplace, and I’d accept your apology.” He cupped her cheek in one hand. Brushing her lips with his, he murmured, “God, I want more,” and sealed his mouth over hers. She pushed herself even closer to him, and she heard applause. He lifted his head.

They were surrounded by a semi-circle of passersby, who were smiling and clapping. She glanced around in surprise. All these people must have something else to do.

They heard a voice from the crowd. “Aren’t you Brandon McKenna of the Sharks? What are you doing here?”

“Damn Gatorade commercial. I can’t go anywhere,” Brandon murmured to Emily, and then said more loudly, “Had to pick up my girl.”

“You’re supposed to be at the stadium right now,” someone else called out.

Emily saw Brandon smile. “What do you think, sugar?” He picked up her backpack, looped it over his shoulder, and kept one arm around her. The knot of people still hadn’t dispersed, and most of them appeared to be listening intently to them. “Should we take in a football game?” His voice dropped a bit. “You blew off The Met for me?”

“I didn’t exactlyblow them off,” she said. “I—I needed to be here for you. Maybe I’ll get another chance, some other time.”

“What if there’s not another chance?” he asked.

Emily bit her lower lip. She had walked out on them. She’d gained the success she’d worked so hard for, but it was empty without Brandon there to see it, too. She turned her back on the growing crowd of bystanders and looked into his eyes.

“I was in New York on that stage. It meant nothing without you. That’s why I came here,” she said. “Let me do this for you.”

For the first time since they met, Brandon was speechless. He kissed her. Hard.

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