Page 25 of Try Me

Reunions

Declan

He was late.

Declan had waited until the last possible moment to catch a cab to the airport. Now, he would miss his flight if he didn’t hurry. Nearly slamming into a couple saying a tearful goodbye at the gate, Declan halted. The man with his arms around a dark-haired woman looked familiar. She looked like…

“Pearl!” he cried. “What’s the matter?”

“Give me a hand with her,” Oscar said.

Waving Declan to his side, Oscar transferred Pearl into his arms. Declan knew Pearl was going to Oahu, but he hadn’t expected her to be on his flight.

“What’s wrong with her?” Declan demanded.

“Jenny gave her a pill to help her fly.”

“Jesus,” Declan said, shifting Pearl in his arms to set down his bag. “What kind of pill?”

“Nothing major,” Oscar said. “Just a downer. But they won’t let her on the plane. They said she needs a chaperone. She’s gotta make that plane to Honolulu,” he said, handing Declan Pearl’s ticket.

They were next to each other in first class. McKenna must have booked them together.

“You got her, right?” Oscar asked.

“Yeah,” Declan said, easily hefting Pearl’s weight. She couldn’t be more than a hundred pounds. “I got her.”

Pearl’s eyelids fluttered open, and she seemed to notice Declan for the first time. “You smell good,” she said, pressing her face into his shirt. “Like a walk in the woods.”

“Sir?” asked the attendant at the gate. “This is last call for boarding,” she said. “I can’t let her on unless you take responsibility for her.”

Declan tucked Pearl under his arm. “She’s with me,” he said. “Can you take our luggage?”

The attendant checked their tickets and waved them through. Pearl clung to Declan as he maneuvered her onto the plane and into their seats. Under the watchful eye of the stewardess, he buckled both their seatbelts.

“Are you okay?” he asked Pearl when the stewardess had gone.

“I don’t know,” Pearl said, touching a hand to her forehead.

Declan looked into her eyes. He had enough experience with downers to know that she was getting ready to pass out for good. Thank God he’d been there to help. They were the last ones to board, and the pilot was already preparing for takeoff. The stewardesses gave the safety speech, walking the aisles to make sure everyone was buckled properly.

“Take this off,” Declan said, helping Pearl with her short-sleeved jacket. “You’ll be more comfortable.”

“Thanks, eh?” she said. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too.”

She smiled. “You smell good.”

Declan laughed. “You told me that already.”

“Oh.”

The plane jerked forward, and the color drained from Pearl’s face. Her breath came in short pants, and she cast a panicked look out the window.

Declan reached over and pulled down the shade. “Don’t look out there,” he advised. “Look at me.”

Declan couldn’t believe this was the same woman who’d faced down the waves at Sharp Park and bandaged up Jenny without blinking an eye. He wouldn’t have thought Pearl was scared of anything. Her vulnerability brought forth a surge of protectiveness in Declan. Pushing up the armrest between them, he turned toward her.

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