Page 75 of Declan
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Elise perched on a low, chrome-framed bench in the airport lounge, fingers drumming a restless rhythm against her knee. Morning light, pale and diffused by the swirling snow outside, filtered through frost-veined windows and danced across the glossy floor. Overhead, departure screens flickered between red “Delayed” alerts and hopeful her flight, was finally on schedule. Engines rumbled faintly beyond the paneled glass, a distant promise that the storm had passed… for now.
“Stop fidgeting,” her mother said, settling onto the adjacent seat. She tucked a caramel-hued scarf around her throat and pressed a comforting hand to Elise’s trembling arm. A half-empty coffee cup steamed in her other hand, sending spirals of cinnamon-scented warmth into the cool air.
“I can’t. I’m so nervous.” Elise’s voice was barely more than a breath, lost amid the murmur of rolling suitcases and soft PA announcements. She stared at the runway, where steel-winged birds gleamed in the pale light. “What if he doesn’t want me back?”
Her mother’s gaze was steady. “For God’s sake, Elise, didn’t he say he’d be there, waiting for you if you decided to return to him?”
Elise swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Yes, but…” She closed her eyes, as though she could will away her doubts. “What if he changed his mind?”
“He loves you. He wouldn’t change his mind,” her mother insisted, voice gentle but firm. She glanced at the bustling crowd of travelers, families bundled in parkas, businesspeopleabsorbed in laptops. “I’m sure he’s missed you as much as you’ve missed him. Why don’t you call or text?”
Elise shook her head. “We agreed not to. It would only make things harder.” She drew a shuddering breath. “I know I hurt him, Mom.”
Her mother’s fingers tightened on hers. “He knew the risks when he asked you to go.”
“He did,” Elise whispered, “but you should have seen the pain in his eyes when I told him I was leaving.”
“Your love will carry you both through that pain,” her mother replied, voice warm. “You’re hurting, too.”
“I miss him so much.” The words felt like ice on her tongue. “I love ballet, I always will, but he means more than anything.” She glanced away; cheeks flushed. “Did I tell you he invited me to a friend’s wedding?”
“No,” her mother said softly.
“He asked me to be his date. I let him down.”
Her mother frowned. “It couldn’t be helped. But you came back here, which proves where you belong, in Clifton, with Declan. Your father and I can’t wait to meet him.”
Elise managed a small smile. “I know you’ll love him, too.” She pressed her hands to her face, heart pounding. “I’m so scared.”
Beneath the hush of the lounge, the gate agent’s voice crackled over the PA; “Flight Two forty-seven to Kalispell is now boarding.” Mother and daughter rose together, arms wrapping around each other in a fierce hug.
“I’ll call when I land,” Elise whispered. “I might need you to pick me up again.”
Her mother cupped her face in her hands. “Oh, stop it. He loves you. He’ll be waiting. Now go, before they close the doors.”
Elise squared her shoulders, pressed her hand against her mother’s damp cheek, then stepped toward Gate Twelve. Herstomach tightened as she passed through the jetway, a tunnel of harsh lights, leading to the waiting plane. Once inside, she settled into her window seat, the cabin’s low hum lulling her senses. Outside, snowflakes drifted in endless processions, coating wingtips in fragile lace.
A kindly stewardess offered a bottle of water; Elise shook her head and thanked her. She gazed through the oval window at the golden sun cresting the horizon, its light painting the winter sky in shades of rose and amber. Clifton would be freezing, well below zero, she’d seen, but she didn’t mind. As long as Declan waited, she’d brave any chill.
The engines grew louder. With a gentle lurch, the plane glided down the runway and rose into the crisp air. Elise pulled her eReader from her purse and tapped the screen. A novel, she hoped, would quiet her thoughts until she reached him.
Nearly six hours later, the pilot’s voice announced their descent into Kalispell. Elise straightened, clicked her seatbelt into place, and let out a shaky breath. The ground rushed up to meet them, a snow-blanketed landscape unfolding below.
Once she’d claimed her luggage, she made her way to the car rental center. The air felt sharper here, each breath like inhaling liquid cold. She chose an SUV with four-wheel drive and climbed inside. Before pulling away, she called her mother to let her know she’d landed safely, then paired her phone to the stereo. Familiar songs drifted through the cabin, music to guide her across the silent prairie.
She drove along the lone ribbon of asphalt winding past trees covered in snow and icy fields. Her grip on the steering wheel was steady now, heart thrumming with anticipation. Mile markers ticked by until finally, a cluster of warmly lit storefronts appeared—the edge of Clifton.
Elise exhaled, a soft laugh escaping her lips. Okay, Elizabeth, she told herself. You can do this. Just take your time, and soon you’ll see your man.
****
Declan walked from the barn after getting the horses inside and giving them fresh oats and water. The snow was thick and heavy with more predicted, and he didn’t want them out in it. He tugged his hat lower and his collar up as the wind sent a chill through him.
“Damn, it’s cold,” he muttered, then stopped when he thought he heard a vehicle. He peered through the snow and saw an SUV rolling to a stop in front of his house. His heart went into overdrive, hoping it was Elise and fearing it wasn’t, but it wasn’t her SUV.
He watched the door open, and she stepped out. He stood in one place to make sure he wasn’t imagining it. Then she looked in his direction. He grinned when she ran toward him, and he caught her in his arms and groaned at the pain. His lips found hers and her arms wrapped around him as he pulled her closer.
