Page 50 of Lone Star Longing
A hospitality desk stood nearby, though, manned by a lady in a vest and cap that signified her as the welcoming committee.
“Is this where I wait for incoming flights from North Carolina?”
“Sure, you wait here, and they’ll come down the escalator to get to the baggage area.” The woman motioned to the baggage carousels down the hall.
“There’s no other place for them to come in? Because I’m surprising my boyfriend and I don't want to miss him.”
“Oh, well, if he doesn’t have baggage, he might exit up on top, so maybe you want to wait up there?”
“Thank you. I think I’ll do that, to be on the safe side. He’s been overseas for a few months, and I didn't want to wait any longer.”
The woman smiled, her dark eyes warm. “Well, good luck to you.”
“Thanks.”
Lacey bounced on the escalators, resisting the urge to hurry up them. She had time, enough to duck into the restroom and freshen her makeup.
Fortunately, the area at the top of the escalators had seating, and after she visited the restroom, she found a seat and tried to relax. She pulled out her phone, but couldn't concentrate on anything, her gaze continuing to flick to the arrivals board.
On time. On time. On time.
Even though his plane wasn't scheduled to land yet, every time a surge of people came through the gate, she tensed and watched faces, but of course he wasn't among them.
Time passed so slowly. She and Beck could have stayed at the mall a little longer. But no, the waiting area was filling, and she wouldn't have a place to sit, and she wouldn't have had time to go fix her face.
And then the status of his flight changed to “arrived.” Her heart raced. She couldn't sit still any longer, even though she knew it would take some time for everyone to get off the plane, to get over here. Her pulse thundered in her ears when she saw the crowd coming forward, and she scanned them all, looking for him, for the way he moved, for his face, wondering how much he’d changed in the past few months.
If he’d changed as much as she had.
But she didn't see him. Finally, in her desperation, she stepped forward and touched a woman’s arm.
“Is this flight 3592?”
“Yes, it is.” But the woman was in her own world, pulling out her phone, wrangling a child and two bags. Lacey stepped back and let her pass.
The crowd thinned, then was gone. Maybe he’d stopped at the restroom. Maybe he’d stopped for something to eat. He didn’t know she was here.
But thinking of that, who was picking him up? His family wasn't waiting for him, and she double-checked by going down the escalator and coming back up, avoiding eye contact with the hospitality worker.
So who was supposed to pick him up.
Checking her own phone battery, which was running low—her charger was deep in her overnight bag, and she didn't want to dig it out in the middle of the airport—she called his mother’s number.
“Hi, Mrs. Boniface. This is Lacey. Didn't you say Jesse was going to be on flight 3592?”
“Oh, hi, Lacey, yes, that’s what he told me last week. But then he called last night and said he wasn't going to come to Texas this time.”
“He wasn't going to what?” Lacey’s legs weakened, and she gripped the wall so she wouldn't drop to the floor.
“He called last night and said he wasn't going to come to Texas on his leave this time. I was disappointed, but he has his own life now. I can’t exactly tell him what to do.”
“Mrs. Boniface. I’m sitting here in the San Antonio Airport waiting for him. I came all the way from Broken Wheel to meet him. I...came all this way.”
“I’m so sorry, Lacey. I didn't know you’d come, or I would have let you know.”
“But you gave me the flight information. Didn't you have some idea I’d be here?”
“I thought maybe you’d track it or something on one of those apps.”
