Page 79 of The Seashell of ’Ohana

No. He couldn’t leave without hearing what I needed to tell him. I puffed out air as I looked at the time. There was nothing I could do but get home.

When we landed, I immediately turned on my phone and waited … and waited. Please. Please. Message me back. Tell me you didn’t leave town.

A message from Ian.

Ian: Listen to your voicemail.

That didn’t sound like good news. While we waited for the plane to dock at the gate, I clicked the play button and pressed the phone to my ear.

“Abby. I’m so sorry if I’ve done anything to offend you. I’m also sorry if I’ve made you feel uncomfortable, but I needed to tell you how I felt before leaving. I had planned a business trip to London, and I’m not sure when I’ll be back. Lee will take my place and will take Tyler to the father and son event. I hope you can forgive me and we can be friends. Perhaps the time apart will do us good. Next time you see me, I promise I’ll be a good friend you’ll be proud to have.”

Tyler was going to be disappointed that Lee was taking him instead.

My heart sank to my stomach. Everything I wanted to tell Ian circled into a drain that sucked me under. I couldn’t believe he was gone. I hadn’t gotten a chance to tell him how I felt. And when he came back, he might not feel the same way about me.

How long was he going to be gone? I couldn’t remember what he’d said, or if he even said it at all. I needed more information, and the only person who might know anything was my sister.

As I filed in line to get out of the plane, I called Kate.

“Kate, it’s me.”

“You landed.”

“Yes. Do you know if Ian left already? I need to tell him how I feel about him.”

“What?” She sounded surprised. “When did this happen? Who are you? Are you my sister?”

“Stop fooling around. Where is he?” I didn’t mean to sound harsh, but I was desperate.

“Geez, Abby. Okay. Like I said in the text, I think he’s already gone. I’m so sorry. Wait? Should I be sorry? What did you want to tell him?”

“That I …” I lowered my voice even though I was walking fast to get to the baggage claim. “Never mind. I’ll talk to you later. I gotta get my bag. I’ll see you when I pick up Ty.”

After I had grabbed my suitcase, I rushed to the taxi line. As the taxi driver drove me home, I messaged Ian, deleted the message, then wrote something, only to delete it again. I repeated this pattern until I finally left him a voice message.

“Ian, I want you to know that you did nothing wrong. You’ve been a perfect gentleman. I’m sorry I left abruptly without an explanation, but I needed to clear my head and get some closure. There are many things I want to tell you, but I think it’s best I tell you in person. I don’t know when I’ll see you or talk to you, so please be safe. I hope you come back soon. I miss you.”

Had I lost my chance with Ian? Had I scared him off? Was he ever coming back? Now that I'd finally admitted to myself how I felt, I wanted to be with him more than anything.

Would I have the courage to speak my mind if Ian called back? I didn’t know how to do this. But if Ian didn’t care to call, then we weren’t meant to be. And I would have to face the fact that I’d blown something that could have been great.

The taxi driver dropped me off at home. I put the toiletries and clothes away from my luggage and placed Steve’s gift on my bedside table. I changed into jeans and a T-shirt to pick up my son. I couldn’t wait to see him.

I grabbed my car keys and checked my phone one last time. No message from Ian. We hadn’t even dated, yet my feelings for him seemed to grow in his absence.

The doorbell rang. I swung around, and it dawned on me that it was Friday. I had forgotten to open the back gate for the gardener, and had forgotten to ask Kate to unlock it. I doubled back to the front door.

“I’m so sorry. I forgot to …” When I got a clear view of the man standing before me, I wondered if I had dreamed him up.

Ian’s lips quirked into that devilish smirk and then tugged into a broad grin. “Did you mean it when you said you missed me, on that voicemail?”

I was unable to hide my smile. I was over the moon happy to see him. Backing away, I gave him space to enter.

I shrugged, holding up my thumb and index finger, a small space between the gap. “Maybe just a little bit.” I shoved both hands inside my back pocket and took a few steps back. “I thought you were out of town.”

Ian closed the door behind him and stepped closer. “I was on my way to the airport, but when I heard ‘I hope you come back soon. I miss you,’ well, those were magical words.” His playfulness was replaced by something serious. “Words I would give anything to hear. Did you mean it, Abby?”

“You were on your way to the airport, but you came here instead?” He had dropped everything for me. And to think I had almost let him slip away.