Page 115 of Running to You

Maybe because she’d fallen asleep in Sam’s arms.

Even so, she’d groaned at the knock on the door between the adjoining rooms.

Sam’s voice followed it. “We have to leave here by seven to make our flight.”

She’d forced herself out of bed, stretching her tired muscles and analyzing the latest scrapes and bruises, courtesy of Gorilla Gil dragging her to his car and the mad dash through the woods.

A quick shower and change of clothes, and she joined Michael and Sam for the shuttle to the airport.

She sat tucked between them on the plane. Michael, in the aisle seat, kept himself busy on his laptop while Eliza snuggled up beside Sam and peppered him with questions about the years she’d missed. He indulged her, telling her stories, updating her on his business.

While she’d been in Utah, he’d built an empire. “I’m impressed.”

“Helped that I didn’t have a life.”

Michael, who’d mostly ignored them, popped in with, “It was pathetic.” But the words were delivered with a smile.

They managed to get through the nearly five-hour flight without talking about what would happen next. Without Sam or Michael asking her where they were going when they landed. So far, all she knew was that she’d left the evidence in Denver. The key she’d mailed to Jeanette told her it was probably at a bank. Looked like a bank key, anyway. But she couldn’t remember.

Now, she gazed past Sam out the window as they descended. It was a sunny day, the sky bright blue overhead. The Denver airport, with its strange white peaks—maybe intended to mimic the mountain range behind it, though it was a pale imitation—looked familiar. Yes, she’d been here. And as they landed and taxied, memories came.

A flight. A dash through the airport, tugging Levi behind her. A Lyft to the bank… She’d been sure she would recognize which bank by sight but figured they’d be driving all over Denver to find the right one.

Now, she pictured the national chain’s logo and remembered the short drive.

As soon as the wheels touched down, Sam had taken out his phone.

“You must be so far behind at work.”

He lowered it to his lap, smiled at her. “It’ll wait.”

“Do me a favor? There should be a Wells Fargo about a half hour from the airport.”

His eyebrows shot up. “You remembered?”

“I think so.”

He searched, then… “Yup.” He leaned over and kissed her. So natural, as if they’d been together all this time. As if nothing had changed.

But they were back on the ground now, not floating on the clouds of make-believe. There was a lot standing between here and their happily-ever-after. Not just Jedediah and Lola Keller and the men they employed.

There was Levi, her precious son. The closer she got to seeing him again, the more the memories came back to her, the more her heart yearned for him.

And the longer she put off telling Sam, the harder it was going to be. She dreaded the moment. Dreaded what she knew she’d see in Sam’s expression.

She loved Sam desperately, but Levi was her child, her responsibility. Her heart. If she had to choose between them…

She wanted them both. Was it too much to ask?

The plane jerked to a stop at the gate, and the seatbelt sign dinged. All around them, people stood and stretched. Overhead bins were opened, carry-ons hefted down.

Michael turned to them, voice low. His face, so relaxed a moment before, was back in the zone.

She had no idea how a salesman knew the things—and people—he knew, and she had a feeling she shouldn’t ask.

“I’m going to rush ahead and get the rental car,” Michael said. “You two make your way to the main terminal, but stay on this side of security until I call you. Okay?”

“Good idea,” Sam said. “I’ll take your bag.”