Page 77 of Don’t Go Breaking My Heart

“Liar!”

For the rest of the flight, we bantered back and forth, stealing each other’s snacks and flipping through the in-flight magazine to make fun of overpriced gadgets.

When the plane finally landed, I glanced over at him, feeling lighter than I had in weeks. He caught me looking. “What?”

“Nothing,” I said, smiling. “Just glad you’re here.”

“Yeah,” he said with a smirk. “Me too.”

31

KANNON

As the plane taxied down the runway after what I thought was a bit of a rough landing, I caught myself thinking about how this trip might change things between us. For the past week, we’d been doing this weird dance. Were we doing this thing? Or was it just sex?

She invited me to Miami for a few days. That had to mean something, right?

The plane finally stopped and the passengers around us quickly stood. This was another round of herding. I glanced over my shoulder to the asshole that tried to steal Merritt’s seat. He was still sitting. Good thing, because I didn’t want him starting shit now.

“Patience, Kannon,” Merritt teased as she noticed my clenched jaw. She touched my hand lightly, a comforting gesture that helped to defuse the tension. I took a deep breath and forced a smile.

We waited for the aisle to clear before gathering our carry-ons from the overhead bin. As we started to disembark, the flight attendant gave us a warm smile. “Enjoy your vacation,” she said. I realized it had been too long since I last heard that phrase.

The Miami airport was a sea of tacky Hawaiian shirts, khaki shorts, and sunburned faces. Merritt was wearing flip-flops and capris and fit right in. In contrast, I was still in my jeans and boots, feeling like a fish out of water.

I followed as Merritt led the way. Her swaying hips mesmerized me as she moved with an easy grace. Her fingers were tightly clutching onto mine. The contact made me feel grounded in the onslaught of overwhelming sights and sounds.

I only had my duffel bag. Merritt had her laptop bag and giant purse. She didn’t need to pack a bag since we would be staying at her apartment with all of her things. I was so glad we got to bypass the baggage-claim fiasco.

We stepped outside and into a muggy, warm Florida day. Dallas wasn’t exactly cold, but it got cool. It was strange to go from chilly to pretty mild. I wouldn’t be sitting on a beach, but it was definitely T-shirt weather. I peeled off my jacket and hung it over my bag.

“What are we looking for?” I asked.

“Lime green Mini Cooper.”

I looked at her, trying to decide if she was joking or not. “Seriously?”

A minute later, the offensive car rolled up to the curb. My bike was bigger. I was certain I could pick up the car and carry it in my bag.

I gave Merritt a questioning look. “Seriously?” I asked again.

She laughed. “There’s more room than you think.”

“No. There is not.”

The statuesque blonde climbed out of the passenger seat and popped the seat forward. I was sure that was supposed to make it easier to get in, but I didn’t see how.

“I’m so glad to see you,” the blonde said and hugged Merritt.

“Thank you for picking us up,” Merritt said.

The woman looked at me. “Hello.”

“Hello.”

“I think you should take shotgun,” she said, looking me up and down.

“No, thanks. I’ll sit in back.”