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“For money,” Sylvie said. “They hold people for ransom. As long as you can pay, you should be fine.”
“I’m loaded. I’ll pay our ransoms.” Alice smirked from beneath her big sunglasses.
Marge smacked her arm. “Let’s not go around Mexico announcing to everyone in earshot that you’re loaded and will happily pay our ransom. Then youwillget our asses kidnapped.”
“Oh. Good point.” She grimaced.
Marge rolled her eyes in a huff. “You’re worried aboutmesaying something to get us kidnapped whenyoushould be the one we’re worried about.”
“Oh, come on, Marge. Who is going to want to kidnap you? I’m the one who looks like a rich American. Which I am. If anyone is getting taken, it’s me. So quit your bitchin’.”
“If they take you, they’ll take us all. Well, they’ll try.” Marge flexed a muscle. “But I’m not going down without a fight. And I got a lot of fight left in me.” She started air boxing. “I dare ‘em to try. Double dog dare ‘em.”
Worry about getting kidnapped and held against my will seeped into every part of me, and I clutched my purse tight in my lap.
“Maybe let’s ease up on the kidnapping talk.” Sylvie cocked her head toward me. “We’re making poor Doris nervous. And today is her big day, so let’s not go ruining it for her. Okay?”
She wasn’t wrong. Now that I knew kidnapping was a thing, I didn’t know how I’d relax and enjoy the rest of our stay here.
I miss you, Axel.
And I did. The moment I’d left to come on this trip, I missed him. So badly, I wanted to race back into his arms and feel his safe, strong embrace. But just as I sank into that feeling, I glanced to the widows beside me, realizing that I would no longer feel theirs when I felt his embrace. To be with him meant to part with them. When I was with him, I missed them so much that it pained me. When I was with them, my heart hurt, longing for my husband. It seemed there was no win unless I could convince all the widows to move to our ranch and start cowgirling with me.
I looked at Alice as she inspected her perfectly painted nails.
And that wasn’t going to happen. I’d sooner get her to Sunday mass than back onto a cattle drive.
“You okay, Doris?” Sylvie asked. “You don’t need to worry about getting kidnapped. We’re only going to safe areas. Okay?”
I nodded, and instead of telling her it wasn’t just fear of getting kidnapped turning my smile upside down, I just tapped her thigh and said, “Thank you.”
My widows. My best friends. The sisters I’d always wished I could have. Every minute with them brought so much joy to my heart, and I would be forever grateful that they’d been placed in my path. I’d thought I was happy to bide my last years of life knitting away while I waited for my ticket to Heaven, but it turned out I had a whole world still waiting for me to enjoy. They’d helped me push my boundaries, face my fears, and opened me up in a way that I’d never thought possible for someone like me. The rest of my life wasn’t just waiting quietly for my turn to get to Heaven anymore. While I was still excited to get there someday, this new chapter in my life was so much more than I’d ever imagined. No longer was I just a widow and an empty nester biding her time with knitting until the good Lord called me home. I was a wife again. A caretaker. A friend. An adventurer. Every day I felt needed again, and it warmed up my heart like the hearth burning in the cabin Axel and I called home on those cold winter nights.
“Oh! We’re here!” Sylvie bounced in her seat.
I clapped my hands, shaking off the fear of kidnapping and the sadness over missing my husband. “Oh, goody! What is it? What are we doing? I’m so excited!”
My last wish had been a surprise since I hadn’t remembered writing it down, but this time I understood my goal. I just didn’t know how they planned to accomplish it. When the taxi turned the corner, and I saw the helicopter sitting on the pad, I covered my mouth with my hand.
“Ta-da!” Sylvie grinned. “We’re going on a helicopter ride!”
“Oh, my!” I said, my hand muffling the words. “A helicopter! What a grand idea! I’ve never been on one, and I’ll certainly feel like I’m flying like a bird!”
“You like?” Sylvie asked, grinning.
Nodding, I let my hand drop back to my lap. “I love it. I think it’s a wonderful way to experience flight andreallyfeel like I’m flying instead of being up in those big planes where you can hardly tell.”
“Oh, hell yeah!” Marge punched into the air. “I haven’t been in a chopper since ‘Nam! It’s the best feeling in the world when you’re zipping and zooming around up there. Good freaking idea, Sylvie!”
She gave Sylvie a fist bump, and Alice just sighed. “I don’t suppose there is a beverage service?”
“You’ll survive without vodka for a few hours.” Marge groaned. “Cripes, you’ve probably still got so much in your blood from last night that you’ll be buzzed straight through until tomorrow.”
“Oh, I have vodka.” She tapped her bag. “I just wanted some ice. It’s warm out today.”
“Oh, Alice.” I tsked. “You really do need to drink more water.”
“Like I always say—”
