I suddenly looked up. “You know where the device is?”
He nodded. “Can you help me?”
“Where is it?” I needed to know how we were going to get to it and unjam it in time.
“The crew is pacing in front of the rear
galley, but I noticed that they are standing guard in front of the long cabinet. That cabinet has a hatch to the cargo hold.”
“What? I didn’t think you could get to it from up here.”
“This jet is brand new,” he explained. “The FAA has required all new aircraft have access for safety reasons. And thank God, because if I can get down there, we can end this.”
I nodded along with his explanation.
“What do you want me to do?” I asked.
AJ leaned toward me. His cologne sent my head spinning. I choked back the tears for everything I was feeling. The anxiety. The pain. The fear. The love.
“I’m going to guide you through it.”
His hand found mine and I clutched at his fingers.
Chapter Eighteen
Becca and I sat together on cold aluminum bleachers. She shouted when Travis ran straight toward the goal with the ball. I didn’t know if she was a soccer fan before she met Travis, but she definitely was one now. I couldn’t judge. I had willingly picked up the metaphorical pompoms for AJ.
I wrapped my sweater closer to my chest. It was supposed to snow tonight. The guys wanted to get the game in before the weather caused the league to cancel.
“Who plays soccer when it’s this fucking cold?” Becca complained.
Travis missed the shot and the other team scrambled to take the ball to the other end of the field. I tensed.
I watched AJ dive in the goal. He was keeper. The scariest and most dangerous position on the team. Every time I attended a game I cringed, worrying he was going to be kicked in the face with a pair of cleats or would launch himself into the metal goal frame. Neither was a good scenario.
“They should just agree to tie, right?” I questioned the sanity of this entire match. “Couldn’t they do that?”
She nodded. “This is nuts.” She reached into her backpack. “But at least I brought hot toddies for us.” There was a mischievous smile on her lips.
“Oh thank God.” I didn’t care what she had put in that thermos. I would drink anything that would thaw me from the inside out.
“Old Southern recipe,” she explained. “All bourbon with a dash of hot black tea.”
“Gimme. Gimme.” I held out the Styrofoam cup she had packed and watched as she filled it to the top.
We toasted each other and turned our attention to the field.
“You know that place next to us is up for rent now,” Becca commented. “I’m sure you’ve seen it.”
I almost spat my hot bourbon out. “What?” I hadn’t told her about the night AJ and I spent making out in the empty space.
She giggled. “It’s right next door. An investor bought it soon after we moved in. Updated the bathrooms and tore down the wallpaper. He turned it into a rental. I thought he was going to move in. He’s kind of an older silver fox type. Just thought I’d throw it out there in case you and AJ were looking for a place.”
It wasn’t as if we hadn’t talked about moving in together. We had. We were either at his place or mine. It was rare we spent a night apart. Even if one of his cases kept him out late, we found a way to see each other.
“Thanks for letting me know.”
“What? That’s it? Don’t you want me to give you the details?” Becca tucked her messy blond bun back under her beanie.