Lei'd With Cupcakes (Cupcakes 3)

I said nothing. Instead, I went silently back into the living room to finish packing.

“I miss the days when you could walk your people all the way to the gate, and stay with them until their plane took off,” Cade’s mom was saying as she gave us all our second round of hugs.

“Wahine, let them go,” Pops said, pulling Cade’s mom a couple steps back and putting his a

rm around her shoulder.

“I’ll facetime you,” Elena was saying to Alani, and then we were off.

Well, we walked a whole three feet away to get in the long line and go through security. Cade’s family stayed until we were safely through the checkpoint, then we all turned and waved and followed the signs to our gate.

“I’m gonna stop here and grab a beer,” Cade said, gesturing with his bag toward the closest bar.

“I want to go find our gate first,” I argued. I liked to actually see the letters of my destination on the little board at the gate, so I knew for sure that we were in the right place.

“Okay, go find the gate, then come back. I’ll be here,” he insisted, then went to sit at the bar.

“I’m going with Cade,” Elin said, wheeling his suitcase as fast as he could to catch up.

“I’ll go with you, Mom,” Elena said.

“Thanks, honey,” I replied, grateful not to have to go by myself.

Once I confirmed where our gate was, and that it was the correct gate, Lena and I went back through the terminal to where we’d left Cade and Elin.

“Ordered you a martini, and some chicken fingers for you, Lena,” Cade said as we hopped up on the stools next to them.

“Thanks, honey,” I said, feeling bad for the names I’d been calling him in my head all the way to the gate and back.

I took a sip of my dirty martini and moaned. Perfect.

Placing my hand on Cade’s impressive bicep, I leaned over to kiss his cheek. He was such a good man. Sure, he didn’t jump to do what I wanted him to all the time, but he didn’t stop me from doing it, and if I was honest, I didn’t always cater to him either. And yet, I could still count on him to think of me and my kids, and anticipate our needs.

He is definitely a keeper.

That thought lasted about twenty minutes, until we boarded the plane, got settled in our seats, and Cade turned his head, promptly falling asleep.

I scowled at his sleeping face, annoyed that he’d once again dropped right off to sleep, and we hadn’t even left the gate yet. I gave side eyes to Elin and Elena, who were luckily putting their things away quietly, and not getting on each other’s nerves yet.

“Would you like a tablet?” the flight attendant asked. “They’re loaded with movies, TV shows, music, and even games.”

“Sure, we’ll take three,” I said, thinking maybe watching a few movies would help me get drowsy this time, or at least make the flight go by faster.

She passed over the tablets and headphones, then quoted the price. When I handed her my credit card I said, “You can also add four screwdrivers to that bill, since you have my credit card already.”

If she was shocked by my request, she hid it well, and within moments I was kicked back with a screwdriver, watching an old episode of Friends.

I could already tell this flight was going to be much better than the last one.

Sometime later I jolted awake to the plane bouncing. I gripped my armrests, fear slamming into me as the plane shook all around me.

“Cade,” I cried, wondering how he was still sleeping through this.

“Mom?” Elin called from my left and I turned to see him and Elena huddled together, holding each other close, their little faces terrified.

“It’s okay, guys, everything’s going to be fine,” I said, as calmly as possible, then turned to my right and forced my hand to move from the armrest to Cade’s thigh. I squeezed as hard as I could, laughing a little maniacally when he opened his eyes then sat up.

“What’s up?” he asked, as if our teeth weren’t rattling with the force of the turbulence.