by Alexa Riley
“Transcribing, yes because it’s flexible and I could do it from anywhere. But anywhere to me isn’t a home, and that’s where I want to be.” That might just be because I’m feeling homesick, and I’m sure he probably thinks that’s super lame. Most people want to travel the world and see what’s out there. I thought I did at first, but I’m stuck in one spot so far.
“I travel a lot for work too.” I perk up, wanting to learn more about the Russian man who stole the seat next to me.
He’d been sweet to make the other man move, but I was sure a fight would break out. Thankfully the man next to me took one look at Miller and he was up and out of his seat. Watching the whole thing go down was so hot. I don’t think a man has ever come to my defense like that before, and I can’t say I didn’t love it.
I hadn't even looked at Miller’s face when he’d issued the order to the drunken man next to me. Just hearing his voice made my whole body light up in a way it never had before. Then when I finally looked up, some of my excitement ramped up. He was so big he probably didn’t have another option but to sit in first class. Seeing him looming over the drunk guy and taking charge made my panties melt.
When he sat down next to me and hung on every word that came out of my mouth, it was like I was dreaming. I’m not sure if he’s being a gentleman, but ever since he dismissed the other guy I think he’s been flirting with me. It’s hard to get a read on him when he doesn't say much, but he keeps pressing for me to tell him more and keep talking.
I’m used to the doctors and medical professionals that I work with. It’s safe to say that from my experience, most are men wearing the same kind of fancy suits, but Miller’s demeanor is totally different. He puts me at ease, and I haven't once reached for my headphones to try and stop the conversation.
“And now that I’ve bored you with all my medical talk, what do you do that has you traveling so much?”
“Oil.”
“Seems fitting since we’re on a plane to Texas.” I give him a smile as I steal another sip of my liquid courage, not wanting to stop talking because I’ve grown shy. It’s something I don’t normally do until I start to develop a small crush.
“Not so sure anymore. Had a big sale this week. Retirement might be in my future.”
When I really take in the Russian, there’s no missing that he’s got money. His hair is dark and short on the sides but long enough to run fingers through on the top. From a glance I would have guessed he was a bodyguard and wearing a fancy suit to try to fit in. I’ve never been good at guessing age, but I think he’s maybe in his mid-thirties. It’s crazy he’s even thinking about retiring so young, but it goes back to my assessment about him being rich.
“How about you? If you’re selling medical equipment and not enjoying it, why keep going? Why not go back to your old job?”
I’m still fighting that battle in my head, but it might feel good to talk to a stranger. Someone that can give me a perspective from the outside and away from my family wanting me home. I know my parents will push for me to be closer, even if it’s not what’s best. Miller can be objective and honest.
“I’ve been telling myself I miss my sister and parents.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes, so much.” I nod and I can feel tears sting in my eyes just admitting it out loud.
“You have a good family then.” It’s not a question, but I answer.
“Not to brag, but I’d like to think they are the best. We might not have a lot of money, but we’re rich in so many ways. We laugh hard and love even harder.” I catch something in Miller’s eyes, but it’s gone quickly.
“There is something else,” he says, and I realize he’s good at reading people.
“I’m good at selling medical equipment. I’ve been proud of myself for that.”
“As you should be.”
I nod in agreement. “You know what these machines cost?” I let out a humorless laugh. “Machines that not everyone can afford, even though they could save lives every day if they did have them.” I drop my head. “As great as it is to sell these things, it’s heartbreaking to walk away from others that need them.”
He stares at me like he’s taking in every single word of what I’m saying. His gaze makes me feel like he can see into me and understand my frustration. I fight the instinct to fidget in my seat under his intense stare, and when I bite my bottom lip nervously, his eyes stay on my mouth.
It’s then I know I’ve lost my mind because there’s no way this man is into me. I shoot up from my chair and almost forget my tray is out. This sexy Russian man doesn't, and with effortless grace, snags my drink without spilling a drop and manages to close my tray for me.
“Bathroom,” I blurt out, and he nods as he steps out of the way, still holding my drink for me.
When I escape into the small bathroom, I get a good look at myself. My hair is still a wild mess from the mad dash this morning, and I pull it up in a bun. I don’t have a speck of makeup on, and to top it off, I’m in slip-on shoes with leggings I slept in last night. I grabbed a sweater out of my bag after I boarded, and it hides some of the best parts of my curvy body. Yeah, he was so not looking at my mouth like he wanted to kiss me.
I take a breath and give myself an internal pep talk. I’m going to go back out there and speak to Miller like two people making small talk and nothing more. This isn't flirting, he’s just a nice guy that did me solid. He’s proven that point from the second I met him, and I’m not going to flirt with him and make him feel awkward. I don’t want to do something he doesn't want to do because he is a nice guy and might agree to be polite.
After I get myself together and find my way back to my seat, I don’t miss Miller’s brother giving me a curious look as I move in beside Miller. Once I’m seated, Miller hands me my champagne glass, and I smile at him.
“You and your brother look so much alike, yet there’s something so different. I can’t place what it is, but maybe it’s the eye color.” I don’t say that there’s something about Miller that I find more comforting. His brother has a coldness behind his eyes, and I don’t believe for a second it’s because they are blue.
“Do you and your sister look alike?”
“Night and day.” I reach into my purse and pull out a picture. “We have a lot of the same features, but our hair and eyes are so different.”
“The dimples.” He points at me, and it makes me smile bigger, which shows them off.
He gives me a heated look that has me averting my eyes because I’m not used to a man looking at me like that. So I do what any girl would do to get the attention off her—I change the subject.
“What are your plans for the holiday? Are you going to see family?” When I finally steal a glance back at him, I notice his mood shifts.
“Not really.”
Knowing we’re both heading to the same city, I blurt out the last thing I ever thought I would say in my entire life. “Then you should come with me. You’ve never had a Thanksgiving unless you’ve had one at the Williams’ house.” He looks unsure of how to respond to my request, so I use the one trick that always works on me. “You wouldn't want to disappoint my mom, would you? She’s what sweetness is made of. I’m pretty sure without her holidays would cease to exist.”
When I watch one of the corners of his mouth turn up in a smirk, I’m pretty sure I’ve won this battle. I’m also pretty sure I might be turning into my mother. It’s certainly not a bad thing, but I’m not about to let her know.
Chapter Four
Miller
The light above our heads comes on, and the plane begins to rattle a little. Turbulence is something that happens on occasion and doesn't bother me. But Frost? I glance back at him and see his hands gripping the arms of the seat and his knuckles turning white.
“This is your captain speaking, please fasten your seatbelts.” The voice comes through the cabin, and I glance over at Pumpkin. “We’re getting ready to land in the next twenty minutes, but we’re g
oing to have a few bumps along the way.”
I hear Frost from behind me cursing in Russian, and I turn around. “It’s going to be okay,” I say to him in a low voice, and he presses his lips together tightly.
“I hate when the plane bounces,” Pumpkin says, and I see a hand go to her stomach while the other grips her arm rest almost identically to Frost.
“It will be okay.” Without a second thought I place my much larger hand over hers and squeeze a little. She looks up at me and then away quickly.
“Tell me something.”
“Tell you what?” she asks distractedly.
“Something that will keep your mind off of the bumps.” The plane dips again as I say it, and there are a few sounds from people behind us in the plane.
We’re moving quite a bit now as the plane rocks, and the flight attendants strap into their seats. The captain comes back on and tells us it won’t be much longer, but I can feel the anxious panic from Pumpkin beside me and Frost at my back.
I turn to face her but speak loud enough for my brother to hear. “Thanksgiving is in two days. Are you sure your family will welcome the both of us?”
“Um yes.” Pumpkin swallows and then looks at me with more confidence. “They’ll love to meet the both of you.”
“Da, and will you cook for me?”
The flush of her cheeks isn’t from nervousness as she smiles. “Yes, I’ll cook for you.”
“My brother loves desserts, but I prefer…” I take my time glancing down her body before I look into her eyes. “Savory.”
“L-like what?” She leans closer to me, and I do the same, like we’re sharing a secret.
“Something warm.” I use the tip of my finger to trace the shape of her jaw before I graze her bottom lip. “Something decadent.”
I hear Frost speaking in Russian, but I ignore him, and Pumpkin doesn’t seem to hear him. I lean even closer to her, to where I can feel her breath against my lips, and I can see the flecks of gold in her ice blue eyes.
“Tell me, sweet Pumpkin, do you have something like that for me?” If I pressed my lips to hers right now, I think her desire would taste like the first drink of coffee on a cold snowy morning. This little woman could make me addicted with one tiny bite.
Her eyes slowly close, and my finger traces down her chin and to the delicate skin of her neck. I can feel her heartbeat thumping against my thumb like a baby kitten in my arms. I want to cuddle her in my lap and use her as the comfort I have been without for so many years.
“Thank you for flying with us today, please be careful when opening your overhead compartment.”
The sound of the flight attendant’s voice breaks the moment between us, and Pumpkin blinks her eyes open and leans back in her seat. She’s left me cold and separated from her, and I don’t like the dismissal of what just happened.
Without my realizing it, the plane has landed, and they are opening the cabin door. I glance up in time to see the little drunk man is the first to scurry off the plane and I grind my teeth. I would have loved one more chance at him once we were off the plane.
I stand up, and Frost shoves my bag against my chest as he walks off of the plane without me. I want to go after him, but I see that Pumpkin has turned away from me while she gathers her things.
“Do you have a bag?” I ask her, and she nods as she stands.
“Yeah, but it should be right by the exit.”
“I will walk with you,” I say, and it’s not a request.
I don’t understand why she won’t look at me as we exit the plane and walk through the lobby of the airport. I need to make her smile and talk to me like she was just before we landed. Before we almost kissed.
“Give me your phone.” I see Frost in the distance at the exit doors checking his watch. “I need to leave, but I want to call you.”
“Um, okay.” She stops at the carousel where the luggage is going around on a belt and takes her phone out of her bag.
I use it to call my phone first and then save the contact. “I will call you tonight.”
“Look, it’s okay.”
“What is okay?” My eyebrows pull together in confusion. “I don’t like the tone you use.”
“What I mean is that I appreciate you moving that jerk out of the way, and for talking to me on the flight. It was nice to just…I don’t know…talk to someone.”
“I enjoyed our conversation too.” My blunt statement makes the corner of her lip turn up and I like that.
“You don’t owe me anything. That’s all I'm trying to say.”
I step closer to her and take her hand in mine. “You don’t owe me for saving you.” She swallows as she looks up at me, and I hold out her phone for her. “I will call you tonight.”
She bites her bottom lip in that worried way like she did on the plane and takes the phone from me. “Okay, I guess I’ll talk to you later.”
When I lean down, I press my cheek to hers and put my lips to her ear. “I will think of you until then, Pumpkin.”
I breathe in the scent of lavender before I force myself to take a step back and walk away. I look back at her several times as we exit, and the whole time she’s standing there with her hand pressed to her cheek.
“You’re a fool,” Frost scolds me as we meet our driver at the curb.
“Da,” I agree, grabbing his arm to keep him from getting inside.
“What are you doing?” He looks at me like I’m crazy as I walk over to our driver.
“See that girl in there, with the dark hair.” I point to where Pumpkin is turned away from us, and my driver nods. “Take her wherever she wants to go. Name is Pumpkin. That’s an order.”
“It will be done.” He bows his head and walks into the airport to go speak to her.
“Miller, we are late,” Frost scolds as I hold my hand out and wave for a taxi.
When one pulls up to the curb, I open the door for him and wait expectantly. After a moment he rolls his eyes and gets in the back, and I follow in after him. We were supposed to be on an earlier flight, but I hadn’t really thought about it until now. I forgot about our investors’ meeting, forgot about missing our flight earlier in the day, forgot about everything when I saw her.
Was it fate that I happened to be on the same flight as her? Maybe. Am I going to do everything I can to make her mine? Definitely.
Chapter Five
Pumpkin
With each step I take away from Miller, there’s a sinking feeling forming in my stomach. I know I got his number, but what will come out of it? We flirted most of the flight, but he might have thought it was all in good fun. When the plane landed, he could have felt obligated to give me his information, and for all I know the number isn’t even real.
We live in different parts of the world doing different things. It's so hard to see how something like that could ever work. I don’t think it’s smart to allow myself to imagine it.
If I called him and the number wasn’t real, it would super suck. But if I called and he answered, that makes me a clinger that can't go two seconds without finding out what he’s up to. So, I’ll do the rational thing and wait. Even if it kills me.
“Miss Williams?” A man in an all-black suit calls my name, and I look behind me to see if he’s talking to someone else. Williams is a common name, but then I hear him say “Pumpkin” and realize he’s for sure talking to me.
“That’s me, but I didn't call for a ride.” I feel like an asshole because I just assumed he’s a driver. “I'm sorry, I don’t know why I said that. Is there something you need?” He lets out a warm laugh that makes the lines around his eyes crinkle.
“I’m your driver.”
“Oh. But—”
“Hey, I’ve already been paid, so you might as well take the free ride.” This time it’s me that’s laughing.
“You’ve made a fair point, Mr.…” I hold my hand out.
“Wyatt, ma’am,” he answers.
“Now I really do feel like I’m back in Texas
.” He tries to open the door for me, but I wave him off. “I’d much rather ride in the front if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.” He takes my bags for me and puts them into the back as I get into the passenger seat. On the dashboard he has all kinds of pictures, and when he gets in, I ask him about all of them.
By the time we make it to my parents’ house, Wyatt almost feels like a distant cousin with all I know about him and his family. It’s sweet to listen to a man go on about his family and wife while smiling from ear to ear. It's something I hope to have one day. It’s also another reminder that the job I have right now isn't really leading me down the path to that dream.
When I get out of the car, Wyatt goes for my bag, but my mom and dad are already all over me. I try not to cry as I see them rushing toward me, because this is a happy moment, and if I spring a leak my mom is going to lose it.
“Wyatt, this is my mom Rose and my father Winter.” Wyatt’s lips form a thin line. “It’s okay to laugh at that, Wyatt, we get it.” He lets out a deep chuckle. “I’d invite you to Thanksgiving dinner to meet my sister Cookie, but I’m guessing you have your own plans.”
He tries to hide his laugh and looks at me like I can’t be serious. “Cookie?”
“I know, and she can’t even bake a batch without burning them.”
“Oh, hang on one second, wait right here,” my mom says as she moves quickly back inside the house.
My dad leans close to Wyatt and whispers conspiratorially, “Word of advice, I have no idea what she’s about to bring out for you, but just take it. You won’t win the fight, and it could go on for hours.”
Wyatt nods. “Of course.”
“Smart man,” my dad says, slapping him on the shoulder. “You’re clearly happily married.”
“That I am.”
A moment later, Mom is coming back down the driveway with a box. Her hair looks so much like my own. Even those dimples in her cheeks are on full display.
