by Katie Knight
Chapter Three
Ben popped the top on his soft drink and twisted the can around absently. He’d been stealing glances at Megan for the past twenty minutes. God, was she beautiful—even more so than he remembered. He had lots of memories to compare to…memories that were fresh in his mind because they were what had gotten him through the long, lonely nights out in the field. At first, it had torn at him to recall her face, those wide eyes with bursts of green, gold, and blue around the irises, her high cheek bones, and petite nose. Lush lips that were impossibly soft, the graceful column of her neck, and the slope of her shoulders. He looked toward their seats when Logan let out a belly laugh at something Megan said.
He'd made the right decision to leave. Hadn't she said so herself? She was better off without him. There was a sharp pain in the back of his throat as he mentally replayed her words. He'd loved her—and damn, it was hard to see her now. His entire life, he hadn't been enough to keep anyone by his side. He was taken from his birth mother when he was two and was placed with a couple who only wanted him for the money—something they made a point of emphasizing each time he got into trouble. His career as a SEAL gave him purpose, and for the first time, he had a family that would never abandon him. One that he trusted with his life. Before his brothers, he hadn’t believed such a thing was possible. But even now, he had trouble believing romantic relationships could ever truly work. If he had stuck around back then, when they were in college, it would’ve only been a matter of time before Megan left him.
Wouldn’t she have?
She pointed out the window and showed Logan a cloud that looked like a dragon. Then one that looked like a shark. The boy giggled again and traced the shape with his finger against the glass. When he got bored imagining shapes in the clouds, Megan leaned forward and dug through her bag. How many toys and games and snacks did she have in there? Every few minutes, she'd reach in and take out something new to entertain the kid. He had to admit it was effective because Logan hadn’t had one meltdown. Between the sticker scenes and matching games, he was getting tired just watching her. She hadn’t stopped in the hour since they’d boarded plane. His lips twitched when Logan pointed to a puppet in the bag.
“Sing, Meggy. Sing!” The boy bounced around in his seat, trying to lean over to reach the fuzzy spider.
“Ah…that might be a little too loud for the plane.” She shot a glance over her shoulder, and he swore her cheeks reddened. “How about a story, instead?”
Logan’s mouth twisted into a pout, and Ben couldn’t help but chuckle. “Don’t let me stop you,” he said. “We are the only ones on the plane, except for the flight crew. And I doubt they’ll be able to hear you from the cockpit.”
Megan sighed and slipped the puppet over her hand. “All right, all right. But you’ve been warned—my voice hasn’t improved.” She smiled, and his heart skipped.
Megan broke out into a song about a spider climbing up a spout, holding nothing back. Logan clapped along, while he struggled to contain the belly laugh bursting inside him. He used to tease her, in a good-natured sort of way, but would she be embarrassed if he did so now? Megan had always had a horrible singing voice, but it hadn’t stopped her from belting out tunes in his truck. Those had been happy times. Scary happy—the kind that made you wonder how crushed you’d be when they ended.
When she finished, she angled her head toward him. “See?”
Ben pressed his hand over his heart. “I was honestly concerned about the cabin pressure if the window cracked,” he teased. Megan threw her head back and laughed, and his heart expanded. She had the sweetest laugh, airy and full of joy.
Seeing her again, talking to her like this, made him wish that things could have been different. In another life, maybe they’d have married, and the kid begging for another song next to her would be theirs. As good as it was to see her, he was glad the flight was already halfway over. He didn’t need to daydream about things that weren’t meant for him. In another hour she’d walk out of his life again, and that would be that. The thought left him with an empty feeling in his gut and an ache in his chest, but he pointedly ignored them both. He just needed to get through the flight. Then he could return to his controlled life—one that held no chance of being hurt by someone he cared for.
Ben ran both hands through his hair, then clicked the release on his seatbelt. He needed a second to pull himself together, to restore his focus. He strode down the carpeted aisle to the restroom and shut the door behind him. The man who stared back at him in the mirror looked like he’d seen a ghost, and the yellowish light cast a sickly tinge over his complexion. He let the breath hiss between his teeth and turned on the faucet, splashing his face a few times before roughly drying off with a paper towel.
If only he’d taken the red-eye, he would’ve missed Megan entirely. There was a pang in his chest. No, as much as his nerve endings were twisting and tangling in his gut, he couldn’t regret the chance to see her again. To see with his own eyes that she was doing okay, that she was strong and capable, doing something that fulfilled her. Without him. He tossed the damp paper towel in the trash and turned toward the exit. The noise of his footsteps was masked by the worn aisle carpeting as he walked toward his seat. Hunkering down and fastening the seatbelt over his lap kept his eyes off Megan for all of five seconds, but he couldn't seem to stop staring like she might poof into thin air if he looked away.
Megan turned to him and opened her mouth to speak, but her words were buried under a thunderous boom. A second later, there was another deafening blast, and he whipped around toward the back of the plane. His stomach dropped as the plane dipped and shuddered. Dammit, that sounded like the engine had blown. Ben looked around the cabin, assessing the situation. Smoke plumed outside the window on the plane's left side, and his stomach hardened as his adrenaline spiked. He wasn’t afraid for himself, but for Megan and the kid. He wasn’t sure if he’d grabbed Megan’s hand or if she had grabbed his, but the next thing he was aware of, their hands were linked, her knuckles going white against his. The boy whimpered uncontrollably, and she pulled him close against her side. They sat in complete silence for a minute as the plane bobbed in the air before static from the radio filled the cabin.
“This is your captain. Prepare for a crash landing. Brace for impact.”
Megan’s heartbeat raced at the pilot’s words. One moment there was a pair of loud crashing sounds, one after the other, like a car backfiring. And then the plane was tipping back and forth, shaking violently. The scent of burning chemicals and plastic wafted through the cabin. Megan was filled with a horrible certainty that they were going to die. Their plane was going to crash. She needed to be brave for Logan, but her muscles were frozen in place, a scream locked in her throat waiting to break free. Things were moving too quickly, and her breath was coming in quick, frenzied gasps. The oxygen masks dropped down, and her first instinct was to put Logan’s on, but Ben squeezed her hand.
“Yours first,” he yelled. “Otherwise, you’ll be unconscious in ten seconds.” He placed his own mask and secured the elastic bands. Her fingers were so numb, so cold, she had a difficult time grabbing the straps. Ben took the lead, reaching over and fastening hers. Then she turned to Logan and quickly brought the plastic cup over his face, moving faster now.
Ben tapped her shoulder, mimicked putting his head down while hugging his knees, then pointed at her and Logan. It was challenging to get Logan to follow her direction. His eyes were glazed with terror and shock, so she kept one arm over him, hugging him close with all of her might while still keeping him strapped in the seat. She reached for Ben's hand again and found him waiting to grasp on tight. She tried to draw strength from him, trying to be brave as the plane nose-dived. She prayed that somehow, Logan would survive the impact and Charles and Susan would be reunited with their son.
As for the people she would be leaving behind… Her sister, Brianna, was just finishing college in Los Angeles and would be crushed to hear of the plane cras
h. Megan had practically raised her younger sister. Their father had been long gone before Brianna was old enough to really remember him, and their mom had been busy juggling multiple jobs to support three kids, leaving Megan to keep things running at home. She wasn’t as close with her older brother, Landon, now that he had a family of his own with his wife, Amy, but they still called regularly and tried to see each other for the holidays every year. Megan’s only nephew, Caleb, was Logan’s age. It made her heart ache to think that she wouldn’t see Caleb again. He was still so small—would he even remember her once he grew up? As for her parents, she didn’t keep in touch with her father, not after he repeatedly let her down, but she was in contact with her mom who was a nervous wreck anytime Megan flew in the first place.
Ben rubbed his thumb across her knuckles, and she found comfort in his touch. Even though their plane was going down, the rough pads of his fingers felt good against her skin. Maybe it was too late for regrets, but not spending more time loving Ben was her biggest one.
If she had known the outcome of today’s flight, maybe she would’ve told Ben she forgave him. That no one had ever captured her heart like he had. Memories assaulted her, reeling like a video on fast-forward—Ben grinning at a carnival game as he won her a giant stuffed sloth, cuddling close on blankets he’d spread in the bed of his truck so they could watch the stars, the beautiful intensity of the first time they’d made love. If she hadn’t pushed him to turn their relationship into something more serious, maybe he would’ve stayed. She’d been so ready to start their lives together, she hadn’t considered he might want something else entirely.
Ben gave her hand a final squeeze as the plane rammed into the ground. The impact was like nothing she'd ever experienced, and her shoulder slammed into the seat in front of her. There was another loud bang, and then everything went dark.
Chapter Four
There was a sharp pain radiating in Megan's shoulder and an ache in her neck and spine. Those were the first things she noticed. It actually took a moment for it to register that she was still alive. The plane had stopped moving, and there were densely packed evergreen trees outside the window. She looked over at Logan, whose shoulders were shaking with silent tears. The poor thing would most likely need years of therapy after this ordeal. Megan pulled off her oxygen mask and inspected Logan from head to toe, shocked but enormously relieved to see no sign of injury. It was a miracle that he'd made it through the crash unscathed.
“Everyone okay?”
She hadn't heard Ben leave his seat, but when she turned her head, she saw that he was unbuckled, crouching at the side of her seat. He put his hand on her knee and gave it a light double squeeze.
"I think so. I don't know how, but I think we’re just a little banged up—nothing worse." Tears burned her eyes. She had been so sure they weren't going to make it, but somehow all three of them had survived the crash landing.
"It's okay, Champ," Ben said to Logan. "It's all over now." He pushed to his feet and ran his hand over her hair. These little caresses and touches were making her heart ache.
“I’m going to check on the pilot and flight attendant.” Ben began pushing down the aisle, moving dislodged seats and debris out of his way.
Megan unbuckled her seatbelt and lifted Logan onto her lap for a cuddle. She wiped his tears and breathed in the sweet scent of his shampoo, so grateful he was okay. As if her touch unlocked his shock, releasing all his pent-up emotions, he let out a wail and buried his face against her neck. His tears trickled against her skin, and she rocked him back and forth, trying to comfort him the best she could. She caught sight of Ben leaving the cockpit, face grim with his lips pressed in a thin, tight line. He came to stand next to her, and a queasiness rolled in her belly.
"We're on our own for now," he said in a low tone. It was clear Ben was trying not to scare Logan, but she got the message. The three of them were the only survivors of the crash. Her breath hitched, and a tear rolled down her cheek. Their poor families. "The radio was busted, but I checked to make sure the ELT beacon was switched on so the rescue teams can locate us.”
Megan nodded. “Okay. I need to call Logan’s parents. As soon as the plane’s reported missing, they’ll be notified. I don’t want them to think the worst.”
"I don't have cell service, but maybe you'll have better luck." He stared down at her, eyes unreadable, and opened his mouth to speak again. He must've had second thoughts about what he was about to say because he turned away and began collecting his things that had scattered over the floor. Megan took one hand off Logan, and he whimpered and huddled closer to her, gripping her hair and neck. She whispered soothing nonsense into his ear as she reached into the seat pocket where she'd stored her phone and fished around. The cold plastic case connected with her hand and she pulled it out, relieved to note that it didn’t seem to have been damaged in the crash. The screen lit up at her touch, but the bars at the top of the phone indicated that she too had no cell service. Megan tried anyway, but the call didn’t go through. Neither did the text she tried next.
The Hamiltons were going to be in a complete panic when they learned of the plane crash and didn’t know if Logan was all right.
“I have to set you down for just a moment. Okay, Logan? The crash is all done, the plane is stopped.” Logan lifted his chin and gave her a brave nod. Megan got to her feet. Her legs quaked under her, but she braced herself against the seat and stayed standing. The dizziness would pass; for now, she needed to collect her and Logan's things. Her carryon bag had tipped over during the crash, and their belongings were scattered throughout the cabin. She crouched down, collecting toys and crafts one by one and placing them back where they belonged. When they were all accounted for she stood up, and her knees buckled. Ben was behind her in an instant, holding her upright with strong arms. His shower-fresh scent mixed with smoke from the crash tickled her nose.
“Whoa, there. Take it easy.” His voice was gruff and all male. “You’re trembling.” He gathered her close, even though his shoulders stayed stiff. He gave her back an awkward pat. Ben had always been a little uncomfortable with physical affection. It was as if he'd read about it, seen it in movies and on TV shows, but hadn't experienced it enough to feel comfortable initiating it. But he did try. Even when they were dating, he’d tried to hug and cuddle her because he knew she liked it. Right now, even though she knew better, she wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her cheek against his solid chest. Just for a moment, she wanted to be held by him.
Then she would straighten her shoulders and do what needed to be done.
In the past, she’d always found his difficulty with affection endearing—and she did now too. Something in her heart softened toward him, but she reminded herself not to get carried away in the moment. There was no way she was going to fall for him again. If her heart and mind got mixed up with emotions, there’s no telling how long it would take her to get over him this time.
“Okay?” he asked putting her at arms’ length to look her over.
She glanced at Logan, who was cradling his spider puppet. “I’m all right. I didn’t realize how shaky I was, but I’m okay now.”
Her eyes widened when he pulled her against him once more, gave her a quick squeeze, and then released her. “I was scared for you both. I’m glad neither you nor Logan were injured.”
She knew she shouldn’t, but she reached out and took his hands. “I was worried about you, too.” For one heartbeat, then two, they stood connected, fear from the crash and relief that they’d survived passing between them. She couldn’t read his expression, but there was something in his eyes that made her heart stutter.
“Do you think we can access our luggage?” she asked, purposely dissolving the tension between them.
“I’ll go search for it. Then we can make a game plan.” He started to turn away.
“Ben,” she stepped forward and grabbed his hand. “I’m glad you’re here with us.” That didn’t begin to explain the relief s
he felt, not just that she wasn’t alone with Logan, but that Ben was the one who was with them. They could’ve boarded the doomed flight with anyone. Someone who wouldn’t have been able to coach her through putting on her oxygen mask or reminding her of the brace position to keep her and Logan as safe as possible. He very well could’ve saved her life, and in doing so, saved the child she cared so deeply for. Maybe she couldn’t trust him with her heart, but he'd do everything he could to keep them safe. Of that, there was no doubt in her mind.
He cleared his throat. “I’m glad I am too.” Ben slipped his hand from hers and started toward the front of the plane while she opened up each overhead compartment to see if there was anything there that might be of use. Megan reached over her head and rose up on her tippy-toes trying to grab the spare passenger blankets and pillows wedged slightly out of reach. She startled when a hand reached out to help her. Ben had come up behind her, like a ghost, and reached one heavily muscled arm over her head to grab the items. He was so close, she could feel the heat radiating off his body. She only had to put one foot behind the other to be flush against him. To have those powerful arms wrap around her as he whispered in her ear that everything would be all right. Her capacity to fantasize about a man at a time like this was both concerning and somewhat humorous. Of course, Ben wasn’t just any man, he’d been her man.
“Good thinking,” he said as he placed the pile of pillows and blankets on the seat beside her. “The main door is jammed. I’ll have to go through an emergency exit to get to the cargo area.”
