She didn’t expect the Burgesses to greet her warmly and try to make her feel welcome. There was no reason they should be anything more than polite. Mack had been right about that much, and Wendy was honest enough to admit it. If Marissa had been her sister and Rory her niece, and someone had deliberately kept the news of the child’s existence away from her for months, she might treat that person with frigid courtesy, but she wouldn’t be inclined to do any more. No matter how good a reason that person had, she would be wary – and she expected no more of the Burgesses.
Still, even if every minute of her stay was difficult, she didn’t regret the impulse which had made her take up Mack’s challenge and agree to come. This way she could see for herself what conditions Rory’s new life would include. At least she’d know the truth, then, and she wouldn’t be sitting in Phoenix worrying about whether the child was being well-treated.
And if it didn’t seem right? Well, she’d do something about it. She wasn’t sure what, but at least she would try.
The flight attendant came by. “What a beautiful baby you have,” she said, her voice deliberately soft so she didn’t disturb Mack and Rory. “She looks so much like her daddy, too.”
Wendy managed a weak smile. The flight attendant had seen a man, a woman and a baby travelling together, and had drawn the obvious conclusion; there wasn’t any point in explaining.
A dusky gray twilight settled over the plane as they passed into a cloud, and all visibility vanished as abruptly as if they’d been wrapped in a blanket. The plane must be starting to descend toward Chicago, Wendy thought. But she didn’t feel any altitude change, and Rory slept on without stirring.
The pilot announced cheerfully that since Chicago was experiencing moderate snowfall and gusting winds, traffic at O’Hare airport was backed up, and they’d be circling for a while before they could land.
Mack shifted his position so he could put his other hand on Rory’s back to hold her secure. “That’s par for the course. I hoped we’d beat this storm.”
“I didn’t even know there was one,” Wendy admitted. “Is it likely to be a problem?”
He opened his eyes halfway. “Hard to say. Chicago snowstorms are legendary. I was once on a flight from Detroit to O’Hare that flew in circles for three hours and finally landed back in Detroit. We might be delayed a half hour or we might end up somewhere else altogether. The only thing I know for sure is that we won’t go back to Phoenix, because we don’t have enough fuel.”
He didn’t need to talk to her like a child, Wendy thought. She knew perfectly well about airline diversions and delays; all she’d meant was that she hadn’t had time to watch a weather forecast. But what would she gain by arguing about it? “That’s hard luck for whoever’s meeting us.”
He turned his head to look at her. She’d have sworn he was surprised.
Wendy said, “You mean nobody’s meeting us?”
“I’m a big boy, Wendy. I’m capable of getting myself to and from airports.”
And after all, Wendy thought ironically, why should Rory’s grandparents be eager to see her? Though, as a matter of fact, it might be better for Rory to have their first meeting postponed to a quieter place and time. Perhaps they’d already thought of that, and Wendy was resenting them without cause.
They’d been circling for nearly an hour when the pilot announced, with a great deal less good humor, that because of the snow, visibility at O’Hare had dropped below the minimum necessary for landings, and they would be diverting to a regional airport.
Rory woke with a jolt and started to cry as if the pilot’s announcement had physically wounded her. “Let me take her,” Wendy said, and Mack passed the child over without hesitation. “Don’t airplanes have instruments for times like this?” Wendy fumbled in the carry-on for a bottle. “They fly in the dark, after all.”
“In the dark, you can see lights,” Mack pointed out reasonably. “But in snow or fog, you can’t see anything. Therefore, beyond certain limits, it isn’t safe to land.” He had to raise his voice to be heard over Rory’s wails. “What is the matter with that child?”
His irritation inexplicably made Wendy feel a little better. She’d been beginning to think he was trying out for sainthood. “Her ears probably hurt,” she said. “Didn’t you feel the change in air pressure just then?”
“I guess I’m so used to it I don’t pay any attention.”
“Well, Rory isn’t, and she doesn’t understand how to make it go away. Ask the flight attendant to heat her bottle, will you?”
Rory cried till the nipple was in her mouth, and then greedily settled to sucking. “Blessed silence,” Mack said, and offered his finger to the baby. She clutched it tightly and stared at him.
His elbow was propped on the armrest between their seats, and though he wasn’t actually touching her, Wendy could feel the warmth of his arm across her body.
She stole a look at him from the corner of her eye. He looked tired. That was the strain of the trip showing, she was sure. He might even be feeling a little disillusioned, since Rory was making it plain she was not the perfect baby on the front of the cereal box. Despite what he’d said about being a connoisseur of babies, Wendy had half-expected him to be the sort who took it personally if the infant didn’t live up to expectations. But he’d been the one who’d managed to quiet Rory earlier, and there was no reason for him to be holding her tiny hand right now if he didn’t want to.
Or perhaps it wasn’t the baby at all but his business that was bothering him. He’d already looked a little tired when he came to pick them up, Wendy remembered. She could see lines at the corners of his eyes – those hadn’t been there before. Part of her wanted to comfort him, to reach up and smooth away those lines, and make him smile again.
How perfectly foolish that would be! But it was no wonder if silly thoughts floated through her head now and then. She’d been very much alone in the last few months, so it really shouldn’t be any surprise that spending a little time with a man, in close quarters and in serious discussions, brought up a whole lot of conflicting feelings.
As if he felt the weight of her gaze, Mack looked up from Rory, and his eyes met Wendy’s.
He was a very attractive man, too. In fact, if circumstances had been different, she might even have wondered....
Don’t be an idiot, she thought. She’d never been the type to fall for a handsome face without looking well beyond it.
“What sort of business did you have in Phoenix?” she asked, before she realized that it wasn’t the most tactful of questions. “Sorry. Not my affair.”
One dark eyebrow rose slightly. “I don’t see why you shouldn’t ask,” he said mildly. “Though whether you’re really interested in the answer might be another story. The Burgess Group put some money into an expansion for a firm there. It’s a venture-capital deal, the development of a new product, and since it’s more adventurous than most of our investments, I’m keeping a close eye on how things are going. Not a very exciting affair, I’m afraid.”
She arranged the baby over her shoulder to burp her, and Mack’s hand brushed Wendy’s cheek as he drew his finger out of the baby’s grasp. He didn’t seem to notice, but the touch felt like a trace of fire to Wendy.
He leaned forward to look across her and out the window.
The engine pitch had changed; they were on final approach, and snow was pounding steadily against the glass. Wendy could barely see lights below them. If these conditions were acceptable for landing, she hated to think what it must be like at O’Hare.
Rory whimpered, and Wendy patted her back and murmured, “Just another few minutes, darling, and we’ll be safe on the ground.”
“For a while,” Mack added.
She watched, fascinated, as the airplane taxied toward the terminal. She’d seen snow before, of course, but never like this. There seemed to be a million tiny white darts pounding silently against the window, coming from all directions.
The flight attendant was using
the intercom. “Please remain seated until we are at the gate and the engines have stopped. There will be an aid station set up in the center of the terminal to assist passengers with lodging or other travel arrangements.”
“Damn,” Mack said. “I was afraid of that.”
Wendy was puzzled. “Isn’t that good? They could just leave us on our own, couldn’t they?”
The plane reached the terminal and pulled up to the gate. Mack stood up and began retrieving their coats from the overhead bins. Wendy reluctantly interrupted Rory’s feeding and tucked the bottle safely away. When the engines died, she gathered the baby up.
“Put your coat on,” Mack ordered.
“We’re just going from the plane to the terminal.”
“The gate will be cold.”
She obediently handed the baby over so she could slip her trench coat on. Mack ignored Rory’s protests and wrapped her in a blanket like a mummy.
He wasn’t joking; the frigid air inside the ramp between plane and terminal almost took Wendy’s breath away. “I see what you mean,” she gasped and hurried toward the building.
It was the smallest and oldest terminal she’d ever been in, but it was blessedly warm. As they passed the security gates, Mack paused and looked around. “There,” he said. “To the right.”
He had the advantage of height, and Wendy couldn’t see what he was looking at. “You’ve spotted the aid station?”
“No, the bar.” He slipped a hand under her elbow and strode off down the hallway.
Wendy had to lengthen her step a bit to keep up. “I can understand why you’d like a stiff scotch, but–”
“I don’t want a drink, I want a television set and a weather report.”
“Why?” She was trying to unbundle Rory as she walked.
“Normally, with O’Hare closed because of snow, they’d just refuel the plane and hold off a while to see if conditions change enough so the airport can reopen. The fact the airline is already starting to arrange hotel rooms means they’re pretty sure O’Hare isn’t going to be open again tonight.”
“So?” She uncovered Rory’s face; the baby blinked uncertainly in the light.
The bar turned out to be large and open and airy – more like a coffee shop than the dim, smoky little retreat Wendy had expected. One side of the bar was lined with big windows; Mack held a chair for her at a small table well away from the expanse of glass. “If the storm is as bad as it sounds, it could be well into tomorrow before O’Hare is back in full operation, and maybe not even then. We could be stuck right here.”
“Through Christmas?” Wendy looked around in distaste. The bar wasn’t as bad as she’d expected, but a holiday spent in conditions like these was not an inviting prospect. And a hotel room would be a small improvement, at best.
“For days, possibly.”
“Surely it can’t go on like this.”
“I’ve seen storms like this end in a few hours, or go on for a week. The problem is that by the time we find out it’s getting worse instead of better, the roads will be impassible, too. But if we leave right now, before the highways close...”
“And just how do you suggest we do that?”
“Haven’t you ever heard of rental cars?”
“Mack, if it’s not safe to fly, why are you even considering driving in this?” She waved a hand at the windows. The snow was peppering down; it looked heavier than before, and the way it swirled across the lighted windows made Wendy feel dizzy.
“Honey, this is nothing, yet. Believe me, I’ve been on the roads in far worse conditions. But by tomorrow...”
A waitress came to the table, and Wendy ordered pineapple juice. When it arrived, she poured part of it into Rory’s bottle, but the baby didn’t seem interested. It was past time for a more solid feeding, Wendy realized. No wonder liquids hadn’t seemed to satisfy her.
“Besides,” Mack said, “do you really want to go through another takeoff and landing with the human altimeter screaming in your ear?”
Wendy sighed. “Not exactly.”
“That’s what I thought. Neither do I.” And as if everything was settled, he gave her a cheerful smile, picked up his coffee cup, and moved to the end of the bar where he had a better view of the television set.
CHAPTER FOUR
From Mack’s point of view, Wendy thought, there probably wasn’t a shadow of a doubt that all the important decisions had been made.
She dug a box of baby cereal out of the carry-on and asked the waitress to find her a small dish. By the time Mack rejoined her, she’d mixed juice with the cereal and was starting to feed Rory.
“I guess you’re not ready to go,” he hazarded.
Wendy didn’t even bother to answer. “How does the weather look?”
“Not bad at the moment, but the storm’s coming down from the north, so the sooner we start the better off we’ll be. While you finish feeding Rory, I’ll go round up a car.”
He hadn’t been gone long when a couple in their thirties came into the bar. The woman stopped to coo over Rory, who grinned obligingly and let cereal trickle down her chin. “Were you on the marathon flight from Phoenix?” the woman asked.
“I’m surprised, with the noise Rory made, that you needed to ask.”
The woman laughed. “Have they found a room for you yet?”
Wendy shook her head.
“Better get out there fast, then. With Christmas and everything, there aren’t a lot of rooms available in a town this size, and they were talking about asking people to double up.”
Wendy’s feelings about driving to Chicago took an abrupt turn. If Mack couldn’t find a car, they might end up spending the holiday in the bar.
An hour later she was beginning to feel panicky. Rory had long since gobbled her cereal, polished off the pineapple juice, and gone to sleep in a makeshift crib Wendy had created by pushing two chairs together. When Mack finally came in, Wendy couldn’t decide whether to scream at him for being gone so long, or hug him with joy because he hadn’t abandoned them after all.
Hug him? What a thought. She must be even more tired than she’d realized, to dream that up.
“Finished?” he asked. “The car’s already warm, but wrap the baby up well.”
Rory protested sleepily as she was settled into her safety seat once more. Mack gathered up the carry-on bag and his briefcase and started for the main entrance.
The automatic doors opened before them, and frigid air cut through Wendy’s coat and whipped Mack’s hair. “Is it always this cold here?” she gasped.
“It’s the wind chill you’re feeling. It really isn’t all that cold, or it wouldn’t be snowing.”
“What do you mean, it’s not really cold?”
“Something about the relative humidity. I don’t remember the details, but sometimes it actually gets too cold to snow.”
“Oh, I’m tickled to know that.”
Mack grinned. The sparkle in his eyes was as bright as the stars – if there’d been some visible for comparison.
“You seem to feel better,” Wendy murmured.
“Of course I do, now that I’m back in control of my life.”
The car, a dark-colored, mid-sized model, was waiting just outside the terminal – directly beside a no-parking sign – with its lights on and the engine running. Mack opened the back door and Wendy strapped the baby’s safety seat into place. All the warmth seemed to be sucked out of the car in the few moments the door was open, so she left the extra blanket snuggled around the seat.
The car swerved almost sideways as Mack pulled into the traffic lane.
Wendy bit back a shriek. “Didn’t you say something about being in control?”
“It’s slick right here because of all the traffic. The highway is all right.”
She swallowed hard. I’ve put myself and that precious baby into the hands of a maniac, she thought. “How can you know that?”
“I’ve been out on it already.”
She was glad he�
��d tried it out; perhaps he wasn’t quite as much the daredevil as she’d been starting to think. On the other hand, if it had been worse than he expected and he’d had a wreck, she and the baby would still be sitting in the terminal, not even aware of what had happened.
But he hadn’t, she reminded herself, so there was no point in fretting over it.
“This is nicer than the average rental car,” she said, trying to be cheerful. It was almost a sporty model, the seats were leather, and she’d swear it had gauges she’d never seen anywhere before.
“It’s not a rental. I bought it.”
“You – what?” Her voice was faint.
“It’s Christmas and all the rental cars were already out. So I hitched a ride into town and bought one.”
“You just bought... Never mind.” If she had needed an illustration of the gap between them – of the difference between the kind of upbringing Rory had had for the past few months and what she would have for the rest of her life – this was the most effective one Wendy could think of. It was more than just a measure of his desperation to get home, that was certain.
“It’s not new, of course,” he added.
As if that was likely to make her feel differently.
She released her seat belt and turned around for a minute to unwrap Rory’s blanket; the car was warming up fast now that they were on the road. “How far are we from Chicago?”
“Two hours under normal driving conditions. Probably four or more, with the roads like this.” Mack’s hands lay loosely across the steering wheel, and he didn’t take his eyes off the highway. “I wish you’d stay belted up, just in case.”
“Sure.” She snapped her seatbelt back in place, but she couldn’t resist saying, “I thought you told me this drive was perfectly safe.”
“I’m not foolhardy.”
Traffic was light, and it was moving slowly. The first time Wendy saw a car abandoned in the ditch she turned wide eyes on Mack.
He shook his head. “Somebody panicked, that’s all. Started to slide, slammed on the brakes and ended up in the ditch. It’s not hard to do.” He glanced at her. “And it’s not hard to avoid, either. You don’t think I’d take chances with precious cargo, do you?”
The Only Solution Page 5
