She batted her lashes. “Don’t let me stop you.”
Holly watched him shoot to his feet before answering the call. It gave her a moment to further assess him. He was tall at around six-four, and appeared very fit, as though he worked out regularly. She thought his pecan complexion suited him, and his square-jawed face with a prominent nose and wide mouth only added to his physical appeal.
He stepped farther away, turning his back, as though to block anyone from hearing the conversation. Not that she wanted to hear him saying sweet things to his wife or girlfriend. A tiny piece of Holly felt envious, since she had no one at home waiting for her. But she had put loneliness on the back burner in favor of the rich life she had otherwise.
When it was announced that first-class passengers could board, Holly stood. It had been nice to have the brief chat with Anderson, but she doubted either of them had any room in their lives for one another in Houston.
She stood up and looked his way. He was so absorbed in his conversation that he didn’t even notice. She grabbed her bag, leaving the paper behind, and took her place in line.
* * *
When Anderson got off the phone, he noticed that the plane was boarding. He also saw that Holly was gone. Damn—he hadn’t gotten a chance to say goodbye.
Anderson grabbed his briefcase and headed for the plane. He definitely envisioned Holly as girlfriend material. She was gorgeous, sexy in an understated way, educated and obviously successful as a television personality.
But he seriously doubted that with her qualities she was just sitting around waiting for a man to pop into her life. He couldn’t get that lucky. Could he?
In any event, he realized it probably didn’t make much difference now since that window of opportunity had passed. For all he knew, she was sitting beside some dude on the plane who was busy trying to win her over.
Anderson boarded the plane. The moment he entered the cabin, he spotted Holly sitting all by her lonesome in a window seat in first class. It wasn’t till he checked his boarding pass that he realized, against all odds, that she was his seatmate.
And she was occupying his seat.
He grinned when she looked up at him. “Well, hello again,” he said.
“Hi.” Holly colored a little from the intensity of his stare. She peeked past him as if trying to point out that other people were in line behind him, waiting for him to proceed down the aisle.
“Looks like we’ll have time after all to finish the conversation we started,” he said with a glint of amusement in his eyes.
“Excuse me?” Her lashes fluttered at the notion.
“We’re sitting side by side,” Anderson said. “Actually, if you check your boarding pass, you’ll find that I have the window seat.”
“Really?” Holly pulled the slip of paper out of her purse, clearly surprised that she was in the wrong seat. “My mistake. I’ll be happy to move.”
Anderson dismissed it with a wave of his hand. “Don’t worry about it. I’m cool with the aisle seat.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. It’s easier for my long legs to get up and flex.” He also liked the idea of her being effectively stuck on the inside so there was no escaping him. After tossing his bag in the overhead bin, he slid into the seat next to her. Suddenly the normally dull flight to Houston had gotten a lot more intriguing.
Chapter 2
The flight was a bit bumpy, which made Holly a little nervous. Not to say that she was a fearful flier, but they were 30,000 feet in the air and she didn’t take anything for granted.
Somehow she felt comforted by Anderson’s masculine presence, as though it was his job to make sure nothing bad happened to her. It was a silly thought, especially considering that his close proximity also made her a little nervous. She usually felt that way whenever she was attracted to a man. Since it had been a while since she could say that, she hadn’t decided yet if that was a good or bad thing.
“Weekend morning anchor, huh?” Anderson commented, nursing a scotch on the rocks as he watched Holly sip some red wine.
“That’s me.” She wondered if he viewed that as a lesser position than anchoring the weekday noon news, which her good friend, Blythe Cramer, co-anchored with veteran newscaster Allan Kennedy.
“I have to be honest in saying that you’re even more beautiful in person—and that’s not a line.”
“Thank you,” Holly said, though still not sure if he was getting carried away with her looks. “But I’m not on television as an actress. I’m a serious journalist.”
“And you do your job very well,” he said, although he didn’t get to see her often enough on his big-screen television. That would have to change. “There is one thing I’ve always been curious about when watching newscasters—”
“Hmm...do I really want to know?” she asked, half joking.
“When you’re reporting all that bad news with murders, car accidents, robberies and the like, do you take that home with you or leave it at the job?”
Holly stared at him for a beat before offering a response. “Both,” she said diplomatically. “Of course, you wouldn’t be human if you could talk about such things and simply shut it off once you leave the desk. But, on the other hand, if you let it all get to you too much it would probably drive you crazy. Meaning you shouldn’t be in broadcast journalism.”
“Well-thought-out answer,” Anderson said, impressed.
“Just telling you how I feel.” She looked at him. “Do you take your work home, figuratively speaking?”
“I used to much more than I do now,” he responded thoughtfully. “These days I try to keep my business and personal life as separate as possible, which isn’t always easy.”
“So what happened to make you change?” Holly realized the question was delving further into his life than he may have cared to go. In which case, he would simply tell her it was off-limits. And that would be that. But since he had opened the line of questioning, she had every right to counter.
“It’s a long story,” Anderson said.
Holly refused to let him off the hook that easily. “Well, I’m not going anywhere, and since we still have more than two hours of flight time left...”
Anderson chuckled. He understood that if he was curious about her that it only stood to reason that she felt the same about him. After tasting his drink, he turned to her and said, “Fair enough. Back in the day, which was not so long ago, I was a hard-driving, overly ambitious attorney thinking only about my bank account and myself. It played havoc on my personal life and damn near everything else. I finally got smart and decided to try to turn things around. So I changed careers, mellowed out and am the better for it today.”
“Good for you,” Holly said.
“You’ll get no argument from me there.”
Holly smiled, but she was still curious about the man. She suspected that his past life also involved a woman, probably a wife.
Sensing that she wanted more, Anderson decided to give it to her. “It cost me a good relationship.”
“I’m sorry,” she said softly.
“Yeah, so am I. But it happens and we move on.”
“Is it really that simple?”
“Sometimes it has to be,” he said. “We can’t go back. We can only deal with the aftermath and try to avoid past mistakes.”
“Yes, I suppose you’re right.” Holly thought about her own past mistakes where it concerned men. It mainly came down to expecting too much and often receiving too little, which made for a bad mix. She wondered if it might be different were she involved with someone like Anderson. Or was he still damaged goods that she would do well to avoid at all costs?
“So, is there a man waiting for you back in Houston?” Anderson asked, throwing caution to the wind. “Husband, boyfriend, or whatever?�
� He found it hard to imagine someone like her could be available, but it was worth a try.
“No husband or boyfriend,” Holly told him succinctly.
He lifted a brow in surprise. “Is there a story there or...”
“I’m not gay, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“I wasn’t,” he assured her.
“I’ve dated, of course,” she said. “And I know this sounds like a cliché, but I just haven’t found the right man.” She couldn’t believe she was opening up to this stranger about her love life. Or lack of. But, then again, why not? They would probably never see each other again after the flight. On the plane, though, the close proximity sort of bonded them temporarily.
“That’s too bad.” Not really, he thought. He didn’t doubt that such a man existed. She just needed to find him.
“Believe me, I’m not complaining,” Holly felt compelled to say. “I’m happy with my life. Besides, these days I’m too busy with work and doing things with my family and friends to be bothered.”
Anderson chuckled. “Bothered? Is it really such an imposition on your life to be involved with someone who cares for you?”
Her brows lowered. “I never said it was an imposition.”
“You might as well have.”
She sighed. “Look, there’s more to life than being defined by a relationship. That’s all I’m saying. If it happens, it happens. But I won’t spend my life looking for something that may never be there. Not when I have so much else to focus on.”
“I understand,” Anderson said.
“Do you?” Holly asked pointedly.
“Yeah, I do.”
She took his word for it, having been judged—or misjudged—all her life in one respect or another. In high school she had been considered too curvy to make the cheerleading squad, but she had made it her goal to prove them wrong. And in college she was thought to be a long shot to be class president. But she had showed them. Even as a journalist she was once thought to be too attractive to be taken seriously. So she had taken on a tough job as a foreign correspondent in Asia and earned her stripes, just to prove them all wrong.
If she ever did hook up with someone, he would have to be able to deal with her independence and career. Not all men could handle that. She wondered which cloth Anderson was cut from in that respect.
“Is there someone waiting for you in Houston?” she asked him. Might as well find out now, for better or worse. “Or are you still hung up on that relationship that fell flat?”
Anderson anticipated the last question. It was one that had dogged him for the past two years since his last serious relationship came to an end. Getting over her took time, but he managed to look ahead not behind.
“No, I’m not hung up on her,” he said, noticing that their shoulders were touching. “That’s water under the bridge, as far as clichés go. And in answer to your other question, no, there’s no one waiting for me in Houston.”
Holly tried to gauge if there was anything between the lines regarding his availability. Or was he, like her, just living his life while keeping his options open? “Is that by design? Or have you just not found anyone you want to be with?”
“Probably a little of both,” he answered honestly.
“Well, good luck either way,” she said, lifting her glass to his.
“Back at you.” He touched his glass to hers and tasted his drink.
No sooner had Anderson set down his glass than they hit a patch of turbulence that caused the airplane to drop sharply. Holly fell over onto his chest and grabbed hold of him for dear life. Instinctively, he held her in his arms, enjoying the feel of her soft, supple body. The sweet scent of her hair was pleasing to his nostrils. He imagined them together making love in all the wrong places. And even the right ones.
“It’s okay,” he told her tenderly. “We’re not going down.”
At that moment, the plane corrected itself and all seemed calm again. Holly, who had seen her life flash before her eyes, realized she was still clinging to Anderson and he seemed in no hurry to release his strong arms from around her.
She sucked in a deep breath, feeling embarrassed that she had let her guard down in a moment of panic. Apparently it was just a false alarm and she would live to see another day. Hopefully many more days.
“I think you can let go of me now,” she said.
“No problem.” Anderson reluctantly removed his arms. “Just didn’t want to do so till I was absolutely sure we were past the danger zone.”
Holly leaned back in her seat, wondering what had come over her. Had he been merely a convenient shoulder to lean on? Or was it more about the man himself that made her feel safe in his arms?
She refused to read more into it than it was. Especially since she suspected he was the type that was used to coming to the rescue of damsels in distress, even if he wasn’t currently involved with anyone.
“Didn’t mean to fall onto you like that,” she said self-consciously.
“It wasn’t your fault. When you get turbulence like that, none of us can control what happens. I promise not to hold it against you.”
“Thank you.” He was definitely a perfect gentleman in trying to comfort her, something she didn’t take lightly these days. “Guess we should be landing soon.”
“Looks like it.” In truth, Anderson hated to see the journey come to an end, rough patches and all. He hoped it didn’t mean their new acquaintanceship had to end, too.
* * *
The plane made a picture-perfect landing at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, and Holly breathed a sigh of relief. Once she stepped into the terminal, she was prepared to put the bumpy ride behind her. She suspected it wouldn’t be as easy to forget Anderson.
“I guess this is where we say our goodbyes,” he told her as she was about to retrieve her checked luggage.
“I guess it is,” she said, forcing herself to smile.
“Actually, it doesn’t have to be.” Anderson looked down at her. “Maybe we can get together sometime for dinner or whatever.”
Holly met his eyes. “You mean like a date?”
“Yeah, a date would be nice.” He grinned, hoping it would be enough to win her over for now.
She really had no good reason to say no, other than her normal caution whenever she met anyone new.
“I’m really pretty busy right now...” she began. “But maybe we can get together sometime. Do you have a business card?”
“Of course.” Anderson removed a card from his wallet and handed it to her, deciding against pressing his luck at this point. “It has my office and cell phone numbers, along with my email address.”
Holly glanced at it, spotting the name Anderson Gunn above his title. She loved the name—it was suave and fit the man. “Thank you.” She slipped her hand into her purse and pulled out one of her own business cards. Handing it to him, she said, “If I don’t pick up, feel free to leave a message.”
“I’ll do that,” he promised.
She smiled. “Well, I’d better let you get on your way. I’m sure we’ll see each other again.”
Anderson beamed. “Goodbye, then, Holly.”
“Goodbye, Anderson.” She watched him walk away and, strangely enough, was already beginning to miss his companionship.
* * *
On a sunny afternoon, Holly drove her Subaru Impreza down Interstate 45 toward her father’s house, wanting to stop in and say hello before heading to her place. She tried to check in on him as much as possible since her mother died. A proud man, he did his best to try to appear strong and unaffected by much, but she knew he was still hurting after losing his one and only true love.
Will I ever find that type of connection with anyone? she wondered. Or was that something too hard to come by today?
Her m
ind turned to Anderson. They had gotten off to a rocky start, but seemed to make a connection along the way. But could it go anywhere? Would he actually call her? Should she call him?
Holly turned onto South Wayside Drive and a little later made a right on Wildwood Way. A few houses down, she pulled into the driveway of the redbrick bungalow where she’d grown up. Her father was sitting in his favorite Adirondack chair on the porch, a beer can in his hand.
Robert Kendall was a semiretired dentist. He took part in the free outdoor dental-care clinics offered to low-income residents of the city several times a year. The rest of the time, he enjoyed sports, working on projects around the house and taking long walks.
Holly got out of the car and smiled. “Hey, Dad.”
“Hey.” His sable eyes crinkled as he smiled.
She stepped onto the porch and gave him a hug.
“How was your trip?”
“Good.” She was sure Stuart had already phoned and given him the scoop. “Not counting the turbulence, which was pretty bad a couple of times.”
“That’s just nature’s way of letting you know who’s boss.”
Holly chuckled. “That’s one way of putting it.”
“And how are my little granddaughters doing?” Robert asked.
“Full of energy,” Holly said. “Why don’t you come with me next time and you can see for yourself just how much they’ve grown.”
He took a swig of the beer and shook his head. “They’re welcome here anytime. Maybe you should remind your brother of that.”
She frowned. “He has a life there, Dad. He can’t just leave it behind anytime.”
“You seem to do that just fine.”
“Maybe I wouldn’t if I had to chase two seven-year-olds around all the time.”
“He never should’ve married that gal,” Robert said glumly. “She was never good enough for him. Abandoning her daughters like that is unforgivable.”
Holly agreed, but there was no point rehashing old news. “The important thing is that Stuart stepped up as a father. Now maybe you should, too, and go visit him and your granddaughters more often.”
Love is in the Air Page 2
