It wasn’t until Kurt Roberts hugged me, the scent of his sweet yet manly cologne wafting up into my nose, that I began to calm down. I could feel my heart slow down to a normal rate. I sighed deeply, holding onto him tightly. I didn’t expect it, but it was nice.
I also didn’t expect my nipples to stand at firm attention, but they did. I could tell that he felt them pressing against his chest. He pulled away slightly, looking into my eyes, inquisitively. I didn’t try to hide the excitement that was taking me over.
There I was again! Having these horny schoolgirl thoughts when there were more important things to worry about.
“Thank you, Mr. Roberts,” I said, pulling away from the long hug. “I don’t know why I’m so shaken up. Working in an airline for as long as I have, I’ve had my fair share of emergency situations. I’ve been in situations that have been much worse than this, so I should know that everything will be okay. This storm is bad, but I really have been through worse weather and everything has turned out just fine.”
Waving his hand, Kurt said, “Oh, no worries, and call me Kurt. I completely understand. I have a lot on my mind too and it’s almost like can things get any worse?”
“Oh, my goodness! Me, too!” I blurted out. “Well, I’m sure I don’t have as much going on as you do, but I’m a widow and I’ve got a son at home that relies on me to take care of him.”
Kurt’s face took on a look of genuine concern.
“Wow! I’m so sorry to hear that! If you don’t mind my asking, what happened?”
“My husband was a firefighter. He died in a fire.”
“How sad. I am truly sorry for your loss.”
I couldn’t believe that I was opening up so much to someone who was basically a stranger. And my new boss at that! It wasn’t like me at all. I had been quiet and reserved since Charles had died, preferring to spend my time with Scott or by myself. But Kurt just seemed so easy to talk to. And talking was helping me to calm down and think a little bit more.
“Thank you,” I said, graciously. “I guess it’s part of the reason that I kind of get more scared when an emergency comes up. My husband was always in emergencies, but I never doubted for a second that he would come home to us. My son is not handling the loss of his father very well. So, every time something happens, I fear the worst: that he will somehow lose me, too.”
I was suddenly struck by grief. I began to cry softly. I couldn’t stop myself.
Putting his hand on my shoulder, he said, “Please, don’t cry. It’s okay. We’re going to be okay. The pilot says that we will be able to land just fine and we will be landing soon. Just think, there’s a blanket of soft snow to land in, to protect us.”
That was a little funny, considering how hard snow falling really is and the havoc I knew it could wreck on planes. But the fact that he was using humor reassured me. It couldn’t be that bad if this handsome man was joking about it. However, in the midst of panic, and even when some of my sanity was feeling restored, all I could think about was getting back home to my son.
“I’ve got to get home!” I exclaimed.
A look of pained disappointment etched his features.
“I’m so sorry,” he said, apologetically. “It’s out of my hands. There’s nothing that I can do. It’s just the plane. And the weather…”
He shrugged, as if wishing he had a solution when clearly, he didn’t. No one did. It was my turn to be disappointed.
“Do you have someone that can take care of your son longer?” he asked, softly.
“I live with my parents. He is with them.”
I knew that all it would take was a quick phone call home to let my parents know what had happened and they would be more than happy to help in any way that they could. But, rethinking things, I decided that it might not be the best idea to tell them that we were landing early due to engine failure. That would make them worry every time that I walked out the door. I’d just tell them that Kurt needed me for a little while longer.
I didn’t want my parents to worry, but more than that, I didn’t want Scott to worry. There was no telling how he would handle the fear of possibly losing me on top of already having lost his father. I was fighting hard to keep it all together so that he could start to heal. This would definitely be a step in the wrong direction.
“I just need to get to my son,” I said again.
Kurt smiled, looking me over from head to toe. His glance was protective and strong and I wished I could just melt into his arms, even though I knew that was a silly thought to be having about my brand-new boss.
“You know, I am becoming more and more impressed by you…what was your name, again?” he asked me.
“Dana.”
“Dana,” he repeated, his voice filling with a warm fondness. “You are truly an incredible mother. Most people would be worried about themselves in a situation like this. But, not you. Your concern is for the wellbeing of your son. Good for you.”
Like a dark cloud covering the sun, sadness seemed to cover his face. If I wasn’t mistaken, it looked like tears were beginning to well up in his eyes. He quickly turned away.
His words seemed choked when he said, “I wish more mothers were like you.”
I couldn’t help but wonder what made him so sad.
But soon, the pilot said, “Please take your seats, please. Our emergency landing is about to commence.”
I knew it would be rude to pry, so I was glad the pilot saved me from asking further questions of Kurt. And now, as I hurried to do as I was told, was definitely not the time to try. I would just have to wait and see if I could find anything else out about my mysterious boss.