SAM ARRIVED AT Hilton Head Airport with her mother, father, brother, and best friend in tow. She was happy for the support. She couldn’t believe her work had brought her this far. She’d always believed that with her personality she’d be holed up in a lab somewhere close to home and living quietly, perhaps with cats.
Okay, no. Not cats, I hate cats, but perhaps a few dogs and maybe a turtle.
“Sam?” her mom interrupted her thoughts.
“Yes?”
“The line’s moving, honey.”
“Oh, right.” Sam pushed her bags forward.
Pepper smiled reassuringly. “You okay?”
“No, I’m petrified,” Sam whispered.
“You’re gonna be fine… and I’ll be there in a few weeks to make everything better.”
Sam smiled. “That does make me feel a little better.”
“Do you have your happy pills?”
“I’ve already taken one… not that it’s making much difference.”
“You don’t take off for two hours, Sammi, you’ll waste them.”
Sam shook her head. “I don’t care. I don’t think I could have gotten in the car if I hadn’t taken one.”
“How many did the doctor give you?”
“Four.”
Pepper snorted. “What happens if you take them all before you even get on the plane?”
“That’s what red wine is for.”
Pepper giggled.
“Ma’am? I’m open over here,” called a ticketing agent.
Sam walked with her small group to the agent. “Hi. Here’s my passport and ticket number. I tried to check-in online, but I was told I needed to come to the counter.”
The woman smiled and Sam was sure the thick layer of makeup would crack with the action. “Let me have a look.” Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she checked Samantha’s ticket. “Hmm. Well, the reason you weren’t able to check in online is because your ticket was re-classed.”
“What do you mean?”
The agent took her bags then handed her a boarding pass and other paperwork. “You are now flying first class.”
“Oh, wow. Thank you.”
“You’ll find the first-class lounge just past security. You can wait there until boarding.”
Sam smiled and turned to her group.
“Shall we have dinner before you board the plane?” her father suggested.
“Are you sure you want to drag this out?”
He chuckled. “I’d like to keep my little girl here in Savannah until my death, but apparently, there’s a big world out there she insists on seeing.”
Sam sighed. “You waited three whole hours to lay on the guilt trip. Well done, Daddy.”
“Impertinent child.”
Her mother laughed. “You have no idea what impertinent means, dear heart.”
He grinned. “All right, everyone, let’s eat. I’m in the mood for seafood.”
“Shocker!” Dalton retorted.
Sam grinned at her brother. She was surprised he was there, to be honest. He usually avoided the forced family get-togethers, and for some unknown reason, he was avoiding Pepper even more these days. They had said their good-byes the day before, so Sam hadn’t expected him to see her off.
“Dalt, can I bug you for a minute?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Sure.”
Sam pulled her brother aside and made sure the rest were out of earshot. “Do you know what’s going on with Pepper?”
“What do you mean?”
“She’s lost weight and she looks exhausted.”
“She works a hundred hours a week, Sam. She probably is exhausted.”
“Well, can you at least keep an eye on her? Just check on her once in a while. You know what her mom’s like. I hate that she’s living back at home.”
“I’m sure she’s fine, Sam. She’s a big girl.”
Sam huffed. “Just do this for me, okay? I’m worried.”
“Fine, sis. Whatever.” He frowned. “I’d hoped you’d grow out of the bossiness.”
“And I hoped you’d grow up. If wishes were horses…”
He mimicked her in a sing-song voice, but was interrupted by their father calling them back to the group. Her father took her mother’s hand and the couple moved toward the restaurant, while Dalton followed.
Sam hung back and linked her arm with Pepper’s. “Hey, are you really okay?”
Pepper smiled brightly. “Um, other than the fact you’re leaving me? Perfect.”
“Not long, right?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“I have something for you,” Sam said as she rummaged in her purse.
“You do?”
“A going away gift.” Sam handed her a wrapped package.
“You never got the whole concept of a going away gift, did you?”
“Go with it, Pepper. You’ll love it.”
Pepper ripped off the paper and laughed. A mini-book on fifty ways to cook with pomegranates lay in the palm of her hand.
Pepper squinted at the pages. “Is it for pixies?”
“I know, right? I couldn’t believe it was real. I thought we could set up one of my microscopes and you could read out a recipe to me and we could experiment.”
Pepper laughed. “Oh, my funny, funny friend. Don’t go,” she joked as they caught up with the rest of the family.
“What happens when you arrive, button?” her father asked.
“I’m being met by their recruiter, Duncan MacKenzie, or his assistant, Payton. One of them is going to take me to the hotel and then pick me up on Monday to take me to the lab.”
Her father frowned. “I don’t know about you being alone with a man you don’t know in a strange city.”
Sam agreed… on the inside. “He’s very professional, Daddy. I’m sure he’ll make sure I’m safe. It’ll probably be Payton picking me up, anyway. Don’t worry so much. My cell phone will be with me at all times and you have all the contact numbers to the lab.”
Her mother squeezed her hand. “I’m so proud of you, sweetie. You’re stepping out of your comfort zone and doing something very brave.”
Sam smiled. “Thanks, Mom.”
Dinner continued and before Sam knew it, it was time to leave her family and head to security. With tear-filled good-byes taking up a good ten minutes, she had to make a run for the gate, but luckily, she made it with just enough time to spare.
* * *
The first leg of the trip was over. Samantha made it to Dallas and would be heading to Heathrow and finally Edinburgh from there. She walked to her gate and took a seat in the first-class lounge. The waiting area wasn’t entirely full, but she figured not many people could afford to fly first class to Europe. She accepted a soda from the helpful airline worker and took a seat by the window.
“Is this seat taken?”
Sam glanced up. A man, probably in his thirties, smiled down at her. Dark hair cut short, almost military style, framed a strong jaw, and chocolate-brown eyes widened as he waited for her reply. He was attractive, in a quarterback kind of way. Her heart raced as she pondered why he’d want to sit next to her when the room was nearly empty.
“No.” She bit her lip. “Feel free.”
He took his seat and dropped his carry-on. “Are you flying to London?”
Sam shook her head. “Edinburgh.”
He grinned. “Me too.”
She forced a smile. “Great.”
“Have you ever been to Scotland?”
“No.”
“I go several times a year. It’s a great place.”
“Good to know,” she said quietly and pulled out her iPod. She hadn’t planned on Chatty Charlie sitting next to her.
“What are you listening to?” he asked.
“Nothing right now,” she said, irritation giving her courage.
He chuckled. “Sorry. I’m a talker. I’ll leave you to your music.”
He pulled out his laptop and powered it up and Sam slipped her headphones on.
Finally, the doors to the gate opened and it was time to board. Sam gathered her things and made her way down the gangplank. The flight attendant showed her to her seat and Sam settled in for a long flight.
“Hello again,” someone said.
She glanced up to see Chatty Charlie standing in front of her. “Hi,” she said in suspicion.
“It would appear we’re seatmates.”
Of course we are.
He sat next to her and secured his seatbelt. As the flight attendant walked by, Sam flagged her down. “Excuse me, could I get some water please?”
“Of course, Dr. Moore.”
The woman returned quickly with a bottle of water. Sam located her Valium and popped a pill.
“Dramamine?” the guy asked.
She shook her head. “Stronger.”
“Ah. You don’t fly well?”
“That’s an understatement.”
“This leg of the flight’s a breeze. I’ve done it a few times, and believe me, in first class you won’t even know you’re in the air.”
“Let’s hope so.”
He held out his hand. “Cole Drake.”
Of course it is. Would that be a soap opera name or a porn name? No, if you were a porn star, you’d be Randy Steel or something like that.
She tried not to giggle as she shook his hand. “Samantha Moore.”
“Nice to meet you.” He smiled. “I heard the flight attendant call you “doctor.” What’s your specialty?”
“Research.”
“Are you on your way to the UK for business or pleasure?” he asked.
Nosy much?
“Sorry. Force of habit. I used to be a cop.” He opened a magazine and smiled. “I’ll sit here and keep my questions to myself.”
Before the Valium kicked in, Samantha read and reread the Gunnach Pharmaceutical dossier cover-to-cover twice. She just couldn’t get a handle on exactly why she was needed. The company had invented some ground-breaking medications and devices that had saved a lot of people, but none of it was related to blood. She was beginning to wonder if her decision to throw caution to the wind might have been a mistake.
She blinked, her eyes feeling heavy as her body started to calm.
Her last coherent thought before she faded off to sleep was how nice Cole Drake’s smile was.
* * *
“Ladies and gentleman, we’ll be collecting any rubbish you might have as we prepare for landing. Please let us know if you need help with your customs forms as we come around.”
Sam yawned, even though she’d managed several hours of sleep. Her soap star neighbor had, in fact, kept his questions to himself for the most part. When they’d both been awake at the same time, he’d struck up light conversations, and Sam found him funny and sweet, not to mention interesting. He’d spent several years as a cop before being recruited into private security and now, as an expert in his field, Edinburgh University had hired him as a guest lecturer. She was surprised to find out they were staying in the same hotel in Edinburgh.
“Dr. Moore? Do you have any rubbish?”
Sam glanced up at the flight attendant and smiled. “No. I’m all set, thank you.”
“Excellent. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you need anything.”
Sam nodded and settled further into her seat. She glanced over at Cole. His quiet snore indicated flying didn’t bother him one bit.
“Flight attendants, prepare for landing.”
Sam’s heart raced. This was it. No turning back now… not that she could have, midair, but still, this seemed final somehow. As the pilot gave everyone instructions and the crew took their seats, Sam gripped the armrests and waited for the plane to crash.
Stupidly, she’d thought she could do without a Valium for landing.
She felt a warm hand cover her wrist and she glanced at Cole with what she suspected was a grimace. “You’re awake,” she said, then under her breath, “Thank God.”
He gave her arm a gentle squeeze. “I hope you don’t mind. I know I’m a virtual stranger, but you looked like you might need a little support.”
She bit her lip. “No, it’s okay. I’m too scared to object. Take advantage of it while you can.”
He laughed and the sound put Sam at ease. “You’re doing great.”
She squeezed her eyes shut and was genuinely surprised when the plane landed and came to a stop without incident.
“See? We’re alive and the plane is intact.”
Samantha smiled. “We’re alive, yes. Plane intact? Can’t be proven until we disembark.”
“Don’t you mean deplane?”
“Who are you? Tattoo?” she retorted.
“Off you go, then.” Cole nodded toward the doors. “Enjoy your stay on Fantasy Island.”
Samantha giggled and gathered up her carry-on bag and purse, heading down the gangway once the all-clear was given. Cole followed. Even though the day was crisp, Sam wrapped her hoodie around her waist and headed for baggage claim. She slowed her pace and was glad Cole took the hint and caught up with her. He was cute and seemed like a good guy. It might be nice to know someone on this new adventure she was on.
“Would you like to share a cab?” he asked.
“Thanks, but someone’s actually picking me up.”
“Oh. No biggie. Maybe we can meet for a drink at the hotel bar sometime.”
She smiled. “Maybe.”
“I’ll leave a message for you at the front desk and we can plan something.”
Sam took a deep breath. “Um… okay.”
Arriving in the busy carousel area, she noticed a tall man holding a sign with her name on it. She approached him and hoped her smile didn’t look like a frightened grimace. “I’m Samantha Moore.”
“Welcome, Dr. Moore. I’m Duncan MacKenzie.”
He was tall, close to six feet, and had dark red hair, blue eyes, and looked… well… very Scottish. She stared up at him, wishing Pepper were there. Pepper would have said something witty and smart, and charmed the pants right off him.
Okay, he’d keep his pants on, but still, she would have talked to him.
Which Sam wasn’t doing.
She was standing there… staring.
Like an idiot.
“Shall I help you with your bags?” he asked.
“Oh, yes. Thank you,” she said and led him to the carousel.
“It’s quite brisk outside at the moment, you may want your jumper,” Duncan suggested.
Jumper? What the heck is a jumper? Sam stared at him.
He pointed to the hoodie around her waist. “Your sweatshirt.”
“Oh, no, I’m okay.”
Duncan shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
Sam let out a quiet sigh of relief when she saw her bags nestled together and making their way toward them. She hoped the drive wasn’t long to the hotel… the thought of small talk turned her stomach.
“There they are,” Sam said.
Duncan reached out and pulled them off the turntable as though they weighed as much as a toy poodle and set them on the ground. “Anything else coming?”
Sam shook her head.
“Right. The driver’s waiting at the curb.” He smiled. “Follow me.” He wheeled her bags toward the exit and she followed… like a lamb to the slaughter.
The driver, another remarkably Scottish-looking man, dropped her bags in the trunk without a word and climbed into the driver’s seat while Duncan assisted Sam into the car. This man, however, looked closer to her assessment of Scotsmen than Pepper’s.
As they drove away from the airport, Duncan handed Sam a folder. “Payton booked your room for a little longer than expected. She is having minor repairs done to the executive apartments, which means you cannot move in right away. It’ll be closer to a fortnight. I apologize for that.”
“That’s okay,” Sam said as she skimmed the information swimming before her.
“All of our contact numbers are inside. Also, here is a cell phone for your business use. Payton has preprogrammed our phone numbers. If you need anything, give one of us a ring.”
Sam nodded, although, he spoke so fast, she wasn’t sure she was catching everything.
They arrived at the hotel and Sam had a difficult time concentrating on anything other than the architecture. The hotel was stunning, like something out of a medieval landscape, and she tried to take it all in as Duncan led her inside.
Duncan made sure the front desk had the corporate credit card on file for any incidentals, secured her room key for her, and waited for the bellhop to arrive before taking his leave. “Right, Dr. Moore, I’ll leave you here, unless you need anything further?”
“No, I’m fine. Thank you.”
“Should you need anything, please let me know.”
Sam smiled and nodded. Duncan left and she followed the bellhop to her room. After walking inside, she turned to tip him, but he refused the money and backed out. Sam’s heart began to race and her stomach felt a little queasy as she made her way to the windows at the back of the suite.
Something’s wrong.
She grabbed her cell phone, scrolled to Pepper’s number, and dialed it.
“Sammi?” Pepper answered, her voice rough from obviously being awakened. “Did you arrive all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine, but are you okay?”
“Just trying to get a nap in, but I’m fine. Why? What time is it?”
“Oh, sorry. It’s about nine o’clock here. I have a really weird feeling. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Perfectly. The door’s locked and the chair’s metaphorically under the doorknob. What’s wrong? You’re scaring me.”
Sam took a deep breath. “I’m fine. I’m probably just tired.”
“Did you sleep on the plane?”
“A little.”
She heard Pepper yawn and then, “Sorry. Okay. You’re probably overwrought and you need to go to sleep. You know you’re useless when you’re tired… wait, no, that’s me. You can live off one hour of sleep a week.” Another yawn. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” Sam chuckled. “Let’s Skype tomorrow. You need to go back to sleep and I need to wash the airplane off me. I’ll tell you all about the cute guy I met on the plane.”
“What?” Pepper seemed much more alert now. “Seriously?”
Sam chuckled. “Yep. We’re staying at the same hotel, and I even agreed to maybe meet him for a drink.”
“Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?”
“I’m evolving. Aren’t you proud?”
“So, so proud.” Yawn.
“Go back to sleep.”
“You’re sure you’re okay?”
“Totally,” Sam said.
“Night.”
Click.
Sam smiled and dropped her phone on the table next to the couch. She was being ridiculous. She needed to sleep. This was her first time away from home, and she was nervous. That was it. She took some time to put away her clothes and then headed to the shower.
She let the hot water cover her and sighed as she felt the travel wash away. But without warning, her heart started to race again. Something was definitely wrong, and the trouble seemed close. In pure Bible-belt fashion, she started to pray. The fear was replaced with calm, and Sam let out a sigh of relief.
Without wasting any more time worrying about it, she dried off and got ready for bed.