Chapter 15
There was another delay that left Kinley sitting in her seat for over an hour. The plane hadn’t even left the gate. Something had failed on the pre-flight check and it was being repaired as they sat and waited. If she was being honest, it didn’t sit right with her — and not out of fear of midflight malfunction, but because she wondered if it meant something.
First her flight was delayed due to fog preventing incoming flights, leaving them short planes for outgoing flights. An odd encounter with Angelo Moretti a long way from Pine Valley. Now a delay due to mechanical failure. It was like she wasn’t supposed to leave, forced to sit there with her thoughts until she got this thing right.
Mr. Moretti’s words danced thorough her head. New York had already let her go once, and maybe he was right. Maybe she was running back to a place that didn’t want anything from her, that was just a job and nothing more. But running from what? Jace?
Her feelings for Jace had become much more than she wanted to admit, as her sister had said. The longer she sat on that idle plane, the longer she had to weigh the answers working their way to the surface. She was running. Kinley was scared.
Her heart had been broken by the man she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with. It hurt a thousand ways to Sunday when she lost him and her career like they were a packaged deal. The hard truth was losing Jace and JT was already hurting worse, and it was her own doing this time. That spoke volumes to her past and present. Maybe she didn’t love her ex-fiancé and dance like she thought she did because the thought of losing that all over again didn’t compare to the weight in her chest from leaving Jace and JT. She even missed Pine Valley already.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain. We are almost clear to taxi, but we had an injury among the flight staff. We are waiting for another attendant to join us and we will be on our way. We appreciate your patience. We should be cleared here shortly.”
Another delay. Interesting. She saw this for what it was: a last chance. The universe was interfering, or assisting, depending on how you looked at it. Either way, it was fate playing a terrible game with her…or was it karma? Back to her thoughts, she picked up where she left off: Jace.
Why was she running from Jace, their town, and the life they were building? That was the part she couldn’t bring herself to admit. He wasn’t like any man she had been with. In fact, he managed to put pieces back together for her she hadn’t even realized were broken. He made their relationship easy. He was easy to love.
Love. That was it. He loved her, and it scared the shit out of her. The last man who said he loved her, left her, hurt her in a despicable way. She was afraid of living that nightmare over again. Only, the man who hurt her didn’t truly love her or it wouldn’t have been so easy for him to put her on a plane headed across the country and tell her never mind about the whole marriage thing.
Jace loved her, though. Loved her hard. Loved her completely. Loved her sincerely. She knew that, felt it even. That’s why it was easy for him to let her go — he loved her that much. She had been such a fool. That was why being without Jace and JT already hurt so damn bad.
She had no business going to New York. It wasn’t what she wanted, it wasn’t where she belonged. She belonged in Pine Valley, with Jace, and JT…teaching dance. New York was just an excuse to avoid what she had been fighting: her dream. It had changed, like her sister had said. Her dream was with them. Jesus, she was an idiot. It had been in front of her the whole time and she had just been too stubborn to admit it.
Kinley jumped to her feet while grabbing her bag, ready to get off the plane while it was still at the gate, when the contents spilled on the floor in front of her. Picking up the contents, she noticed something she hadn’t before. The script the production sent, the one she was planning to study on the long flight, was on the top. It was the wrong script. It wasn’t even close. Not only was it from the wrong production, it wasn’t the choreography script. Tossing it in her bag, she took a second look at the flash drive that contained the music she was to use and realized it was labeled for the same wrong production.
Laughter overcame her. Another sign. It was confirmation she was finally making the right decision. Kinley wasn’t supposed to go anywhere on that plane. She was chasing an old dream, in a town that didn’t want her, with a script that didn’t belong to her. She needed to get off the plane and back to Pine Valley.
“Miss,” a small voice came from behind her, “please take your seat. We are being cleared to taxi any moment.”
“No, I can’t,” Kinley replied, taking in the attendant’s shocked expression. “I-I need to get out of here.”
“Miss, we are about to leave. Our manifest is complete and with the captain. I need you to take your seat,” the attendant stated. “Our flight is already behind. We surely don’t need any more delays.”
More laughter erupted from Kinley. “Which is why I need off this plane! See, I’m the cause for all of the delays!”
A second attendant had joined them, both looking at each other with concern. “Miss, Cathy asked you to take your seat, and we need you to comply. If you feel you are the cause for all the delays…”
“No, not literally, just figuratively.” She tossed her head with an added eyeroll, no need to get TSA and the FBI involved. “I’m not supposed to be on this flight. I’m not supposed to be going to New York.”
Left speechless, unsure whether they had a sane or insane passenger before them, Kinley didn’t meet much resistance when she turned to open the door, letting herself off the flight. Just as she cleared the door and headed up the walkway to the gate, she heard the captain announce, yet again, another delay.
Kinley stood anxiously in line at the rental car counter. It was made obvious why the past few customers left quickly and didn’t seem very pleased with the service they received when Kinley finally had her turn. They were all out of cars, trucks, and even vans — not even a commercial vehicle left to be rented. Feeling slightly defeated, she wandered away from the booth, weighing her options.
A cab simply wouldn’t go that far, nor would an Uber. Even if they did, it would cost a small fortune. Calling Sadie was an option, but she felt like a jerk even considering it, since she already made a round trip today and had to be back in Pine Valley by now. Just when she thought she was out of options, the universe intervened again, because of course it did.
“Mr. Moretti! Mr. Moretti!” Kinley hollered, running toward the older gentleman. “What are you still doing here?”
“Do you pry in everyone’s business or just mine? The cargo flight my stuff’s on was delayed. Why are you here?” Moretti grumped. “You were supposed to be headed to New York.”
“Same reason you’re just getting your gelato! Look, for some reason, my flight was delayed more times than I care to count and now they are out of rental cars. I need to get back to Pine Valley. Any chance I can ride with you?”
“What makes you think I’m headed to Pine Valley?” Moretti asked.
Kinley cocked her hip and tilted her head. “Mr. Moretti, where else would you be going with a bunch of gelato?”
“Eh, good point. I have the truck. There isn’t much room,” he replied, still reluctant.
“The ice cream truck?” Kinley questioned with a snort.
“Yes, the ice cream truck. Is that funny? Didn’t seem funny when you asked for a ride, now did it?”
“I’m sorry…I’m sorry. It’s just that…well, you were right, my sister was right, I’m supposed to be here. New York doesn’t need me. The universe intervened, hence all the delays keeping me from going! This is like some odd made for TV twist of fate meets karma for us both! You see it too, right?”
“The what? The universe? I will never understand your generation!” He rolled his eyes. “Follow me, I’m parked this way. Extra weight means extra gas. Why am I so nice? I just don’t understand you kids.”
She chuckled under her breath, grateful for her crotchety friend and, for the first time in days, happy. “Your gas is on me — now, let’s get…home.”