Chapter Eleven

Noah landed the plane and taxied down the runway. Glancing at his watch, he knew he would be early for his three o’clock meeting.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to relax. There was a lot riding on the meeting, yet no matter how it went, he knew he had more options.

Two hours later, Noah stepped out of the bank building and went straight to his BMW SUV. The meeting had gone well.

In less than a month, he would begin his transition process toward retiring from the airline and doing his own contract work. The older pilot, Sam Allen was ready to give up his business. He was ready to spend his days on the beach with the love of his life.

Noah loved Sam’s story. It reminded him a lot of himself and Savannah.

Sam had been married for only ten years, but those ten years had been a long time coming. He and his wife had gone to high school together, but they hadn’t gotten to know each other until twenty-five years later, after they had run into each other in their hometown. Neither one of them had lived there since high school, so it was rather happenstance that they had even recognized each other. They had both been married at the time, but had stayed in touch as friends. Then, ten years later, they had met again. This time he was divorced, but she was still married. They had begun talking on the phone anyway. As friends. After her husband died of heart disease, they went on their first date. They were married a week later.

Sam knew that had created quite the gossip flurry, but neither he nor his wife cared. Now that they were in their sixties, they found the whole thing amusing. They just wanted to live out their days on the beach, holding hands, and drinking piña coladas.

Sam had built up quite the business. So much so that he had three younger pilots flying for him.

Unfortunately, Sam had no children, so there was no one to pass the business along to. Sam and Noah had met years ago at a week-long training certification program for flying the Learjet, and they had become friends immediately.

They’d stayed in touch and Sam had been telling Noah for years that he should come work for him.

Noah had picked up the phone the day after he returned from Mackinac and set up the meeting with Sam to work out the details.

Now that Sam was retiring, Noah was getting more than he had bargained for. He was getting Sam’s business. That meant he could take the jobs he wanted and let the younger guys have the other ones. Noah liked the idea of having that kind of freedom mixed with security.

And the great thing about being a pilot is he could work from anywhere.

He was meeting Sam and his wife, Beth, at a restaurant in Dallas. Noah didn’t mind. It was on his way home. Sam had to run home and pick up his wife, so Noah had time for a drink at the restaurant bar to unwind.

He chose a seat toward the back, at the bar, away from the noise, ordered a Crown on the rocks, and opened his iPad.

He had an e-mail from Claire, his soon-to-be ex-wife.

Hi, Noah,

I hope you’re doing well. It seems like we haven’t spoken in forever. I met with the attorney today, and we have a court day for December 16. The week before Christmas! I got a sick feeling just thinking about it. I don’t know why. Lol. It’s not like we had the best relationship. And I know I was the one to initiate the divorce. At least I think I was. I think you smiled quite a bit during the whole packing process.

Anyway, I thought that if you were having second thoughts, this might be a good time to talk about it.

Love ya,

Claire

Noah stared at the e-mail. Where was the Claire he had been married to?

Had she ever told him she loved him?

For their daughter’s sake, sure, but truly of her own volition? He was certain she hadn’t. They had only been intimate that one time on their honeymoon on the cruise.

He had been fairly certain she was only biding her time, based on the prenuptial agreement.

The server brought his drink. He sipped. Considered. What was her angle? She was after something, he had no doubt. Perhaps their daughter had been looking over her shoulder. Whatever it was, he couldn’t possibly imagine it being anything sincere. Or good.

It didn’t matter anyway. There was no way this side of hell that he was going to rethink this divorce. In fact, December 16 was much farther off than he would prefer.

“Mind if I sit here?” The decidedly female voice interrupted his contemplation.

“Sure,” he said, absently, barely glancing toward the blonde in a sleek black dress. He returned to his iPad. No other e-mails. He reminded himself that Savannah didn’t have his e-mail address.

She did have his phone number though. He checked his phone. No text messages.

It had been five days since he’d dropped her off at her home. He hadn’t gone inside. He’d wanted to give her some space. He didn’t want to make too many assumptions. He knew he couldn’t expect to just waltz back into her life and upend everything. She was obviously busy and successful.

She wasn’t however, seeing anyone, which he found comforting. He liked knowing she was out there. Busy. Perhaps thinking of him.

Just a little.

“Busy day?” the woman asked.

Jarred out his thoughts again, Noah looked up at the woman sitting on the bar stool next to him. The bar wasn’t crowded. There were about a dozen other places she could have sat.

“I’m Abigail,” she said, holding out her hand.

“Noah,” he said, automatically shaking her hand. He refocused on his iPad. Not seeing it now.

“Can I buy you a refill?” she asked, indicating his drink.

When it rained, it poured. “No, I’m good.”

“No, really. . . bartender.” She gestured for the bartender. “I’ll buy him another of what he’s having.”

Noah shook his head, but the bartender was already off to fetch his drink. Noah knew how this game would play out. He’d end up buying the drinks. If she had her way, they’d end up in a room together. But that wasn’t going to happen.

Besides, all he could think about was Savannah.

Perhaps he should call her tonight. But he was more of a show-up-out-of-the-blue kind of guy. Maybe he liked the effect it had or maybe he just wasn’t sure what he should say to her.

Perhaps he should at least send her a text.

He typed, Hi. It’s Noah. How’s your week?

Abigail’s drink arrived.

“No thanks,” Noah said. “I’m meeting someone.” He hit delete.

“All right,” she said, “but I don’t think she’s coming.”

Noah stared at his phone. Still no text from Savannah. He knew she had his number because he had put it there himself.

“No,” Noah said, not even looking at her as he stood up and started toward the door. He’d wait for Sam outside if he had to.

Sam and his wife arrived at the restaurant a few minutes later. Beth was an elegant woman, charming, always wearing a smile on her face. She hugged Noah in greeting.

After they were seated, Sam ordered a bottle of champagne. Noah was reminded of Savannah and her love of mimosas. He suddenly wanted her there with him. Badly. She should be here. She would enjoy Beth and Sam, and they would enjoy her company. His idea to surprise her with news of the deal he was making suddenly felt like not such a good idea. It would have been better to involve her in the process.

He took out his phone, stared at the offending blank screen.

It was Friday night. What was she doing?

Was she out?

Savannah had told him she didn’t do the whole going out with girlfriends thing. She could be with her mother or her sister.

Or she could be on a date.

“Is something wrong, dear?” Beth asked.

“No, not at all,” Noah said and put his phone away. He would deal with this later.

Over appetizers, Noah asked Beth to tell him how she and Sam got together. He had heard Sam’s version. He wanted to hear hers.

“Oh, in high school he didn’t even know I existed. Then we kept running into each other over the years.”

“I knew you existed,” Sam protested.

“It’s all right,” she said. “I had a huge crush on the football captain.”

“You never told me that.”

“A girl has to have a little mystery,” she said, with a bright smile at Noah. “Right, Noah?”

“Most women do,” he said.

“We have to keep you interested somehow,” she told her husband.

Sam took her hand and kissed her knuckles.

Noah looked away and his gaze landed on Abigail. She had taken a table just out of earshot. She smiled broadly at Noah.

He scowled and had a flash of boiling bunnies.

“Noah, do you know that woman?” Beth asked.

“I met her at the bar before you came in,” he said.

“Do you want to invite her over?” Beth asked.

Noah shook his head before the words were out of her mouth. “I tried to discourage her, but she’s persistent.”

“Well, you’re a good-looking single man.”

“I’m taken,” he said.

Sam and Beth both leaned forward.

“Your divorce?” Sam asked.

“No,” he scoffed. “I just found out we have a court date a week before Christmas.”

“I think being separated allows you to see others,” Beth said with a knowing look at Sam.

“I’m seeing someone,” Noah said, “someone else.”

“Oh? It must be serious.”

“I’ve reconnected with my girlfriend from college.”

Sam sat back and ran a hand through his hair. Sam had been the one person Noah had confided in over the years. “This was a long time coming,” Sam said.

“We ran into each other a couple of weeks ago at the airport in Atlanta.”

“This sounds like a romantic story,” Beth said.

“You can tell her,” Noah said, turning his back squarely on Abigail, who was still watching him.

“His father made a business arrangement that required Noah to marry Claire. What he didn’t know was that Noah was planning to marry…” he turned to Noah. “I’m sorry. I can’t remember her name.”

“It’s OK. It’s been twenty years. Her name is Savannah.” Just saying her name out loud sent a warmth through his body.

“Noah was planning to marry Savannah.”

“I handled it very badly.” Noah said.

“You were young,” Beth pointed out.

“No. Really badly. I just walked away from Savannah. No explanation. No good-bye. Nothing.”

Beth watched him closely. “You loved her very much.”

“Yeah,” Noah said. “I loved her too much to watch her heart break.”

“But now you’re back together.”

Noah nodded. “That’s part of why I’ve made this decision. I want to be able to set my own schedule. To be able to spend as much time with Savannah as possible. I have some serious making up to do.”

Sam took Beth’s hand. “Sounds like they’re going to have the same happy ending we have.”

Over the course of the next couple of hours, Noah and Sam worked out a few details, but the deal had been sealed with that initial phone call Noah had made to Sam.

Halfway through dinner, Abigail had disappeared, obviously abandoning her efforts to pursue Noah.

Noah left the restaurant in high spirits.

Tomorrow he would give his final notice to the airline.