Anna clutched her carry-on as she stared at the screen displaying flight departures. One by one, the times faded out and were replaced by the word delayed.
And then bloop! There it was, flight 128 to Houston: delayed.
A collective groan resounded through the terminal, and she agreed. Changing all the departure times without any explanation was downright rude. Would an estimate of what delayed meant be too much to ask for?
The flight at the top of the list changed to canceled and the passengers held a collective breath until a moment passed and the rest remained simply delayed.
What would she do if her flight got cancelled? A fourteen-hour flight was bad enough. Now she’d have to spend even more time finding another flight with everyone else who was stranded here. Not to mention finding another connecting flight to get to Philadelphia. What a nightmare.
And how in God’s name was she supposed to get her luggage back?
Adjusting the bag on her shoulder, she made her way past the complaining passengers until she found a restaurant that hadn’t yet been trounced with angry, anxious travelers.
She took a seat at the bar.
“What can I get you?” the barkeep asked.
“Ginger ale would be great, thanks.”
Above, the television screen flicked to a reporter standing in front of a fire. The caption below read: Christchurch International Airport.
Her jaw fell open. She was sitting in Christchurch International Airport. What the hell?
The guy at the other side of the bar yelled, “Hey, turn that up.”
The barkeep complied.
The reporter held a finger in one ear as wind hit her from the side. “And, as you can see, the flames are spreading. Airport personnel have confirmed every single runway is on fire and all arrivals and departures have been either delayed or cancelled.”
Well, that certainly explained things.
The man bussing the tables threw a towel over his shoulder. “My son was working the runways when the fires started. He said it was dragons.”
The people within earshot laughed.
“Well, hello.” A guy with shoulder-length platinum blond hair slipped onto the barstool beside Anna before turning to the man. “Dragons, you say? Did he get any pictures?”
The busser grimaced. “No. My boy said they suddenly disappeared as soon as they’d come.” He straightened. “I believe him, though. My son is not a liar.”
The guy at the other end of the bar piped in, “I saw some pictures of a few nudists running from the flames. I bet they’ll have some interesting stories to tell the police, if the cops ever catch ‘em.”
The platinum-blond leaned around Anna. His nearness seeped through her, as if his heat reached out and staked a claim. Disconcerted, she inched away.
“So, the nudists weren’t caught, then?” he asked.
“Nah. Slippery little naked bodies. Lucky suckers.”
The blond suppressed a grin. “Good to know.”
The reporter on the screen continued. “Amazingly, there seems to be no damage to the buildings, or people. Somehow this fire has been completely contained, harming nothing more than surrounding grass, and flight plans.”
She said that as if grounding every flight in an international airport was no big deal. Anna had already been through security, and her bags were out there waiting to be loaded into a plane that probably wouldn’t take off anytime soon. She was trapped, and things in this airport were probably about to get ugly.
When would Air Traffic Control decide which planes would remain delayed, and which would be completely canceled?
“What can I get you, bro?” the bartender asked the blond.
He glanced at Anna’s glass. “Whatever she’s having looks good.”
“I’m guessing these fizzies will start being spiked before the night is out.” He drew the soda and handed it to the guy. “Where you headed?”
The blond gestured to Anna. “The lady and I are on our way to Philadelphia, by way of Houston, Texas. Flight 128.”
Wait. What? “How do you know I’m going to Philadelphia?”
His eyes narrowed as he considered her for a moment. “So, it’s true, then. You really don’t remember?”
Anna leaned away. “How do you know I—”
“Connor told me.”
She felt her jaw drop. “Connor?”
The guy took a few seconds, staring into her eyes. “You really don’t remember anything at all—not even the bar?”
Anna shook her head.
“Well, then, this is a little uncomfortable, isn’t it?”
He took a sip of his drink, but Anna was sure he was hiding a smile. “Who are you?”
He set his glass down. “Well, I suppose that would help a bit.” He offered his hand. “My name is Joesephutus, but you call me Joe.”
She stared at his outstretched hand. This was the guy Connor and Sybil said she’d been with all week. “You’re Joe?”
He nodded.
And he was here. Now.
On his way to Philadelphia.
Apparently with her.
The light from the artificial candle on the bar flickered across his face. The firelight seemed somewhat familiar on his very pale skin. How could she not remember any of this? “What happened all week? Where were we?”
He pushed back his drink and turned to her. “Well…” A smile crossed his lips. “You were kidnapped by a huge, ugly gray dragon who wanted to make you his mate. I saved you, and then we spent a few nights in a magical, Maori cavern before I returned you to your village.”
She stared at him for a moment. “No, seriously.”
He only smiled wider.
“That’s a nice story.” Anna took a sip of her drink. The bubbles tickled her nose. “Are you going to tell me what really happened?”
He held up his hands. “That’s the gist of it. I’m sorry you don’t remember.” He tapped his finger on the edge of the glass. “No, that’s not the truth.” He turned to her. “I’m not sorry that you don’t remember, because now I get to fall in love with you all over again.”
Hol-ee. “Love?”
He continued to look at his glass. “I’m going to be honest with you, Anna.”
Thank God, because the whole getting saved from a dragon thing was a bit far-fetched.
“You told me it was too soon to be in love.”
Well, at least she’d been in her right mind while she’d been with him. Love wasn’t as simple as everyone made it out to be. Her feelings for Andrew had grown over time. Years. She’d never been the type to fall in love on a whirlwind vacation, and she didn’t expect to turn into that type in the future.
However, here this guy was, sitting beside her. “If we weren’t in love, then why are you coming back to Philly with me?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t say we weren’t in love. I said you weren’t in love. Not yet, at least.” He glanced at the fires on the television screen before returning his gaze to her. “You said you wished we had more time. So I’m giving it to you.”
That sounded a lot like her. If she didn’t like him at all, though, she would have told him to take a flying leap off the nearest cliff. Apparently that didn’t happen.
Would she be that careless, though, especially after the Andrew disaster?
Andrew.
For months that name had brought her nothing but agony. But now, it was meaningless… just another word.
When she’d arrived in New Zealand she’d still been broken. She couldn’t imagine her life without him.
But now… nothing.
How could she have gone from utter desolation to indifference in a week?
Her gaze carried along Joe’s sculpted shoulders before meeting his striking eyes.
With Andrew, it was all about what she could do for him. How she could make his life easier. That was all Anna knew.
But this guy, a man she just met, was more than ready to get on a plane for her. Whatever had happened between them must have been huge. At least to him. Too bad he was hiding behind a ridiculous story about a dragon.
Anna looked away. “This is stupid. I feel like I don’t even know you.”
Joe placed a finger on her chin and eased her gaze back to him. “Like I said, this just gives us the opportunity to fall in love all over again.”
She sat back, struck by the sincerity in his eyes. That wasn’t a cheap come-on. He meant it. Her heart took flight in her chest, as if part of her were ready to soar with him in the sky. But that was irrational, wasn’t it?
The bartender stared at a computer screen. “Looks like you’ll have plenty of time.” He looked up at them. “Flight 128 to Houston just hit the cancelled list, with about a dozen others.”
The traffic outside the restaurant shifted, the people switching stream and now heading out of the terminal. They probably had the right idea. All this lunacy aside, Anna still needed to find a way home and get on with her life.
“Can I get my check, please?” Anna asked.
“Your check?” Joe asked.
“Yeah, I need to find another flight.”
Panic lit Joe’s eyes. She turned away, again. Whatever had happened between them, he needed to understand that she couldn’t even remember meeting him, let alone spending the week together.
The bartender handed her a bill. “Right now you’ll be rushing to wait in line with everyone else. Trust me, they won’t have this sorted out for hours. No one is going anywhere.”
Joe tapped his knuckles on the bar. “He’s right.” He turned to Anna. “How about we have some dinner?” He gestured to an empty table. “This probably won’t be as romantic as roasting rabbit over a campfire, but it will have to do.”
Anna rolled her eyes. This story just got deeper and deeper. As if she’d actually eat something they’d just caught out in the mountains. Something about the thought, though, made her sigh, as if she could feel the fire warming her face.
That was crazy, though. She didn’t even like camping.
But what had they been doing out there, and how did she catch this crazy dragon fever?
He slipped his fingers around hers and drew her from her barstool. Even his touch felt familiar, strong, and unbelievably right.
He led her to a table in the back as a few other travelers filtered into the restaurant. She told her feet to stop moving, that she should be more worried about flight plans than eating, but something drew her along. There was such a sense of ease about Joe, like she’d known him forever.
He pulled out her chair and she sat as he took his place opposite her. His long tresses framed his face in soft waves that were closer to white than blond, and his large, knowing eyes were light blue, nearly crystalline. He almost didn’t look real. A smug smile crossed his lips.
Anna blushed, hiding her eyes. “I’m sorry for staring. You must get that a lot.”
His smile widened. “I do, actually, when I visit the city. Where I come from, everyone looks like this. Well, at least everyone in my clan does.”
Did that mean the hair, the eyes, or those etched features? He almost looked Elven: all grace and perfection. She’d have to convince him to pose for a selfie before they parted ways.
Her breath hitched as a pain twisted in her chest. Why did the thought of leaving—of leaving him, suddenly put her in a panic? She had to go home, didn’t she?
The word no exploded in her head. She gasped.
Joe reached across the table and caressed her hand. “Are you all right?”
As soon as their fingers met, she relaxed, as if his touch made everything wrong in the world okay. That was ludicrous, though.
She massaged her temples. “I feel so strange.”
“Dragon fever can do that to you.”
She drew her hand back. “Do you know anything about dragon fever? Will I get my memory back?”
“It’s different for everyone, but even if you don’t remember…” He reached for her hand again. His touch was so gentle, so warm. “We can create new memories.”
She smiled. “I don’t think we’ll be able to create anything as exciting as you saving me from a dragon.”
“Maybe not.” He wove his fingers through hers. “But I’m really looking forward to trying.”
The sincerity in his gaze drew her in, lulling her into the deepest sense of ease she’d ever experienced. Andrew’s eyes had always been somewhat distant, as if his mind was elsewhere.
Joe was here emotionally as well as physically, and his every thought, his every concern, was her. She trembled as the huge-ness of that swept over her, but then she eased back into the ethereal rightness.
The familiarity in his touch, the warmth she felt simply from being in his presence—was it possible that her body remembered what her mind had forgotten?
Her chest thickened, and a deep ache settled at the base of her throat. There were emotions there, sitting on the edge of her psyche, waiting to be tapped. Strong emotions for a guy she couldn’t even remember.
A stream of guilt flooded her, and her eyes blurred with tears.
Joe tightened his grip on her. “What’s wrong?”
She tried to pull away, but he only gripped harder.
“What’s wrong?” She puffed out an ironic breath. “Everything is wrong. You, me, everything.”
She dropped her forehead onto her other palm. Dammit! Why couldn’t she remember?
Anna raised her gaze. “I felt something for you. I know I did. I just can’t remember what.” She closed her eyes and swallowed. “I feel horrible that I can’t recall…” How safe I felt in your arms, how you listened when I prattled on, how your heartbeat lulled me to sleep at night.
Anna shivered at the memory. No, not really a memory, but the sensation of a memory. She’d slept beside him, and she’d never slept so soundly. She suddenly yearned to pull his arms around her, to bask in his warmth, to drink him in and never let go.
Everything he’d said was true. Well, maybe not the part about saving her from a dragon, but she’d get the truth about that later. Anna looked into his eyes, and her heart leapt when she saw the raw emotion there, the heat, the undeniable adoration. She didn’t know how it had happened, but they were in love.
She couldn’t go back to Philadelphia. Not now, at least. If she went home, if she took him home, they’d be sightseeing and running around and meeting people. That wasn’t the way to get to know Joe again. She needed to know everything, and to find out why these intense feelings existed.
More people filed into the restaurant, looking for a place to stay until they figured out their flight plans. It wasn’t right for her and Joe to use this table when they weren’t going anywhere.
She stood. “Let’s go. I don’t want to have dinner here.”
Joe rose slowly. The pained, frightened expression returned to his eyes. “Wh-why not?”
“I want you to show me the mountains. I want to eat at a campfire. I want to see this magic cave.” She wanted it all. Everything. Like he’d said, she wanted to fall in love with him all over again.
A smile burst across his lips. “What about getting home to your dog?”
Her mom could watch Dixie for a few more days. Anna had another week of vacation coming to her, and she couldn’t think of a better way to use it.
Joe was right, though. She needed to think about her little pooch. “Do you like dogs?”
Joe grimaced. “I don’t have a problem with dogs, but they don’t tend to like me.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes. They tend to run away.” His lips turned up slightly. There had to be a story behind that adorable grin.
“That won’t happen with Dixie. She loves everyone.”
Anna thought about the hissing-barking incident last year when her neighbor’s iguana got loose. That hadn’t gone over well.
As long as Joe didn’t have a big pet lizard they would do just fine.
She took a deep breath. “I’ll have to call my mom and let her know.” She grabbed Joe’s hands and gazed deep into his spectacular eyes. “I’m staying.” At least for now, but the rustling inside her left her wondering if for-now would end up for-ever.
Joe’s smile reached deep into her heart, swirling up all the emotions hidden inside and basking her in a warmth that trumped all worries of her life back home. Something new skittered on the edge of the horizon.
Something exciting.
She hugged Joe’s arm, her heart thumping in anticipation of starting fresh, experiencing new things, and falling in love with this amazing person all over again.
Maybe finding a guy in New Zealand wasn’t so crazy after all.