Flight to Paradise (Flight Trilogy, Book 1) (32 page)

The woman turned. Ryan found himself frozen in space, staring at the woman, as if on a carousel whirling at top speed while the details of the surrounding world smeared into a ghostly blur. For an undetermined period of seconds, seeming like minutes, the fourth dimension—time—slowed to paralytic proportions. Like an astronaut moving lethargically on the lunar surface of the moon.

Catapulted into a head-on collision with reality, his subconscious ejected her name from his mouth.

“Keri!”

“Ryan!”

They both stood staring; his mind struggling to join the shattered pieces of the puzzle that connected him to his past, and Keri; the letter and some guy named, Bill; the day in New York at her dad’s condo; the short conversation with Mrs. Hart while in Atlanta; and now,
REX
!

Almost simultaneously, they turned to Rex.

He shrugged and said, “Surprise!”

CHAPTER 59

Emily boarded a Gulfstream jet parked on the tarmac at Peachtree DeKalb Airport, headed for California.

Ronald’s diseased heart had finally surrendered to a cardiac arrest three days earlier. She never returned to see him after learning of his last wishes. Philip Darby had contacted her with the news of his death and, as the letter had promised, delivered the package containing Ronald’s ashes.

Not to be burdened with the ridiculous hassle of disposing of the old man’s ashes, she had instructed the limo driver to make a quick detour behind a local strip mall near the airport where she tossed what were presumably the cremains of Ronald Hart into a dumpster.

The young copilot greeted Emily, pulled the cabin door closed and returned to the cockpit. Within minutes, the sleek private jet taxied to the runway and took off.

Wrapped in luxury, sipping on a glass of champagne, she stared out at the Atlanta skyline as the Earth slipped away.

Thank
you
Ronnie
.

She thought, from here on out, only the best, starting with a week-long vacation at the fabulous oceanfront, Watford Hotel & Resort on Monarch Beach, compliments of the late Ronald Hart.

After a year filled with emotional stress, “celebrate” is exactly what she intended to do: sleep late, breakfast and lunch by the pool, daily pampering at the resort spa, cocktails and relaxing dinners. Upon her return to Atlanta and after the reading of Ronald’s will, she expected her new life would be much the same.

CHAPTER 60

With his eyes locked on Rex, Ryan belted out, “What! You two are married?”

“Can I fix anyone a drink?” Rex said. “Beer? Glass of wine, maybe?” With no response, he held up a finger. “I think I’ll have a beer.”

Keri untied her apron, slipped it off and tossed it on the counter. “Yes, we’re married.” She turned to Rex, her brow furrowed, shooting him an evil look. “I wish Rex had told me that
you
were ‘one of his old Navy buddies’.”

“When?” Ryan searched for words. “I mean, how long?”

“We’ve got plenty of time to fill you in on all the details,” she said, sending Rex another scowled look.

Rex jumped in, “Dude, I wanted to tell you, but knew how much you liked surprises.”

Taking a deep breath, Ryan said, “I’ll have to say, I’m more than surprised.” He met Keri’s gaze. She was the same beautiful woman he remembered—except married. For a brief moment, it seemed her eyes were telegraphing something that was in direct conflict to the casual flippancy in her voice.

“Oh come here and give me a hug,” Keri stepped up to Ryan and hugged him, then stepped back. “You look great. So, how’s Emily?”

“Honey,” Rex said, “remember? The phone call?”

She hesitated for a moment, then turned to Ryan with a sad expression and said, “Oh God…Ryan, I’m so sorry.” She shot Rex another one of her piercing looks. “I just remembered Rex saying ‘his old Navy buddy’ had gone through a bad divorce. But again, he failed to mention it was you.”

“Hey, buddy, you sure I can’t get you a beer?”

“Yeah, I think I will.”

Putting her hands together, Keri said, “Well, it looks like we have a lot to talk about over dinner, speaking of which, is almost ready.” She looked at Ryan through eyes he couldn’t decode. “Ryan, I hope you’re hungry.”

“Everything looks and smells wonderful. Could I use your bathroom to wash up?”

“Sure. It’s just down the hall and to your right,” she said, pointing the way.

Once in the small bathroom, he turned on the water and looked at himself in the mirror.

How
can
this
be
happening
?

He leaned over and put his wrist under the cool water trying to bring his body temperature back to normal. His underarms were damp; his brow wet with perspiration.

What
is
going
on
?
Rex
and
Keri
are
complete
opposites
.
How
in
the
world
could
Keri
have
ever
fallen
for
a
guy
like
,
Rex
?

It was one thing to believe that opposites attract, but he knew the only way Rex would have ever been able to land a woman like, Keri, was if he had masqueraded as someone he wasn’t, something Ryan knew Rex was notorious for doing.

I
can’t
wait
to
hear
this
story
.

After splashing some water on his face, he took the small hand towel hanging on the rack beside the sink and dried his face and hands. He had found her and lost her in the same day again.

He took a deep breath and exhaled. With one last look in the mirror, his mind spinning in a thousand directions, he turned, opened the door, and headed back toward the kitchen.

* * *

When Keri finally put two and two together, remembering that Rex had said his old Navy buddy had gone through a bad divorce, she realized Ryan must no longer be married to Emily. An ache stabbed deep into her heart.

Her next words floundered from her lips, “Oh God…” but she’d caught herself and finished with, “Ryan, I’m so sorry.” But in that instant, her mind had raced back to New York. She had wanted to say, “Oh God, why didn’t you tell me?”

He had mentioned nothing. If he had been having problems, why didn’t he say so?

Then she knew why. Ryan would have never left his wife, regardless of the state of the marriage. The pain in her heart wrenched tighter. Poor, Ryan, he must have been suffering.

She regretted not telling him of her impending wedding. If she had only known about Emily—if Ryan had only known about her wedding—things would be different.

What
now
?

Ryan returned from the bathroom. “What would you like to drink with dinner?” Keri asked.

“Just keep the beer flowing,” Ryan said. “I think I’m going to need it.”

Their eyes met. She couldn’t hide the pain buried deep within her heart. Words were not necessary. Her obvious longing to share her many regrets would have to wait.

* * *

After sitting down to eat, Rex kicked off the conversation. “Dude, you won’t believe how Keri and I met...” Five minutes later, he finished his emotionless recollection of the events, “…and then we were married in Atlanta.”

Keri made no attempt to interject or add to the story. Her refrain told Ryan that many details were left out; details that would only further separate the two of them from the fantasy they secretly embraced.

If only he could be alone with her; to hold her in his arms like he had in New York; to hear her sweet words telling him how much she loved him.

His mind ran wild with scenarios of what the night might bring. After Rex went to bed, she might suggest they stay up and talk. Sitting beside her on the sofa, he imagined her hand reaching for his as they consoled each other. An innocent embrace leads to an accidental kiss, unleashing pent-up passions. The kiss grows, their restraint weakens. She leads him to the guest bedroom where they satisfy the cravings of their deepest desires.

“Babe, Ryan says he’s moving out here. Right, buddy?”

“Yeah, I’m seriously looking into it. I think I can get more help for my mom out here.”

About to take a sip of wine from her glass, Keri immediately stopped and looked at Ryan. “Ryan, I am so sorry,” she said, setting her glass back down. “With all the surprises, I completely forgot to ask about Martha.”

“That’s okay. She’s been doing as expected. There’s a fantastic center right here in Laguna Beach that specializes with Alzheimer’s patients. It’s nationally recognized.”

“That sounds fantastic,” Keri said. “I would love to see her again. It’s been so long, and she’s always meant the world to me. Do you think she’ll remember who I am?”

“They say memory of things long ago often stay intact right up to the end. I wouldn’t be surprised if she calls your name out the minute she sees you.”

“I miss her so much.” Keri’s voice full of compassion.

For a moment, Ryan felt a connection with her on a deeper level, almost like family. He remembered how hard it had been to avoid his mother’s many questions about Keri, especially when she referred to her as his wife. He knew how much his mother loved Keri. He couldn’t tell her now, but, even with his mother’s condition worsening, Keri was the one person she talked about most.

As the evening progressed, in the lulls between conversations, he struggled to piece together the events from the past. It made sense, now, when he had attempted to locate Keri through the airline, why they had no record of her, and why there had been no listing for her in the Laguna Beach directory; she had changed her last name to Dean.

Then he wondered what happened to Bill, making a mental note to move that to the top of his list of questions to ask her, once they were alone.

The mind numbing effects of the alcohol eased his eagerness to connect the dots from the past, instead, he found the present more stimulating.

Each time he stole a glance of Keri, he was reminded of how stupid he was to have ever let her get away. Surely, she didn’t love Rex, and, after his display in the harbor today, it was still obvious the only person Rex loved was himself.

“So, dude, how long before you get your butt out here?” Rex asked.

“I’m hoping to hear from the center soon. Mom’s on a waiting list for the next available opening. They told me it shouldn’t be long.”

Keri said, “If there’s anything you need, you just let me know.” She reached for the breadbasket and pushed back from the table. “Let me get you some hot bread.”

“Hey, buddy,” Rex said, pausing as he hurriedly drained the last swallow of warm beer from his bottle, waving it in Keri’s direction. “Hey, Baby, do you mind?”

“Sure,” she replied. “Ryan, can I get you one?”

“No thanks, I’m fine.”

Ryan lost count how many times Rex had ordered Keri to fetch him a beer from the kitchen. At one point, he felt it might have been easier to fill an ice chest and stick it by Rex’s chair.

Besides her numerous trips to the kitchen, Ryan noticed she had made several trips upstairs. All she had said was, “Excuse me, I’ll be back in a moment.” It seemed like a long way to go to the bathroom, considering the master bedroom was downstairs. But thanks to the beer buzz and Rex’s constant string of stories about “the good old days”, he hadn’t given it much thought.

“So, dude,” Rex continued, “what time you shoving off tomorrow?”

Keri returned with a chilled bottle of beer and handed it to Rex, then started to clear the table. Ryan quickly rose to help.

Rex snapped, “Hey, dude, sit! She’ll get it. That’s what I married her for.” Rex laughed.

Keri shot him a sneer, then turned to Ryan and smiled. “Thanks Ryan, but I’ll get it. I’m used to it. You and Rex visit.”

“I planned to head to the airport first thing. The flights all look good. Shouldn’t be a problem getting a seat. I’ve got a trip Monday.”

Rex said, “Let’s move into the den.” He rose to his feet and stumbled over to the sofa. “Dude, could I ask a huge favor?”

“Sure, anything.”

“I’ve got a turn-around to Dallas out of LAX in the morning at seven, and Keri has a three-day out of Orange County at eleven. We’ve been trying to get her car in the shop for a month. You know how it is, both of us coming and going at different times, we just keep putting it off. If you could give her a ride to the airport in the morning, I could take care of her car while she’s out of town. It’d be a big help.” He raised his bottle taking another slug.

“No problem. Consider it done.”

“Hey thanks, brah, you’re the best.” Rex slurred.

Keri joined them in the den. Ryan stood when she entered the room. “Are you sure you don’t need any help in the kitchen?” Ryan offered.

“You’re sweet, but it’s all done. Only took a second to load the dishwasher.”

She placed her hand on his arm and said, “Listen, thank you so much for taking me to the airport in the morning.”

“What time do we need to leave?”

“My sign-in is at ten…so, how about we leave at eight forty-five. That should give us plenty of time. We won’t have to rush.”

“Sounds great.” Ryan quickly did the math. He knew the drive to the airport would only take, at most, twenty minutes, more likely fifteen. That would give them at least an hour to talk, not counting the drive time.

“Well, I guess it’s time to call it a night,” Keri said.

Ryan glanced down at Rex, slumped on the sofa, his eyes half closed. “Looks like some of us had better hurry, or we might not make it.” He turned to Keri. “Thank you for everything, the meal was wonderful.”

“Let me help Rex to the bedroom, and then I’ll show you to your room.”

Rex blurted out, “I don’t need any help!” He rose slowly to his feet. “I’m just a little buzzed. I think I can make it a few feet to the bedroom. But first, let me give my good buddy a hug.”

After finding his balance, he leaned over and draped his arms around Ryan’s shoulders. “Goodnight, buddy.” He patted him on the back.

“Thanks for everything, Rex. I enjoyed the sailing.”

“We’ll have to do it again.”