The biggest change, of course, was Cam. He’d moved so fast she felt like Wile E. Coyote, spinning helplessly in the dust as the Roadrunner raced past him. In less than a week, she’d gone from not liking him at all to loving him; she’d even agreed to marry him. The odd thing was, even though he was the biggest change, he was the one she felt the best about. Once she had gotten over her initial panic, she knew that being with him felt right, in a way nothing else ever had.
As if feeling her thoughts, he looked over his shoulder at her. He’d gotten a pair of sunglasses from somewhere, so she couldn’t see his eyes, but this evidence of the link between them helped settle her nerves as nothing else could have. She wasn’t alone anymore. However else her life changed, Cam would be right there with her.
The plane touched down, the pilot applying the brakes as they rolled down the runway. Bailey leaned forward to look at the terminal, where people were spilling out of the building, through the fence gate and onto the tarmac, where they stood waiting. It wasn’t a large crowd, and from that distance she couldn’t make out individual faces, but she knew Logan and Peaches were there and her heart lightened with pleasure.
As they taxied closer she saw them, Logan with his arm around Peaches, both of them laughing and Peaches jumping up and down a little in excitement. She knew they probably couldn’t see her but she waved anyway. She could make out Bret, too, and Karen, but she didn’t think she knew any of the other people. They might be Cam’s friends and relatives, even though he’d talked to his parents and they’d said they wouldn’t be able to get to Seattle before he did because they were traveling on a commercial airline, and they had to wait for a regularly scheduled flight. Maybe they’d been able to make other arrangements.
The pilot taxied to a stop. Cam unfastened his seat belt and got out. After a quick word with the pilot, so did MaGuire. Then Cam simply reached in and lifted Bailey out, his hands warm on her waist. “How’re you holding up?” he asked as they walked toward the little crowd that was surging impatiently, waiting only until they were a safe distance from the plane before breaking ranks.
“Tired, but okay. You?”
“The same. Brace yourself!” The last was said as they were enveloped. Logan and Peaches grabbed Bailey and she was crushed by hugs from both sides. Peaches was crying, so of course Bailey teared up, too, though she fought it. Logan just held her tight, his arms around both of them, but she could feel him trembling. She caught a glimpse of Cam as he, too, was surrounded by the welcome party. She saw Karen swat him on the chest, as if in punishment for worrying her, then with a grin Cam held out his arms and she burst into tears as she rushed into them.
“You’re so thin,” Peaches was saying as she wiped away her tears.
“It’s that new diet,” Bailey said. “The Plane Crash diet. Works every time.”
“Are you hungry?” Logan asked, wanting to be able to do something, and getting food fell into that category.
“I’m starving. I think I’ve eaten a ton of food today, but a few minutes after eating I’m hungry again.”
“Then let’s get out of here. We’ll pick up something on the way to your house. I’ll fill you in on what happened with Tamzin, and you can tell us about the crash. I have a million questions.”
Bailey looked around for Cam again. “Not yet. Not without Cam, at any rate. I haven’t even introduced you.”
She could see Logan was reluctant, that he very naturally had reservations about the speed with which she and Cam had become involved, and she patted his arm. “Don’t worry so much. We’re actually on our…twenty-fifth date. Or maybe it’s around the thirtieth date by now, I haven’t done the math. But we know each other a lot better than you think.”
“Thirtieth date? I didn’t know you were dating him at all!” Peaches said in bewilderment as everyone began moving inside. “You never said a word!”
Cam was organizing things, Bailey saw, sending most of the people on their way with thanks for their welcome, saying he had a lot of work he had to catch up on. He wasn’t overt about it but she knew him now, saw the calm but steely air of command that was as natural to him as breathing. Even with his bruised face and bandaged head, he wore authority like a second skin, and people were following his directions without hesitation or really even noticing.
A select few went into the J&L office, though: Bret, Karen, MaGuire. Cam held the door open, his hand extended to Bailey, so she and Logan and Peaches went inside, too. She turned immediately to Cam, introducing her family. He and Logan shook hands, with wariness on Logan’s part, calmness on Cam’s. Despite everything, despite all the bad stuff they still had to handle, Bailey, in that moment, was happy.
BAILEY WAS OKAY, Cam saw. She’d looked so suddenly frail that morning, as if she’d pushed herself until nothing was left, that he hadn’t been able to shake his concern even though food had gone a long way toward reviving her. “Is the coffee fresh?” he asked Karen. He wanted Bailey taken care of before he took care of his other pressing business.
“I just put it on.” Her eyes were still shiny with tears, but she was beaming. “Do you want some?”
Karen was offering to get coffee for him? Maybe he should almost die more often, Cam thought. “In a minute. If you don’t mind, though, make sure Bailey gets something to eat and drink—something out of the snack machine will be fine.”
Karen grinned. “Bailey?” she asked in a low voice, leaning close so no one else would hear. “It isn’t Mrs. Wingate now?”