storm moved away Gray wondered if she had really listened.
Chapter 4
----
I’D AS SOON ride a wild camel as be in this bloody plane!”
Julianna was startled by her seatmate’s oath. In the seconds before she answered him, she wondered if in the next cabin Gray had been reliving their mutual past as she had, or if he even remembered enough of it to relive.
“I’m surprised the flight’s so rough,” she answered. “I thought we’d be over the worst of it by now.”
“You missed the captain’s announcement, then.”
She nodded. She had been so engrossed in her memories that she’d been oblivious to everything around her. “What did he say?”
“We don’t have anything to worry about, but the storm’s getting worse. Hawaii may catch the full brunt of it in the next day or so. They’ve canceled all flights out of Honolulu until further notice.”
Julianna wasn’t sure which was worse, the fact that she was going to have to brave a major storm, or that she wouldn’t be able to fly on to Kauai as scheduled. She had just finished a grueling two month showing of her new collection in department stores in California, New York, New Orleans and Miami. She had spent the entire time longing to be back in Kauai and promising herself a much needed rest when she got there. Now, after seeing Gray, she needed to be home worse than ever. “Were you flying on?” she asked.
“I was. Guess I won’t be now.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much about it. They’ll probably have flights going out tomorrow.”
“If that’s true, why do you look worried?”
Julianna grimaced. “Too much to think about, I guess.”
“If you’re worried about being bothered at the airport, don’t be.”
She knew he was referring to Gray. “I’ll be all right.”
“I’ll stay with you until you get settled somewhere.”
“You don’t have to worry about me. Gray’s too well-bred to cause a scene.”
“He made a scene here,” Dillon pointed out.
“But his daughter wasn’t standing right here with him. She will be in the airport.”
Dillon nodded as if he understood. “So he’s a married man.”
“It’s not what you think.” Julianna wondered why she felt a need to go on. Obviously, Dillon thought that she and Gray had once had an affair, an affair Gray wouldn’t want his family to know about. It was close to the truth, but not quite accurate.
“It’s none of my business,” Dillon assured her.
She nodded. “Thanks, but just for the record, I’m sure Gray’s wife must know about me. Gray was my husband long before he was hers.”
* * *
GRAY DEALT ANOTHER card to Jody. “Now what am I supposed to do?”
“Look at your cards and see if any of them match,” the little girl instructed him. “If they do, put them down in pairs. If they don’t, just hold on to them. And if you’ve got a queen, say your prayers.”
Gray smiled at her. “Are you an old maid card shark?”
“What’s a card shark?”
Gray laid down a pair. “A little girl with brown braids who whomps up on unsuspecting grown-ups.”
Jody giggled. “You’re silly, Gray.”
He nodded as he held out his cards for her to make a selection. She made a pair from the card she had drawn. “Hey, no fair, shrimp. You’re not supposed to beat me on my first try.”
“All’s fair,” Jody said philosophically.
Gray laughed at the very adult expression. His experience with children might be limited, but he had already realized that Jody was brighter than most, and more mature. He knew little about her personally except that she was eight and going into third grade. She’d informed him that she read on a tenth-grade level, and she was preparing to learn algebra in a special class at school. Clearly the special class was for gifted children.
The only other thing Gray knew was that Jody was precious cargo, a child caught up in adult games that made old maid the child’s play it really was. She was the daughter of a friend of a
Chapter 4
----
I’D AS SOON ride a wild camel as be in this bloody plane!”
Julianna was startled by her seatmate’s oath. In the seconds before she answered him, she wondered if in the next cabin Gray had been reliving their mutual past as she had, or if he even remembered enough of it to relive.
“I’m surprised the flight’s so rough,” she answered. “I thought we’d be over the worst of it by now.”
“You missed the captain’s announcement, then.”
She nodded. She had been so engrossed in her memories that she’d been oblivious to everything around her. “What did he say?”
“We don’t have anything to worry about, but the storm’s getting worse. Hawaii may catch the full brunt of it in the next day or so. They’ve canceled all flights out of Honolulu until further notice.”
Julianna wasn’t sure which was worse, the fact that she was going to have to brave a major storm, or that she wouldn’t be able to fly on to Kauai as scheduled. She had just finished a grueling two month showing of her new collection in department stores in California, New York, New Orleans and Miami. She had spent the entire time longing to be back in Kauai and promising herself a much needed rest when she got there. Now, after seeing Gray, she needed to be home worse than ever. “Were you flying on?” she asked.
“I was. Guess I won’t be now.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much about it. They’ll probably have flights going out tomorrow.”
“If that’s true, why do you look worried?”
Julianna grimaced. “Too much to think about, I guess.”
“If you’re worried about being bothered at the airport, don’t be.”
She knew he was referring to Gray. “I’ll be all right.”
“I’ll stay with you until you get settled somewhere.”
“You don’t have to worry about me. Gray’s too well-bred to cause a scene.”
“He made a scene here,” Dillon pointed out.
“But his daughter wasn’t standing right here with him. She will be in the airport.”
Dillon nodded as if he understood. “So he’s a married man.”
“It’s not what you think.” Julianna wondered why she felt a need to go on. Obviously, Dillon thought that she and Gray had once had an affair, an affair Gray wouldn’t want his family to know about. It was close to the truth, but not quite accurate.
“It’s none of my business,” Dillon assured her.
She nodded. “Thanks, but just for the record, I’m sure Gray’s wife must know about me. Gray was my husband long before he was hers.”
* * *
GRAY DEALT ANOTHER card to Jody. “Now what am I supposed to do?”
“Look at your cards and see if any of them match,” the little girl instructed him. “If they do, put them down in pairs. If they don’t, just hold on to them. And if you’ve got a queen, say your prayers.”
Gray smiled at her. “Are you an old maid card shark?”
“What’s a card shark?”
Gray laid down a pair. “A little girl with brown braids who whomps up on unsuspecting grown-ups.”
Jody giggled. “You’re silly, Gray.”
He nodded as he held out his cards for her to make a selection. She made a pair from the card she had drawn. “Hey, no fair, shrimp. You’re not supposed to beat me on my first try.”
“All’s fair,” Jody said philosophically.
Gray laughed at the very adult expression. His experience with children might be limited, but he had already realized that Jody was brighter than most, and more mature. He knew little about her personally except that she was eight and going into third grade. She’d informed him that she read on a tenth-grade level, and she was preparing to learn algebra in a special class at school. Clearly the special class was for gifted children.
The only other thing Gray knew was that Jody was precious cargo, a child caught up in adult games that made old maid the child’s play it really was. She was the daughter of a friend of a
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