She made an effort to release the armrest.
What a contrast she was, he thought. Fearless, determined, knowledgeable, cool—until it came to something as simple as riding in an airplane.
It was a long flight, and he spent most of it keeping an eye on what his traveling companions were up to.
Caer got up several times to speak with Sean and make sure he took his medication—despite the chilly looks Amanda shot her way every time. She remained low-key, something Amanda no doubt appreciated. He had to admit, he had found it difficult to look Amanda in the eye that morning.
In fact, he had a feeling he might never look at her again without remembering her breasts blinking red and green.
He helped Caer with her headphones, and smiled later when she actually enjoyed the chicken pasta she chose for lunch. She also had a glass of champagne, but he noticed that she sipped it slowly. As much as she seemed to savor the taste of alcohol, she wasn’t about to overdo it.
She fell asleep shortly after lunch, so he allowed himself to rest, as well. In fact, despite the fact that it was a day flight, when he woke up after a short nap and looked around, he saw that most of the passengers he could see were sleeping soundly, including Amanda and Sean.
He rose and stretched, then walked silently over to check on Sean. He felt a little foolish, like a new father standing over his baby just to make sure the infant was breathing, but given everything that had happened…
Sean was breathing.
When Zach turned back, he saw that Caer was awake and studying him, eyes dark and thoughtful. She didn’t look away; instead, she lifted a brow and tipped her head to the side, indicating Sean.
Zach nodded, letting her know that the older man was fine.
They were served dinner before landing, since they were landing at night, despite having left in the morning. Caer seemed bemused to be eating again so soon.
When they deplaned at Kennedy Airport, she seemed a bit overwhelmed, just staring. Dublin was certainly a sizeable city, but no one, he thought, could really be prepared for the reality of New York, the sheer number of people, the speed at which everyone moved, the plethora of accents—the noise. She had stepped out boldly, but now he saw her just standing there as people rushed past her. She looked as if she were simply trying to breathe while she assimilated the sounds and sights around her.
“Ah, there you are,” Sean announced, as he was wheeled behind her, an airport employee pushing the wheelchair that had been waiting for him. He’d groused about it, but they’d all—including Amanda—vetoed the idea of his walking, Amanda muttering beneath her breath that if sex was too much for his heart, she certainly wasn’t going to tax it with a long walk.
“First time in New York, huh?” the airport employee asked, smiling. He was a very tall black man, both dignified and friendly. He wore a name tag that identified him as Samuel Smith.
Caer looked at him and smiled, nodding.
“Yeah, yeah, how cute,” Amanda said, walking by. “Come on, let’s go. We don’t have that much time between flights. Let’s just get this over with.”
“Sorry,” Caer said, and started walking. Suddenly she stopped and looked back. “Mr. Smith, am I going the right way?”
“Indeed you are. Straight ahead. Just follow the signs and don’t worry about me. I’m so good at navigating these strollers, I could probably win the Indy 500.”
When he saw the blank expression on Caer’s face, Zach stepped up beside her. “It’s a car race,” he told her, slipping an arm through hers. Amanda was being particularly annoying, he thought, and felt an urge to make it up to Caer somehow. “Maybe there will be some time to pop back down here. New York is one of the most amazing cities in the world.” He flashed her a smile. “With lots of good Irish history.”
They cleared customs in good time and changed terminals. The much smaller plane that would take them to Rhode Island was already there and boarding. As they stepped onto the plane, Caer looked a little white again. “No champagne on this one, huh?” she whispered to Zach.
He laughed. “No, but they do carry alcohol,” he whispered. She flushed.
There was a row of single seats on one side of the aisle, with double seats on the other. Zach was once again next to Caer, with Amanda and Sean in front of them. Once again, Caer gripped the armrests as they took off.
This time, when he set his hand on hers, she actually flashed him a smile of gratitude. It was a rocky flight; she was gripping his hand by the time they had been in the air for fifteen minutes.
“This is a short flight at a lower altitude, and that’s why you’re feeling the air, plus it’s a much smaller plane, moving at a slower rate. But there’s nothing to fear. Think of it as if you were on the water. The air has waves, just like the sea, and we’re moving over those waves.”