Page 16 of Keeping Her Safe

“Do you want the files?” He offered her the pile.

He liked that she took them and could open them right away. The information was basic, but it was more than she had ever had. Over her shoulder, he watched her reading. She read quickly, flipping through pages so fast he was convinced she didn’t read them. But every once in a while, she would ask a question.

As they neared their destination, they hit turbulence, and she grabbed his hand tightly. After that, she used only one hand to flip through the papers and pictures. Sometimes she used their hands together to move something or nudge something, but she never let it go. Her hold loosened from the death grip to something softer over time.

Enjoying the remaining time on the flight, he watched her shuffle through the papers and pictures, her small hand in his the entire time. It was warm and soft and so pale compared to his darker skin. Staring at where their hands were laced together, the contrast of their skin mesmerized him. He let his mind run around the feelings of her hand in his and the sight of it. It wasn’t that he had never dated or even had sex with a white woman, but there was something different about Zephyr. Zephyr was always different.

He drifted off to sleep, knowing she was safe right next to him on the plane. They were even holding hands. She couldn’t get away if she tried.

CHAPTER 7

When the plane landed, Zephyr wasn’t as scared as when it took off. It helped that she was holding Zachary’s strong hand. It helped that she was looking out the window in hopes of seeing snow. There was none. It also helped that Zachary was still asleep, and when she stopped looking for snow, she could look at his relaxed face.

He had been sleeping for around an hour, and she knew he was tired. They had been up for almost twelve hours and had covered a lot of miles in that time, and they would cover even more. There was no way this guy could still be following them.

As the plane taxied, she carefully put the papers back in their files. The first time she had looked through them, she had looked for herself in each one. She could see the mom they shared in each one, and she had seen herself in each one.

Did she see people she wanted to spend time with or sisters who would accept her? She couldn’t say. They seemed nice enough on paper.

For the first time, she wondered if their father had told them about her. Maybe they knew the entire time and didn’t need another sister in their lives. Maybe they didn’t care what had happened to their mother.

As the plane came to a stop, Zephyr looked over at Zachary, still sleeping next to her. Staring at his mouth, she remembered the soft kiss he had given her. Had she dreamed it, or had it happened? By the time her eyes opened, he was gone, walking away from her towards the restroom.

When he had come back, he had said nothing to her about it. Maybe it was just her imagination. It was a pretty wild one sometimes, but never had her thinking she had kissed a man that she may not have.

“Zachary,” she whispered in his ear. His eyes popped open at his name. She had thought he would be groggy, but he was on high alert for a moment until he relaxed against the seat.

“Did I fall asleep?”

“Yep. The plane has landed. You slept for quite a while,” she explained. Handing him the folders, she watched as he slid them into the bag at his feet, then slid the zipper closed on it.

When the passengers could leave, he stood up, grabbed his bag with his free hand, and threw it over his shoulder. Her hand never left his as they got off the plane and walked into another airport, thousands of miles from the last one they were in.

After gathering their checked bag, they made it to the car rental office. Zachary talked to the man behind the counter as Zephyr looked out the window at fall in Minnesota. It was nothing great.

Zachary waved her over, and they walked into the cold fall day. The sun was shining, but it was not putting out any heat. Cold was cold here, whereas, in Florida, cold was chilly. Zachary had dropped her hand when he’d grabbed his duffle bag off the conveyer. Now running across the parking lot, he took her hand again as he pulled her towards a line of cars.

Once they’d stopped, he pointed at one that was bigger than any car she had ever owned. She knew it was an SUV, but that was all she knew. Nodding, she went to the passenger door and opened it. After sliding in, she immediately decided it was the nicest car she had ever ridden in.

Zachary threw their stuff in the back, then slid into the driver’s door and smiled at her. “Welcome to Minnesota, Zephyr Hart.” Then he started the vehicle and quickly strapped a gun to his leg.

Before she knew it, they had maneuvered their way out of the parking lot and were on the interstate heading out of town. Not much was different from Tampa, maybe the trees and grass, but the buildings were the same.

“Do you miss your cell phone? It was left at your house, wasn’t it?” Zachary asked as he drove.

Turning to the man quizzically, she stated, “I don’t have a cell phone.”

“How do you not have a cell phone? Everyone has a cell phone,” he asked incredulously.

“I have a landline, and that’s all I need. Nobody calls.” Nobody did call. Her editor did every once in a while, maybe.

“How do you keep up with all your internet stuff?”

“I don’t have any.”

“I saw it! You’re all over.”

She shrugged. “The publishing company takes care of that stuff. I just write.”

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