Page 36 of Roses for Rosie

“I really do. Now you better get home and get packed. You are going to have so much fun!”

I grin back at her, bolstered by her confidence. “I do have a lot to do to get ready.”

“Go, go! I’ll take care of things here.”

I’m waiting outside with my suitcase and the garment bag the next morning shortly before eight o’clock. My father and I had a huge fight when I told him I was leaving. He said horrible things which do not bear repeating and made all sorts of threats. I stocked up the refrigerator for him anyway and hid in my room while he stomped around the house slamming doors all evening.

He’s still asleep now and I want him to stay that way until I am far away. Waiting on the front porch seems like the best way to make sure the doorbell doesn’t wake him. I can’t afford another argument with him now. I don’t want to miss my flight.

The driver pulls up to the house right on time and carries my suitcase to the car, loading it into the trunk for me. I slide into the back seat and relax. I made it out of the house. Phew! I look back over my shoulder as the driver pulls away, watching the house recede into the distance.

The airport is a mass of humanity unlike anything I have ever seen. Controlled chaos is orchestrated by dozens of employees herding the crowds like sheep. I make it through the luggage check and wait in an interminable line at security before finding my way through the maze of terminals to my gate.

I collapse into a chair to wait for my flight to board. My heart is pounding and I can’t sit still though. Everything about today has been so overwhelming and I haven’t even gotten on the plane yet. Could someone please explain to me again how planes stay in the air? It seems so unlikely that a giant piece of metal would be able to defy gravity like that.

I glance around the terminal. Everyone else looks calm. People are playing games on their phones, reading newspapers, talking quietly with each other, and napping. I pull out the book I brought with me and try to settle down enough to read. Before I get through the first page though, the flight attendants announce the first boarding call.

I pack up my things and prepare to get on the plane. I can’t believe I am doing this. Adventures like this are for characters in books, for people in movies, for everyone else. Not for me.

It looks like it’s really happening though, I think as I line up with the other passengers and hold out my ticket to be scanned. I take a deep breath as I find my seat and fasten my seat belt.

Vivian was right about the short flight. I can’t believe I am already seeing the land rushing up to meet the plane as we come in for a landing. Now that the plane part is over, anticipation about seeing Adam bubbles up inside me. I wait impatiently as we approach the gate and the flight attendant warns us to stay buckled in.

Another warren of airport rabbit holes later, I find myself approaching the baggage claim with dozens of other people from my flight. I admit I didn’t even try to find my way here on my own. The other people from my flight moved in this direction en masse and I decided to follow them.

When I spot Adam waiting for me with another bouquet of roses, I run up to him and give him a big hug. He is grinning like the Cheshire Cat when we pull away and look at each other. He bends down to kiss me gently on the lips and hands me the bouquet.

“Welcome to Miami! I’m so glad you came.”

“Me too,” I say, grabbing his hand and giving it a squeeze.

“Let’s find your luggage and get out of here.” He leads me over the rotating carousel of suitcases and lifts mine easily when I point it out.

He has a shiny black limousine waiting for us by the curb. I stop to gawk at it for moment before sliding in through the door the driver is holding open for me. I’m in a whole new world.

Before today, I had never been driven anywhere by anyone I didn’t know. I never even had a school bus driver. Everyone in Jamesville walks to school. Now I’ve been in two chauffeured vehicles in one day. Three if you count the plane’s pilot, I muse.

Chapter 18

Adam

My heart lifts when I see Rosie across the baggage claim area. I can’t wait to gather her up in my arms. It takes a moment before she spots me in the crowd, but when she does it is clear that she feels the same way. She flies through the crowd and launches herself into my arms.

It’s a long moment before I am ready to release her. By the time we break apart, the stress of the past few days has melted out of my body and I feel happier than I have in longer than I can remember. My face is stretched into a goofy grin completely unbefitting rich, famous author Adam Smythe but I don’t care. I smile down at Rosie and she smiles back up at me, happiness radiating from her.

Asking her to come down here to join me was definitely the right thing to do. I wondered if it would seem too forward, too demanding. She has a life of her own, a job and friends. I didn’t give her much time to make arrangements to be gone and I worried that would be hard for her. It’s clear though that she is as thrilled to be here as I am to have her here.

I grab her hand and lead her over to the baggage claim to get her suitcase, handing her surprise number one on the way. I’ve decided that roses for Rosie are going to be my go-to form of gallantry. I am a firm believer in romantic gestures and a woman can never have too many flowers, especially when she is named after one.

Surprise number two is waiting outside by the curb. Not having to drive yourself to the airport is one of my favorite perks of being a massively successful author. Flying and everything that goes along with it is exhausting enough without having to hike half a mile to your car. The black limo is more than I would splurge on for myself, but nothing is too luxurious for Rosie’s first trip to Florida.

Her reaction to the car is priceless. Her jaw practically hits the floor when she realizes that this car is for us. I love doing special things for people who really appreciate them and Rosie will clearly never forget this moment.

She glances over her shoulder at me with another grin. At my nod she slides into the car and I follow. The driver closes the door quietly behind me and heads around the car to the driver’s side door while I press the button to raise the privacy barrier. The driver knows where we are going and Rosie and I have some catching up to do.

“Hi,” I say, reaching over to caress her cheek.

“Hi.”

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