Page 8 of Planes, Trains, and Candy Canes

“Thank you, young man. I didn’t want to travel anyway. I’m so glad you get to spend the holiday with your loved ones—and I’m thrilled I get to do the same. I think my husband is secretly glad, too. Oh, here now. Take one for you and one for Reese.” Hannah put two mini candy canes in his palm. “I had these in my purse for my grandchildren, but now that we’ll be home in an hour instead of a week, I have time to do a little last-minute shopping, and I can spoil my babies. If you listen to me, young man, you’ll do the same. Spoil that girl. She seems like such a sweetheart.

“Oh, she is. She is!” he enthused, and he meant it. Somewhere, under the insanity, Reese radiated kindness and happiness, an eagerness to move and do. His Grandmother Bernadette would call it “zest for life.”

He didn’t have that. According to Grandma Bernadette, he was going to be dead several years before he was buried if he didn’t learn to live a little.

Well, this adventure is going to be one I’ll never forget. Can’t wait to tell Grandma. Heck, can’t wait for her to meet Reese. I mean, there’s no reason we couldn’t have a drink in Pine Ridge sometime. We’ll both be living there by the sound of it.

“Merry Christmas, and thank you again!” Derrick waved as Lou gave a bashful smile to his bride of many years and they hobbled off together, Hannah limping on swollen feet once more stuffed into too-small heels.

“They’ll send my bags out express. I’ll borrow stuff from my mom for the week until a store is open, and at least I have some stuff. They’re even going to make an exception and let me put it up front. Come on! They’re boarding!” Reese whirled past him, grabbed his wrist, and he was gone, following her in a happy, confused haze.

Oh, no.

I like her.

I like my pretend girlfriend, and she’s just gone through a bad break-up. And she’s a little nutty.

“Are you okay?” Reese asked as they stood in line.

He took one of her bags and held out a candy cane. “From Hannah. Candy cane?”

“Ooh, yes, please! I love sucking on hard things. It stops me from saying whatever floats through my brain. That’s why I always have peppermint drops and stuff with me.” Reese eagerly tore open the plastic and stuffed the tip of the candy cane in her mouth.

Derrick did the same, hoping her trick would work and prevent him from saying what was floating throughhisbrain.

You love to suck on hard things?

I’m a mature man! A security software engineer! I do not hear the words sucking on hard things and immediately think—

Crap. Yes, I do.

“Mmm. Minty,” Reese sighed. “This should keep us awake for a couple hours while we plan our next move.”

“Move? Us? Our?” he burbled, completely clueless and inarticulate.

She’s doing things to me, purely by accident. I’m a Christmas casualty.

“Well, I don’t really want to spend Christmas in Pensacola, silly. We need to look up what flights we can get. Or a train! Would a car be too slow? Hmm. Maybe not with people taking turns at the wheel...”

“Oh. Okay.”

“I mean—unless you want to split up. I wouldn’t be surprised. Ididjust throw you into the middle of my stupid idea.”

It was a stupid idea. But it worked. As an engineer, the outcome was the main thing more often than not. “It worked, so it wasn’t stupid.”

“You’re an incredible actor,” Reese said over her shoulder, passing her papers to the woman at the jetway.

“Yeah, uh—when I’m motivated, I guess,” he mumbled and watched her trot ahead.

Damn it. She’s actually more than cute. She’s hot. That baggy sweater can’t hide those long legs and that perky little pair of buns.

I’m a degenerate.

Reese is just an acquaintance. A scheming partner in a crisis situation. Nothing more.

“Have a pleasant flight, sir. Happy holidays.”

“Thank you, you, too!” Derrick heaved a sigh of relief and ran to catch up with Reese.

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