Page 31 of Growing Into Love

We look at each other and my heart skitters. Business Ham decides this is the perfect moment to insert himself into the conversation.

“Off to New York then, eh?” he says.

“Yup,” Jaz replies.

“First time?”

“Yup,” Jaz says again.

“It’s a great city. You’ll love it.”

“We’re actually going upstate,” Jaz says.

Business Ham frowns. “Upstate? Whatever for?”

“She’s competing in one of America’s top show jumping competitions,” Jaz says proudly. “She’s going to win the whole thing.”

“Is that so?” Business Ham says.

I can’t help grinning like a dope at Jaz’s compliment. “We’ll see,” I say.

“Well good luck,” Business Ham says.

Jaz smiles and the dimple in his left cheek pops again. I want to kiss it so badly it makes my teeth ache.

“You sound very confident,” I tell him.

“I am,” he says.

His rich brown eyes burn into mine. Then the flight attendant snaps the overhead compartment above us closed and we both jump.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats and prepare for takeoff,” a voice says over the intercom.

I turn back to look out the window again, my pulse thrumming. When I glance at him, Jaz is watching the safety video playing on the monitor on the seat in front of him.

I bite back a sigh and lean against the headrest. No matter what Autumn and Winter say, I’m not sure Jaz will ever feel the way I do. And there’s not much I can do about it anyway, stuck as we are between a tiny oval window and Business Ham.

But my body is so aware of him, of the length of his arm an inch away from mine, the scent of him, woodsy like pine and fallen leaves.

The plane starts to taxi down the runway.

This is going to be a long flight.

EIGHT

JAZ

The lights have been dimmed,the food and drinks cleared away, and the flight attendants are quietly chattering at the back of the cabin.

The passengers have begun to doze off, including the pompous bloke next to me. Cass is asleep too.

I shift in my seat and the fellow beside me grunts. My legs are starting to cramp. I surreptitiously watch Cass’s chest rise and fall, her lips parted, her arms wrapped around her torso. I’ve known Cass most of my life and suddenly it feels like I don’t know her at all.

I’ve started noticing things I never did before. Like how her eyes can change color depending on her mood, from bright azure to darkest sapphire. Or how soft her hair was when it brushed against my hand as I helped her into that jumper. The way her smile can turn from shy to wicked in the span of a heartbeat. The jut of her chin when she gets stubborn.

In the darkness of the plane, her face is illuminated by the light of the few screens still on. Her leg twitches and she makes a little snore. I shift again and catch a whiff of her scent, something fresh and herbal, like grass and rosemary.

“Didn’t know you texted like that,” I murmur.

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