Page 60 of Allison

“No, everything seems to be okay,” Allison relates, looking back to him.

“A buddy of mine will be in the seat next to you,” Russell informs her, which is shocking. “He hadn’t been able to get free in time to pick you up at your apartment. He just texted that he’s made it through security and is about to board.”

“Why?” It’s the only word she can get out.

“I didn’t want you to be alone on the flight after everything so he is going to fly with you as far as Denver. I’ll meet you there and we will fly here together.” Allison knows her mouth is hanging open at his declaration.

“What do you mean?” she questions. “That’s a lot of tickets and expenses, not to mention your time. I’ll be okay until I get there.”

“It’s already done, sugar. So don’t argue,” Russell demands, just as a tall muscled man stows a bag in the compartment above her. He smiles down at her. The man is Hollywood handsome, but he doesn’t do anything for Allison, not like seeing Russell does to her. The man has a kind face and warm smile.

“Hello, you must be Allison,” the man says, holding out his hand. “I’m Dude, a friend of Worm and Wallace.”

Allison shakes his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Dude.” Allison doesn’t want to admit it, but she does feel safer, now, knowing this man will be with her on the flight, even though she’d told Russell she’d be fine on her own.

“Oh good, he made it,” Russell says from her phone. She turns the screen so he can see his friend. “Thanks so much, Dude. I really appreciate it.”

“Glad to help,” Dude replies.

Allison turns the phone back to Russell. “I’ll see you in Denver, sugar.”

“Okay, see you soon.” Allison ends the call just as the flight attendant gets up to make her speech. Allison can’t wait to get to Denver. She really won’t feel completely safe until she is with Russell again. Is she crazy? Does he even feel remotely the same? She can only hope their night together meant something to him, too.

39

WORM

Worm had made quick work of packing a bag for the trip to Denver. Thankfully, Hawk has gotten him approved for 72 hours of leave time. Thankfully, there isn’t anything urgent going on at the moment and no indication, his team would be called up anytime soon. Hack being the computer genius he is, has gotten everything taken care of for him, from flights, to hotel and rental car reservations in Denver.

Worm is going to owe him big, but it is well worth it. Knowing that Allison is safe and, on her way, to meet him. This fact alone has relieved the tension that’s been riding him since the moment he’d learned she was missing. He is waiting to board his flight when it occurs to him, he hasn’t checked in on his mom and sisters in a couple of days. Allison’s disappearance has distracted him from his duty to his family. Emotions he doesn’t want to think about at the moment hit him.How could he neglect his family like this?

He calls his oldest sister, Leigh. She picks up after three rings. Leigh is eighteen and old enough to help see to things, but Russell knows it’s a lot of responsibility for her. She is in her senior year of high school. She should be worrying about who is going to ask her to homecoming and what she’s going to wear, not about grocery shopping and picking up Sadie, their youngest sister from softball practice.

“Hey, Russell!” Leigh’s sweet voice comes over the line. “I was beginning to think you’d gotten deployed without having time to let us know.” Russell immediately feels even worse for not checking in on them the last several days.

“I’m sorry, sis. No, I haven’t gotten deployed. I just had something going on that took a lot of my time and attention. I’m really sorry I haven’t checked in. How is everything?” He cringes as he waits for Leigh’s reply. His mom has good days and bad days, so he never knows what kind of an answer he will get to that question.

“Everything is going okay,” Leigh answers, though she doesn’t sound completely confident in her answer. “Mom has been a little better the last few days. She actually remembered to pick Sadie up from practice without me having to remind her.” Leigh giggles a little. “She and I were both shocked.”

“I bet you were, but that’s good,” Russell agrees. “Has she been able to work any?” His mother works from home as a customer service representative for a call center. Thankfully, it is a job she can jump on and work as little or as much as she wants. She’s been hit or miss since their father passed away last year, and it has made things difficult financially for the family. Russell has been paying most of the extras for his sisters while his dad’s pension has been keeping the monthly bills paid.

“Actually, she has,” Leigh’s voice conveying her surprise. “I think she might be coming out of it, Russ. At least I hope she is. I’ve been really worried about her. I wish you could come home. I know you can’t, but still, I miss you, and so does Amber and Sadie. Although, Amber would never admit it. She is such a little brat all the time.”

“Cut your sister some slack,” Russell admonishes. “I know she can be a pain in the ass, but everyone deals with grief differently. I’m sorry you are having to bear the brunt of taking care of everything there. I have considered not re-enlisting when my time is up.”

“No! I shouldn’t have said anything,” Leigh is practically whining. “I don’t want you to give up your career. I know you love what you do…I just feel overwhelmed at times. When you come home to visit, I feel like a weight is lifted, because I know you’re going to take care of things for us.”

“I understand, sis. I’m glad mom is doing better—” he breaks off when the PA system crackles and his flight is announced. “I have to go, sis, but I’ll call again soon, okay?”

“All right, Russ. Be safe out there. I love you.”

“I love you, too, sis, and tell the rest of the crew I love them, too and I’ll call again when we can Facetime. Bye for now.” He ends the call and boards the flight to Denver. He is anxious to see Allison, to hold her, and know she is safe in his arms. He suppresses the guilt he’d felt for neglecting his family in his pursuit of finding Allison. He doesn’t know how, but Allison has quickly become just as important to him as the rest of his family.

A few hours later, his plane lands in Denver. He exits the plane and is anxiously scanning the area in front of him. Allison and Dude’s plane landed over an hour ago, so they should be waiting for him when he disembarks. People are milling about in front of him. He raises up on his tiptoes to see over the crowd.

At long last he sees her. Their eyes meet at the same time and instantly the connection he’d felt when they first met is there. The crowd parts and Allison is running into his arms. He crushes her to his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

“Sugar,” he says, taking a deep breath to inhale her delicious scent. She has plastered herself to him in a tight embrace. How long they stand there holding one another he couldn’t say, the thrones of people move about them like water around a rock in the middle of a stream. Dude is standing patiently off to the side waiting for them to get themselves together. “Hey baby, are you okay?” Russell asks when he pulls back to look down at her.

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