Page 97 of Only for Christmas

‘We have reports of a missing child. She’s ten years old, with long dark hair, and wearing a man’s green hoodie. Would Sarah Haynes please head for the information desk to be reunited with her father. Sarah Haynes. Please report to the information desk immediately.’

Sarah sat up. Was it a coincidence? There was another Sarah Haynes? A child? And then she stared down at Lucas’s green hoodie. What were the chances of another Sarah Haynes being in possession of a man’s hoodie? They must have got the age details wrong.

Scurrying to her feet, she searched for the information desk, trying to fathom who could be looking for her.

And then she saw him.

Lucas was standing by the information desk with a burly security officer next to him, his suitcases on the ground. Her belly flipped at the sight of him. It spun into cartwheels when he spotted her and smiled. Her happy ending was back on.

Swamped with love and relief, she raced over to him, fully intending to throw herself into his arms and kiss him – just like they do in romcoms – except an arm swung out in front of her, cutting off her approach.

‘Not so fast, lady.’ The burly security man stopped her.

‘It’s okay, this is Sarah… my daughter.’ Lucas gave her a strained look. ‘Sweetie, you found Daddy.’

Sarah ground to a halt. What the heck?

The security man kept his arm out. ‘This is your daughter?’

Lucas nodded. ‘Uh-huh.’

The man’s eyes narrowed. ‘Your ten-year-old daughter?’

Lucas shrugged. ‘She’s big for her age.’

The security man turned to Sarah. ‘Do you know this man?’

Sarah wondered what on earth was going on. ‘Er… yes.’

‘This man told me he’d lost his daughter and asked for an alert to be put out. This was after I’d explained that we didn’t make announcements for non-emergencies. It was only then he mentioned the missing person was a child. So you’ll forgive me if I’m a little sceptical.’ There was a warning note in the security man’s tone.

Sarah tried for a young voice – although shaving twenty-five years off was a tall order. ‘That’s right… he’s my dad.’ She glanced at Lucas. ‘Hi, Dad. I’ve been looking for you everywhere.’

The security man wasn’t fooled. ‘You do know I can have you fined for this? Announcements are only permitted for emergencies, like a genuine lost child. She is clearly not your child.’

Lucas looked sheepish. ‘No, but it was an emergency. I only said that so you’d help me.’

The security man pinned Lucas with a disgruntled look. ‘Mislaying a travelling companion is not an emergency.’

Lucas shook his head. ‘I didn’t mislay her. I didn’t even know she was here until her friend Jafrina messaged me.’

Ah, so that’s how he knew she was here. ‘I had to stop him getting on his flight, officer. It was vital I reached him in time.’

The security man turned to her. ‘And why was that? Was there a medical emergency?’ He was clearly running out of patience.

‘Er… kind of… it was heart-related.’

‘Lord give me strength.’ The security man rubbed his chin. ‘I should report you for wasting airport resources.’

Lucas grinned at Sarah, softening the anguish of being ‘told off’ like naughty teenagers. ‘Why didn’t you want me getting on my flight?’

Sarah knew she had to be brave and admit how she felt – even though a six-foot man mountain was standing in between them looking highly pissed off. ‘Because… well, it’s come to my attention that… perhaps I do love you. No, scrap that. There’s nothing “perhaps” about it, I definitely love you. I absolutely one hundred per cent… love you.’

The security man flushed red. ‘Are you for real, lady? That’s your emergency?’

‘You don’t know what I’ve been through to get here,’ she said, backing up when he glared at her. ‘For me, it is an emergency. If he’d left, I’d have missed my opportunity.’

Lucas smiled at her. ‘You love me?’

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