Page 73 of Hidden Shadows
“Nervous flyer?” a woman asked as she stepped past her and lowered into the window seat.
That was an understatement. “The worst. Although, I don’t feel as terrible on this flight as usual.”
“What was the magic trick?”
She could have laughed, even though there was nothing funny about the situation. It wasn’t so much a magic trick, as much as it was experiencing a lifetime of fear in less than two weeks. “No trick. I just had a few things put in perspective this holiday season.”
She pulled out her phone, spotting a text from Andi. Her best friend had been messaging a lot to check on Finley since her hospital stay, but also because she was worried about her older brother, Erik, and his new partner. Apparently, a lot had also happened in Redwood while she’d been gone. His new partner had been targeted by some not-so-great people. From what Andi had told her, it had been a close call on getting her to safety.
She hurried to write a response before flicking her phone to flight mode.
The woman beside her gasped quietly, then whispered. “Oh my gosh, he’s huge!”
Finley looked up, and the smile that spread across her face was easy and instant. Nixon. He settled in the aisle seat beside her, pressing a kiss to her cheek before fastening his seat belt.
“Everything okay?” she asked. He’d insisted on hanging back and being one of the last to board. Some security measure of his.
“Yeah, everything’s fine.” He met her gaze. “How are you doing?”
She lifted a shoulder. “Well, I’m not harassing the stranger in the aisle seat to switch with me.”
The corners of his mouth twitched. “It’s a safety thing.”
“After I found out who you were, I assumed as much.BeforeI found out who you were, I just thought you were a bit of a jerk.”
“Iama bit of a jerk.”
She laughed and shook her head. “Only when you want to be. Luckily, I love you anyway.”
His eyes heated.
When the flight attendant came to stand in the aisle and began going through the safety talk, Finley started a fast tap of her foot. She focused on remaining calm. On breathing. What really helped, though, was Nixon’s hand on top of hers. The way his thumb grazed her skin. The heat of his shoulder against her own.
The fear was there on takeoff, but it wasn’t as bad as it usually was.
Nixon lowered his mouth to her ear and whispered, “Breathe.”
So she did. Because that was just the effect the man had on her. If he told her to jump out of the plane, she’d probably do it for him.
When they were finally in the air, she pulled out her phone, sighing when she saw the social media apps. She hadn’t deactivated them yet, but she would. First, she needed to make an announcement to her followers.
“You thinking about your business?”
She looked up at Nixon. “Yeah. I thought I’d feel sadder about letting go of everything I built. But I don’t. The change feels right.”
He gently brushed some hair behind her ear. “You still gonna teach others to do what you did?”
“Yes. And I’m looking forward to the pivot in my career. There are so many people who are looking for this information and trying to build a platform. I’ve already got so many ideas, not just for working one-on-one with clients but also creating courses so I can reach as many people as possible.”
“I love that you’re looking forward to it.”
She beamed at him. “I really am. I’m also excited about moving in with you.”
When they were back at the resort, she’d reluctantly mentioned that, since the threat was gone, he didn’t have to move her into his home. The second the words left her mouth, his features had hardened and he’d proceeded to let her know there was no way he was letting her live anywherebutwith him, ever.
Nixon lowered his head. “I can’t wait.”
He kissed her, taking her away from everything but him.
