Graceless : A Tropical Authors Novella (Tropical Adventure Series Book 1) by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781956026047
Publisher: Down Island Press
Published: 2022-01-31T23:00:00+00:00

10

It took ten minutes to run the dozen gates, and while my main focus was to breathe and not pass out from exertion, I’d kept my eye peeled for Special Agent Foster, half expecting to find him on the flight to Key West. Once down the steps to the row of gates, I saw there were no more passengers waiting to exit the terminal and walk toward the walkway to boarding area C. A ticket agent was face down into her computer by the door, no doubt closing out the flight. A flight attendant stood next to her awaiting the paperwork that noted the final headcount for the flight.

“Wait! I’m on the flight to Key West.”

The agent scowled, then scanned the pass on my phone and pointed me out the glass door and to the left toward boarding area C. The planes here were accessed via fixed or rollaway stairs, which I breathlessly climbed, then stumbled onto the plane. Everyone was seated, and fortunately, this time my seat was just behind First Class on the aisle. I dropped into it like a lead weight. There was no sign of Foster. Was that good, or bad news?

The flight was brief, and what normally would be a pleasant exercise in naming the islands of the Keys as we passed over them, was a nail biter instead as I tried to recollect details about Grace’s job, recent projects—she never spoke in detail—but occasionally shared perceptions of coworkers, which were rarely positive. Nothing specific jumped out at me, but I did recall a sense of discomfort that had persisted not long before she’d left for the Virgin Islands to pick up our new boat. She hadn’t been sleeping well, and in fact had resorted to taking sleep aids to make it through the night. Having long ago accepted that she couldn’t discuss her work, I’d given up asking questions, which I now regretted.

She, on the other hand, loved inquiring about the teams I’d been coaching at the high school, which I would explain in great detail to offset her need for confidentiality.

We landed without issue at Key West International Airport, and several vacationers aboard broke into applause and cheering. I jumped up as soon as the seatbelt light was turned off and hurried ahead of the three rows of First Class passengers, earning grimaces and shakes of their heads. When the door opened, I was the first out onto the stairway.

Down below, I spotted a tall muscular man at the bottom of the gangway talking to a deputy sheriff. Shorts, flip-flops, tanned legs, blue Last Resort T-shirt, deep-water tanned arms and face, and shoulder-length, shaggy, sun-streaked hair. His eyes were hidden by aviator sunglasses.

Buck Reilly.

I hadn’t seen him in several years, but I’d remembered Grace ogling his good looks, despite his ever-professional demeanor and doing his best to ignore her doe-eyed stares.

Our eyes connected as I turned the corner on the walkway toward him. “Nathan?”

I nodded, my voice suddenly choked up. We shook hands and Buck turned to the deputy.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.