“I guess probably when I was on a call with a woman who was going to have a baby. I dispatched Collin because—”
“Because deep down she knew I would be cool under pressure.”
“Because he was the closest available unit,” I correct, scowling at him. “But then, yeah, listening to him talk to the new mom and look out for her…I guess my heart melted a little bit.”
I’m praying Collin doesn’t hear the truth seeping through my words. I don’t need him to read into it or use my softened heart against me.
Even as I think it, I know deep down he wouldn’t. He’s not like that.
Somehow, that realization makes me feel off balance, even though I’m sitting down.
“That is so sweet,” Macy says.
“So who made the first move?” Ashlyn asks. Her tone is way too serious for a conversation with a couple she just met. Why is she so invested in this? In us?
“Collin,” I say without hesitation. “He had to win me over.”
“And now there’s no one else for me but you and for you but me, right, gummy bear?”
Collin is nuzzling my neck again, and it’s so distracting I almost don’t register that he called me gummy bear. Now that I have, in fact, registered it, I think I might throw up—and not from motion sickness.
“Anyway,” I say with a practiced smile. “I’m sure you guys are tired of hearing about us. We’ll let you get back to your in-flight entertainment.” I motion to the screens mounted to the backs of the seats in front of us.
Macy starts scrolling through the options. “I never know what movie to pick.”
“You know, Collin is really into rom-coms.” I bat my eyelashes at him with sticky sweetness. “Tell them which one is your favorite, sweetums.”
Collin’s eyes are bright and laughing back at me. Here I thought I would throw him off his game with an over-the-top nickname, but the man is unflappable. “Let’s see. I guess I’m partial toThe Proposal.”
“Good pick. Ryan Reynolds is so dreamy,” Macy says.
“I’m more of a Sandra Bullock fan myself,” Collin says with an easy shrug. “But she’s not the real reason I love that one.”
“What is?” Ashlyn asks.
“When we watched it together, Noli laughed her head off during some of the scenes. It was the first time I’d really seen her relax and let loose. If I thought she was stunning all serious and on the job, then watching her with tears streaming down her face over Betty White’s dance to ‘Get low’”—Collin shakes his head—“well, it was next level. I was a goner.”
I whip my gaze to assess Collin. The look in his eyes is earnest, but there’s no way he means that…right?
He clears his throat, breaking eye contact with me. “At the end of that movie, Noli kissed me for the first time. Andshedefinitely initiated it.”
“Yes. Girl.” Macy claps twice.
I shoot Collin a murderous look, becausethatdefinitely didn’t happen. There’s been no kissing besides the bowling alley peck. Collin smirks back at me. I fix my face into a smile and turn toward Macy and Ashlyn.
“He’s like my very own Ryan Reynolds. How can I resist?”
“I certainly couldn’t,” Macy says. She wiggles her eyebrows at Collin.
I place a possessive hand on his knee before I can think twice.What am I doing?I’m about to yank my hand back when I remember I’m supposed to be playing a part. Out of the side of myline of sight, I catch Collin grinning at me, so I avoid further eye contact.
“Well, I’d say it’s official. You guys are adorable,” Ashlyn says. “All wrapped up in a perfect little bow.”
There’s something about the way she’s staring at us that makes me want to squirm in my seat. Like maybe she thinks our story is a little too perfect. The flight attendant stops by our row and engages Ashlyn first, giving me a chance to breathe.
I turn my attention to my surroundings. Now that we’ve spent the first portion of the flight baring our souls to our seatmates, I’m pleased to find that the plane is at its cruising altitude. I let out a breath. We made it through the treacherous take-off. Now if we can just land, then…I frown.
Then I have to do it all over again.
