Autumn
The soft chime of the seatbelt sign dings overhead as I settle into one of the leather chairs aboard Ryder’s plane. The world outside is quiet, the tarmac glowing gold under fading sunlight.
Ryder is a few feet away, phone pressed to his ear, pacing slowly near the drink cart.
“Yes, Miss Jane is coming back with me,” he says.
There’s a pause, then a soft laugh.
“No, I won’t let her braid your hair before bedtime. Yes, you can tell her about the math competition once we land.”
He ends the call and sits across from me, elbows on his knees, eyes locked on mine.
“Are you going to ask me anything else?” he says.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, while I’m in a must-answer-all-your-questions mode…” He leans back. “Do I need to explain how I know your ex-husband?”
The question hangs in the air between us.
I stare at the safety card in the seat pocket, running my finger along its edge. I think about all the pain Nate put me through, all the manipulation, the erasure. And yet… he hasn’t crossed my mind much lately. Not in the way that matters.
I take a breath.
“Just tell me two things.”
He nods once.
“One—why did you help me so much with divorcing him?”
“Because I knew you could do a lot better.”
I swallow.
“And if he owed you that much money… why did you let him live?”
His eyes soften, a smile tugging at the edge of his lips.
“I saw you.”
Silence.
“Anything else?” he asks.
“No,” I say. And I mean it. Nate is behind me. Everything I need is here.
“I hate to interrupt this lovely Hallmark moment…” Chester walks onto the plane, but he doesn’t shoot me a dagger like usual. His expression is soft, understanding even.
“We have an early window to end things with you-know-who once and for all, and we need to take it,” he says to Ryder. “Now. Me and you, via another jet that’s on its way. Miss Jane can’t come.”
Ryder sighs, looking at me. “It’ll be different after this,” he says. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” I nod. “I understand.”
He shoots me a slight smile before standing.
“Where are those new trackers your FBI friend gave you?”
