Sylvie stuffed her water bottle in the armrest holder. “If Miller’s truly a genius, then he’ll be smart enough to know what he’s giving up. In fact, he’d already be missing you like crazy and formulating a plan to win you back.”
That would’ve certainly been more convenient. “Hand me another pack of cookies.”
“I can do better than that.” Sylvie reached into the bag beneath her seat. “I brought Frannie’s cupcakes.”
An hour and a half later, I was considering a good cry. We’d had one more update from the pilot, but still no progress on an estimated departure time. The weather outside my window had gone from sunny to cloudy with rain threatening, and I worried the dreary sight was a harbinger of bad things to come.
With a huff of exasperation, Sylvie put down her latest book club novel and stood. “I’m going to go talk to Shorty and offer my assistance.”
“Do not touch anything beneath the plane,” I called in vain to her retreating form.
Returning my attention to my phone, I scrolled through social media, pained by everyone’s photographic proof of happy, smiley lives. Couldn’t one single person on Instagram have a terrible day to make me feel better?
“Is this seat taken?”
My head lifted at that familiar voice.
Miller James had just boarded my plane.
Chapter Forty-Nine
“Miller?” I blinked twice. Was this a hallucination? Had Sylvie put something funny in the cupcakes? But no, there he was, standing in the aisle, wearing what looked like a coffee-stained shirt, mussed hair, and eyes that appeared as sleep-deprived as mine. “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in San Francisco.”
He took a step closer, his gaze drinking me in. “I caught a red-eye and got here as quickly as I could.”
“Why?” I was afraid to ask, but afraidnotto.
Then Miller went down on a knee right by my seat and grabbed my hand in his. “Ernie got word to me that you’d chartered a plane to California.”
“I did.”
“I couldn’t let you do that.”
My heart wheezed in and out, trying to decide if it should die now or try to carry on. “But I wanted to.” My free hand landed on his, a little desperate and oh-so clingy. “I have all this stuff I need to say to you. I realized I’d been wrong, and it was imperative you hear me before it was too late.”
“Hattie—”
“No, Miller, I have to say this.”
“I hijacked the plane, so I’m going first.” He stood then, releasing me and shoving his hands through his wild hair.
Tears pricked my eyes, and I absently thought about that lipstick Sylvie had warned me to apply.
Miller leaned a hand on the seat in front of mine, dropped his gaze to the floor, and seemed to be gathering his thoughts. “When I heard you were en route to see me, that you’d had a change of heart, I knew I had to stop you.”
A text would’ve sufficed. I sniffed against my runny nose and dashed away tears.
Miller lifted his head and trained those piercingly blue eyes on me. “Because if anyone’s doing the chasing here, it’s me, Hattie Sutton.”
That was it. Now I was full-on crying. It was too much, and too good to be real. “No,” I whispered. These things didn’t happen to me. Not ever.
“You’ve had a run of bad luck with men,” Miller said. “It started with your biological father and ended with Ned. Do you hear me? It ends here. Because I’m fighting for you with all I’ve got, and I’m going to make all those other men look like complete losers who were never worth an ounce of your consideration.”
All I could do was nod my head like I agreed. Theywerelosers. And yet I’d chased them all, begging them to love me.
“I don’t totally know where your head’s at on the topic of us,” Miller continued, “but I need you to know I’m not going to let you go without a fight. I meant it when I said I wanted you in my life, and I think if you get honest with yourself and get brave, you’ll see a future for us as well. I’ve made some costly mistakes, but I still believe we can work through them and be together—if you’ll have me.”
I brushed the many cupcake and cookie crumbs from my lap. “I, um, I think what I’m hearing so far has potential, and I seem to have some free time. So please carry on.”
