A flicker of a smile crossed his face as he patted her back. “I'm just glad it all worked out. If you'll excuse me, I need to go check in with my team.”
“I guess that's it,” Laura said as the warehouse cleared of people. She turned to face Ethan. He stared at her like he was seeing her for the first time.
The controlled, assured mask of the billionaire cracked, and Laura could clearly see then man beneath the billionaire. Lines of worry stood out on his brow, and his eyes shone with tears.
“I was so worried,” he whispered, pulling her into his arms. He held her close to him, his breathing rough with emotion.
“I'm okay.” She raised her face to him and touched his cheek. “Will you take me home?”
He nodded. His green eyes were soft and only for her.
“Will you stay with me?” she asked.
He
nodded again.
“Will you stay with me forever?” Her heart paused, waiting for his response.
“Forever,” he promised. He smiled, and the worry vanished from his face. All that was left was love. Love for her. It made her warm with joy. It made her feel complete.
“Sounds good,” she said, cupping her fingers under his chin and tugging gently. He leaned forward and kissed her, surrounding her in a wonderful kind of love.
Chapter 42
Laura
Laura tried to keep the fear from bubbling up into a scream. She thought she was ready for this, but the closer she stepped, the more her body rebelled. If it weren't for the fact that Ivy and Dallas were holding both her hands, she would have turned and sprinted away.
Everything smelled of hot asphalt and jet fuel. It didn't help to settle her very nervous stomach.
“Is that the plane, Laura?” Ivy asked in a small voice as they stood on the tarmac. Both kids had a death grip on Laura's hands.
“Yes. It's very different than the one Mom and Dad was on,” Laura said, doing her best to keep her voice steady. She felt like she pulled it off okay.
“I'm scared,” Ivy admitted.
“Me too,” Dallas agreed. “But, Ethan's on this plane, right?”
“Yes, Ethan's on this plane,” Laura said. She gave their hands a squeeze. “I'm scared too, but this will be fun, okay?”
“Okay,” both kids murmured, but neither one of them sounded convinced.
Ethan's head popped out of the plane door, and he waved to them.
Laura wouldn't have stepped toward the plane if Dallas hadn't pulled her. He wanted to see his friend. The small motion of his gentle tug on her hand was enough to get Laura's feet moving. It was slow at first.
Ethan took the stairs two at a time before jumping off the last one and jogging across the tarmac to meet them.
She remembered her parents walking along the tarmac. She remembered them smiling, just like this before they disappeared forever. Laura's courage failed, and she stumbled.
But Ethan was there. He smiled as she caught herself. Dallas and Ivy both let go of her hands to give him hugs. He happily pulled the two children to him.
That was when she realized that getting on this plane wasn't going to recreate the past. She wasn't her mother. Ethan wasn't her father. Getting on this plane was taking a step into the future, not reliving the past. They were moving forward with their lives, and it needed to happen. They needed to move on.
“You okay?” Ethan asked as she took her first confident step toward the plane.
“I am now,” she said with a smile. He grinned at her and then raced the two kids up the stairs and into the private jet.