Lincoln mirrored her body language and placed a hand on her arm. “Even if you’re not that excited, congratulations. So what about the rest of your life? You don’t have kids, but what about someone special? Husband? Boyfriend?” He needed confirmation of his suspicions.
She was a stone wall. “No, just me. The planets haven’t aligned on that score.”
The tiniest spark flared within Lincoln, the torch he’d not quite snuffed out after graduation. “I look forward to hearing more about that when we’re on our tour. Speaking of which, I need to update you on a few things.”
Andy’s mouth opened to reveal a rolling mix of partly chewed bread, carrot, and sprouts. “Like what?”
“The dangers of Australia. But because you obviously enjoy your food, you need to know about our menu. It probably includes bugs and spiders.” He threw a conspiratorial wink to Eliza.
A huge glob of bread and mashed salad fell onto the back of Eliza’s seat. Bree nearly dropped her glass.
Lincoln chuckled. “No, really, we’ll be in the middle of nowhere for ten days. Totally off grid.”
Eliza placed her hand on Lincoln’s arm, and the torch sparked again. “That sounds great. I’ve been researching and I found this idea of a walkabout.” She turned to Bree and Andy. “It’s a journey of self-discovery and sounds perfect for me. I think I might need to recalibrate.”
Lincoln furrowed his brow. “I’m sorry, Lize, I haven’t booked anything like that.”
“I know, but I could still ask them if I could learn how to do one. I think this trip is going to be significant for me.”
A single word landed delightfully in Lincoln’s ear. Significant.
Andy leaned across their seats, his gaze roaming the iron curtain of business class for more flight attendants. Or food. “What did you mean by the dangers of Australia?”
Lincoln counted the dangers off on his fingers, a recitation he’d memorized to impress recent company over drinks or dinner. “There are spiders the size of your fist, miles and miles of nothing but red desert, prehistoric lizards, and eighteen of the twenty-five most deadly snakes in the world. And if you go hitchhiking along some of their highways, you can disappear into thin air.”
Eliza simply laughed as Bree placed her empty glass on a passing tray.
Andy shuddered as he reached for another sandwich. “So what else will we be doing?”
“I emailed that to all of you weeks ago, didn’t you get it?”
Andy shrugged.
Lincoln shook his head before he gestured to his seat across the roomy breadth of business class. “I’ve got all the stuff in my folder. Give me a minute.” He strode back to his seat, satisfaction settling on him. The trip was going to be significant for Eliza. As he grabbed his leather folder from his armrest, a white envelope fell out and landed on the floor. On it was printed a single word, underlined twice, in familiar handwriting. Lincoln.
Lincoln balanced the folder on top of his seat as he picked up the letter and opened it. As the first few words came into focus in eyes now bleary with the fog of lateness and the fizz of champagne, a chill swept across him as his blood seemed to pool in his shoes. He slumped into his seat.
* * *
Andy chewed his sandwich, glad for the room to breathe. Lincoln was buried in his reading, a stiffer drink than a celebratory one in hand. “Do you think he was serious about our eating bugs and spiders?”
Eliza laughed. “You’ll be fine.”
“He doesn’t look like he’s coming back. I guess he wants to keep it all a surprise.”
She turned to him, her brow crinkled. “So, Andy, didn’t you get all the information Lincoln sent?”
“I must have missed it.” A faint alarm sounded as he sensed an approaching probe. The need to measure his words rose. “Anyway, it will be fun to enjoy Australia with old friends. What are you looking forward to, Bree?”
“All I want to see is a koala. The girls want photos.”
“Girls? Hey, good for you. What about you, Lize?”
“I’m eager to drop off the radar. I think I need to find myself.”
Andy let out a bitter laugh. “That sounds great, but I don’t mind if I’m never found.” He winced, wishing he could reel back in regretted honesty. Thankfully the droning of the engines hovered over the place where an uncomfortable silence should have gone.
Bree’s brows furrowed. “What does that mean?”
“I’m beyond stressed and need a break, that’s all.” Andy had to move the conversation on. “So, Breezy, how is your music going? I know the audition in New York didn’t work out, but have you recorded anything?”
A tic pulled at the corner of Bree’s forced smile and her slumped shoulders betrayed the bounce in her voice. “Still in Nashville and working for the Rhinestone Recording Studio.”
“That’s fantastic. So what sort of stuff are you recording?”
Bree’s jaw clenched. “Advertising jingles, unfortunately.”
“That’s okay, you’re in the heart of Music City. Do you still pull out the old Gibson guitar to play on Broadway?”
“Not really, I’ve got two girls now who take up most of my time.”
“So you said. Do you have any pictures?”
Bree scrambled in the seat pocket for her phone and thumbed an album into life. She handed it over, displaying a series of toothy and toothless smiles from two young girls in princess dresses and cowboy boots holding an oversized guitar.
Eliza leaned in. “Beautiful girls. Charming little bundles of energy. And very creative, like their momma.”
Andy handed back the phone. “Lovely.” He looked into Eliza’s searching gaze.
“So what about you, Mr. Summers? You said at the airport you’re into sports.”
A jolt rippled through the plane and Andy reached out a hand as he fell onto Eliza’s seat. He steadied his feet against the turbulence. “Yeah, I’m a consultant. Risk management.”
“How long have you been doing that?”
“On and off for a while.”
Eliza’s eyes narrowed. “Great. It must be exciting to work in sports. What sort of risk management do the Chicago Bulls or Blackhawks need?”
A waft of heavenly cuisine drifted down the aisle, curling its finger to Andy’s not-yet-sated hunger. He looked back into the gaze of not one but now two sets of cocked eyebrows.
Eliza spoke for them both. “Is everything okay? Be honest with us.”
Another jolt cannoned Andy into the seat across the aisle. A flight attendant dashed toward him as the Fasten Seat Belt light chimed. “Sir, it might be best if you return to your seat.”
“Thanks, ma’am, will do.” Andy shrugged. “Better go back.” He padded down the aisle and buckled in. He let go a huge sigh of relief.
Thank goodness for turbulence.
* * *
Eliza fastened her seat belt. Across the cabin, Lincoln angrily shuffled papers, a freshly topped-up drink on his tray. He may have won many battles in business in the years since college, but his compassionate nature had been a casualty.
Bree turned to Eliza as she tightened her seat belt. “What do you make of Andy?”
Eliza pursed her lips as the plane shuddered again. “He’s definitely hiding something.”