Kiss Me, Lynn (19 page)

“I feel the same way, but I have to leave
tomorrow. I can’t ask you to wait for me.”

“You are breaking my heart
.
You are my dearest love. When you leave, you will be taking my broken heart with you.”

Their tears mingled as they kissed.
Once again, she couldn’t hold him close enough or kiss him passionately enough, or long enough. On this, their last night together, Lynn released all her love for Alex and forgot about tomorrow or the days to come. For tonight only, she was his, and he was hers, and they could pretend that the future held only love for them both.

Chapter
20

Alex eased out of bed the next morning just after six o’clock, put on his clothes, and walked quietly toward the door. He didn’t want anyone to see him leave, or his pain and sadness, knowing he might never again be able to hold her or love her the way he’d loved her last night. All the hesitation he’d sensed in her before had been replaced with complete surrender of her feelings for him. She loved him! But now, he had to tell her good-bye.

“Alex, don’t go.”

He turned and saw her propped on one elbow, motioning to him to come back to the bed. How could he say no?

“I must go, my love.”

“Not yet.” She reached for him and eased over to make room for him to lie next to her once more.

“It’s almost dawn.
I can’t let anyone see me—”

“They already know.
Please, hold me again.”

He couldn’t refuse her anything.
He wished more than anything that he could take her home with him and love her with everything in his heart and soul for the rest of their lives. But they had only a few minutes left.

“I’m sorry,” she told him again.
“I’m so sorry. I never should’ve let any of this happen. I’ve hurt you so much.”

“Hush,
mi amor
. You haven’t hurt me. You’ve made me whole. And someday, you’ll come back to me, and I’ll be waiting. If necessary, I’ll wait forever.”

She press
ed her face against his chest, then kissed him again, wanting him again. Sounds of people closing doors and walking past the room made that impossible.

“I must go.
Taking you to the airport and watching you get on the plane and fly away, out of my life, might be more than I could bear. Tell me good-bye now, my love. Let this be our final memory. Kiss me, Lynn. Kiss me good-bye.”

<><><><>

A few minutes later, Sharon let herself into the room. She didn’t say anything, just went to the bathroom and closed the door before turning on the light.

Lynn made herself get up.

Sharon came out. “I saw him leave. I’ve never seen anyone so sad.”

“We said good-bye.
He won’t be going with us to the airport.”

“
No new messages from your father.”

“
It’s two hours earlier in New Mexico.”

“We may not
hear from him until we get to Lima.”

“I know.”
Lynn went into the bathroom and closed the door. She turned on the shower then washed her face in cold water at the sink while the room filled with fragrant steam. When she looked into the mirror, all she could see was regret.

They stacked their luggage by the door at
seven-thirty, and two busboys came to load it on the bus. They followed, fixed a cup of tea in the lobby, and were surprised to see Malena come in to accompany them to the airport. Rudolfo helped load the luggage while Malena took care of checking everyone out of the hotel.

Sharon put on a smile and asked Malena, “Will Alex be going with us to the airport?”

“No, he’s on vacation for the next two weeks. He’s done four tours without a break. I may give him three weeks before I call him to do another one.”

At the front door,
the two young women who had begged Lynn to buy something from them when they were in Cusco before, were peeking inside.

“Miss!
You promised to buy from me!”

“No, from me!”

“I’ll buy from both of you!” Lynn went outside and looked at all the beautiful silver pendants, earrings, and rings they displayed on what seemed to be thick cardboard covered in blue velvet. Lynn chose four pendants from each girl’s selection, so she could give one each to the seven ladies in the group, plus one for herself, and paid them with the last of the
soles
in her purse.

“Thank you, Miss!
Thank you!”

Lynn scanned the street both directions, but among all the people walking down the sidewalks, she saw no one who looked like Alex.

Malena and the others came outside and were instantly besieged by the two girls, but they had to get to the airport to go through security and check in for their flight, so Malena told them to “Move on!” and they did.

On the bus, the front seat was taken by Malena.
Once they were away from the hotel, she stood, holding onto the seats on either side of the aisle, and asked, “Did you enjoy your stay in Peru?” She nodded at all the positive responses. “Was Alex a good guide for you?” More positive responses. “Everyone loves Alex. He knows everything there is to know about Cusco and the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu!”

Lynn added in her mind,
Alex knows everything about how to make me happy…
”

<><><><>

At the Cusco Airport, they told Malena and Rudolfo good-bye and went inside. Their luggage was checked through to Lima where Malena said there would be escorts waiting to make sure it all was transferred to their flight to Houston. When Lynn left the bus, she couldn’t help searching the crowds to see if Alex had changed his mind and come to tell her good-bye again. But he wasn’t there.

They all had carry-on luggage that barely
complied with the maximum size allowed, thanks to having to put some of their purchases into their carry-ons. Sharon carried the laptop and intended to get online in the terminal before they boarded the plane. They went through customs and security to the gate where they’d have to wait half an hour before time to board. Sharon checked e-mail over and over. Still nothing.

<><><><>

Alex watched the group leave the bus at the airport. He’d vowed he wouldn’t see her again this morning before she left, but he couldn’t stay away. She was the last one to leave the bus. Her hair shone in the sun like gold, and he could see the sadness on her face. She may have gotten bad news about her mother. She hadn’t changed her mind about leaving, so the news couldn’t have been good.

She searched the crowd
. Looking for him? He had to remind himself again that going to her would only mean having to say good-bye again, and that was something he wasn’t sure his heart could survive.

They all went into the terminal
. His last glimpse of her came when she stopped at the door and searched again. He turned away, so she wouldn’t recognize him.

After she’d gone inside, he made his way to the area nearest the runway and the terminal, where the planes about to depart were parked.
Three people sat on a bench near the chain link fence, talking and laughing, pointing toward a plane that was just landing. They left the bench and went into the terminal.

Alex sat down to wait.
As much as it hurt, he had to watch her plane take off. He would imagine her looking out one of the windows, still searching for him. He would remember holding her, loving her, becoming part of her, and hope he could remember without crying.

<><><><>

Their flight was called, and boarding began. Sharon tried e-mail once more while they were standing in line to board.

“
The wireless signal right here isn’t great, and I don’t think we’ll be able to check again once we’re on board. I’ll wait here and keep trying.” She handed Lynn her tote bag. “Take this for me. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Don’t wait too long!
Tell them what you’re doing so they’ll know you’re here for the flight.”

“I will.”
Sharon went to the desk.

Barb touched Lynn’s arm.
“Any news yet?”

“Not yet.”

“We’re all praying for good news!”

“I know.
Thanks.”

Lynn watched Sharon at the desk.
The attendant pointed toward an area near the gate, next to a shop. Sharon nodded, smiled, and headed for that area. Lynn entered the jetway and walked slowly toward the plane. Each step became harder, the closer she got to the doorway of the plane that would take her back to Lima, back to overcast skies and fog. Back to a city without sunshine. Winter in Lima matched her sorrow and her regret at having to leave the sunshine of Cusco, and the man she loved.

The flight attendant checked Lynn’s boarding pass and gave her instructions on how to get to her seat
, about a third of the way back on the right side. She knew Sharon was sitting next to her, on the aisle. Lynn eventually found her seat by the window and stowed her carry-on and Sharon’s under the seats in front of them. Then, she stared out the window.

A
chain link fence divided the parking lot and the area outside where planes arrived and departed the terminal. Beyond the fence, two people sat on a bench. One of them looked a little like Alex, but the bench was too far away to see him clearly. It couldn’t be him, could it? If he’d come to the airport, why hadn’t he seen them before they went through security to the gate?

Just then, Sharon came bounding into the plane, gasping for breath as though she’d run
all the way from the terminal. She held the laptop under one arm. The minute she entered the plane, she yelled, “Lynn! She’s okay! Your mother is okay!”

Lynn couldn’t believe it!
She stood and waved to Sharon who pushed her way past three people in the aisle.

“I got
a post from your father! She’s awake, hungry, and complaining about all the attention she’s getting! She’s okay! Your father is ecstatic! He told you, “Be happy! We’ll see you at Christmas! You get to make the dressing this year!’”

Lynn couldn’t breathe.
Relief flooded through her. All right. She was all right! Then she remembered…

She sat down and peered out the window at the bench.
The man was getting up, walking toward the fence. He wore a hat. A white hat.

Lynn grabbed her purse.
“Carry-ons are under the seats!” She hugged Sharon. “I’ll call you as soon as I can!” She ran toward the front of the plane.

The flight attendant was reaching for the door to seal it.

“I have to get off the plane! Please! Let me get off!”

“But we’re ready to take off!”

“I can’t leave! You have to let me off the plane!”

“Are you ill?
Are you having chest pains?”

“No!
I’m fine! I just can’t leave Cusco!”

The attendant
checked with another attendant, then nodded and pushed the door open just far enough for Lynn to get back into the jetway. She ran for the gate, then down the long hallway to the front of the airport and outside. The difference between the dark interior and the brilliant sunshine outside was enough to blind her for a few seconds, but she couldn’t wait for her eyes to adjust to the brightness. She shaded her eyes with one hand and searched for the bench near the fence. There it was! She ran, her lungs burning from lack of oxygen, but still she ran. When she got to the bench, it was empty, and no one stood next to the fence. She stopped, gasping for breath. She’d find him. Somehow, she had to find him.

“Lynn?”

She whirled around. “Alex?”

Then he was there, holding her, kissing her, laughing, crying, pulling her closer and closer,
then looking into her eyes.

“Is your mother all right?”

“Yes! She’s going to be okay. My father told me…” She started to laugh.

“What?
What did he say?”

“He said he’d see us at Christmas.”

“Christmas?”

“He told me to be happy.
I can’t be happy without you.”

Alex tilted his head back an
d laughed, then he let out a whoop that had everyone around them pointing and laughing. Some were cheering.

“I love you, Alex.
I don’t ever want to leave you.”

“Then you must marry me, my love.
Say yes, then kiss me, Lynn.”

With more love than she ever dreamed, she kissed him
first, then whispered, “Yes.”

<><><><>