Mistletoe Reunion. Anna Schmidt

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СКАЧАТЬ who had run into each other unexpectedly.

      “Good. Fine,” he said, clearing his throat. “You?”

      “Fine,” she said.

      Isabella made a face and they both heard her sigh of frustration. The sigh brought Norah’s attention back to her daughter. “You should go to the restroom,” she said.

      “Mom,” Izzy moaned. “Stop treating me like I’m eight. I know when I do and don’t have to go, okay?”

      Isabella had been just about to celebrate her eighth birthday when the divorce papers arrived. Norah had had the phone in hand ready to call and put Izzy on the line so she could tell her father all about the party that Norah had arranged. In those early weeks and months she had remained in shock. It seemed impossible that she and Tom—of all people—had gone their separate ways.

      The airport public address system crackled to life. “They’re calling first class,” Norah translated the garbled message and nodded toward the open door leading to the jetway.

      He smiled. “I’m in coach. Busiest travel day of the year—you know how it goes.”

      “You can sit with us,” Isabella said.

      Simultaneously Norah and Tom opened their mouths to object to that idea.

      “The plane is packed, honey,” Norah said.

      “We’re running late, Bella. Let’s not complicate things,” Tom said.

      Norah glanced his way, acknowledging with a slight nod of her head that he had backed her up. But then they had always been a team when it came to their daughter. The one thing they had both held sacred was that whatever differences they had, those would not affect Isabella any more than they had already.

      She’s still so young and lots of her classmates have divorced parents, they had both rationalized. In time, surely….

      “Why did you decide to travel under such circumstances?” she asked. “No one’s ill, are they?” she asked alarmed and saw that familiar flicker of irritation because he took her comment wrong. No doubt he thought that she was implying that the only thing that could drag Tom away from his work on a moment’s notice had to be something to do with his parents. Most of their arguments in those last months together had been about his devotion, or as she saw it obsession, with his career.

      “Clare and Liz got this idea that we should all surprise Mom and Dad over Thanksgiving for their fiftieth,” he replied. “You know Clare. Once she gets an idea it’s easier to let her have her way than try to debate the timing of the idea.”

      “Aunt Liz is coming, too? And the cousins?” Isabella clapped her hands in delight. “I mean is this the best Thanksgiving or what?”

      The gate agent called Norah and Isabella’s row. Norah busied herself gathering her things and organizing Izzy’s belongings in her backpack.

      “We could share a car when we get to Chicago,” Tom said.

      “I’ve already reserved one,” she replied and then immediately added. “Of course, I could cancel it. Yes, sharing a car would be nice. Thanks.”

      “Okay, so see you in Chicago,” he said as he hugged Izzy.

      “You and your father can talk more there,” Norah promised Izzy as she hurried her toward the gate.

      You and your father…meaning what? She didn’t intend to say anything?

      She glanced back wanting to apologize for what he might have thought she was implying, but Tom was packing his computer, his back to her.

      

      “I have to go to the bathroom,” Isabella announced as soon as they had located their seats and she had stowed her backpack under the seat nearest the window leaving Norah with the middle.

      “I warned you,” Norah said, but stood aside, blocking boarding passengers so Isabella could make her way to the rear of the plane. She sat down again and bent to rearrange their belongings so that she would have some legroom. When she looked up Tom was standing in the aisle waiting for other passengers ahead of him to get settled.

      “I’m in the back,” he said, making a face.

      Norah shook her head sympathetically. “I’m in the middle,” she replied, indicating the obvious. It was the kind of banter they’d always been good at and a little of the initial tension between them eased. During their marriage they’d had a long-running debate about which was worse—back of the plane with its noise and turbulence or crushed between two passengers who seemed to think they had claim to all armrests.

      “Trade you?”

      Norah smiled. “Not a chance.”

      Tom moved on just as the crew chief announced another slight delay to allow passengers on a late-arriving plane to make their connection.

      A large man carrying a briefcase, carry-on luggage and an overcoat opened and slammed several filled overhead compartments. Norah pulled the airline magazine from the seatback pocket and flipped through it hoping he had the vacant seat across the aisle.

      No such luck. He forced the luggage into an overhead bin two rows ahead of them, then threw his coat onto the seat and sat down heavily, his bulk and the coat spilling over into Norah’s space as he jammed the briefcase under the seat in front of him.

      Norah nodded at him as she gently pushed his coat off the armrest they shared. The man ignored her.

      “Hey, Mom,” Isabella said. “Guess what?” Izzy was accompanied by a young woman with a toddler in tow and what looked like a newborn cradled in her arms.

      “This is Emma and she’s got the two seats next to Dad and she’d be willing to switch, so I said that would be great—I’ll even take the middle.”

      Norah tried not to take perverse pleasure in the look of pleading horror the businessman gave her. “You’ll take the middle?”

      “Yeah, come on.”

      “Excuse me,” Norah said sweetly as she recovered her purse and Isabella’s backpack and stood.

      “But,” the man protested as Norah slid past him.

      “Everything all right here?” the male flight attendant asked.

      “Perfect,” Isabella exclaimed. “My dad’s back there and this nice lady traded so that now we get to sit together and—”

      “Okay, I just need everyone to get settled as soon as possible. We’re about to close the cabin door.”

      Tom was standing in the aisle waiting for them. Norah tried not to stare at the way his hair—brown streaked with copper—was still thick and silky. She did not meet his chocolate-brown eyes, fixed on her as she slid next to the window and Isabella took the middle without protest.

      “You put her up to that—switching,” Norah said.

      “What?” Tom’s eyes were wide with innocence.

      “It СКАЧАТЬ