Death Benefits. Hannah Alexander

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      Ray deliberately placed himself behind Ginger as they waited to board, and he noted how hard she was trying to ignore him. He smiled to himself every time he caught her watching him from the periphery of her vision.

      Last year at this time, had they been in this same situation, Ginger would have already known how he had enjoyed his trip so far, what he intended to accomplish for the remainder of the trip, and what she could do to help facilitate his time in Hawaii.

      She would also have gathered the same information about every other person traveling with her. Ordinarily. Even taking into account her awkwardness with him, she seemed distracted.

      He turned to look at her, and their gazes met briefly. To his surprise, for a moment, she didn’t look away. A ridge of worry formed between her brows.

      “Ginger?” he asked softly. “Is something wrong? Something besides just—” he held his palm up and waved it between the two of them “—just this.”

      She blinked, her golden-brown eyes clouding, then she glanced at the children who stood beside her and turned away.

      Dark-haired, dark-eyed Lucy continued to study him as they boarded, as if he were an interesting mathematical equation on a school chalkboard.

      When they reached their seats, Ray sat behind Ginger. He smiled and winked at Lucy, and she looked away.

      Once again, Lucy had the window seat, and she seemed pleased with this. She had remained near an adult at all times, while watching her little sister with all the dedication of a prison guard. Ginger wasn’t the only one who seemed distracted by something, though from the little Ray knew of Lucy, he wasn’t sure if this was characteristic of her or not.

      Ray glanced at Graham and Willow, sitting across the aisle from Ginger and the two little girls. Steve and Helen Courtney sat across the aisle from Ray, with Larry Bager and Preston Black in front of Graham and Willow. Someone had made a concerted effort to keep the family together. To Ray’s surprise, no one joined him. He had three seats to himself.

      A flight attendant handed Lucy and Brittany blankets and pillows. Lucy wrapped herself from head to foot with the blanket, and pushed a pillow beneath her, craning to see out the window as they took off.

      Before they had reached cruising altitude, Ray saw Brittany lie across Ginger’s lap, and Ginger’s head lolled sideways. He wanted to nudge her and remind her of the crick she would have in her neck if she stayed that way for long.

      He remembered flying with her to Belarus a couple of times, usually overnight flights. He could never understand the logic of traveling at night. It wasn’t as if most people were going to sleep—at least, he never did. Ginger was one of the few people who seemed able to sleep anywhere, anytime. He never could.

      Ginger always awakened with a stiff neck. On their second flight to Belarus, he’d given her a pillow to support her neck. She’d taken it with her on every trip after that. But she hadn’t brought it with her this time.

      He glanced toward Lucy, and saw her watching him through the crack between her seat and Ginger’s. He grinned and winked at her, and she retreated back into her cocoon, hiding from the world. But why?

      He unbuckled his seat belt and leaned over the seat in front of him, pressed the release and gently pushed Ginger’s seat back the two inches the airlines allotted for stretching out. Not generous, but better than nothing.

      At the movement, Brittany СКАЧАТЬ