“That’s not it at all,” Sara said firmly.
Chloe gave her a look full of sympathy. “Sweetie, you may be too close to the situation to be objective. To a lot of people, this whole situation would sound a tad suspicious. I mean, I could be wrong and he might be one of those people who does everything at the last minute.” Then she lowered her voice and murmured, “Or there may be a Mrs. Gabe.”
“You’re wrong,” Sara argued, wishing Chloe wasn’t so forthright. Or you could have kept your big mouth shut.
Despite her denials, Chloe was like a dog with a bone. She simply would not let go of her suspicion about Gabe. Which made Sara feel like crap, since she could quite easily put the whole thing to rest. But in order to prove his innocence, she’d have to admit her guilt, which she hadn’t counted on. Yet even though her cousin wasn’t likely to ever meet Gabe, Sara still didn’t want her to have a bad opinion of him. She tried once more to change the subject to no avail. Finally, after Chloe mentioned Gabe possibly lying not only about his marital status but about his location as well, she found herself blurting out in exasperation, “For God’s sake, he thinks I’m coming to Alaska at the end of the month. Chloe, he bought me a plane ticket weeks ago.”
Chloe was temporarily at a loss for words. That certainly shut her up. “But why did you say you hadn’t made plans if you have?”
Sara stared at her cousin, surprised by what she considered a dumb question. “You, of all people, have to understand I can’t go. Kaylee started first grade a few months ago and she’s having a tough time adjusting. Plus, Mom is just beginning to get around better after spraining her ankle.”
Chloe settled back on her seat before crossing her arms over her chest. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t you have a brother and a sister-in-law? Not to mention the fact that your mother could easily take care of herself. You’re a member of the family, Sara, not their servant.”
“You just don’t understand,” she said defensively. “You’re an only child and both of your parents are still alive. You’re free to do whatever you want to, but not all of us are that lucky.”
“What a cop-out.” Chloe laughed. “You’ve done nothing but talk about this amazing man that fate practically tossed at your feet. Yet now that he’s not going to be thousands of miles away in another freaking country, you’re terrified. I thought you cared about him. But it sounds as if you’ve just been playing games.”
Sara felt the blood drain out of her face as each of Chloe’s accusations hit her like arrows to the heart. “I—no, that’s not it. I do like him—more than that, in fact. I’m absolutely crazy for him. But I didn’t want to lose him—so I said I’d go visit him when he got home. It . . . seemed so far away then. I thought there was a good chance we either wouldn’t still be talking, or I’d be able to find a way to put it off for a while—until later. But—”
“Later is now,” Chloe finished for her. Her cousin ran a hand through her hair, releasing a long sigh. “Sara, what are you going to do? It’s not the money so much as the expectations you’ve given this man. He’s sure enough of his feelings to not only invite you to visit but to pay for it as well. I don’t know exactly what your conversations consist of, but I don’t think they’re just a lot of dirty talk. Although I hope you’ve tossed some of that in,” she joked before looking serious once more. “I know you call each other endearments, you’ve admitted that. Not many men would do that unless they were invested in more ways than a simple flirtation.”
“I think we passed that a while back,” Sara whispered as she stared down at her drink. “I’m scared, Chloe, because it all seems to be happening so fast now. My family doesn’t even know he exists. I mean, they are aware that I talk to someone a lot, but considering I haven’t been on a date, they’re not overly curious about him. Can you imagine what their reactions would be if I suddenly announced I was going to Alaska to see a soldier that I’ve never met before?”
“You’re a grown woman, Sara, you don’t need their permission,” Chloe pointed out. “I agree that you should have leveled with them a while ago. Then after the shock wore off, you could have all made arrangements for everything to be covered while you were gone. Instead, you have, what, two weeks before you’re due to leave?”
“Pretty much,” she mumbled. “And he’s so calm about the whole thing. As if it’s never entered his mind that I might not come.”
“Sara,” Chloe said firmly, then waited until she made eye contact. “You either have to tell him or your family. This is only going to get worse if you wait. If you care about him and want to keep him in your life, then level with him.”
“But I’ll lose him.” Sara uttered the words that terrified her the most.
“Maybe.” Chloe nodded once, not bothering to sugarcoat it. “But it’s your only hope. With every day that passes, you’re digging a bigger hole. Put on your big-girl panties and do some damage control before it’s too late.”
Chapter Twelve
A crowded airport had never felt so good, Gabe thought as he looked around Charlotte Douglas International. He’d been flying for the better part of two days now. Actually, three if you considered all the time changes. This last leg had taken him from New York to his destination in North Carolina. Despite all the risks he’d taken in the line of duty, the one he was embarking on now somehow struck him as the biggest. I shouldn’t have listened to Jason. Yet the other man had made sense. How could he expect a woman he’d never met to travel to Alaska to visit him? The scenario was probably described in every article out there as what not to do. When he’d mentioned their plans to his friend, he immediately pointed out how risky that must sound to Sara’s family and friends. Then he asked if he’d be comfortable with his own daughter taking a trip to meet a stranger if he had kids. Hell no, had been his immediate response. So he managed to alter his plans to part ways with his group in New York. Jason would be on hand to ensure that everything went smoothly on the last legs of their flight. Normally he’d be expected to be on hand for the whole welcome home celebration, but his boss had been willing to accommodate his request.
With Sara’s trip to Alaska fast approaching, this was really the only way he could come to her first. He even managed to book a seat home on her flight, so they’d be traveling together. He debated letting her know he was coming, but he knew how nervous she’d get. She still insisted on having a few minutes’ notice before they FaceTimed so she could “look presentable.” She joked about scaring him away with her messy hair and lack of makeup. But to him, she didn’t need any of that. She had a natural beauty that the cosmetic companies made a fortune trying to sell women. He told her that very thing, but she’d brushed his compliment aside, saying something about looking as pale as Casper the Friendly Ghost. She wasn’t comfortable with praise; he’d noticed that pretty early on. He thought it pleased her, but more often than not, she made a joke at her own expense. It was a strangely endearing show of insecurity. Most of the women he’d been out with were the opposite. Confidence could be attractive, but when it bordered on conceit . . . not so much. She might insist on brushing her hair and touching up her makeup, but he was really glad she didn’t show up for their video dates wearing a damned prom dress. When the weather was cooler, she usually had on either jeans or gym clothes, and if it was warmer, it was the sundresses. Those were his personal favorite because they showcased her feminine curves.