“Ma’am.” The flight attendant straightened his glasses and gave her an imperious glare. “We’ll be taking off soon.”

Yeah, that was exactly why her heart was going a bazillion miles an hour, her brain was in full panic mode, and she had been rushing toward the jetway. “I understand, just let me off before you do.” She paused, gathering up all the fear and hope for what was going to happen next and putting it into the most important word. “Please.”

The flight attendant’s demeanor changed in an instant and he ushered Shelby to the front of the plane. “Is everything okay? Do you require assistance?”

She shook her head. The only person who could get her out of this mess was herself, but help with Harbor City traffic would be appreciated. “Not unless you can get me a cab and through rush-hour traffic to the Ice Knights arena in less than an hour.”

He raised both eyebrows so high, they got lost behind his perfectly coiffed hair and gestured toward the walkway. “You’d need a miracle for that.”

“Then that’s what I have to hope for.” And she took off down the jetway, knowing she was probably on a fool’s mission, but she had to try.

She loved Ian Petrov and if there was a chance—even a small one—for a happily ever after with the sexy, grunting, stubborn man with enough family baggage to fill a 747, then she had to try.

Hustling down the jetway, she regretted every step of the way that she’d decided to wear heels. She barely made it to the gate before she took them off and started sprinting for real, the tiny wheels on her cheap carry-on making the case bounce and swerve as she ran.

The TSA agent sitting at the checkpoint between the secured and not-secured area stood up as Shelby neared and eyed her suspiciously as she moved to block her exit. “Ma’am, I’m gonna need you to slow down.”

Getting arrested for causing an airport disturbance was the last thing she needed right now, but when a person figured out what needed to happen next so they could start the rest of their life, they wanted it to start now.

“I’m sorry.” Shelby held up the hand with her black heels. “I just have to get out of here as fast as possible.”

The agent put her hand up to the walkie-talkie on her shoulder, body language loose but ready to rumble. “Why do you have to do that?”

How in the hell was she supposed to explain what had happened with Ian in the shortest amount of time so she could get out of the airport, hail a cab, and get her ass to the Ice Knights arena? There was no fucking way, but she had to try.