“You can do this.” She stared in the mirror and ignored the people eyeing her as they washed their hands. “Get on that plane.”

She ran out the door, through a crowd of travelers to her gate. Her purse bumped under her arm, all the contents threatening to spill.

“Wait!”

Before the door shut, a flight attendant turned around, annoyed. “Almost missed us. Ticket?”

Hands shaking, she pulled the ticket out. “Here.”

A quick scan of the ticket and a fake smile, and the attendant handed her ticket back. “Enjoy your flight.”

***

Brock looked out the window. The luggage had been loaded. The crew had gone through its pre-flight check. It’d been a while since he’d flown on a non-chartered flight, but the procedures were all the same. He’d been offered a pillow, a drink, then a beverage because apparently he looked like he needed it.

Sitting in the front row of first class, he saw every person get on the plane. None were his wife. He sank into the chair, not believing he was flying solo to paradise. First decision to make, should he drink himself back into a stupor where the Titan guys wouldn’t come kick his ass, or should he fly back and try Sarah again? He pinched his eyes shut and saw her pink smile, could smell her familiar essence. A primal, possessive roar threatened to escape. Easy decision. He’d fly back and try again.

“Hi.” Her soft voice pulled him to the present. “Sorry I’m late.”

Angel. The pressure grinding inside melted away. She was taking a chance on him, thank God.

“Hey.” He jumped up to help her to her seat, unsure what steps to take. Should he hug her? Smile? Make awkward small talk?

Sarah scooted by him, making herself small in the narrow space and clutching her purse to her chest. She collapsed into the seat and buckled in. “I almost didn’t get on.”

“Glad you did.” Understatement of the day.

“I talked to Mia.”

Alrighty, no small talk. Sarah was jumping in, and he could too. “Okay.”

“I think…” She leaned over and tucked her bag under the seat and sat up, holding his gaze. She pushed her tiny shoulders back and raised her chin. “I have some traumatic stress issues to work out.”

Now there’s a big revelation. He saw it often with victims Titan rescued, but he never stuck around for the aftershocks. Was never part of the process after Titan declared mission accomplished. What did he say to that light bulb? Whatever it was, he sure didn’t want another reaction like when he dropped honeymoon.

“Okay,” he murmured. So much for jumping into a conversation when all he could manage was a stupid word.

She didn’t seem to notice his limited vocabulary. “But there’s more than traumatic fallout to work through. If we can give our relationship another chance, then I want to work on other things as well.”