She hit the gas and headed for the airport. Chad always flew private, from a smaller airport south of downtown, so hopefully she’d be able to intercept him, explain what happened, before the fire department told him what she suspected happened. She was still kicking herself for asking that kid to do something she shouldn’t have asked him to do.
After she parked, Jo walked into the smaller terminal and found herself behind a mob of reporters lined up, waiting. She asked one of them who they were waiting for.
He said, “Chad Jenks. He walked away from his first game back for some family emergency. Coach said at halftime there might be consequences. He let a lot of fans down.”
Crap! Because of her. “Thanks.”
She got out her phone and sent Chad a text. Hopefully he’d see it when he landed and could use his cell. “Sorry I worried you. I’m at the terminal waiting. There’s a boatload of press.”
She checked the time. He was due any minute. With each jet that landed, the pit in her stomach grew and the photographers got antsy. Using their high-powered lenses, they’d call out that it wasn’t Chad.
She found a seat in the back and flopped into it. Deep in thought about Chad, what she’d done to his future, and her own future, she jumped at the tap on her shoulder. “Are you Jo?”
She glanced up into the kind eyes of a woman in her late fifties. “Yes.”
“I’m Barb. A friend of Chad’s. He asked me to take you somewhere a little quieter. Will you follow me?”
Jo grabbed her purse and followed the woman through a door that required a code and then found herself in a cavernous hangar. There were three little jets inside. She stood just inside the open hangar doors and waited while another small jet pulled up outside. After a few moments, the door opened and Chad appeared. His head swiveled around until he saw her, and then a huge grin lit his face.
She bit her lip to stop her tears. Was this going to be the end of their relationship for sure now that she might have cost him his job? It meant everything to him.
His eyes locked with hers as his long strides brought him closer. The sight of him smiling at her like that made her heart stutter, so she ran and met him halfway. When she got closer, she jumped and hoped he’d catch her.
Chad dropped a backpack and didn’t let her down. After she wrapped her legs around his waist, he whispered, “Thank God you’re okay.” He buried his face in her neck. His warm tears against her skin made her eyes leak too. Chad never cried. She didn’t normally much either. They were both marshmallows again at the moment. She loved that Chad could make her one.
She leaned back and took his face in her hands. “I’m happy to see you too. But I’m so freakin’ mad at you for walking away from the field for me, Chad. What the hell were you thinking?”
He smiled. “I was thinking that maybe I missed you this week. And maybe I’d come back home so you could smack some sense into me.” Then he kissed her.
She gave the back of his head a halfhearted slap for show as she settled into the kiss. She closed her eyes and let him draw her under. Melt her heart like he always did. Her mind and body always went to the happiest place on earth when he kissed her, and she was almost to the departure gate when she remembered something she really needed to tell him.
“Wait.” She leaned back and stared into his beautiful brown eyes. “I think the fire might be my fault, Chad. That damned oven. I had them fix it one too many times.”
He dropped her to her feet but didn’t let go. “I don’t care about the fire, Jo. I only care about you. But I realized something today.” He licked his lips like he was nervous.
She blinked up at him in confusion. “What?”
“That I don’t love you and Ryan as much as football.”
“You don’t?” Her stomach took a nosedive to her feet.
Dammit. She couldn’t blame him. She’d probably just lost him his job.
He slowly shook his head as his dark eyes filled with emotion. “I love you both much more. Will you please tear up that stupid letter I sent and take me and Ryan back?”
A hallelujah choir went off inside her head. “On one condition.” As cool relief washed through her, she plastered her body against his. “That you don’t kill me when you hear what I did with your Heisman.”
“Wait. What—”
She quickly laid her mouth over his to show him how much she loved him. She was determined to accept his work habits and be content with whatever life with him would bring. Because the alternative wasn’t acceptable anymore.
Questions being shouted at them made her end their kiss. Some of the press had found them, so she quietly slipped out of his embrace and let him do his thing. Being on the sidelines for that part would never be a problem for her. Chad was the star, and she was happy to let him shine.