Rafe’s brows knitted together. “You’re not going back to them. You’re staying with us.”
On the island it was easy to be with the two of them and to let go completely, but how would things be in the real world? They’d talked about their future together, but would it play out as they’d planned?
India merely nodded, not voicing her concerns. Scared about what would happen to them. She didn’t want to think about losing either man, but could their love sustain once they settled back into their lives?
* * *
“Would you like more coffee, Mr. Thompson?” This will be the last time I’ll be serving drinks before the flight lands.” The flight attendant gave Grant a toothy grin. She allowed her gaze to roam over his body, leaving no doubt in his mind that she wanted more than to serve him coffee. Under other circumstances, he would have flirted back, but he had too much on his mind to give her much attention.
Soon they’d be landing on U.S. soil for the first time in over two and a half months. That wouldn’t be such a bad thing if it weren’t for the fact that the media had somehow gotten wind of their story, of the plane crash and how the three of them had managed to survive on the island for the length of time they had.
Grant waved his hand dismissively. “No thanks. Three’s my limit.” He shot her a brief smile then turned away to look out the window.
She obviously didn’t get the hint. “If you don’t mind my being so bold, I just wanted to tell you how brave I think you are. Your story is amazing.”
That’s all he’d heard over the past weeks and frankly, he was getting bored with it, but she couldn’t possibly know that. “Thank you. We all did what we had to do. If it weren’t for my companions, I doubt I would have fared so well.”
“You’re being modest,” she persisted, tossing an auburn lock over her shoulder. “I saw your interview on the Anne Webster Show. I’m sure most people wouldn’t have made it a few days, let alone fifty-seven. I have to finish serving the rest of the passengers, but when I walk by again, do you think you could autograph something for me?”
Grant resisted the urge to roll his eyes, but remained calm. “Sure.”
“Great. I should be done in about fifteen minutes.”
He was glad to see the back of her, not comfortable with the attention. That day they had spotted the plane, Grant prayed someone inside had spotted them. His wishes were granted when the next morning a rescue boat came for them and took them to the closest inhabited island, which ironically turned out to be their original destination, Fuamatuu Island.
They were put into a hotel and given new clothes and spending money while their passport situation was sorted out. Some calls back home assured him their business had been in good hands. The crazy thing was, they had all simply been declared missing, since there had been neither sign of the plane nor any signal as to where it had landed. From what Grant understood, the story had been the plane had pulled an Amelia Earhart, simply vanishing.
Somehow, the media had gotten a hold of their story, sensationalizing it. It started with a local news station on the island, and then began to spread like wildfire, making them instant celebrities. Everyone wanted to get the first interview with them, from Larry King to Diane Sawyer. The three of them couldn’t go anywhere on the island without a reporter trying to talk to them. Newsgroups from all over the world wanted a piece of them, and the attention was nerve-wracking to say the least.
They finally gave in and participated in a group interview with Anne Webster, only because she was the least annoying out of the bunch. The interview didn’t go too badly, but it was something Grant didn’t wish to repeat.
Another problem with being under public scrutiny was he, Rafe and India couldn’t have the time alone they wanted. They had separate rooms at the hotel and only managed to get together a couple times because it seemed like their every move was being watched.
Then there was India herself. She didn’t say anything, but he could feel her withdrawal. It scared the hell out of him to think she would turn her back on what they shared out of fear of what other people would say. He knew Rafe wasn’t happy about the situation either.
India and Rafe sat in the seats across the aisle from his. She was asleep, with her head on Rafe’s shoulder. His friend was casually thumbing through a magazine. Grant leaned over his chair. “Rafe.”
“The other man turned his gaze in Grant’s direction. “What?”
“What do you think will happen when we land?”
“We go home. Try to settle back into a routine and get our business affairs in order. Then we start living as we planned.”