Chapter 10 - The Unexpected DestinationThe Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport arrivals terminal was bustling with tourists carrying hiking gear, fly-fishing rods, and bulky suitcases. I stood near the automatic sliding glass doors, leaning casually against a concrete pillar, wearing my faded denim shirt and my favorite scuffed leather boots.
Flight DL-482 from Charlotte had just touched down.
Passengers began streaming out through the double doors, blinking in the bright Montana sunshine. I scanned the crowd, looking for a silver-haired science teacher who had once mistaken a lonely truck driver for a lifeline.
And then I saw her.
Claire walked through the terminal doors carrying a single canvas duffel bag over her shoulder. She wasn't wearing a designer suit or hiding behind dark sunglasses. She wore a simple flannel shirt, blue jeans, and hiking boots, her dark hair catching the mountain light.
She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw me standing by the pillar.
For a second, neither of us moved. The noise of the airport traffic, the roar of arriving jets, and the chatter of tourists completely faded away.
Then, Claire dropped her duffel bag right on the pavement, broke into a wide, brilliant smile, and ran straight across the sidewalk into my arms.
I caught her effortlessly, swinging her up slightly as she wrapped her arms around my neck, burying her face against my shoulder just like she had on that terrifying ten-hour flight across the Atlantic.
"You actually waited," she laughed, pulling back to look up at me with shining eyes.
"I told you," I murmured, my arms still holding her close against the crisp Montana air. "Freight drivers don't abandon their cargo."
Claire reached into her pocket, pulled out the plain silver ring, and slipped it back onto my left ring finger with a soft, triumphant click.
"Good," she whispered, rising up on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek. "Because our ten-hour marriage was just a trial run. I think it’s time to renew the contract for the long haul."
May you like
I looked down into her eyes, feeling a warmth in my chest that had nothing to do with truck engines or diesel fuel, and everything to do with finding home in the middle of nowhere.
"Deal," I said, and kissed her right there in the Montana sunshine.
