The Tourist Attraction (Moose Springs, Alaska #1)(107)

“I’m sorry, sir, but you’re going to have to wait in line like everyone else. And you can’t have that dog in here unsedated and uncrated.”

“Don’t worry, he’s chill. And I’m talking an actual emergency.”

“What’s the emergency?”

Graham smacked his palms down on the desk. “Love story shit. Please, help a guy out.”

“Sir. End of the line.”

Well. This was about to get ugly.

It was a well-known truth for any traveler that jumping a security line was “frowned upon” and would probably result in consequences that Graham wouldn’t enjoy, but he was kind of on a deadline here. So without further ado, he did just that.

Thank goodness the line was guarded by only two people, and both only blinked in surprise instead of tasing him when Graham hopped the gate holding Jake under one arm like a football. He flattened himself along the side of the tube-shaped X-ray machine, startling the poor man already standing inside.

“Good morning. Nice jacket. How you doing? Don’t worry, guys. I’m not a terrorist. Jake, say hi.”

With a bark, Jake did as he was asked. Graham bolted for the terminal, taking the stairs two at a time because there were way too many people on the escalators. Graham wasn’t stupid. He knew he was in trouble, so he embraced his inner spy movie hero, stealing a shirt from the outside of the gift shop that he definitely would pay them back for. Pausing to pull on the bright orange and slightly too-tight shirt then stuffing his baseball cap in his back pocket, his disguise was complete.

“Try to be cool, boy,” Graham muttered as he scooped up Jake again. In an airport this small, there were only two options: terminal to the left of the ginormous stuffed moose and terminal to the right of the ginormous stuffed moose. Dropping down to a fast walk to not draw any more attention, Graham took a chance and turned left at the moose, down the direction it was facing.

“Show me the way, big guy,” Graham murmured, patting it on the nose as he passed, ignoring the cries of dismay from a blond and a brunette as he stepped through their selfie shot.

“Anna, he ruined it,” the blond wailed as Graham checked the departure screen and saw Zoey’s plane was boarding from gate three. But gate three was right in front of him.

He didn’t see her.

She was flying to Chicago via Seattle, and it only took Graham a moment to double-check her flight on the departures screen. He was at the right place, but that gate was empty of people except for a lone flight attendant still manning the ticket counter.

“No.” He ran over, but the door was already closed and locked. “No no no, it’s still here. Let me in.”

“Sir, you can’t go in there,” the flight attendant told him. “Sir. The plane’s leaving.”

“I need to talk to someone on that plane. Just for a second, that’s all I need. Can you radio the plane?”

The flight attendant kept shaking her head. “Sir, I’m sorry. It’s too late.”

It was too late. He’d waited too long. He should have just taken her hand and pulled her back into the truck, back into his arms. Jake whined, wiggling, so Graham set him down.

He never should have left Moose Springs that morning. He should have done so many things…

“I need a flight to Chicago. I need—”

“There are no more flights to Chicago today. That was the only one on the schedule. If you go back to the ticket counters, they can help you arrange a flight.”

Standing at the floor-to-ceiling windows, there was nothing Graham could do but watch Zoey’s plane pulling away from the gate, taking his heart along with it. Jake pulled hard at the leash, trying to get to something behind Graham, but his eyes stayed glued to the plane.

“Zo…”

“Graham?”

That voice. The perfect voice seared into his soul. Heart jumping into his throat, Graham turned around.

She was sitting on a bench next to the cinnamon roll stand, the little stuffed happy moose he’d given her tucked against her hip and the largest cinnamon roll one could find until they got to Moose Springs balanced on her knee. Letting go of the leash, Jake bolted for her, a wiggling mass of happiness once again.

If only it were that easy for people.

Face red and splotchy from tears and arms full of Jake, Zoey raised her eyes up to him.

“I had my moment,” she whispered. “I was waiting for the plane, and there was a car out there, just past the runway. This guy was parked next to a moose, trying to take a picture of it. And I got so mad because he should have known better. Moose matter. They’re not cute, cuddly stuffed things. They matter. People love them and care if bad things happen to them. I care if bad things happen to them.”

Zoey squeezed the stuffed toy, adding softly, “And I realized I couldn’t leave.”

“Because of the moose.”

“Yeah. Because of the moose.” She gave him a watery smile. “And because of the bears and the whales, the ice caves and the mountains. The bonfires and the cinnamon rolls and little horrified faces made of ketchup on reindeer dogs. I can’t leave. This is where I want to be.” Her smile strengthened. “That’s a really tight shirt.”

“I like the color,” he admitted.

“I do too.”

“Zoey, I want you.” Inhaling a deep breath, Graham took a step toward her. “Darlin’, I need you. What will it take to make us happen? Because I would do anything—”