When Bees Sing - Part 1

Chapter 17

The plane touched down a full half hour early at St. Louis Lambert International Airport and skidded to a stop. Sadie waited until the captain turned off the seatbelt sign and then jumped up like the rest of the passengers to get her carry on bag in the overhead compartment.

When she got to the terminal, Sadie used her cell phone to call Kayla and let her best friend know she didn't need to be picked up. She explained it made no sense for her to wait for a drive home and then sit in traffic when she could take the light rail and be home in a third of the time.

Sadie hated to tell the tiny lie to Kayla, even if a bit of truth lay in it. In reality, she didn't feel ready to share the details of her trip with anyone. She didn't know how to explain Derry and how she fell in love with someone she didn't know a damn thing about.

Sadie took a seat on the Metrolink, leaned her head back on the glass and watched downtown St. Louis fly by. There were no sandy white beaches, no palm trees. Had it really only been a few hours when she was surrounded by them? It felt like a dream - the sunshine, fresh air and soft kisses from a wonderful, exciting man.

Thinking of Derry's touch caused tingles to cascade all the way down to her toes. She sighed and hugged her bag tight. A hard object pressed against her chest and she took out her book. Her hand caressed the plain white cover and she smiled, remembering his confused look when they first met and she could barely form a sentence. How far they had come from that first interaction. Who had known a random meeting at an airport could lead to love?

Her cell phone rang and Sadie put the book down next to her to find the gadget in her bag. Could it be Derry? She frantically dug through the random items and vowed to clean out the bag when she got home. She found the phone on the last note of Pachebel's Canon and answered it. "Hello?"

"Sadie, honey, you home? How was your trip?"

Disappointment caused her eyes to shut tight. "Yes, Nona. I'm on the light rail heading home and should be there in a few minutes."

"Okay, dear. I wanted to make sure you arrived safely. You call me when you get settled. I want to hear all about the sunshine and fun times."

Sadie swore she heard a giggle in her grandmother's voice. The woman had a sixth sense about some things and probably already had an idea of the fun times that happened on the island. "I'll stop by tomorrow, Nona." And hopefully, Derry will call and I'll have a happy ending to the story.

A quick snap of the phone ended the call and Sadie looked up to see her rail stop. She grabbed her suitcase and swung her canvas bag on her shoulder. When the doors opened, she took one step out and a racing woman knocked into her. She heard the woman's apology, but didn't give it another thought. Her mind lingered on the sunshine and fun times she'd had that week.

A few hours later, she realized she had left her book on the light rail. The only link to Derry lost in a city of over three hundred thousand people.

To be continued in When Bees Sing - Part 2...