Page 9

I felt my heart do a little flip as the plane slowly began to taxi toward the runway.

This was it. The moment I’d been waiting for.

The flight from Denver to Idaho Falls was mercifully short, though every minute felt like an eternity.

I kept my eyes glued to the window, watching as the sprawling cityscape below transformed into jagged mountains, and the once-thick clouds parted to reveal a breathtaking, crisp blue sky.

I whispered under my breath “ Is that a fucking double-wide trailer as an airport” I THOUGHT I whispered but the woman next to me answered -“Yes dear” fucking hell, I need to work on my inside voice, maybe Jon is a serial killer, never have I flown into a double-wide trailer airport but even the view didn’t ease the flutter of nervous excitement in my chest. I checked the time, again.

12:30 p.m. The plane touched down softly on the tarmac, the landing gear kissing the ground with a smoothness that almost made me forget how much of a mess the journey had been.

As we taxied toward the gate, which I swear was only one because who the fuck flies to this place unless you live here or come here involuntarily, I exhaled deeply, feeling the tightness in my chest loosened just a bit.

But there was no time to linger on relief. Jon was waiting for me.

I grabbed my carry-on bag and nacho, who slept soundly on the flight there but I knew he had to go to the bathroom, unfortunately, my boujee dog cannot pee in public places so I knew he had to go so I dashed through the airport, my heart pounding with anticipation.

The terminal was quieter than I expected, a sparse group of passengers scattered through the seats, their faces illuminated by the harsh, sterile light of the overhead fixtures.

There was an escalator leading to baggage claim and I immediately got on, going down, my eyes flicked around, searching for him. And then, I saw him.

Jon stood near the exit, hisframe instantly recognizable even in the dim light.

His jacket was unzipped, one hand tucked into his pocket, the other holding a bouquet of sunflowers — this man can’t be real.

But it was the way he was looking at me—his eyes dark, intense, but somehow soft—that made my breath catch in my throat.

I took a few hesitant steps forward, not quite believing this was happening.

The past few months of texting, facetiming, and dreaming about this moment suddenly felt surreal, like I was living in a dream and would wake up at any second.

But as I drew closer to him, everything around me melted away.

He saw me then, really saw me, and his eyes softened even more.

The slight smirk on his lips turned into a genuine smile, and in that moment, I swear the whole room faded into the background .

“Hey,” I whispered, almost shy.

I could feel my cheeks flush, and my heart pounding as I stood in front of him. I’d never felt this vulnerable, but it also felt like coming home.

Jon chuckled, a low, throaty sound that sent a shiver down my spine.

“Hey, beautiful,” he said, stepping forward and pulling me into his arms.

The warmth of his body enveloped me, and I felt my pulse quicken.

It wasn’t the first hug we’d shared, but this one was different.

This one was real. This one was in person, and I could feel the steady beat of his heart against mine.

For a few long moments, neither of us spoke.

We just stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms, savoring the connection that had felt so distant just hours ago.

I could smell his cologne, something warm and woodsy, and I closed my eyes, savoring the moment.

His arms were strong around me, his touch steady and grounding.

When he finally pulled back slightly, he cupped my face in his hands, his thumbs brushing against my skin in a slow, gentle rhythm.

He was looking at me with such intensity that I almost forgot how to breathe.

“You made it,” he said softly, his voice low and husky.

“I did,” I replied, smiling despite the sudden rush of emotions that threatened to overwhelm me.

“Sorry, I’m so late. Storms and flight delays—welcome to my life.” Jon chuckled again, the sound vibrating through his chest.

“Don’t worry about it. You’re here now. That’s all that matters.” I nodded, but I couldn’t stop myself from looking at him.

He was just as handsome as I remembered if not more so, standing there in the low light of the airport.

The roughness of his jawline, the way his dark hair was slightly tousled, the strength in his shoulders—it was like all the anticipation from the past months had culminated in this perfect moment.

But there was also a certain hunger in his gaze that I couldn’t ignore.

It made my heart race in a way that was impossible to ignore.

He wasn’t just looking at me like he had a thousand times on our phone calls—he was seeing me, really seeing me, and it made something deep inside me stir.

Before I could say anything else, Jon leaned in and kissed me.

It was a soft, tentative kiss at first like we were both savoring the closeness, the feeling of finally being together.

But soon, the kiss deepened, and I felt my body melt against his, my hands instinctively reaching up to thread through his hair.

His lips were warm, firm, and tasted like the familiarity of everything we’d shared in our late-night conversations, the teasing, the longing, and now, the reality of us finally being here together.

The kiss was slow at first, but as the need for more grew, it became more urgent, more desperate.

I could feel the heat building between us, the tension and the longing that had been simmering for so long.

When we finally broke apart, both of us gasping for air, Jon’s face was flushed, his eyes dark with desire.

“God, I’ve missed you,” he murmured, his voice low and rough.

“I’ve missed you too,” I replied, barely above a whisper. His lips curved into a smile as he took my hand.

“Come on,let’s get your suitcase, I’m not letting you out of my sight for a second.”

I laughed, the tension of the journey melting away as he led me, I couldn’t help but feel a thrill of excitement. This was it. We were finally here, and everything felt right. Then almost immediately Nacho cried and I knew what that cry meant— Mom I need to fucking pee— NOW.

I ran to the nearest door to let him out and almost immediately Nacho let the bushes in front of the airport have it…

for a while, we both chuckled at this boujee little dog, I love this little guy.

The chaotic journey, the delays, the frustration—it didn’t matter anymore.

Because now, I was with him. And that was all that mattered.