1 Sunshine Hunter Read Online Free PDF Page B

were happy for me I was finally moving on and into a relationship. This was going to upset them, too.
    My parents had traded cold Ohio winters for hot Texas summers, and they loved living in Dallas. We didn’t talk often, but mom and I tried to keep in touch several times each month by email. I would be going to stay with them over Christmas and was looking forward to catching up with their lives. Maybe I would call Mom later in the week … or maybe I wouldn’t. She didn’t always agree with my choices in life, and running off to Florida with Darby was one more impulsive move that might bring on a lecture from her.
    Florida was going to be hot. I would need more clothes. Shopping. Tomorrow I would need to do a lot of shopping.
    I couldn’t stay awake any longer. My eyes were heavy, and I was exhausted. I barely heard the blare of sirens go past my apartment as I drifted off to sleep.
     

 
Chapter Four
     
    “Darby, I feel like I can’t breathe!” I said with surprise. Stepping out of the airplane into the hot Florida sun took my breath away. I knew it would be hot, but I had forgotten how oppressive the heat could be. Above the terminal door was a sign welcoming us to Saint Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport. Beneath was a time and temperature reading. The temperature was 96°.
    “I know, isn’t it wonderful!” Darby exclaimed. “I love Florida during the hot summer months. I should have lived on the equator.” He was grinning from ear to ear, and I half expected him to break into a jig.
    We were both car rying one small bag, but we had each checked a larger suitcase, so we headed toward the baggage claim.
    Our flight from Ohio to Florida was nonstop and took less than three hours. We spent m ost of the time talking about what happened with Mick. An elderly woman seated in front of us stood to walk back the aisle to the restroom. She stopped beside us, looked into both of our faces, and creaked, “You know, they never leave their wives.”
    “Excuse me?” I asked. I was astonished she had spoken to us. Darby and I were both looking at her with our mouths gaping open. I clapped mine shut.
    “It’s my experience that they always say they’re going to leave their wives for you, but they never do.” She leaned in toward me and creaked more softly, “But honey, your situation sounds quite a bit different. Forgive him and give him another chance.” She reached across Darby to give my hand a little pat, and then moved on down the aisle to the restroom.
    Darby’s mouth was still hanging open. I burst out laug hing and told him, “We have got to keep our voices down.”
    Darby was now pulling my Louis Vuitton suitcase off the conveyor. I had put an “X” with pink tape in one corner of the bag to make it easier to spot. Darby was still watching for his bag.
    I looked around and breathed a sigh of satisfaction. This was a good idea. Darby always cheered me, and I was already feeling better. I would probably call Mick later in the week. Maybe I had overreacted. It would be easier to talk with him over the phone anyway. I wanted to hear what he had to say, but I wasn’t yet ready to see him.
    Where was my phone? I started di gging through my purse. I turned it off on Sunday morning after I called Darby with my decision, called Samantha to confirm I was leaving, called an ecstatic Angela when I asked her to take over the center, and after I had made reservations with the airline and hotel. I didn’t want any distractions, and I definitely didn’t want anyone trying to talk me out of going, so I had turned my phone off. I fished it out of the bottom of my purse, turned it on, and saw two missed calls from Samantha, both of them from yesterday. I could only surmise she wanted to say good-bye and wish me well on my trip. I would give her a call this evening to let her know we had arrived safely. There were three missed calls from Mick, one from yesterday and two already today. I would call him when I