The Ties That Bind, page 21
part #2 of Max Plank Mystery Series
She beamed. I beamed back, feeling like a big, fat, phony, but a quite decent uncle.
Forty
Frankie held my hand as we waited at baggage claim number four at San Francisco International Airport.
She kept on jumping up on her toes, trying to see if she could spot Alexandra.
“Do you see her, Max? Do you?”
“Not yet.” I wasn’t up on my tiptoes, but my insides were kind of jumping up and down, too. She’d been away for more than three weeks on an assignment that kept on being extended.
Five more minutes passed. It had been fifteen minutes since her flight landed.
Where was she?
“Where is she?”
“If she was in the back of the plane, it takes a long time to get off, hon.”
“I’m going to tell her to sit near the front from now on.”
“Good idea.”
I spotted her just before the escalator deposited her on the first floor. I waved. “There she is.”
“Where! Where?” Frankie shouted, jumping up the air.
I picked her up, waved to her, pointed. “Right there.”
Frankie jumped to the floor and ran straight to Alexandra, who had a big beautiful smile on her face. She picked Frankie up and hugged her tight against her chest. She kept walking, murmuring in Frankie’s ear while the little girl chattered.
Alexandra fixed me with a look that made my heart skip a couple of beats.
I watched the two of them there hugging, and I felt such a longing that something inside me threatened to break away, pull apart. Something from which I might not recover.
I didn’t feel like myself. I was having thoughts that I didn’t want to have.
Alexandra kept looking at me, stripping me bare.
C’mon Max, it’s okay. You aren’t breaking any rules.
You’re older than forty.
Author Note
Hello Dear Reader,
You made it to the end of the book and I hope you enjoyed the journey.
Thanks for giving me your valuable time. I surely appreciate it.
What I would also greatly appreciate is if you could give other readers the benefit of your experience. Could you take a few moments to go to Amazon and leave an honest review?
Reviews are essential for others to discover my work and for me to keep telling stories.
Thank you!!!
About the Author
Robert Bucchianeri is the author of the Max Plank Mystery Series along with the suspense thriller, Between a Smile and a Tear, the psychological thriller, Ransom Dreams, the rock n’roll mystery, Acapella Blues, as well as the sunlit noir, Love Stings. He is also the author of the novella, Jet: The Fortress, an espionage thriller. Along with his wife, son, and wonder dog, Buddy, he resides, mostly, on Cape Cod.
For More Information
https://rjbucchianeri.com
Also by robert bucchianeri
Stray Cat Blues (Max Plank 1)
Mystery Thriller Triple Pack
Between a Smile and a Tear
Ransom Dreams
Acapella Blues
The Fortress
Love Stings
Young Adult Action/Adventure:
Django Jagger & The Mirror of the Moon
Robert Bucchianeri, The Ties That Bind
