Eden's Dream by Marcia King-Gamble

darkness, though a flickering flame, followed by a tell-tale glow caught his attention. He knew she was out there, and knew she was smoking those cigarettes. Tempted to fly across space and rip the disgusting thing from her hand, he shouted across the distance, “Hey, I thought you’d quit.”
    Silence. Then a smoldering butt flew in his direction, and Eden’s defiant tones rang out. “I never said I quit, just that I’d cut back.”
    Her petulance actually made him smile. He’d always liked women with gumption. “Touché,” he called, raising his bottle to salute her.

    â€œ C lasp your ankles . Keep your heads down.” Eden heard the emergency commands clear as day. She said a quick prayer before hastening to comply. Around her, the cacophony increased. Venturing to look up, she saw the young mother seated beside her scream and clutching her baby to her bosom. Eden tried desperately to tell the woman she held the child in the wrong position, that on impact she would smother the kid. She should be bent over with her arms linked around the infant. Words failed her as her tongue refused to cooperate. She darted a glance down the aisle to see what the flight attendants were doing and noticed Rod heading her way. She exhaled a sigh of relief. He would save her.
    â€œRod,” she said, sitting up straight, her arms reaching out toward him. “Do something. Make the plane level off.”
    Apparently he hadn’t heard her since he just kept walking.
    The sputtering engines made the passengers scream even louder. Eden yelled at Rod’s retreating back. “Help us, Rod! For God’s sake, help us!”
    Her words were lost in the loud explosion that followed. Billowing balls of fire filled the cabin, obliterating him from her vision. Eden’s chest tightened as the lump in her throat rose to choke her and the acrid smell of smoke filled her nostrils.
    She jolted awake.
    It took several seconds before reality returned. Sweat poured off her body, soaking the sheets beneath her. The ache at her temples exploded into a thundering headache; the typical reaction after one of those dreams. Squinting into the darkness, she focused on the illuminated face of the clock on the nightstand. Five-thirty a.m. Might as well get up. There would be no more sleep now.
    Too wound up to lie in bed and stare at the ceiling, Eden headed for the bathroom, splashed cold water on her face, and waited for the pounding in her head to ease. She searched the medicine cabinet for the aspirin bottle, shook out two pills, and downed them with a glass of tap water. After changing into sweats, she headed for the kitchen to make coffee.
    While waiting for her pot to brew, Eden roamed the terrace. A brisk morning breeze cooled her cheeks and provided a soothing balm to her aching head. Vibrant shades of green greeted her in every direction. Emerald lawns, lush olive shrubbery, and jade woodlands reminded her of Noel’s eyes when his mood changed. Above, a cloudless sky promised a beautiful day.
    As if she’d willed him to appear, the object of her imagination materialized on the deck across from her. Even from the distance she could tell he wore skimpy black jogging shorts and a white Nike T-shirt, the bill of a red cap pulled low over one eye. Awed by the sight of his raw male presence, Eden’s mouth hung open. When his arms reached overhead in an exaggerated stretch, and his powerful biceps flexed, she thought she would lose it. Nibbling on her lower lip, she continued to gape.
    As if conscious of being stared at, Noel glanced her way. A smile so warm Eden could practically feel it transformed what little of his face she could see. He acknowledged her presence with a raised hand and a challenge. “Want to come jogging with me? I promise to take it easy this time.”
    Eden forgot the headache plaguing her. She returned his smile. “I might take you up on your invitation later this