My legs lumbered with the finesse of a zombie as we shuffled behind a family of four toward the boarding line for our last flight. My eyes were burning, and I had an unpleasant combo of a headache and dizziness. Caleb's far-off stare led me to believe he was in a similar state.

Since neither of us had paid for advance seat selection, we'd reserved ours together while in Hong Kong. Though in my semi-conscious state, I doubted I'd be an interesting seat partner. Once we arrived at our seats, Caleb loaded our bags into the overhead bin without cursing or losing his balance, to my chagrin, as I would love to have something to tease him about.

We groggily debated who would get the window seat, but I won so he would enjoy the best view for his first trip over the Rockies.

When I removed my scarf to cushion my head, he offered me his suede neck pillow instead. Initially, I refused, but he insisted the mountains would engross him, and he didn't plan on sleeping, especially with the window seat. His slow blinks didn't convince me, but my grogginess won in the end. As I tucked the pillow around my neck, I smiled and sighed, inhaling his piny scent. Hopefully, he was too sleep-deprived to notice my internal reactions were escaping like marbles rolling down a tilted floor.

The boarding continued, adding a woman in her forties in a baggy t-shirt and yoga pants to our row. She had a tired look that matched the bleakness of a flight to Winnipeg inspired. Caleb was the only one I'd spotted who had a trace of eagerness at this early hour. However, once the flight crew began the safety presentation, the guy working clearly had a shot of caffeine in his drink this morning.

When our plane made it to the runway and we waited for another jet to take off, Caleb leaned in and whispered, "Last flight."

Normally, I'd be excited, but I lacked the energy, and the idea of parting with Caleb dragged me down. Our Canadian 'home' bases were close enough that I could offer to show him around if he had a few days before he ran off to Churchill. Although he likely wanted to visit his friend, not a random person he met on his flight.

"Almost time for your big adventure," I said.

He grinned at me. "This is all part of the adventure. And it's off to an amazing start."

I chuckled despite the fluttering in my chest. "You're cheesy when you're tired."

"And you make poor decisions." He inched nearer, still looking down at me. "You should be in this seat. I've been closer to the window than you on every flight. We can stealthily switch."

I doubted we could without getting a cheerful reminder from the flight crew or dirty looks from the woman next to us, eyeing up an article about Morocco in the in-flight magazine.

"This is my regular path west. I've flown over them before."

He fixed me with one more questioning stare before conceding. "You didn't need to do this, but thank you. You are the best travel companion."

He smiled at me again, and if he didn't stop, my entire body would turn into an invisible butterfly habitat. Although, minus the jitters, that sounded cool.

Usually, I struggled to believe people when they told me things like 'I'll miss you', 'I'll never forget you,' or 'You're amazing'. It seemed like lip service when breaking off a travel fling, and I never fully invested to avoid hurting them as I had Trevor, which was impossible given that a few days or weeks on an island could never compare to years in a relationship. But Caleb had spent almost every moment of this trip with me. He couldn't have been certain in Hong Kong if I'd drive him up the wall or entertain him, but now that it was done, he told me I was the best with sincerity. I'd be lying if I didn't feel the same, and for once, I longed to say it.

"Right back at you."

His cheeks dimpled more as he tilted his head to look at me then out at the runway lit up in the early morning glow.

Once we took off, the mountains captivated us, leading to an additional problem as I leaned over his shoulder: a more tantalizing closeness. It began with him tapping on my knee with a sparkle in his eye and whispering something about snow. I got a closer look, and soon it didn't matter who had chosen the window seat, as our faces were glued to the scenery. Our bodies were always connected somehow, my upper arm against his chest, his shoulder brushing mine, my legs pressed against his.

Typically, a warning bell would go off in my head that would either end the contact, or I'd rationalize a way to ignore my temporary unease. But my intimacy guardian must have been exhausted too because I had no desire to pull away or need to convince myself that the situation was safe while also designing an escape plan should things move too fast. If anything, I leaned into it, starting or continuing at least half our contact.

As we took in the peaks below, most grey or green, but with the occasional snow patch, our closeness lingered like our touch. Why had a stranger lowered my guard like this?

Because although he flirts with you, his gaze doesn't linger too long on your body or meet yours with any burning desire. His closeness is slow and sweet, and he's close to you for the sake of it, not with any other expectations. All things you love.

That was likely because all we had was a long flight connection, but it didn't stop me from enjoying it. From the way he didn't pull away, I suspected he liked it too. Too soon I'd be stuck dealing with my mother's questioning of my life, so I'd take all the drama-free affection I received.

As my eyes closed, I fell into a deep sleep. I only woke up somewhere over the harvest gold of the late summer prairies where Caleb's focus had gone. The smell of pine soothed me, and it was pleasantly warm given that we were on a flight. Then it hit me. I was in his bubble for the third time on this trip, my face against his chest.

It was potentially less inappropriate than falling into his lap—which had entertained him—but if we were hovering over the Saskatchewan and Manitoba border as the map suggested, I'd been sleeping on him since somewhere in Alberta. While I didn't know the flight time, that was close to a ten-hour drive.

I jerked my head away and muttered, "I'm so sorry," which drew Caleb's attention.

He smiled at me like I wasn't some reckless, personal-space-invading napper. "No drama, Audrey."

On his tray table were two drinks, a plastic cup of orange juice and a tea, plus blue and red packets of airline snacks. I wasn't sure how he got a third one, but despite all the meals we'd consumed, I was ready for a snack.

"I gambled on juice, given that you didn't order tea or coffee at the shop earlier," he said.

He'd committed unnecessary details about me to memory. The butterflies were back, pattering on my heart in search of nectar.

"Thanks, great choice." I picked up the orange juice and let it wash over my parched throat. Airplane air was too dry and stuffy, although we had crossed into Manitoba airspace, so it wouldn't be much longer. A quilt of colourful crops, from golden wheat to yellow canola and green soybeans, below us confirmed. "Did you charm your way into an extra snack?"

His grin answered my question before he did. Though flickers of envy at whichever pretty flight attendant he'd flirted with scared off the butterflies.

"Your sleeping habit certainly helped, as I sensed the man was a romantic from how he looked at us."

Us. The way he dragged out the word a second longer than necessary while meeting my gaze brought the fluttering insects back to visit. He was teasing me and hinting that two people parting in about an hour becoming a couple was absurd, but my heart hadn't gotten the memo.

"After I mentioned this was my first trip to Canada, he asked the reason. I told him to meet your parents. I just didn't specify that it would be a solo visit on your part. He inferred what he wanted and slipped me an extra snack."

"You are dangerously crafty." And I liked it.

He chuckled and sipped his tea, his hands looking huge around that tiny cup. "We construct images of the world we want to see. You probably hope your dive clients share your passion for the aquatic ecosystem. I approach companies and projects with the mindset that they seek to positively impact the environment until I'm proven otherwise. If he wants to spoil what he assumes is a happy couple, who am I to shatter that illusion? It brings two people joy."

"So by pretending to be my boyfriend, you're an altruist?"

"If that's the way you want to see me. You did fall for me in Jakarta."

I shook my head and removed the neck pillow. "I haven't slept enough for your logic games."

He accepted the pillow and stashed it by his far side as we'd tucked away the armrest hours ago. "You have first pick."

I plucked the packet of pretzels from the tray table, and he took the cookies.

A glance at the zoomed map featuring small towns like Virden and Melita made me recall how Caleb had surprised me by mentioning he was staying with a friend.

"So I meant to ask, how does an Australian who has never been to Canada have a friend halfway across the world in Manitoba, of all places?"

"He also fell for me on a flight. I seem to have that effect on people." He smiled cheekily, and it looked far too good on him, especially with his cheek dimples.

"Seriously?"

He chuckled and paused as a flight attendant stopped by to pick up my empty cup.

"My family hosted him for five months as part of an exchange program during secondary school. They were a bit surprised that their 'international' student was a white kid with an American TV accent who needed very little help to adapt to the environment. We were the same age and got along well. We've kept in touch, and he invited me out for his wedding."

"Wait, your friend from La Salle is getting married? Is it this weekend?" What were the odds two people from the other side of the world would attend the same event and not know?

"I'd be a pretty thoughtless guest if it was the previous one." His teasing grin bounced right off me as I pieced this together.

"Is his name Vince, as in Vince and Claire's wedding?"

He knit his brows together. "You're too good at this game. Did you pull the passcode off my phone or something?"

I couldn't contain my smile. This wasn't the end of our journey together. While I had friends at the wedding, I looked forward to his presence differently. He was unaware of my past with Trevor, and we had plenty of fun, which I suspected would continue.

"Claire is my good friend from high school."

His green eyes gleamed. "Brillant, you'll have to save me a dance if you can keep your balance around me, that is."

With a chuckle, I shook my head. My heart soared that he was excited about seeing me again too. "I can't believe it took us this long to put that together."

"We must share an intense eagerness to go. Do you and Vince don't get on well or something?"

"I'm thrilled for them, and Vince is great." The pretzel package crinkled as I played with it. "I'm pretty sure that Claire has failed to mention that my ex, who is her cousin, will be there."

"Ah. That'll do it." He popped a few mini cookies into his mouth and offered me one, but I declined. "If it makes you feel better, I'll have to answer a bunch of questions from Vince,which I am dreading, hence the polar bear focus."

"It's a long enough drive from the airport to La Salle."

Caleb bit his bottom lip and shifted in the airplane seat. "Thirty-seven minutes according to Google Maps, if he takes the most direct route and there's minimal traffic."

No one studied and memorized travel times for fun, which led me to believe Caleb was anxious or fabricating details to relax me.

"We're arriving after rush hour. So you're that shaken up about this? You're not just playing it up to reassure me?"

The tension in his shoulders seemed quite real. "Something like that. And does your ex know you're coming?"

"Yes, he sent me a message I've been dreading reading in full since Hong Kong."

Caleb studied my face with concern. "Threatening?"

My stomach clenched, both because he cared and because Trevor wasn't the one hurt by my actions. "No, he's harmless. Quite a nice guy."

"Then why are you worried?"

"Because I'm an asshole."

Caleb chuckled, "Really? The woman who insists I have a window seat, gives me tips about my trip, and keeps me company between flights? You're right. You're an absolute monster." The faux angry expression he wore made it hard not to laugh.

I took a few breaths, but the sinking sensation in my gut weighed me down. Could Trevor laugh at the situation like me? Surely enough time had passed that he may, although he'd been so crushed when I left. We had talked about our lives since then, but I also knew how he clung to the past despite how much it'd devastated him.

"I don't mean to hurt people, but I do, and I'm worried I might do it again. For all I know, he's moved on, and my conscience will be clear."

But if he hadn't, a wedding was an awful setting, even if we'd never been engaged or talked about it as I'd been open about my mixed feelings about marriage. The romantic atmosphere at Claire and Vince's place would bring back painful memories for both of us.

"You're talking about emotional pain just to be clear?" Caleb asked.

"Yes, my heart doesn't always move at the same speed as other people's, and it never ends well."

He nodded understandingly. "If you need a buffer, let me know. We've already convinced one person we're dating. Pulling it off for an evening should be easy, especially if you're conscious."

I had to fight my chuckle. "Claire knows I'm single and would hate that plan, although you seem like you'd make an excellent fake date."

It intrigued me a little. Pretending to be Caleb's girlfriend would mean being obligated to spend more time together and being close to him with no expectations. But we couldn't do it.

"Unless we met on one of my family trips to Indonesia and corresponded as friends. Then fate intervened and sent us to the same wedding on the same flights, and we both admitted we'd been harbouring feelings for each other for months, years?" The corners of his mouth upturned as his eyebrow rose.

That was the sort of story Claire would eat up, and my mother would too. Plus, if I had a boyfriend in Australia, then my working in Indonesia kept me closer to him. It gave me a reason to travel around Australia in the future without my mother's criticism and questioning. With us so far away, it made it easy to keep up the charade too.

But why was Caleb on board with this? Was it for the continued closeness, or was he expecting more? Perhaps it was something else.

"You are getting very invested in this theoretical plan. And how did you come up with that on the spot?"

"Avoidance is a powerful muse."

"Avoidance of what?"

Caleb winced as he scratched the back of his neck. "Discussing certain things with Vince."

He didn't offer a single clue what that might be, but it was his business, and he had said he wanted to avoid talking about it. I suspected it wasn't romantic history, otherwise showing up with a surprise girlfriend would be a major red flag and prompt Vince to challenge him more. Caleb hadn't pushed me about Trevor, so I respected his privacy.

"Vince will be occupied being the groom unless you're a groomsman?"

He shook his head. "No, but having another topic to distract him with would be handy. I'm staying at their place, and it'll be his first or second question unless I can offer him something else."

His shoulders were tenser than they'd been for the entire journey, so whatever concern he had was bigger than the thrill of fake dating. If Caleb was open to making my life easier, I'd do the same for him, as he seemed like a good guy. He was kind enough to feed and serenade a stranger, listen to her vent, and he said he hated drunk drivers. Vince liked him well enough to keep in touch for years and invite him to his wedding. Those were all marks of a decent person. Plus, I had this underlying sense of trust around Caleb.

"If we were dating and looking to take advantage of the limited time together before we fly back to different countries, we could both stay at my parents' place. They have an extra guest room since it'd be too soon to share a bed. It would reduce the number of times Vince would ask you about whatever you're avoiding."

My heart thudded in my chest.

Way to overstep, Audrey. He'd flown to Canada to see and celebrate with Vince, not shack up with a stranger and her quirky parents. I was glad the woman on the aisle was engrossed in her show on her phone, so our ridiculous plan had less of an audience. Caleb could write me off as a weird friend of a friend he'd avoid at the wedding.

But the look he shot me was anything but disgust or awkwardness. "You're bloody brilliant." His voice was low, and his eyes shone with admiration. "You would lie to your parents to help me?"

It was official. We'd both fallen off the sanity wagon mid-flight, but we might as well fumble through this mess together.

"Are you kidding? My parents think I'm the loneliest woman in the world, who can't be genuinely happy living her best life abroad. Giving them a false long-distance relationship that requires no other follow-up on our part is the best solution. If it's new, we don't have to force ourselves into too many intimate situations either. It's kind of perfect."

"And you were wary of how easily I deceived the flight attendant. So are we just having a laugh or is this happening?"

I shrugged. Deep down, I knew talking to Trevor and my parents honestly was the right thing to do, but this seemed a lot easier on my heart and more fun. It would give me an excuse to spend more time with Caleb, who also needed an escape. Perhaps the good outweighed the bad if lying helped another person, and we were both in agreement.

"I'm game if you are."

His smile just about melted my heart. "Game on, Luv."