Jack watched as Lisa walked up to him from the rental car shuttle. Gosh, she was beautiful, even after all these years. She still took his breath away. He still couldn't believe such a beautiful woman was his wife and had sought him out now getting close to 20 years ago. He gave her a head nod and a small smile as she approached, Lisa shaking her head and laughing even before she reached him.
"Well, that was interesting," she continued to chuckle as the two started to gather their bags. She'd dropped him at the curbside area before returning the rental car so they didn't have to navigate the shuttle return with their luggage. He eyed her, waiting for the story.
"While I was returning the rental car, the guy checking me in asked what a beautiful woman such as myself was doing on a trip alone," she rolled her eyes. "What is it with this place? I was used to that in France, knowing some of it was the culture and all, but seriously, here? Maybe I'm just the only one who looks to be under 80," and with that, she made a face eyeing Jack as he smirked at her. "Sorry, present company excluded."
"Can't leave you alone for a second," Jack frowned, shaking his head. "Where is this young whippersnapper? Maybe I should have a chat with him."
Lisa continued to laugh as she picked up her purse, the bags all ready to go. Each had their checked bag to pull, and Jack had their one carry-on bag on top of his checked bag while Lisa had her purse. They started inside as Lisa finished explaining, "By young," she bit her lip and grinned at Jack, "I'm guessing he was 65, definitely older than me, but that was what was so funny. Here's this semi-retired guy hitting on me like he's 25 or something."
"Apparently, next trip I need to stay with you at all times," Jack winked at her, gesturing for her to walk in front of him as they started toward the check-in counter.
"You'll be happy to know," she said, turning her head as she walked in front of him, "I told him that I'd dropped my very handsome husband off curbside with the luggage and couldn't wait to get back to him."
"Now, that's the kind of answer I like," he gestured with his free hand. They reached the check-in line, Lisa turning back toward Jack, shaking her head at him as she rolled her eyes.
"I will say that you need to retire 'whippersnapper' from your vocabulary," Lisa scrunched up her face at Jack. He eyed her, and she burst out laughing, "If that doesn't age you even more, Hon, please, for the sake of the entire family, that one needs to go. No one says that anymore."
"I do," he shrugged his shoulders.
"Mmm," she nodded. "Oh, I'm aware, but I'm telling you it needs to go," Lisa started laughing again and stopped when they moved up in the line.
It didn't take long for them to reach the check in counter, Lisa handling both of their passports in her passport pouch. Jack stepped up behind her as Lisa began the check-in process with the agent.
"Hi," Lisa smiled at her, handing over their passports. "Final destination is Calgary."
While she was doing that, Jack, was checking both of their checked bags to make sure they were zipped and ready to go. His head snapped up when he heard the agent speaking to Lisa.
"Headed back to Canada, I see. Would your father like a wheelchair to the gate?"
Jack, who was less than an arm length from Lisa, snapped his head up, and Lisa put her hand on Jack's arm to almost stop him from flying across the counter at the gate agent.
"Father?" Jack, who'd had it with all the comments the last few days. Back at home, it wasn't an issue anymore. It had come up a time or two when they'd first gotten married, but they rarely left the immediate area of Hudson together, so he hadn't had comments thrown at them like they'd now had on this trip. Jack gestured now, glancing at Lisa, who was biting her lip and looking down, trying not to laugh, but Jack turned his attention on the agent, "What is it with everyone here? I'm not her father; I'm her husband!"
The gate agent's eyes widened, and she shook her head and her hands in front of her, handing the passports back to Lisa.
"I'm so sorry, Sir," she frowned. "My mistake. Just a glance at the passports, and I saw a gap in the birthdays."
Lisa put rested her elbow on the counter, turning slightly toward Jack with a smirk on her face. She'd been joking about it the entire trip, and now, she gestured at Jack.
"The age difference we can't change, but it would probably help if you would actually wear a wedding ring," she gestured at Jack. The agent, who was trying to print their bag tags glanced up, commenting again, this time with a smile.
"Oh, is this your honeymoon?"
"No," Jack waved his hand again. "We've been a couple for nearly 20 years now. Father," he grumbled, and Lisa patted his hand, her elbow still propped up there on the counter as she just shrugged at Jack. He finally processed her comment and smirked at her, gesturing now at Lisa.
"So, you're saying this is my fault? A wedding ring isn't stirring up all of these comments. You know," he waved his hand at her, "maybe if you'd actually change your name we wouldn't get these comments. Our passports don't match, so that doesn't help either. Why the women in our family think they need to prove something by keeping their names, I don't understand," Jack grumbled. "Some traditions are meant to stay traditions."
"Great, back to this discussion," Lisa threw a fake smile at Jack and tilted her head. She glanced at the agent, who was now putting the tags on the bags and commented to her again, "Well, if you had any question about our relationship, we do argue like an old married couple, so that should be a dead giveaway." She threw the girl another fake smile, matching the one she'd just given to Jack.
"Again, so sorry about that," the agent told them, finishing with the bags and putting them on the conveyor belt to head toward the tarmac. "Just to clarify, Sir, you don't need assistance to the gate? I just want to help if you need it."
Lisa was desperately trying to hold back a laugh. She looked away, glancing down at their one carry-on bag, and when she looked up, Jack had narrowed his gaze at the agent.
"No, I'll be just fine. Run a 600-acre cattle ranch back home, ride a horse all day every day, and when I'm not doing that, I'm very content doing anything and everything my beautiful wife he wants to do. Good day," he said with a head nod, and Lisa started to laugh, unsuccessfully able to hold back any longer. She waved at the gate agent.
"Thank you for your help," she said with a sympathetic glance, and at that, Jack picked up their carry-on bag, but before they left the counter, he looked over at Lisa. He was about to say something to her, but instead, the frustration of the moment had him act out. He leaned over and planted a big kiss on Lisa, right there in front of the agent, taking even Lisa by surprise. She grinned at him as he winked at her, patting Jack's arm as they left the counter.
"Come on, Dad, let's get you to the security line," Lisa tried to tell him without laughing but burst out laughing before she could even finish.
"Another young whippersnapper," Jack grumbled, and at that, Lisa almost doubled over, laughing at Jack. She finally turned and pointed to him, "Really, Jack, that sounds so ridiculous. You're aging yourself more with it, and if I laugh anymore in line like this, I'm going to get flagged for an extra security check or something. They'll think something is seriously wrong with me."
"Can you believe she asked if I needed a wheelchair?" Jack grumbled when they reached the security line. Lisa finally started to calm down, and she turned, patting Jack's chest as she made eye contact with him.
"I'm sorry she hurt your ego, but Hon, she was doing her job. You also realize that you will be screened slightly differently here in the security line, right?"
"What now?" Jack's eyes widened, and he started looking around. Lisa sighed, rolling her eyes.
"For those 75 and older, you don't have to take off your shoes or well," she waved, "whatever else they tell you that you don't have to do."
"But you do?" Jack looked at her, almost horrified.
She shrugged, "I'm not 75 or older. Apparently, I'm quite something to the men here in Florida."
Jack smirked at her comment, but then he started going on again about the security line, "So, they're profiling me?" Jack grumbled, shaking his head, and Lisa chuckled again, patting his arm.
"No, they are not. They're making this a little easier for you, you know," she said, turning and bumping her hip against his, "because you're old. Man," she nodded with a smirk, "had you taken her up on the wheelchair, you probably would have flown right through the security line instead of being stuck in it with me."
He rolled his eyes at her and gestured at her, "Yeah, but I'd then be stuck waiting on the other side for you."
"Meh," she shrugged. "I'm sure as your escort," she burst out laughing, "I'd be in line with you. A wheelchair," she shook her head. "You wouldn't even use a wheelchair with all those broken ribs. You wanted to get back on your horse, literally."
Jack pointed at Lisa, "You know, you'd better not throw around words like escort. That's about the only thing you haven't been accused of being yet here with me, and I don't mean the kind pushing a wheelchair."
Lisa burst out laughing again, quickly covering her mouth when people started looking over at them. She smacked Jack's arm, and he laughed at her, the two making their way to the security line.
"See you on the other side of the line, Dad," she gave him a head nod and a grin as she stepped up, next in line. "Just remember your name and all so they don't think you are senile too. The way I see it," she shrugged her shoulder with a mischievous grin, "You thought 10 years down the road I'd be spoon feeding you mashed potatoes, and we're definitely not there. I mean, you can still eat everything, don't need a wheelchair, and well," she patted his chest again, grinning at him, "were a very loving husband on our trip." Lisa leaned up and kissed him quickly before she had to go through the line. "So, let's forget about our ages right now, get through the security line, and let's get home to that household of girls waiting for us."