Page 9 of A Miracle for the Reserved Flyboy

Gary’s face was a mask of disbelief as he stared at her, his brow creased in confusion. Krista had never said anything about lovers or seduction; that was all Susan’s doing. She was the one leaning in, flashing her practiced smile, clearly entranced by Gary just like Krista was. But Krista couldn’t watch this play out, not when every detail felt like a twist of the knife. She’d always imagined the idea of people falling in love with a smile or laugh,but picturing Gary’s passion aimed at someone else—someone like Susan—felt almost sickening.

And it wasn’t that Susan wasn’t beautiful; she was. Krista’s chest ached at the realization of how strongly she felt. Why was it so repulsive, this idea of Gary with her?

“See? Instant chemistry,” Krista said with a strained smile, her heart breaking as she watched Susan slide closer to Gary. “Y’all have fun, and we’ll catch up tomorrow. I’ll call you around ten to go over the plans.”

“Wait, Krista…” Gary called after her, but Krista was already turning away, her mind set.

Susan had latched onto his arm, leaning against him as if it was already hers, her eyes sparkling up at him. But Gary’s gaze lingered on Krista, dark and questioning. Standing there, watching the man she cared about slowly fall into someone else’s orbit, was not an option. Before her emotions could betray her, Krista walked away quickly, her breath ragged as she tried to push down the tears that threatened to spill over.

As she reached the parking lot, a voice broke through her thoughts.

“Krista?”

“Hey, Beary,” she mumbled, managing a weak smile. Holly—affectionately called Beary—was her closest friend, a warm and giving soul. They’d been thick as thieves since they were kids, “two little piglets in mud,” as Beary liked to say with a laugh. But they’d always respected each other’s boundaries; with Beary, that meant never gossiping about Cade, her quiet firefighter husband with dreams of being the town’s fire chief someday.

“What’re you doing out here? I thought you had practice tonight,” Beary asked, watching her friend closely.

“We ended early, and I picked up my costume,” Krista replied.

Beary looked her over. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t ‘nothing’ me—you look like someone smeared grease all over your door handle.”

Krista let out a faint laugh. Beary, the town’s best mechanic, could turn anything into a car analogy.

“Come on, spill it,” Beary urged.

Krista sighed, glancing down the empty street. “Have you ever imagined something so vividly you could taste it, only to realize it was never meant to be?”

“Uh, maybe narrow that down a little?”

Krista shook her head. “It’s really nothing. Just feeling a bit blue. I’m heading home to drown my sorrows in sugar and watchA Charlie Brown Christmas.”

“Oh, is that on tonight?”

“Streaming,” Krista replied with a small grin.

Beary’s eyes softened. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Krista forced a bright smile. “I’m fine, really. Holidays can be tough, you know?”

“I hear that,” Beary murmured. “I miss my dad like crazy. But you’ve got both your parents, and…”

“Exactly,” Krista cut in, her smile growing overly cheerful, as if to stamp out any concern. “Just a little holiday funk. Sugar’s all I need to perk up.”

“If you’re sure…” Beary replied, unconvinced.

“I am,” Krista chuckled, swinging her arm in a mock-cheery way. “If I need something, you know I’ll come bug you.”

“I do know you,” Beary said, studying her friend’s forced energy. “That’s why I’m worried.”

“Bah, don’t be. I’m fine.”

Chapter 4

CASANOVA

---