Page 12 of A Miracle for the Reserved Flyboy

“Oh, that’s a great idea! I can make a ‘T’ chart!”

“A what?”

“A ‘T’ chart!” she said brightly. “One column for ‘likes’ and one for ‘dislikes.’ It’ll help us track what works and what doesn’t, so we can see where your strengths and weaknesses for relationships lie.”

He could only laugh, feeling a blend of exasperation and undeniable charm tugging at him. "Guess I'll give it a try," he said with a hint of mischief. "Coffee and 'T'... in a fashion."

Krista chuckled, a sound that was finally starting to resemble the lively woman he adored. His heart unclenched, and a warmth crept over him as he realized he’d lifted her spirits. In a strange twist of fate, he wondered if he could get to know her better while surviving these dreadful blind dates she was so keen on setting up for him.

“Good," he said with a grin. "Maybe after each one, we could meet up and do a little post-date breakdown.”

“That’s actually a great idea," she mused, amusement slipping into her voice. "As long as we keep things casual.”

He raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “What do you mean by ‘casual’?”

“Well, if you meet the love of your life on one of these dates,” she explained, her tone light, “you wouldn’t want her to get the wrong idea about you being seen with me all over town. Some women can be… a bit possessive. Or, you know, firm believers in monogamy.”

He chuckled, “I thought everyone was?”

“You’d be surprised. Some people just want to keep things… light.”

“Casual dating,” he murmured, more to himself. “I’m not a dip-your-toes-in-the-water type. I’m the rock-for-someone-special kind of guy. Someone steady, loyal. I believe in monogamy.”

“Now that’s rare,” she replied, and he could hear a tinge of admiration in her voice.

“And what about you?” he asked, captivated by the thoughtful shift in her tone. “What are you looking for?”

She paused, and when she spoke, her voice had softened, dreamy, and distant. “Someone I can talk to. Really talk to. Someone who’ll listen to my deepest hopes and dreams. I want someone I can laugh with… someone who’d hold me when I cry. And I’d love to grow old with someone like that, side-by-side at ninety, still hand in hand in some creaky nursing home arguing over a spicy game of checkers or who gets to use the red bingo dauber.”

“That…” He hesitated, struck by the beauty of her words. “That sounds perfect.”

“You don’t think it’s silly?” she asked, almost shyly.

“Never,” he replied, the honesty in his voice thick and real.

She let out a quiet sigh as if releasing a held breath. “Most people would laugh and say I’d have to actually make it to ninety for something like that to happen.”

“If you don’t,” he replied gently, “it’d be like the sky losing its brightest star.”

A soft intake of breath echoed through the phone. She whispered, almost reverently, “That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. Thank you.”

He grinned, punching a victorious fist into the air, though he kept his voice composed. “You’re welcome. Now, you try to rest. No more Charlie Brown if it gets you teary. I’m headed to Cajun’s to grab a shower,” he added with a shudder at the thought ofThe Susan Encounter.

The lingering memory made his skin crawl.

Krista laughed a melodic sound that washed over him like sunlight. “How about meeting me at the outdoor rink tomorrow? I’ll introduce you to Margie before you head over to the Cozy Cup. You can take your time, enjoy the ice, then warm up with coffee, and we’ll plot and jot down notes.”

He chuckled, “Plotting and jotting—my favorite things.”

“You’re hilarious, Gary,” she said warmly. “If you tell me you’re into scented highlighters and sticky notes, I might just skip the matchmaking and keep you for myself.”

He raised a brow, voice softening as he held his breath. His entire being tensed, full of hope, and wanting to scream out ‘please, take me!’ instead he managed to keep his cool and spoke.

“Is that all it takes?”

A peal of laughter burst from her, bright and infectious. “See? Hysterical. I’ll see you tomorrow at seven.”

“Looking forward to it,” he replied, his grin broadening as he clicked ending the call and feeling lighter than he had in days.

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