Page 17 of A Miracle for the Reserved Flyboy

“I’m not scared. I just don’t think it’s a big deal.”

He leaned a little closer, his smile widening. “Then it shouldn’t embarrass you. So, since this one doesn’t count, you owe me another one.”

“Oh, fine,” she sighed in exaggerated defeat, licking her thumb with a mock roll of her eyes. “Your germy face, ya weirdo.” She moved in closer, reaching to dab the foam off his lip with her thumb, their playful banter melting away in an instant as silence washed over them. The sound of rustling leaves, the distant hum of cars, even the chirp of birds – everything faded until all she could sense was him.

Gary’s hand closed softly around her wrist, his grip warm and tender, holding her in place as his eyes searched hers, dark and intent. Her gaze slid to his lips, so close and slightly parted, and her heart pounded, each beat echoing in her chest with a force that surprised her. Her breath caught as the closeness blurred everything else around them until she felt nothing but his touch, his presence.

Then, with a quick, playful twist, he nipped at her thumb, jolting her back to reality. She gasped, then burst out laughing as he grinned back, the laughter a welcomed break from the intensity that had charged the air between them. But as the moment passed, Krista knew – she could have easily leaned in and kissed him, and she suspected he’d wanted it too. She caught the way he looked at her, a mix of longing and regret, like he, too, was wrestling with feelings he didn’t fully understand.

Why had she done that? she wondered, inwardly kicking herself. Was it because she wanted to kiss him, this man she barely knew? Was it because she couldn’t resist his teasing? Or was it because she was falling for someone who’d soon leave her and Sweet Bloom behind?

“I should go,” Gary said, his voice low, breaking the spell as he pulled his hand away.

“I should too,” she agreed, though she didn’t move, her hand still lingering close to him. “This wasn’t… weird, was it? I mean, we’re just two friends chatting – and in a week, you’ll be on the other side of the planet, and I’ll be knee-deep in lesson plans. Two lives briefly overlapping and all that jazz.”

“Krista,” he began, his tone softer than before as he looked away. “Yeah, in a week I’ll be back in Afghanistan, and you’ll be here. But I’d like us to be friends, even after I’m gone.”

“So I’m not crazy,” she murmured, half to herself.

“No,” he replied, glancing at her with a small, rueful smile.

“Good. Oh, and don’t forget, you’ve got a date tonight with Margie.”

“Yes, the date you set up,” he said with a quiet sigh, his gaze not meeting hers. “We were supposed to make that T-chart, too, remember?”

“I haven’t forgotten.”

“We’ll get through this,” he said, his voice resigned. “One step at a time.”

“One day at a time,” she echoed, her words trailing into the silence.

They sat in the comfortable quiet for a moment, her sipping the coffee he’d brought her, his gaze shifting to the ice skating rink set up nearby, where he’d meet his date later. The thought gnawed at her, a faint pang she hadn’t expected.

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly, studying her.

She looked at him, feeling something hard to define. “I don’t know anymore.”

“Me neither,” he replied, barely above a whisper.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

He shook his head, his lips barely moving. “No… Do you?”

“Not really. I wouldn’t know where to begin.”

“Oh.” He nodded slowly. “Then… what do we do?”

She managed a small smile. “How about we just finish our coffee, sit here a bit, enjoy the sun, and I’ll help you put away these decorations until… well, until it’s time.”

“Time for my date?”

She felt her heart twist slightly at the words but kept her voice steady. “I suppose.”

He gave her a sad smile, the kind that held more words than either of them wanted to say. “Would you be upset with me if I said I wasn’t really looking forward to it?”

She met his somber gaze, mirroring his slight, understanding smile. “Would you be upset if I admitted that I understand what you mean?”

They looked at each other for a long, unspoken moment, the undercurrent finally exposed but still left unaddressed. She’d set up these dates to keep things safe, to keep him at arm’s length, never intending to let herself feel what she felt now. Yet here she was, falling for someone who would soon be halfway across the world, a man who had dates scheduled with other women – by her own design.

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