Page 9 of Someday You Learn

Laughter erupts from me. “Fuck, you’re probably right.” I swear, I’m having so much fun talking to her that I’m almost wishing we were flying to the West Coast so we could have a little more time together.

“Maybe. Either that or she was having a hot flash.”

“Also a valid guess. So, you had a meeting in Raleigh…” I say, prompting her to continue.

“Yes, and now I’m flying back home.” She darts her eyes to the side, avoiding my gaze. “Uh, where is Carrington Cove by the way?” When her eyes return to my face, she smirks. “It sounds like amagicalplace.”

God, I love that this woman is sarcastic and has a sense of humor. “It’s on the coast by Camp Lejeune, north of Wilmington.”

“Have you lived there your whole life?”

I nod. “Yeah, except for the time I spent at UC Davis getting my veterinary degree.”

“That’s a lot of schooling.”

I shrug. “I actually made it through in record time. I took some college classes while I was in high school, so I only had a year and a halfto spend on my bachelor’s before moving on to the veterinary program at the best school in the country on a scholarship .”

“Damn. Smartandhandsome.” She shakes her head at me, the curve of her lips drawing me in even more. “How am I supposed to resist you?”

I lean toward her a bit more. “Does that mean you’re trying to resist me?”

Our eyes bounce between each other. “Let’s just say that meeting a handsome stranger wasn’t expected, let alone one who makes me wish the flight were longer.”

I stroke the back of her hand with my thumb. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

She chuckles. “You should. Especially since you now know how I feel about flying.”

***

“So, you save furry lives during the day, but what about after you leave the animal hospital? What keeps you entertained then?” Cashlynn takes a sip of her drink as we continue to sail across the sky.

“Mostly, I just work out, read, or watch TV. I live a pretty simple life.”

“That sounds boring.”

“What did you expect? That I jump out of airplanes for fun?”

She shakes her head. “No… I guess I just figured you were more of a social guy.”

I scoff. “Yeah, well, the only people I can stand to socialize with these days are my family and a few close friends. Sometimes, even that’s pushing it.”

“I guess that’s normal for a small town, right?”

“I mean, Carrington Cove is more of a tourist town, so there are people to meet and places to go, but that’s not really my scene.” I shrug. “Never has been.”

“So meeting strangers and offering to hold their hands isn’t your usual M.O.?”

I look Cashlynn dead in the eye when I say, “Not at all. This is a first for me.”

She licks her lips, her eyes lingering on mine. “Me too.”

“So if flying weren’t an obstacle, where would you want to travel?”

Cashlynn hums as she thinks, and waiting to hear what she says next has become the most unexpected form of entertainment on this flight. “Greece, Egypt, and France.”

“Nice choices. Why those specific places?”

“The water in Greece seems unreal, so I feel like I need to see it to believe it. Egypt’s history has always fascinated me. And France for the art.”

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