Page 1 of Forever Flirting

CHAPTER1

EVERLY

A few years ago…

‘Stressed’was putting things mildly…

The last year had been chaotic to say the least for Everly – and this month had been nothing short of cataclysmic. She was finishing up her last year of medical school and planning on graduating in the spring, ready to start her own practice… only to have the carpet jerked right out from under her at the dinner table last night.

Killian, her brother, was home on leave before returning to flight school – or so she thought. The big blond dork was living the high life, having so much fun learning how to fly jets, hanging out with the guys, and fooling around with his friends, that it was a treat to see him back home with the family.

They were a close family, but it seemed like everyone was going their own direction. Her parents were talking about getting one of those converted Sprinter vans and traveling the United States, Canada, and Mexico, since she was going to be graduating… and Killian dropped the bombshell that he was being shipped off to Afghanistan, stationed south of Kabul on some remote airstrip in the desert.

“What?” she whispered, horrified. “Why there of all places?”

“Is it dangerous?” her father asked, interrupting her, staring hard at her brother across the table. “We’ve always supported what you wanted to do, Killian, but having our oldest child on the other side of the globe in danger – well, that’s a little more than we bargained for.”

“Dad, I have to go where there is a demand. I’ll be fine.”

“Afghanistan doesn’t sound ‘fine’to me,” her mother said nervously. “I see the fighting on the news all the time.”

“It doesn’t sound ‘fine’to me either,” Everly announced. “Are you going to be here for my graduation?”

“I’ll try,” Killian said evasively, not looking at her. “I need to get my bearings and then see what the lay of the land is there with my new squadron.”

“About that… your graduation. Can we talk?” her mother said, looking at her father, then back at the two of them. Her father cleared his throat and nodded.

“We needed to have this discussion with the both of you about the next few months, and some changes coming down the road.”

“What kind of changes?” she and Killian said at the same time, then looked at each other, before sticking out their tongues at one another like they were seven and ten years old again.

“Well,” her mother began, and hesitated.

This isn’t good…Everly thought, setting down her fork and glancing at her brother, who also could tell something was up with their parents. Killian looked tense.

“We made the jump,” her mother said quietly, looking at her father again.

“The jump? What jump?”

“We bought the conversion van, updated our passports, and…”

“You’re doing it?” Everly grinned. “That’s awesome! I’m so happy for you both and think you’ll have a great time!”

“… But?” Killian said bluntly, watching them both with a shrewdness that surprised her, causing Everly to stop in her tracks.

Neither parent would look at them now, and her mother was clutching at her father’s hand on the table in silent solidarity.

“Is there a ‘but’?” Everly asked with sudden dread.

“We won’t be making your graduation either, Everly,” her mother said quietly, not looking at her. “In fact, we need to talk about both of your futures.”

“What do you mean?” she whispered, glancing at Killian, who was sitting there immovable as he stared at them angrily.

“Your father and I want a new start,” her mother began, and then hesitated once more, irritating Everly to no end.

Couldn’t she just spit it out – or was it that bad that she was looking to her father for support? It was a big enough shocker to hear that they wouldn’t be attending her graduation… but there wasmore?

“You are both grown, starting your lives soon, and things are different for the both of you. We want you to have the best start, the best chance for success, and to live your lives to the fullest without having to worry about taking care of ‘old mom and dad’later on,” her father said quietly, smiling at her mother, and still not looking at her or Killian.

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