Page 70 of Forever Flirting

That tender smile on Everly’s face was everything – and yeah, he could certainly see forever in her eyes when he looked at her. It was just a matter of getting there and making sure they were both ready to cross that line together.

Grabbing the bag holding the Styrofoam containers, Everly took it from him and smiled.

“Go,” she urged softly, encouraging him.

Alex grabbed his bag out of the back seat and smiled at his grandmother, standing there in her robe with a pale blue scarf around her curlers this time. She rolled her hair anytime it got wet and then used a brutal-looking pic that was metal to make it stand up into this puffy style she loved.

“Hey there, beautiful…” he chuckled, flirting with his grandmother.

“You raggedy old scamp… get over here and hug your Nana,” she ordered, grasping at him. “I wasn’t sure if you were going to make it into town tonight or not.”

“I guess I should have called…”

“Yeah, you should have, boy…”

“But I had a hot date, Nana…” Alex said openly, smiling at Everly, who walked up behind them where they were standing at the doorway. “You wouldn’t want me to have interrupted that – would you?”

“What do you have, Everly?”

“A sweet dessert cake for you called Dulce de Leche… that goes really well with coffee, I hear.”

“Then get to it, dear…” the woman ordered with all the majesty of a queen in her dominion. Alex was a little shocked at how playful she was with Everly – and turned to see her reaction and knowing smile.

Everly literally put her hands on the woman’s shoulders, walked her to the side, and smiled.

“Step aside, missy,” Everly quipped, making Nana wave her finger at her as if she was chiding the younger woman.

He heard Everly moving around in the kitchen and moved to help her – only to see his Nana step right in front of him.

“Don’t screw this up – I like this girl.”

Alex grinned.

“I’m trying not to – I promise.”

“You had better not. Everly’s my bingo-buddy and you know how I feel about playing my game. It’s serious, and you don’t mess with my bingo – plus she makes a half-decent cup of coffee.”

“Yes ma’am,” he said dutifully, before kissing her on the cheek. “Get comfy and I’ll bring it out to you.”

“Good boy,” she replied, patting him on the cheek.

Alex walked into the kitchen to see Everly smile at him in a welcoming manner. She had gotten out the brown mug he had bought his grandmother for her birthday when he was in the tenth grade.

Everly had dug out his coffee cup that his grandmother had purchased for him proudly when she came to see him graduate from the Academy. That had meant the world to him, because his grandmother never travelled or left the house… but she came to Colorado to see him.

… And he saw a pink mug with a swirling ‘E’ on the front.

His eyebrows shot up in surprise and saw Everly’s proud smile.

“I think she likes me,” she whispered knowingly, filling all three cups with the dark coffee that had just finished brewing. “This appeared three weeks ago, and it’s my coffee mug.”

“You are her bingo-buddy,” he affirmed, and walked over towards her, reaching for his grandmother’s mug – and hesitated.

Everly was so close, smelled so good, and he was so aware of her. He moved closer to her, behind her, and felt her grow still. Was she scared of him or still wary? Surely not. She hugged him, welcomed him, and he thought there was something there between them.

“I’m just reaching over you for a couple of saucers…” he breathed, leaning in close to her, his nose grazing the shell of her ear.

“I’ve got them,” she whispered, and to his shock, she leaned back against him, almost molding herself.

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