A Miracle for the Reserved Flyboy (Love in Sweet Bloom #11)

Chapter 6

CASANOVA

Gary hovered by the entrance to the ice skating rink, feeling like a man waiting for the gallows. Every fiber in him screamed with reluctance, but something else, something deeper, kept him rooted. His gaze couldn’t help but drift to the side of the rink, where Krista sat alone under the twinkling lights of a large pine tree, folding costumes. The way she’d tugged his arm playfully, nudging him to come out tonight, still lingered in his mind. That gentle insistence of hers, so sincere and hopeful, was the very thing that made it hard to resist her in the first place. It was killing him, seeing her sit alone while he played out this absurd charade.

He dragged a hand down his face, still unsure how he’d ended up here. Krista—she was pure warmth, her heart open and generous. She couldn’t help but want to connect people, to give others a chance at joy. That trait made her shine in his eyes, even as it sliced through him now. How could he begrudge her this happiness? But she didn’t know the agony it caused him, trying to stay close while keeping himself at a distance. She didn’t know that every time she looked up at him with that glowing smile, he felt a visceral pull, like an anchor dragging him toward a future he couldn’t promise her. Not without risking everything he knew was holding him together.

A gust of wind cut through his thin coat, but it wasn’t the cold that made him shiver. It was the way she looked at him—like he was someone worth believing in. Krista saw him with a kind of reverence that had nothing to do with titles or badges; it was as if, in her eyes, he was already the best version of himself. The way she laughed at his dry humor or the way her eyes softened when he spoke…it was intoxicating. For a moment, he could almost let himself believe he was worthy of that admiration. That maybe, just maybe, he could be the man she thought he was. But he knew better. He’d seen too many promises broken, too many people shattered by the whims of fate, and he couldn’t risk being the reason her light dimmed.

“What am I gonna do?” he whispered, pain tightening his throat. He absently rubbed the back of his neck, the words meant for no one but himself.

“Hi there! You must be Gary.” A cheerful voice interrupted his thoughts, jolting him back to the present. He turned to find a bright-eyed blonde woman standing nearby, her gaze expectant and warm.

“Are you Margie?” he asked, steeling himself, though he could feel the edges of his resolve fraying.

“The one and only,” she replied, flashing a smile as she offered her hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“Likewise,” he muttered, shaking her hand. But even as he smiled, his stomach churned with unease. Margie was attractive, sure, but it felt like looking at a pretty painting with no depth. Involuntarily, his gaze slipped back to the side of the rink, finding Krista almost instantly. She sat in the shadow of the tree; her head bowed in quiet concentration as she folded the costumes with gentle, practiced hands. Each movement was graceful, a reflection of the kindness she carried with her everywhere she went. The sight made his heart clench, the realization piercing through him—he couldn’t go through with this.

“Margie…” he began, his voice hesitant, laced with regret.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, the easy smile slipping as she studied him. “You’re not…backing out on me, are you?” she asked, half-joking, though something in her gaze grew serious when he didn’t immediately answer. “Wait. Oh my gosh, you are?”

“I’m really sorry,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t think I can do this.”

She folded her arms, eyebrows lifting in bemusement. “What’s stopping you?”

He hesitated, swallowing. “There’s someone waiting for me,” he said finally, his eyes flitting back to Krista.

“Another date?” she guessed, her tone laced with curiosity.

The love of my life… “A friend,” he said quietly. But before he could get another word in, Margie grabbed his arm and tugged him onto the ice. He stumbled, his feet sliding on the slick surface as he tried to catch his balance in the borrowed dress shoes that skidded with every step.

“Oh no, you don’t,” she laughed, steering him around, her grip firm. “You’re not getting off that easy. Spill it. What’s really going on?”

He glanced around helplessly, feeling completely out of his element. “Look, I think there’s been a mistake,” he started, but she silenced him with a knowing smirk.

“Oh, I get it,” she said, her tone wry as they glided along. “Using me to make someone jealous, huh? Because if that’s what you’re up to, I don’t mind—I’ve got an ex skulking around over there by the cider stand who could use a little reminder of what he’s missing.” She gave a wicked smile, her gaze flicking over to a tall guy with a dark scowl.

Gary felt his cheeks flush. “No, it’s not like that,” he stammered, feeling like the world’s biggest idiot.

“So if it’s not that, why are you even here?” she challenged, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

“Krista asked me to,” he confessed with a resigned sigh.

She laughed, shaking her head. “So either you’re the biggest softie or…” Her laughter faded as understanding dawned. “Oh. You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”

His heart thudded, the truth weighing heavily on him. “I… I don’t know. She’s just… special,” he murmured, unable to meet her eyes.

Margie spun him with surprising strength, making him stumble as the laughter and music of children filled the air around them. “Listen,” she said, steering him again. “I know Krista’s family, and trust me, her parents are exactly the type who’d fall head over heels for a guy like you. Show up at their place, charm them a little, and I guarantee she’ll be putty in your hands. She’s sweet, but if you made the first move, she’d melt faster than an ice cream cone in July.”

He blinked, the image both terrifying and thrilling. “You… really think that would work?”

“If you’re serious, absolutely,” she said, nodding with conviction. “If you’re willing to give her a chance, I’d say go for it. In fact, I can give you the whole scoop on her family. Small town, remember? I know everyone.” She winked, grinning.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Gary let himself consider the possibility. The idea of Krista seeing him, truly seeing him, and knowing how deeply he cared…it was a thought so overwhelming he could hardly breathe. But the fear of losing her, of never knowing if they could have had something real, clawed at him. He wanted her—he needed her, even if he hadn’t fully admitted it to himself until now.

Margie nudged him, breaking him out of his thoughts. “All right, tall, dark, and thoughtful,” she teased. “Are you in or out? Because for the next two hours, you’re my date, and we’re gonna ice skate, plot, and figure this whole thing out. Capiche?”

Gary grinned, feeling hope finally crack through the shield he’d built around his heart. “Deal,” he said, his voice lighter than it had been in days.

And as they skated, his thoughts drifted back to Krista, her laughter, her warmth, the light in her eyes that always drew him in like a moth to flame. For the first time, he dared to imagine a future with her, dared to believe that he might be worthy of her love.

Two hours later, Gary found himself leaning against a lamppost outside the ice skating rink, trying to wrap his mind around everything Margie had divulged. His thoughts spun in a whirlwind of surprise, shock, and admiration. Margie was a force of nature, a master strategist who maneuvered through social webs with ease, wielding secrets and insights like a professional. She was smart, sneaky, and bold, and she didn’t hold back—not in the least. It was as if Margie knew something about everyone in town, a wealth of information that she shared with a mischievous glint in her eye, and for reasons he couldn’t quite explain, she’d chosen to share it all with him.

Krista, he learned, was far more guarded than he’d realized. According to Margie, Krista rarely dated—hardly at all, in fact. Somewhere along the way, she'd had her heart shattered by a boy she’d trusted completely. Since then, she had quietly withdrawn from relationships, building a protective barrier around herself and avoiding vulnerability. For Gary, this revelation was a revelation he hadn't anticipated. He’d assumed Krista was soft and delicate in her affection, but he hadn't understood the depth of her resilience.

Margie’s words made him see Krista in an entirely new light. She wasn’t just tender and vulnerable, happily basking in other people’s happiness. She was delicate, yes, but like spun glass—beautifully fragile yet could shatter so very easily. Krista’s heart was something crafted with such care, something rare and almost sacred. The thought of her trusting him with that heart was a weight he felt with an intensity that took him by surprise.

As they walked, Margie had offered insight after insight, her voice light but her intentions razor-sharp, dismantling every one of his worries and fears with brutal efficiency. Her suggestions were so bold that Gary could barely keep up. By the end of their talk, he had a list on his phone, complete with phone numbers and detailed plans. She’d broken it down to steps and stages, each idea bolder and more unconventional than the last. He could almost see her with a ring of golden laurels on her head, a female version of Napoleon, moving chess pieces with precision across an invisible board. The whirlwind of plans she proposed would leave a path of "what just happened" in its wake, a tornado of intention that would shake up everything he thought he knew about love and commitment.

Looking up, he saw Krista in the distance standing outside the cafe, the lamppost next to her adorned with a tinsel wreath. She looked like she was waiting for him, yet there was a hint of hesitation in her eyes as if unsure what to expect. Jogging quickly across the grassy field, he carefully dodged a few people walking their dogs and a few setting up for the event in two days' time. When he raised a hand to wave, her face lit up for a brief second before she caught herself, forcing a polite smile as he approached.

“Hey there,” she greeted him, her voice tinged with an uncertainty she couldn’t quite hide. “Did you have a good time?”

Gary chuckled, still reeling from the barrage of information Margie had shared. “Actually, I did. It was… incredibly informative. Margie was really something else.”

Krista’s smile grew a bit tight. “She’s coming out of a pretty rough relationship. I was just worried she might… well, that she might use you to make her ex-boyfriend jealous.”

“Oh, she did,” Gary laughed, amused by how well Krista had read the situation. But as soon as he saw the horror flash across her face, he backtracked, his tone softening.

“No, no—it’s okay, really. Honestly, it was refreshing. After that first date disaster, this one was like… a breath of fresh air. And you know, while we’re at it, could you reach out to the next girl and cancel for me?”

Krista blinked, her surprise evident. “You’re sure?”

He nodded, a soft smile playing on his lips. “If it’s too late to cancel, I’ll still go, but… I just don’t want to waste her time, you know?”

Krista tilted her head, a wan smile tugging at her lips. “It was that good of a conversation, huh?”

“It really was,” he replied, meaning it. As they stepped into the Cozy Cup and settled into a corner booth, Krista pulled out a small notebook, seemingly ready to jot down notes, a faint pained smirk on her lips.

“All right then, Mr. Conversationalist,” she teased lightly, “let’s make a list. You’ve established that good conversation is key. Let’s dig a little deeper—what else is important to you?”

He grinned, leaning back as he gave it some thought. “Someone focused on community. Bringing joy to people. That’s big for me.”

She nodded, jotting it down, encouraging him with her gaze to keep going.

“And…” He paused, considering. “Someone who knows how to be happy alone. Active duty takes me away a lot, you know? So if I’m not there, I need to know she’s still all right. Even if things changed and I stopped flying, I’d always want to travel. Flying is… it’s like breathing for me. It would mean distance sometimes, but distance…” He trailed off, hesitant to continue.

Krista looked up, her pen hovering. “Distance is… a benefit?”

He shrugged, a small smile curving his lips, his gaze turning a little distant. "They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, right?" His eyes flicked back to her, warm with a glimmer of something unspoken. "I mean… that’s what they say, anyway."

A faint flush crept up her cheeks as she looked down, fiddling with her pen. She managed a soft smile, barely looking up. “I thought it was absence? You’re a strange man, Casanova, but it’s your list—not mine.”

He leaned forward, his tone playful but curious. “And what would you put on your list?”

“What do you mean?” She looked at him, her face a mix of confusion and intrigue.

His expression softened, his voice lowering just a touch. “What do you want in a man, in a relationship? If you could dream up your perfect person, what would he look like?”

Caught off guard, she blinked, letting out a breath. “Oh, um, well, I’d want someone who’s gentle and supportive…” She trailed off, searching for the right words.

“Go on.” His voice was a gentle nudge, encouraging, as though he could listen to her speak all night.

She bit her lip, then continued, her eyes drifting off thoughtfully. “Someone kind and warm. Welcoming, you know? Someone who’s just… happy in the moment, who doesn’t always need to be chasing the next thrill or needing to be entertained. I’m a homebody, so it’d be wonderful to be with someone who doesn’t thrive on excitement or gossip, or need to be out doing something just for the sake of it.”

His gaze softened as he studied her, listening intently. “I see. And what else?”

A wistful look crossed her face as she thought about it. “If I were in love… it would be nice if the other person looked at me like I was the only one in the universe. I think I’d want someone who felt like home.”

She faltered, catching herself. “But we’re discussing you, remember? This is your list, your idea about what makes you tick,” she added with a laugh, trying to shift the focus off herself.

But he didn’t seem ready to let her go so easily. He looked at her, his eyes intense and sincere. “What I want…” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion he barely tried to hide. “I think I want someone who makes me feel like I can see my future in their eyes. My soul reflected back at me. I’d love to find someone I can grow with, someone to build a family together. I want the feeling of home in something as simple as holding hands or a hug.”

The words hung in the air between them, shimmering like fragile glass. She held her breath, the weight of his words settling into her chest, filling it with a warmth and a longing she hadn’t felt in years. “That’s so beautiful,” she whispered, feeling her heart catch.

He chuckled softly, a bit of nervousness creeping into his smile. “I figured… if we’re talking about this, planning this whole idea of yours… we might as well be completely honest. You know, lay everything on the table.” He paused, watching her reaction carefully. “Not like we’re saying vows or spilling our deepest secrets. Just… planning, right?”

She felt her breath hitch as the word left his lips. “Vows?” she echoed softly, a bit of surprise in her voice as her pulse quickened. She cleared her throat, shaking off the spark of something undeniable. “No… no, we’re not saying vows. Just two friends talking a little ‘shop’ about what an ideal relationship would look like.”

He leaned back, a smirk softening into something real, something tender. “Exactly.”

But his gaze lingered on her, and for just a moment, they both seemed to forget they were only talking hypotheticals. The possibilities, the dreams, everything they’d just painted with their words. It hung between them like a promise neither dared to speak aloud.

“Just two friends talking over a cup of coffee.”