Family Ties — читать онлайн бесплатно полностью

Then we said our final goodbyes and Christy and I shouldered our carry-on bags.

We made it to our gate with time to spare and settled in to wait for the start of boarding. Christy couldn’t decide whether to be happy that her family and I had gotten along well or sad that we were leaving. I decided to take things another direction entirely.

“What would you think if I joined the Navy?” I asked.

“Why? Are you thinking about it?”

“Part of me does,” I admitted. “I mean, I grew up thinking my father was the coolest guy in the world.

“So yeah, I think it’d be cool to be a Navy pilot, the best of the best.”

“But you’d have to give up architecture.”

“And you’re so good at it!”

“Thanks. I think so too. But I think I’d be a good pilot too. Still…”

“I’d have to give up everything I’ve worked for.”

“I think you’d make a great pilot,” she said, although her heart didn’t seem to be in it.

“But you’re such a fantastic architect.”

“Then let me ask you a different question.

The gate agent came over the PA and announced the start of boarding for regular passengers.

“Hold that thought,” I said. Ten minutes later we were settled in our seats on the plane, so I picked up the thread of the conversation. “Okay, where were we? Right. Let me ask you a different question,” I repeated. “Why were you dating Simon?”

“Well, from how you describe him, he doesn’t really sound like the military type.”

She scoffed. “He wasn’t. He didn’t want anything to do with the military.

“Then why in God’s name were you engaged to him?”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I know you loved him, but…” I shrugged. “I guess I can’t help but wonder why you were dating him in the first place. Why take him home to meet your family when he doesn’t like the military?”

“Because he was my fiancé!”

“Whoa! Calm down. I’m saying this all wrong. Gimme a sec and lemme think.” I did just that for nearly a minute. “Okay, a bit of explanation first.

“Okay,” she said cautiously.

“It has to do with an ex-girlfriend,” I warned.

“That’s because I have several exes.”

I must have looked cute enough or guileless enough or something enough that she quit scowling and reluctantly grinned as well.

“Not-so-grumpy Birdy,” she conceded.

“Baby steps,” I said with a sideways grin. “Okay… back to my question.

So, Kendall was a psychology major. I heard a lot about family counseling,

“Okay…” She still wasn’t convinced.