She knew he had additional things to say, so she waited.
“Petula. If this casual get-together feels at all good once you have it under your belt, you have to do it again. And again. And again until it finally feels normal. Then you work your way up to lunch.”
He ran a hand back through his hair; a nervous tic he’d had since leaving the Army. “Have amonthof lunches after that, if that’s what it takes. Then if Julian sticks with you, shows you that he has patience, you’ll know he’s the real deal.” He regarded her heavily. “If not? If he starts demanding more too soon,thenyou walk away.”
“I suppose you have an additional point?” Petula wasn’t happy that he was making sense.
“I do,” he affirmed before going on. “I don’t think a Sothard is going to be discouraged over a long courtship. That family is solid, and I don’t believe Julian is cut from a different cloth than the rest.”
Her breath caught. “You know that’s not always how it works, Stat,” Petula reminded him darkly.
“I do. But I also know we can’t live our lives stuck in the past. So, hear me out. Once you feel comfortable with Julian over however many daytime meals it might take, branch out. Head to a movie theater. Take hikes. Or even…go fishing,” he urged.
Okay.Stat was being a smartass now, and not exactly subtle.
Petula loved fishing even though she hated water. It had taken a long time, but she’d eventually learned to be comfortable being on the shores of various lakes and streams, and that was all due to Statler’s calm persistence.
“Nice metaphor,” she huffed amusedly. “I obviously get it. Fishing led to me tolerating being near a body of water. Coffee could lead to real dating. Slow assimilation.” She rolled her eyes.
“Good,” Statler nodded, finally looking happy. “It wasn’t my best analogy, but I’m still waking up. Wait until after my coffee and I can do better if you need me to.” He walked to the machine that had finished brewing, and poured himself a cup.
Right.She’d forgotten all about the coffee.
“You want one?” he asked, picking up a second mug.
“Nah. I’ve changed my mind. The last thing I need is to be even more jittery than I am already. So, no thanks.”
He turned and regarded her with a brotherly eye.
“Okay. Fine. Sooo… Are you, uh, wearing that?” he asked, pointing at her brown and tan uniform.
Petula looked down at herself. “Well, yeah. I have to work right after I see Julian. Why do you ask?”
“Because…you look really good in civies, and he hasn’t seen you dressed like a regular person. So…”
A huff escaped from between her lips. “Stat, please. Give me a break. I’m dipping my toes in here, not plunging into the deep end.”
“Okay. Okay. I get it.” He sighed. “And on that note, I have to grab a shower before I head off to work.”
He and his crew were putting the finishing touches on a new car dealership just outside of town.
“Have a great morning,” he said with a wag of his finger. “I’ll be waiting to hear all the details tonight.”
Yeah.He would. Her brother loved some good gossip. He and his employees were always spinning yarns and creating intrigue, even if it was made up on the fly to amuse each other.
Watching her brother walk away, Petula chewed on her lower lip. Should she change out of her uniform into something more…normal? She could always pack up her browns and put them on in the ladies’ room later.
Nope. She wasnotpandering.
Petula squared her shoulders. Julian would take her or leave her just the way she was, or he wasn’t worth the trouble.
Poised to go, a thought hit her brain.
A spot of make-up wouldn’t hurt.
Before she could talk herself out of it, Petula headed down the hall to her bathroom, pulling out a box of items she hadn’t used in…
Rats. Could it have been three whole years since their cousin in Wichita got married? Thatwasthe last time she’d decided to gussy up.
