Page 24

Andrew

Iwas walking home from work Friday afternoon when my brother called.

“Hey bro, we’re back from vacation,” Christopher greeted me. “How are things going there?”

Something in his tone caught my attention. That and the fact he was calling me rather than texting. Christopher hated talking on the phone.

“I’m fine, why?”

“I was just wondering. Steph texted Katy to tell her we were home and suddenly I got sent to the grocery store because Steph wanted some privacy.”

“Maybe she’s just sick of you after that long ass vacation you took,” I suggested. “Or maybe she needed some time with her vibrator because you’re such a terrible lover.”

“Andrew.” He was using his bossy big brother voice now. “What’s going on with you and your houseguest?”

With a sigh I told him everything, including the fact that we were sleeping together but not sleeping together.

“Mom’s got the whole town trying to help us get together,” I said after I brought him up to date. “Katy’s definitely been softening towards the idea of being with me, and she’s admitted to having feelings for me, but I’m afraid to do anything to freak her out and make her retreat.”

“Maybe she just needs more time,” he suggested. “You’ve only been living together for two weeks.”

“Yeah, except we only have a week left before she goes back to Denver. I’m afraid that if I don’t lock things down by the time she leaves, I’ll lose her again.”

“Or maybe she needs to go away without you to realize she wants to find a way to be together,” Christopher countered. “I know that Steph and I needed a separation to make things clear for both of us. Has Katy talked about her history at all?”

“Not really. But she got kind of upset one night when we were talking about Dad, and I think that triggered something for her. She had a nightmare afterwards, but said she didn’t remember what it was about.”

“Well, we know whatever’s happened in her life before this has made her scared to trust people. Maybe she doesn’t think anyone can love her or something, I know that was part of my problem with Steph. If you want my advice…?”

“I do,” I answered quickly.

“Keep chipping away at those walls. You’ll get farther using a chisel than you will with a bulldozer. Just remember, nothing will change if you don’t make it happen. She’ll just hunker down.”

I hung up with my brother and shot off a text to Katy suggesting we go out to dinner in town. It was time to kick this plan into a higher gear.

“Thanks for inviting me to dinner,” Katy said after we seated in one of the new restaurants that had opened in Lawson. “I love pho.”

I had my doubts that there were enough people in Lawson who’d want Vietnamese noodle dishes on a regular basis for this new restaurant to last long-term, but I was determined to enjoy this place as long as we had it. I’d eaten here twice already and liked it both times.

“Did you hear Christopher and Steph are back?” I asked, nodding my thanks to the server as she brought us some water.

“Yeah I talked to Steph a little while ago,” she responded. “Sounds like they had a great time.”

“Christopher said the same.”

We chatted about nothing until the food came, then I said, “I’ve loved having you sleeping in my bed the last week.”

Katy cringed. “Oh no. I’ve overstayed my welcome, haven’t I? I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be a bother.”

It was interesting how this woman defaulted to thinking she’d done something wrong.

“Being a bother is a very big thing with you, isn’t it?”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“You mention that a lot, not wanting to be a bother. Who is it that made you feel like you were a bother?”

She set her spoon down and gave me a hard look. “I didn’t realize we were doing therapy over dinner.”