13. Andrew
Andrew
“ H ow’s your hand feeling today?” I asked over breakfast. Well, brunch. We’d stayed in bed snuggling and making out until nearly eleven. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d stayed in bed that long.
“It’s achy, but definitely better than it was.”
We both jumped as we heard knocking on the front door, closely followed by the sound of a key in the lock.
“That will be my mother,” I sighed, grateful that we weren’t in some compromising position. Although to be fair, even though I’d had a bit of a playboy reputation in my younger years, my mother knew that I rarely had anyone here anymore. That was why she’d encouraged me to adopt Goldie, so I wouldn’t be lonely.
“Yoohoo,” Mom called. “Are you two decent?”
I winced, avoiding Katy’s gaze. “We’re in the kitchen, Mom.”
My mother swept in with a stack of Tupperware containers, setting them on the counter before leaning down to give first Katy and then me a hug. She looked thrilled to see that we were still in our pajamas.
“I made cookies,” Mom said. “Also some chicken salad and veggie kabobs. You can take them for lunch.”
“Thanks Mom.”
She grabbed a cup and helped herself to some coffee before settling into one of the chairs. Clearly Mom was here to snoop.
“Make yourself at home, Mom,” I said drily.
“What are you two doing?” she asked.
I gestured to the plates of bagels, cream cheese, fruit, and coffee cups on the table. “Ballroom dancing, what does it look like?”
“Andrew!” Katy scolded. “Be nice to your mother. You’re lucky to have her. A lot of people grow up with mothers who couldn’t care less about them.”
Her eyes widened slightly, as if she hadn’t meant to say that. Mom sent me a look, then reached over and patted Katy’s hand.
“Katy dear I was hoping that you and Andrew would come for dinner tonight. The four of us – plus Steph and Christopher when they’re in town -- usually try to get together once a week. I’m making a roast.”
We were interrupted by Goldie waddling into the room. She sent a disapproving hiss in Katy’s direction before wrapping herself around my mother’s legs. For some reason Goldie still wasn’t a fan of Katy’s, despite Katy plying her with treats. I assumed it was because my houseguest was taking some of my attention away from her. And because we’d locked her out of my bedroom while we went to sleep last night.
“Oh, such a pretty baby,” Mom cooed. “I guess you’re the only grandchild I’ll ever have thanks to my selfish sons.”
Goldie purred happily.
“Mom! I know you didn’t want one of us to knock up some random girl just so you could have a grandchild.”
Mom gave me a look that clearly conveyed I was an idiot. “No dear, I did not. I was just hoping that you’d all find your partners while you were still young enough to have kids.”
Her gaze swung to Katy, who leaned back in her chair and held up her hands as if warding off an attack.
“Don’t look at me. I’m too old for all that.”
Mom looked sad. “Pity. Maybe you could adopt then.”
“Marianne,” Katy said firmly, giving me the impression that this wasn’t the first time they’d discussed this. “While I appreciate the vote of confidence, I’m only here for a short time and I have no intention of adopting a child with your son – either of them. Andrew and I are just friends.”
“Yet you have a love bite on your neck.”
Katy’s eyes widened in horror as her hand flew to her neck. A red flush crept across her cheeks.
“You don’t have a hickey, Katy,” I told her, remembering quite clearly that the only place I’d bit her during our repeated make out sessions was the inner thigh. “She’s messing with you.”
“She doesn’t, but you do, son,” Mom crowed, clearly happy that she’d made us out ourselves.
Mom tugged on the collar of my tee shirt and I could tell from the look of mortification on Katy’s face that she had indeed left a mark there. After raising three boys, Mom had quite a few tricks up her sleeve.
When neither of us said anything, Mom stood up and gave us a triumphant smile. “I’m just glad that you two are obviously getting along so well. I’ll see you for dinner at six. Bring dessert.”
And with that she was gone.
Katy stared into her coffee clearly trying to decide whether she was amused, embarrassed or both.
“At least my mom likes you,” I said.
We both burst out laughing.
By unspoken agreement we spent the afternoon apart. While Katy cleaned up the kitchen from breakfast I ran the vacuum in the living room. By the time I finished I could hear the shower running in Katy’s bathroom and she stayed in her part of the house until it was time to go to my mother’s for dinner.
Even though we’d been there last Saturday, going to my mom’s house this week felt different. Last week it felt like Katy was a friend of the family. This week I knew what she sounded like when she came. I knew she made little snuffling noises when she slept. And I knew that there was a birthmark on her hip that we both agreed looked like an elephant’s head.
Things were changing between us, but with only two weeks left before our time together was over, I needed to close this deal before Katy got away again.
I’d spent some time this week figuring out if I could run my office from Denver part-time. As the only attorney in town, people were used to dropping in when they needed to talk to me, but we could just as easily communicate on a zoom call. Or I could have office hours here one or two days a week. Most of the work I did for my clients involved a computer, and I could do it anywhere.
Splitting time between Denver and Lawson seemed to be working for my brother and Steph. They usually came to Lawson every other weekend, or for birthdays and holidays, and when Steph had telework weeks they’d usually stay at my brother’s house in Lawson the entire time. Christopher was an architect now, and like me, most of his work was computer based.
My being away more often would be hard on my mother of course, but she’d still have Patrick. Plus she wanted me to get together with Katy as much as I did. Maybe more.
“You ready?” I asked when Katy came out of her room wearing dark washed jeans, knee high boots and a long sweater.
“Yes, what are we going to do about dessert?”
“We can stop at the grocery store on the way to my mom’s house,” I said. “It’s not too cold out. How do you feel about walking? It’s just under a mile.”
“Sounds good.”
We headed towards the area we affectionately called ‘downtown’. Our core commercial district was about four blocks long, with the grocery store, coffee shops, some restaurants and stores, as well as City Hall and the Fire Station.
Katy and I got more than one curious look as we walked down the street. Gossip was like gold here in Lawson, the hazard of living in a small town where everyone was in everyone else’s business. As descendants of the founding family and with a Lawson being mayor for as long as anyone could remember, my family was of particular interest to the residents of Lawson.
No doubt everyone knew that Katy was staying with me, and that we’d kissed outside my house last week. I was willing to bet that thanks to my mother a fair number of people knew that Katy had given me a love bite too. Maybe it was my imagination, but I could swear that several people looked directly at my neck.
Katy and I split up in the grocery store. I went looking for chips that we could snack on if we did something after dinner and Katy was on the hunt for a suitable dessert. When I caught up with her, she was standing in the bakery section with two older ladies.
“Andrew is such a nice boy,” Mrs. Findley was telling her. “I was his fifth and sixth grade teacher and he was always very polite. Never tardy. He turned all his homework in on time.”
Realizing that she was expected to respond, Katy murmured, “That’s nice.”
“You know Andrew was a bit of a dandy when he was younger.”
This came from Mary Alice Watterson, the octogenarian who’d been running the post office for more than fifty years now. “He’s completely settled down since he met you, dear. Haven’t seen him date at all. He’s a changed man.”
“Actually we met like a year and a half ago,” Katy said.
“Yes dear, I know. That’s when he changed.”
When Katy didn’t respond, Miss Watterson added, “No offense but you’re not getting any younger. You’ve got to lock Andrew down while you’re young enough to keep his attention.”
Katy looked vaguely ill, so I decided it was time to intercede. “Good evening, ladies. Do you mind if I steal my girl here? My mother is waiting for us.”
I grabbed Katy’s left hand, the one without the splint, and threaded our fingers together. Ms. Watterson and Mrs. Findley gave us indulgent smiles.
“You have a good night now,” I said, pulling Katy away from the nosy ladies.
“Nice to meet you,” Katy called over her shoulder.
“You know, it’s the damnedest thing,” Katy mused after we paid for our items and were back outside. “Everywhere I go in this town, someone is talking you up. I’ve heard about your changed ways, your sports prowess in high school, your stable career, about every good deed you’ve ever done, and even about your excellent oral hygiene.”
“Oh you met Dr. Robinson? He’s a great guy, he’s been my dentist for years.”
Katy shook her head. “If I didn’t know better, I would think there was some kind of a campaign to get me to fall in love with you.”
“Is it working?” I asked.
The question came out more seriously than I intended. I held my breath, hoping that I hadn’t just freaked her out. Katy paused for so long I thought for sure she wasn’t going to answer.
Then she took a deep breath and said, “Maybe a little.”