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Authors: Liz Flaherty
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resources or care facilities.”
“I remember,” said Kate. “You moved into the duplex between the dry cleaners and the candle shop. My house was the one that burned last week,” she added in explanation.
“I know. We called 911 the night of the fire. I saw it as I was leaving for work. I was sorry about your house. It’s hard to lose your home.” Debby’s grin was wry. “Even if it’s when you’re evicted because the neighbors are uncomfortable sharing the block with someone with Down syndrome.”
“Did that happen to you?” Kate was horrified.
“More than once, I’m afraid, but I think we’ll be okay here. Everyone seems friendly. Jayson likes your garden and the trees in the backyard. He wanted to ask you and your renter to come live with us, and he’s very concerned about your cat.”
“The renter moved to Burlington and Sally’s fine,” said Kate. “She and I are staying at Kingdom Comer. Maybe you and Jayson could come and see her.”
“Thank you. Jayson would be relieved.” Debby lifted the gray tub full of dishes and started toward the counter. “I’ll bring fresh coffee in a minute.”
Kate watched the waitress work. She never seemed to stop moving. Even when she stepped into the office to check on her brother, she wiped the doorsill with the wet towel she carried.
“I wish there were enough good jobs to go around for people like her.” Kate nodded in the direction of Debby’s constant motion.
“Yeah.” Ben stacked their plates, laying their forks on top. “Watching her makes me think I shouldn’t complain so much about being a doctor.”
“Or about your brothers?”
He grinned at her. “Nah, I’ll still complain about them.”
They were quiet on the walk back to the bed-and-breakfast and she hugged the comfortable silence to her. Just as she’d missed talking with Ben, she’d also missed
not
talking with him.
“Since you have clothes now,” he said, as they approached the back door, walking around Lucy and Sally where they slept in the middle of the porch, “I might consider taking you out to dinner in Burlington.”
“Well, you know...” Kate inserted the key into the lock and looked up at him. Even in the darkness, she saw the green gleam of his eyes, but she couldn’t read their expression. “You don’t have to do me any favors, Dr. McGuffey.” She didn’t know whether to laugh or not.
His hand covered hers before she could get the door unlocked. “Oh, come on, Katy.”
“Come on where?” she said, the words and her breath both catching in her throat at once so that she squeaked when she spoke.
“It wouldn’t be a favor, unless it was to me,” he said, turning her so that his arms surrounded her. “Don’t you ever wonder?” he asked, pulling her close. And closer. “What would be the same between us? What would be different?”
Sure she wondered. She lay awake at night sometimes wondering. But she wasn’t going to find out. Starting over didn’t mean making the same mistakes again. He could say “Come on, Katy” all night long and she wasn’t going to. Come on, that is. She was going to say, “Good night, Ben,” and she was going into the house.
Then he kissed her.
It wasn’t the polite brush of his lips against her cheek he offered after they met at weddings and funerals and spent too much time talking to each other and not enough being polite to either the celebrants or the mourners. No, it wasn’t anything like that bittersweet touch when she had to inhale very deeply so she could store up and remember the scent of him, the strength of his fingers squeezing hers in farewell, the sensation of his cheek touching hers after he withdrew his lips.
Oh, sweet heavenly days, yes, it was the same. And different. His body was firmer in her arms—she guessed if it were possible for someone to feel older to another person, that’s how he felt. He was lean in a way he hadn’t been all those years ago when he’d been a competitive
“I remember,” said Kate. “You moved into the duplex between the dry cleaners and the candle shop. My house was the one that burned last week,” she added in explanation.
“I know. We called 911 the night of the fire. I saw it as I was leaving for work. I was sorry about your house. It’s hard to lose your home.” Debby’s grin was wry. “Even if it’s when you’re evicted because the neighbors are uncomfortable sharing the block with someone with Down syndrome.”
“Did that happen to you?” Kate was horrified.
“More than once, I’m afraid, but I think we’ll be okay here. Everyone seems friendly. Jayson likes your garden and the trees in the backyard. He wanted to ask you and your renter to come live with us, and he’s very concerned about your cat.”
“The renter moved to Burlington and Sally’s fine,” said Kate. “She and I are staying at Kingdom Comer. Maybe you and Jayson could come and see her.”
“Thank you. Jayson would be relieved.” Debby lifted the gray tub full of dishes and started toward the counter. “I’ll bring fresh coffee in a minute.”
Kate watched the waitress work. She never seemed to stop moving. Even when she stepped into the office to check on her brother, she wiped the doorsill with the wet towel she carried.
“I wish there were enough good jobs to go around for people like her.” Kate nodded in the direction of Debby’s constant motion.
“Yeah.” Ben stacked their plates, laying their forks on top. “Watching her makes me think I shouldn’t complain so much about being a doctor.”
“Or about your brothers?”
He grinned at her. “Nah, I’ll still complain about them.”
They were quiet on the walk back to the bed-and-breakfast and she hugged the comfortable silence to her. Just as she’d missed talking with Ben, she’d also missed
not
talking with him.
“Since you have clothes now,” he said, as they approached the back door, walking around Lucy and Sally where they slept in the middle of the porch, “I might consider taking you out to dinner in Burlington.”
“Well, you know...” Kate inserted the key into the lock and looked up at him. Even in the darkness, she saw the green gleam of his eyes, but she couldn’t read their expression. “You don’t have to do me any favors, Dr. McGuffey.” She didn’t know whether to laugh or not.
His hand covered hers before she could get the door unlocked. “Oh, come on, Katy.”
“Come on where?” she said, the words and her breath both catching in her throat at once so that she squeaked when she spoke.
“It wouldn’t be a favor, unless it was to me,” he said, turning her so that his arms surrounded her. “Don’t you ever wonder?” he asked, pulling her close. And closer. “What would be the same between us? What would be different?”
Sure she wondered. She lay awake at night sometimes wondering. But she wasn’t going to find out. Starting over didn’t mean making the same mistakes again. He could say “Come on, Katy” all night long and she wasn’t going to. Come on, that is. She was going to say, “Good night, Ben,” and she was going into the house.
Then he kissed her.
It wasn’t the polite brush of his lips against her cheek he offered after they met at weddings and funerals and spent too much time talking to each other and not enough being polite to either the celebrants or the mourners. No, it wasn’t anything like that bittersweet touch when she had to inhale very deeply so she could store up and remember the scent of him, the strength of his fingers squeezing hers in farewell, the sensation of his cheek touching hers after he withdrew his lips.
Oh, sweet heavenly days, yes, it was the same. And different. His body was firmer in her arms—she guessed if it were possible for someone to feel older to another person, that’s how he felt. He was lean in a way he hadn’t been all those years ago when he’d been a competitive
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