Over the Fence (30 page)

Her hands stroked through my hair. “I didn’t do anything,” she protested again, confused.

My shoulders began to shake with laughter. I pushed myself up with my wobbly arms and kissed her hard. “You have no idea, do you?” I asked, astonished. “If this is how you affect me with
nothing
, I think I might be afraid of what you could do to me if you actually tried.”

She shook her head. “Nuts,” she whispered.

I kissed the end of her nose. “Just about you, Chefgirl. Just about you.”

She giggled, and I gently brushed the hair over her shoulders. “Go have your shower, Kourtney. I’ll clean up in here, and have one.”

“Okay.” She hesitated, accepting my hand to help her slip off the freezer.

I watched her leave, feeling sad. I wanted to go shower with her, but she didn’t offer. I had to be patient until she was comfortable. I needed to find the right way to make her relax and fully trust me.

One day, we’d get there.

Kourtney got up from the table, her long hair still damp from her shower, and walked over to plug in the external backup device I had given her into the wall socket. She grabbed the coffee pot, sat down and filled our cups as she smiled at me, looking shy. I glanced back at the drive, smiling back at her.

“Chefgirl, what are you doing?”

She gave me a strange look. “It’s Sunday, Nathan. You told me to plug it in every Sunday and backup my computer. I’ve done it every week, the way you told me to do.”

“But your laptop is in front of you.”

“Okay?” She frowned, confused.

“When I said plug it in, I meant plug it into your laptop. With the laptop turned on.”

She sat, looking between the backup drive, sitting on the shelf, and her laptop on the table. “Oh. I guess that makes sense.” She peered at me, looking sheepish, her cheeks beginning to flush. “I thought it was wireless or something.”

“Ah, no.”

“Told you I would fuck things up.”

I burst out laughing, dragged her chair closer and enveloped her in my arms. I nuzzled the top of her head, amazed at how happy this woman made me. “It’s okay—nothing is fucked. I should have explained better. I’ll show you now.” I pulled her teeth away from her bottom lip and kissed her. “Give me your laptop and bring the drive over here.”

I was still chuckling as I showed her how to plug it all in. I got the backup running and frowned. “Kourtney? Your password; emptiness? Really? That’s not the
you
I know.”

She shrugged. “It’s what my life felt like most of the time . . . before.”

“Before?”

She smiled as she watched me type away. “Before us.”

“
Us
. I like that. You want to change it?” I asked, dropping a kiss to her head

“Sure.”

I brought up the directory, found her settings, then slid the laptop over to her. “Okay. Type in the new one.”

She thought about it, and typed in something. “Hit return and you’ll have to re-enter it,” I explained.

She grinned as she did so, before sliding the computer back to me.

“You made it something you can remember without a problem?”

She nodded, her face beaming. “I’ll never forget it.”

“Good.”

“Do you want to know what it is?” A mischievous grin lit up her face, making her eyes dance in glee.

I shrugged, even though I definitely wanted to know what was making her look that way. “If you want to tell me, sure, I’d love to know.”

Her beautiful eyes glowed as she giggled. “Laundryroom1.”

With a low groan, I crashed my lips to hers. I couldn’t kiss her deep enough.

I wouldn’t forget it either.

I looked up from the paper and frowned. “You’re squinting.” I could see the crinkles at the corner of her eyes.

She sighed and looked up from her book. “I know. I have to see the eye doctor next week.”

“Time for new glasses?”

She nodded.

I hesitated, but decided to ask. “Kourtney? Can I ask you to do something for me?”

“Anything.”

“Don’t tint your lenses. Please.”

She removed her glasses and looked at them. “Why does it bother you so much?”

Sighing, I laced my fingers with hers. “I hate that it’s been drummed into your head that something so beautiful should be hidden. Your eyes captivate me, Chefgirl. I like seeing them. I want to be able to see them every time I look at you.”

She hesitated, staring down at her glasses. “I always have three pairs.”

“Could you try one without tint? Just for home?” I drew in a deep breath. “For me?”

“Is this part of your overwriting, Nathan?”

“It is. I want to change all the negative stuff you think is true. I want to show you how wrong they were.” I sighed. “About so many things.”

She nodded. “Okay, then. For you.”

Lifting her hand, I kissed the smooth skin on the inside of her wrist.

I’d let her do it for me. Until she was ready to do it for herself.

“Are you making lots of meatballs?” I asked, watching Kourtney move around her kitchen.

She giggled. “I make lots of everything since I started feeding you, Tomcat.”

I laughed and shrugged my shoulders. “Told you. I’m still a growing boy.” I leaned back in my chair. “I assume you didn’t cook this way before?”

She stopped adding whatever ingredient she had in her hand and pursed her lips. “When I was on my own I would cook one big meal, and heat up leftovers the rest of the week. The first night I fed you I had cooked extra for that reason, which is why I had lots to share.” She smiled at the memory. “I had just gotten the barbeque and I was excited to use it. Of course, I had no idea the guy next door would be even more excited.”

“Excited didn’t cover it, Chefgirl. I was fucking ecstatic.” I looked at her, curious. “Why did you keep feeding me?”

“You seemed . . . lonely. You were always so funny, but I sensed you were alone as I was—and it was fun to cook more often, as well as for someone.” She grinned. “You were so complimentary and grateful. It was nice to have someone to care for who appreciated me doing so.”

I stood up and went over, pulling her into my arms. “I was lonely. I didn’t know how lonely until you came into my life. I did appreciate it then. I do now. I love how you take care of me.”

“You take care of me, too. No one has ever done that.”

I could hear the emotion welling up in her voice and I knew I needed to distract her. I kissed the tip of her nose and turned her back to the bowl in front of her. “Damn right I do. Now get to it, woman. Those meatballs aren’t gonna make themselves and I want them.”

I sat down as Kourtney’s laptop chimed, indicating she had a message. I looked at the screen. “Um,
LabGoddess
is messaging you.”

“It’s Annie. Can you see what see wants?”

“You’re sure? It may be private.”

“Answer her for me, Nathan. My hands are covered in meat.”

WhyteElephant: Hi, Annie, it’s Nathan. Kourtney is elbow deep in meatballs.

LabGoddess: Hi Nathan. Never thought I’d hear Kourtney was elbow deep in any kind of balls. You must be a good influence. Keep it up.

I laughed as I responded.

WhyteElephant: LOL. I’ll do my best.

LabGoddess: I wanted to tell Kourtney to keep Tuesday night open. It’s time for a girls’ night. Information needs to be shared. Tell her she can’t say no this time.

I chuckled as I read the message to Kourtney.

She groaned. “She’s going to pump me for information about
you
.”

I nodded. “No doubt. She was rather surprised to see me on Friday. She didn’t seem to know I existed,” I teased.

“I didn’t know you existed like that, so I had nothing to tell her.”

“Do you know now, Kourtney?”

She blushed. “I think so.”

“I’ll tell her it’s a date?”

“Okay.”

WhyteElephant: Kourtney is looking forward to it.

LabGoddess: Great. You driving her to work again?

WhyteElephant: Yes.

LabGoddess: Okay, I’ll drive her home after. Or Jason will if we have too much to drink. He is always on standby.

WhyteElephant: Good plan.

LabGoddess: Have a great day.

WhyteElephant: Any day with Kourtney is a great day.

LabGoddess: I think I’m going to like you.

There was nothing I could really say, so I left her with a smile.

WhyteElephant: : )

I read Kourtney the conversation, chuckling as she rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Sounds as if you’re going to have some fun on Tuesday, Chefgirl.”

“Annie is a great person. I like her a lot.”

“Why did she tell me not to let you say no this time?”

Kourtney shrugged, looking sheepish. “She and I are friends at work, but we’ve never really expanded it outside that time. She is busy with Jason, the wedding and her family. But she’s been trying to get me to go out with her for a while now, and we did have a good time in Vancouver.”

I was baffled. “Why wouldn’t you go out before now?”

Kourtney’s cheeks turned pink and she kept her eyes downcast. “Annie is really pretty and outgoing. I always felt”—she hesitated—“like
less
. . . as if I wasn’t good enough to be her friend.”

I walked over and held her close. “You are good enough. You are more than good enough,” I insisted, kissing her neck. “You need to know people don’t look at you the way your family did, Kourtney. We all see what an amazing, lovely person you are, inside and out. You need to start believing that, too.”

“I’m trying.”

“So you’ll go? Relax and have a good time?”

She looked over her shoulder. “Yes.”

I kissed her soft cheek. “Good.”

“What will you do?”

“Hopefully eat some spaghetti leftovers.”

“Will you, ah, stay here?”

“Whatever you’re comfortable with, Kourtney,” I assured her.

“I’d like knowing you’re here when I get home,” she murmured.

“I’d like that, too. I like being here with you.”

“Really?”

I grinned widely. “Yeah. Your food is way better than mine.”

She chuckled. “Will I ever get to see your place?”

“Any time. I need to tidy up. You know, make sure the wife and kids are out of the way first. Otherwise it might get . . . awkward.”

She turned sharply, and I winked. She shook her head, chuckling. “Nuts.”

I turned her around so she was facing me. “Just about you, Chefgirl,” I promised, kissing her until we were both breathless.