by Nancy Adams
“We’ve had enough pizza at the clinic that I know what you like,” Rob said. “Want to just go for the super supreme? It's got everything, but we can tell them to leave off the anchovies, if you want.”
Katie Lou grinned. “Anchovies aren't that bad. Besides, they’ll be smothered under everything else, and you'll never know they're there.”
Rob nodded, with a big grin of his own. “Good point,” he said, as the waitress appeared to take their order. He told her what they wanted, then looked at Katie Lou. “And how about a pitcher of root beer? That ought to wash it down pretty well, don't you think?”
“Perfect! And if we really were keeping score, that would be another point in your favor. Darren hates root beer, but I love it. I can't believe I've met a grown man who likes root beer as much as I do. Did you like it as a kid?”
“We all did, and Linda loved it. It was always in the house; still is, for that matter.”
Katie Lou looked at him for a moment. “How are you handling things, now that she's gone?”
Rob started to say something, then thought better of it. He smiled. “If you live more than a very short time, one of the things you find out is that life is nothing but one change after another. Things seem to be going a particular way, but then something will change. That's just how life works. Linda was two different parts of my life. She was my mother, who raised me until I was into my teens, and then she was my little sister, and it was up to me to help raise her. She wasn't the same person, but she was still something wonderful in my life. The change comes, whether we like it or not, though. She's gone now, and another phase of life has begun.” He chuckled at himself. “That sounds pretty philosophical, doesn't it? The truth is, I've just learned to accept the changes as they come. There's nothing I can do about her being gone, so I accept it and move on.”
“It sounded pretty wise, to me. You're right, life is about changes. Sometimes, it's hard to remember that, especially when we want things to stay a certain way, but it isn't always up to us. Fate has a way of sticking her nose into everything we do.” She reached across the table and laid her head on top of his. “Maybe that's something I need to think about,” she said. “I thought things were going to be good forever, for me and Darren, but then the accident happened, and he was gone. Was that a change that needed to happen? Was there a reason that he was removed from my life? For all I know, I could be making a big mistake if I go back to him, but I'm just not sure what to do.”
Rob sat there and looked into her eyes for several seconds. “Katie Lou, I'm not going to expect you to make any decisions tonight. This isn't about me trying to twist your arm, or talk you into or out of anything, it's just about spending time with you and letting you know how I feel about you. I want you to know that I love you, and that I would give anything that's in my power to give for the chance to be with you. I don't want to make that sound like I'm trying to rush you, because I'm not. I honestly think that we need to take this slowly, and not rush into anything, and I'm just hoping that I have the chance.”
Their pizza arrived, along with the root beer, and their conversation became less intense and more jocular as they ate. Across the room, Walter Andrews was almost trembling with delight; the conversation he was recording was almost enough to make Darren hate the girl, even without any editing. If he could get just one picture of the couple kissing, that would be the clincher.
7
They left the pizzeria almost an hour later, and headed for the drive-in theater down at Aurora. It was about a half-hour drive, so they would get there just a little before sunset. That would leave them time to grab popcorn and more root beer before the movie began.
They chatted lightly on the drive, not letting themselves get into the deeper discussions they'd touched on earlier. Rob sensed that he had already stated his case well enough, and now it was simply time for the two of them to relax and enjoy each other's company. That was what he wanted, to let Katie Lou become so comfortable with him that she wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
Walter followed them, hanging back since he knew where they were going. He actually arrived at the theater almost fifteen minutes after they did, which suited him fine. They weren't likely to recognize his car, which was a fairly common, nondescript sedan in any case. He spotted Rob's Chrysler, and managed to get a spot in the row just in front of theirs, but a few spaces to the right. It gave him a perfect view of both of their faces, but they wouldn't be able to see through his tinted glass to notice him looking their direction. He picked up the big Nikon camera that he had on the seat, and snapped a few photos of them with it. Despite the fact that it was dark, that camera could take perfect photos that looked like broad daylight, even without a flash.
The movie began, and Walter listened to more of their conversation. It seemed that both of them enjoyed keeping up a running commentary on a movie, poking fun at some points and complimenting others. He began to think that Rob was too chicken to make a move on the girl, but then things took an interesting turn.
“I guess it's true what they say,” Katie Lou said. “Girls always go for the bad guys. Look at her, her boyfriend just turned out to be a professional hired killer, and she can't decide whether this scares her or turns her on.”
Rob grinned at her. “Really? Which would it do for you? Scare you, or turn you on?”
Katie Lou burst out laughing. “Well, um—I think maybe a little of both, isn't that terrible?”
“So, if I were to reveal to you that being a physical therapist is just my cover, and I’m really a superspy assassin who works for the government, would that give you a thrill?”
She laughed even harder. “Ooh, I think it might. Too bad there isn't any truth to that, isn't it? Things might have gotten interesting tonight.”
“Yeah, isn't that just my luck? And by the way, whatever you do, don't touch button number three on the stereo. That's the ejector seat button.”
That set Katie Lou to laughing all over again, and before she realized what she was doing, she was leaning against Rob. He slipped his arms around her, and was holding her close while she laughed. He was laughing too, and leaned down to give her a quick kiss on the top of her head.
She felt it, and her laughter suddenly began to die down. Without really thinking about what she was doing, she turned her face upward and reached a hand up to the back of his neck, pulling him down for a genuine kiss. It grew in intensity for a few seconds, but then Rob pulled back.
“Katie Lou,” he said breathlessly, “I'm probably going to hate myself in a minute, but are you sure you want to be doing this right now?”
She opened her eyes and looked up at him, and her face took on a sadness. “Part of me does, very much, but another part says I shouldn't be leading you on. I need to figure out what I'm doing, I'm sorry. Can you forgive me? “
Rob chuckled. “Forgiving you is easy,” he said. “It's forgiving myself for breaking off that kiss that's going to be hard.”
They settled back and continued to watch the movie, a decent amount of space between them. It didn't matter, though, because Walter had gotten the shots he wanted. He had seen the moment coming, and had his camera ready when it arrived. The obvious passion of the kiss shone through in the photographs, and just a little editing on the audio would make sure that it could be nothing but betrayal.
Katie Lou managed to catch most of what was going on in the movie, even though her mind was racing. The kiss she had just shared with Rob had been loaded with more passion, more intensity than any kiss she had ever felt before, and she couldn't help wondering if that were because her feelings for Rob were stronger than she had thought they were, or simply because it had been a while since she had truly kissed anyone. If Rob had not broken it off, things might have gone even further than that.
For his part, Rob was just trying to figure out why he had stopped it. That was the most incredible, wonderful kiss be had ever known, and it had taken all of his willpower to break it off. Still, he knew it ha
d been the right thing to do. Both of them were aching and vulnerable, so if he had to be strong for both of them, then he would.
The movie ended, and both of them agreed that it had been delightful. Rob's only regret was that it meant the end of the evening, and he put the car in gear to drive her home. It took them longer to get out of the drive-in than it took to make their way back to Ralston.
Rob pulled into the Brennan driveway, and turned to Katie Lou. “Thank you,” he said. “I have truly enjoyed this evening, and I hope I've at least given you some things to think about.”
“Oh, you definitely have.” She turned in her seat to face him. “Rob, I do have feelings for you, I do love you. I just don't think it would be fair to either of us to start a relationship if there are still feelings for Darren hovering in the background. I need to be sure I'm ready to move on before I do, can you understand that?”
“Of course I understand,” Rob said. “I agree with you. But that doesn't mean I don't want to jump up and down a wave my arms and say, 'Hey, Katie Lou, here I am!' I can't just lay down and give up, that's just not me. I mean, don't get me wrong, I won't turn into a stalker or anything if you decide you want to be with Darren, but until I know for sure that you've made your choice, I'm going to keep trying. I hope that's okay.”
She smiled. “Of course it's okay. And it makes me feel good that you feel that way. I just—I just have to be sure, that's all.”
Rob looked at her for another second, then carefully leaned toward her. When she leaned closer to him as well, he moved in for the kiss, and this time, he let it build. It grew in intensity, until they were wrapped around each other and wishing they were anywhere but her driveway.
At last, though, they both came to their senses and let go. Rob got out and walked around the car to open Katie Lou’s door for her, then escorted her up to the door of her house.
“I had an absolutely wonderful time,” Katie Lou said. “Not bad for a do-over on a first date, right?”
“Not bad at all,” Rob said. “Do I dare ask about a second date?”
“Why don't we talk on Monday?” Katie Lou said. “I'm still supposed to be at the clinic for my appointment on Monday, right? Or have I graduated?”
“I'd like to keep working with you a little longer, just to be sure your legs are functioning properly and getting the exercise they need. I'll see you on Monday, then.” He leaned forward and kissed her gently on the cheek, then turned quickly and walked back to his car.
As he backed out of the driveway, Rob noticed the headlights that came on in his rearview mirror, and wondered about it. It was well past midnight, and this neighborhood was usually very quiet that late at night. He watched his mirror for a moment as he drove down the street, but then shrugged when the car turned in a different direction. The momentary thought that it was following him was dismissed from his mind, and all of his thoughts turned back to the wonderful evening he had just had with Katie Lou.
Walter headed for home. He'd go through all of the audio and video and photos the next day, in his office. He'd probably grab that new kid, the one they had just hired from the computer sciences program at MIT. He knew more about how to manipulate audio and video than anyone Walter had ever met in the past.
Morning came like it always does, the sunlight spreading slowly across the world and bringing it to wakefulness. Katie Lou awoke with a smile on her face, excited that she would be going to church that morning without the aid of wheelchair, walker or cane. People often said they didn't believe in miracles anymore, but Katie Lou felt like she was living proof that they still happened.
Rob Christopher also awoke with a smile, and it wasn't long afterwards that his sister, wakened by platters in the kitchen, found him making eggs and bacon and pancakes for breakfast. His mood was so much better than it had been the day before that she was just about ready to start planning a wedding.
Rob and Katie each had things to do that day, and each shared with their families about the wonderful evening they had had the night before. Rob confessed to Anna that he was terrified of losing Katie Lou, but she tried her best to reassure him. She told him that there was something about the way the two of them looked at each other that just seemed to mean that they were meant to be together.
Katie Lou admitted to her mother and sister that she was more confused than ever, since it had been almost impossible to even remember that Darren existed while she was with Rob. “How could this happen?” Katie Lou moaned. “How did I end up in love with two different guys at the same time?”
“I don't think you are,” Kylie shot at her. “I think you're in love with Rob, but you're having some kind of misplaced guilt feelings about Darren. Katie Lou, you need to remember that he dumped you, he walked right out on you, and when you needed him the most! A guy like that isn’t worth a second chance. If you take him back, you'll just think that no matter what he does, you'll always have to forget. He won't be willing to put the effort into the relationship that it deserves. If you don't, though, then the next girl he gets with will probably find a guy who knows just how much he could lose, and he’ll treat her right. Don't you think?”
Katie Lou stared at Kylie for a moment, then put her hands over her eyes and wailed, “Oh, I am so confused!”
Walter Andrews slept in that morning, not getting out of bed until almost 10 o'clock. He skimmed through the audio of Rob and Katie Lou from the night before, skipping through some parts that he knew weren't relevant to what he was after. He found eleven different snippets, however, that with just a little judicious editing would sound like the couple was planning to lead Darren on, manipulate him into a position to undo the settlement agreement and allow the girl to sue him over the accident, after all.
He reached for his phone and scrolled through the contacts. It took him a moment to find the one he wanted, because he wasn't used to names that he didn't think of as purely American, but when he found that, he punched the icon to tell the phone to dial. A sleepy voice answered a moment later.
“Hello?”
“Mustapha, this is Walter. I got a little project I need your help with. Want to make some extra money today?”
Mustapha had not been with Walter's agency for long, but he had learned quickly that it was a mistake to refuse the boss on just about anything. “Sure, sir,” he said. “Just tell me when and where.”
8
Sunday mornings at church were always wonderful, Katie Lou felt. This particular one, however, was even better than usual, because everyone was raving about how well her recovery had progressed. Over the last couple of weeks, she had gone from having to use a walker to get around, to a cane, and now she was walking all on her own. So many people rushed over to congratulate her that she felt a little like a celebrity.
She was a little surprised when she saw Darren walk in with his cousin David, and take a place in one of the pews near the back of the church. He had come to church with her a few times in the past, but it wasn't one of his favorite things to do. He saw her look his way, and waved, but didn't make an effort to come toward her.
At first, that was a relief, because she wasn't ready for people to start talking about them getting back together. It was bad enough trying to figure out what to do on her own, but with all the pressure that gossip could put on her, she might never know exactly what was the right thing to do. A moment later, though, it suddenly hit her that the only reason Darren would come to church at all would be to try to impress her. That suddenly made it feel cheap and unreal. If he truly wanted to come to church that morning, then he should have called and asked to join her. She might have refused, for the reason noted above, but then it wouldn't have felt like he was only there to try to score a brownie point with her.
Suddenly, she began to wonder just how much of what he was doing lately was only designed to catch her attention. Had he really quit his job, or simply taken some time off to try to reconcile with her? No, she shouldn't be quite that cynical. There was no doubt in her mind t
hat the only way he could be back in Ralston was if he had turned his back on Matthews and Johnson and all of their political allies. There would be no going back to St. Louis for him, not if he defied them and got back together with her.
Still, there were things that she needed to seriously think through before she made any commitments at all.
The service began, and she enjoyed it, as she always did. She was surprised when they announced a special song, and her sister Kylie got up and went down to the front of the church.
“You all know about my sister, Katie Lou, and all that she's been through,” Kylie said. “Well, we're all so thankful for how well she's recovered from her accident, and I just wanted to get up here and try to express how grateful we are to the Lord for His many, many blessings.”
The piano began to play, and Kylie began to sing. The song was Count Your Blessings, and Katie Lou was in tears by the middle of the first verse.
When church was over, the family did as usual, and went out for lunch. This time, they chose the local fried chicken franchise, and everyone took the buffet. Katie Lou was approached by several people she knew around town, all of whom were amazed to see her up and walking again. She smiled and thanked them all, but when she sat down at the table with her family, she frowned.
“You know what just hit me? When I had the accident, and got hurt, the whole town knew about it within hours, right? But now that I'm getting better, and I'm up and walking again, no one's talking about that, so everyone is surprised when they see me. Why is it that bad news spreads like wildfire, but good news is treated like some kind of secret?”