Page 36 of Single Mom's Mountain Men
“Hi Uncle Mitch,” Katie greets my older brother shyly and he ruffles her hair fondly on the way to his seat.
I help Patty and Wes set the table, still watching them out of the corner of my eye. They interact normally with Mitch and chatter with the kids, but that tension is undeniable.
After we sit and say grace, I still watch them.
I'm temporarily distracted by movement at my knee, glancing down to find Maddie standing there. Without a second thought, I pick her up and drag her into my lap, shifting her plate closer to me. It's becoming the norm now for Maddie to insist that I feed her. She plays with her toy and swings her feet as I scoop some mashed potatoes from her plate to her lips.
Patty catches my eye and smiles warmly. The first time Maddie tried to climb into my lap, Patty tried to dissuade her, until I told her it was okay. I don't mind kids at all. Actually, I quite like them. I doubt I'll have any of my own though, given my tragic dating record thus far, but I can always look forward to being an uncle.
Finally, after dinner's over, Patty takes the girls back to their room, and my brothers and I clear the dishes, despite Patty's insistence on doing them herself. Once that's done, we retire to our rooms.
But rather than go to my room, I follow Wes into his, closing the door behind us.
“What did you do to Patty?” I ask.
The question catches him off guard and he spins around to stare at me. “What?”
“You and Patty. Something happened, didn’t it?"
He sputters and then crosses his hand over his chest. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You're lying." His first reaction was honest when his eyes flickered with guilt and some self-satisfaction.
"You touched her, didn't you?" A hollow feeling churns inside me. I try to tell myself it's not jealousy.
"That's none of your business."
“Did you harass her?” I ask.
"Of course not you ass," he snaps. "I would never do that."
I nod. I know that, but I just had to make sure.
"Be careful with her," I say, forcing the words through a bitter throat. "I think she's been hurt before. If you're not serious about her... she's not the type to be played around with."
Wes bristles for a second and then his shoulders sag, his expression losing some of its defensiveness.
"I know," he sighs. "That's why I already decided not to pursue anything further with her."
I nod, some of my tension easing too. "That's probably a good choice."
I don't necessarily blame Wes for what he did. I understand what a strong temptation Patty represents. A soft, feminine lady with those freckles and those curves. And that kind, sunny spirit. It would be hard not to go crazy over her.
But I think we should stay away from her, for her own good. For ours too, perhaps.
However, my resolve is sorely tested when she shows up at my door the next day.
I know the little delicate knock can't be either of my brother's. Mitch's knock is one loud rap, and Wes doesn't knock at all, he just strides right on in like he owns the place. So, this gentle, hesitant tap can only be Patty.
Despite this, I still say, "Come in."
She opens the door a little bit and pokes her head through. "Hey. Sorry, I don't want to disturb you, but I made some gingerbread cookies and wondered if you wanted some."
I nod. "Sure." Pattie discovered my sweet tooth pretty early and every once in a while, she offers to bake something just for me. It always makes me feel special.
She comes in with a plate of fresh-smelling and warm from the oven, gingery treats and places it on my table. She glances at my screen. "Watching people fix up cars on YouTube?"
She's standing too close.I try not to look at her or even inhale her delicate scent when I answer. "Yeah. It's an engine replacement tutorial. I like to watch stuff like this in my free time."
