Page 103 of Catching Kyle

This is why I decided against emotionally unavailable men when I broke up with David years ago. I could never conjure up such intimacy if I was busy tryingto win the attention of a man who didn’t or couldn’t love me. But now it’s easy, and I think I know why…

I’m in love with someone who’s actually emotionally available.

In what feels like a blink of an eye, Martha announces that the store will close in fifteen minutes.

“Already?” I ask, looking around. Besides a few customers at the checkout counter, we’re alone.

“Yeah,” Kyle says, rubbing his eyes. “How is Cat Sebastian so good?”

I glance over my computer and see he’s already halfway through. “Thatgood, huh?”

He shakes his head. “It’s like she can read my mind.” He checks his phone. “Shit, Mom’s called three times.”

“That’s not good,” I say, closing my computer. “We should head back. Sorry, I got lost in the flow.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he says as we start making our way out. “Probably just telling us about dinner.”

When we get back to Linda’s, the house smells like chicken and vanilla, which is a surprisingly appetizing smell. She’s on the couch in her pajamas. She’s reading her kindle, and Miss Beautiful is curled up beside her.

“Was hoping you boys would eat with me,” she says. “But figured y’all were busy. And I was hungry.”

“Sorry, ma,” Kyle says, shutting the door. “We’ll clean up.”

“That would be darling, thanks,” she says.

“Why don’t you go eat?” Kyle says. “I’ll get your bed set up in the guest room.”

Your bed.

Was everything I experienced just a lie? He can be my sweet boyfriend, but when it comes down to it, he’ll sleep in a different bed?

“Oh,” Linda says, slapping her forehead. “I forgot.” She reaches over to her side table and picks up a small key chain. “Here,” she says, handing it to Kyle.

“I wanted you boys to be comfortable while you were here,” she says. “So I got you a cabin down by the lake.”

“A cabin?” Kyle and I ask in unison.

“Yes, a cabin,” she says like we didn’t hear her. “Glamour Springs has a tradition of putting a little show on the water on Thanksgiving evening. Wanted to give you boys a front row.”

Butterflies flutter in my stomach. Now that sounds romantic.

I steal a glance at Kyle. He’s chewing on his lips, and I can practically hear the cogs turning in his brain. Is he upset? Angry? Sad?“Thanks, ma,” he says, almost sounding relieved. He takes the keys from her.

She looks up and pats his arm, and there’s more love and knowledge in that gesture than meets the eye.

She knows, and she wants the best for us.

He looks at our luggage, then at me. “Let’s eat, then make our way over.”

“Perfect,” I say.

Chapter 35

Kyle Weaver

Acabin.

My ma got and me and Michael a motherfuckingcabin.