by June Kramin
Dusty watched as Katie walked down the stairs in his pajamas. They were at least four times too big for her, but she looked as cute as hell. He returned his attention to the stove. After a few minutes he swore he heard Katie talking. He turned down the Canadian bacon and walked into the living room. She closed the sliding glass door right as he reached her.
“Who were you talking to?”
“Your handyman.”
“Who?”
“Your handyman. Frank something.”
“What?” Dusty hurried past her and walked outside without so much as a shirt on. He found Frank around the corner. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Fixing this gutter. I don’t think they did it right last time. I don’t want Katie slipping again.”
“That’s not what I mean. Why the hell am I here? This makes no sense at all to throw me into a future where I’m doing nothing but keeping my proctologist busy, looking for my head up my ass.”
“Speaking of head up your ass…How many lawyers—”
“Quit it. This isn’t funny. Why are you putting me through this?”
“Do you remember when Katie went to your future? The ‘you’ that told her about Alyson?”
“Of course. Well, I don’t remember it, but I remember her telling me about it.”
“Did you think that was fun for her?”
“Of course not, but at least that served a purpose.”
“Who said this isn’t serving a purpose?”
“What good is it, then?”
“I’m enjoying the shit out of it. Now get back in before you catch a cold. It’s about fifteen degrees out here, jackass.” Frank turned to walk away. Again Dusty flipped him off with both fingers.
“I see that.”
“I don’t give a shit!”
“Dusty?”
Dusty turned around to find Katie standing there with a tilt to her head. “Why are you swearing at and flipping off that nice old man?”
“He’s not what you think.”
“Apparently, neither are you.” She turned away and went back in the house.
“Wait a second,” he called out, hurrying after her.
“Go put a shirt on.”
“You love my chest.”
“Gee, lawyer. Ego much? I could hang my coat on your nipples. You’re freezing. Go put a shirt on.”
He pulled a sweatshirt out of a wooden chest by the front door and quickly pulled it over his head. “Look. Let’s try this again.”
“No. I want to get dressed and I want you to take me home.”
“After we eat.” He returned to the kitchen and flipped the Canadian bacon. Katie opened up his pantry. “What are you looking for?”
“Chocolate.”
He glanced at the calendar. “Yeah, I suppose you’re due in a few days.”
Hands on her hips she said angrily, “Excuse me?”
“Every month, you chow down on a whole bag of chocolate two days before your period. I keep saying I want to buy stock in Hershey.”
“You’re no big guesser of the secrets there, Andrews. Every woman indulges in chocolate around that time of the month.”
He walked over to her. “Maybe, but you get this one little pimple every month. Right here.” He pointed just past the corner of her mouth. “You cuss like a sailor every time and swear you’re never eating chocolate again.”
She swatted his hand away. “How do you know that?”
“Because you’ve done it every month for the past seven years. Well, except for when you were pregnant.”
“Now I was pregnant?”
“Twice.”
“I’ve never had an abortion. How dare you!” she turned to walk away, but he blocked her way.
“No. That’s not what I mean. I shouldn’t get ahead of myself. Let’s go back to what you know.”
“I don’t want to. You’re creeping me out.” She walked out of the kitchen. Dusty turned the stove off and walked into the living room with her.
“You had sex on your twenty-fifth birthday.”
“Ooohhhh, big guess there, buddy. What was his name?”
“Shit. I know this one.”
“Right. Let me go.” She walked to the door.
“I know him, just give me a second. Asshole clobbered me twice.”
She spun around. “There’s a surprise. You probably didn’t have it coming at all.”
“Sure I did. I won you away from him.”
“You’re insane.” She reached the bowl on the table by the front door and picked up a set of keys, then put on her heels. “I’m driving myself back. You can come get your car later.” She pulled on her coat and opened the door. Before she closed the door he hollered, “Rex Hemingsen!” Only a few seconds passed before she knocked on the door. He opened it up and smiled.
“Why do you know that?”
“If you’d listen to me, you’d understand. We don’t belong here, Katie. That sweet old man out there is messing with my head. I’ve already won you over. We already have a life together. I don’t have a clue why he insists on torturing me. I’m pretty sure I’ve already saved Courtney, so I don’t understand why I’m here.”
“Courtney? My Courtney?”
“Yes. Your roommate Courtney.”
“She killed herself a year ago. What the hell are you talking about ‘you saved her?’”
“Holy fuck.” Dusty leaned against the wall and slid down. He buried his head in his arms. Deep down he felt this wasn’t their final fate, but he still couldn’t help getting completely distraught at hearing the news.
Katie kneeled and placed a hand on his back. “You all right?” He shook his head no. “I’m sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have blurted it out like that. She—”
“Tried to beat AIDS to the punch. I know.” He lifted his head up and blinked away the tears that filled them. “I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have had to live through this again.”
“What do you mean ‘again?’”
“Jesus, Katie. I’m so sorry.” He pulled her close and buried his head in her neck. He was unsuccessful at keeping the tears at bay. A few sobs broke out and Katie held him tight.
When Dusty’s mini-melt down was over, Katie sat beside him with her back against the wall as well. Dusty laced her fingers in his. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I don’t know how you were so close to her, but I didn’t know you.”
He let out a loud sigh. “You were much better at this than I am.”
“Better at what?”
“Explaining whatever the hell it is that we do.”
“Now, I understand the whole lawyer thing. Only lawyers and politicians could say so much and never make a point. I haven’t understood anything since I woke up this morning. You were so sweet last night. You literally charmed my pants right off. I never allow that, especially after our sketchy start. But now, you’re talking nonsense. You keep throwing things at me like we had a past together. I don’t get it, Dusty.”
He pulled her hand to his lips and gave it a long kiss. He never grew tired of kissing any part of her body. “Now I understand how you felt.”
“How I felt when?”
“When you were going through this.”
She let out a long sigh. “You’re doing it again.”
“I’m sorry.” He finally looked up at her. “Hear me out, okay?”
“Okay.”
“I mean really. You have to search deep down and know what I’m telling you is the truth.”
“I’ll do my best.” Her eyes stared hard at his, nervously going from one eye to the other.
“I know things about you because we’ve been together for a long time, Katie. When you turned thirty, you started time traveling back to our past. It’s a long story, but you ended up staying with me when I was twenty-one and you were twenty-five.” She went to speak, but he put his finger over her mouth. “Let me finish. That guy you were talking to isn’t a handyman. Somehow he’s behind this. He was there for you w
hen you needed an ear. We never knew the part he played. You thought he was some kind of angel helping you out. There wasn’t anyone you could talk to about what you were going through. You thought Courtney would have you locked up, so that only left me and him. I wanted in your pants no matter what you said or what crazy story you fed me, so that left him.”
“But I don’t know him.”
“Yet. He was sweet to you, Katie. He’s a bastard for me. He thinks I was selfish for making you stay with me when I was twenty-one, and maybe I was, but you seemed happy.” He gazed hard into her eyes. “Are you happy now, Katie? I mean really happy?”
“I thought I was.”
“You kept forcing yourself to go out with Wilson, trying to like him but it wasn’t happening. Why?”
“I don’t know. He wasn’t the one, I suppose.”
“You’re gorgeous. You should be beating men away with a stick.”
“I’m not all that, Dusty. Maybe I’m not a mutt, but no one looks at me the way you do. There were always my studies, then I went straight into business for myself. I never made time for a social life.”
“But are you happy?”
“I don’t know what you want to hear. Do I feel complete? I suppose not. Thirty came and went and I thought maybe I’d have a kid or two by now. I’m okay with my life. I guess it isn’t my time.”
“I want to hear you say you’re not complete. I need you to say it. Otherwise, I was wrong for being so selfish and keeping you in your past. If that’s the case, then I’ll be stuck in this blasted future without you. I can take it, if for some reason that damn codger chooses now to punish me, but we have two great kids, babe. Losing you would be one thing, but I couldn’t live not knowing what will happen to them.”
“Kids? You said I was pregnant and I didn’t get that. We have kids now in this past of ours?” Katie stood. “I really feel for you, Dusty. I really do. You get a kewpie doll for having the most intriguing way of trying to win a second date. But you know what? You already had me. Why pull this shit?”
Dusty stood and put his hands on her shoulders. “It’s not shit, Katie. What’ll it take to convince you?”
“All right, hotshot. What do we have?”
“What do you mean?”
“Kids? Girls? Boys? Twins? What?”
“A girl and a boy.”
“And their names?”
“Our daughter Alyson came first. It’s spelled with a ‘y.’”
“I suppose this is because of my name?”
“No. We named her after my best friend, who is also my half-sister. You saved her life, Katie, but that’s for another talk. Our son is Alexander.”
She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand again.
“You named him after a favorite uncle of yours. He died when you were sixteen. You promised your aunt you would name a son after him.”
Katie’s hand went to her eyes. As she covered them, she swayed.
Dusty closed the gap between them just as she collapsed into him. He picked her up and walked her to the couch. After he laid her down, he placed a hand on her cheek. “I’m sorry. Maybe I should have made sure you were sitting before I sprung that one on you. It’s funny how something like our kids’ names is what convinces us of what we’re doing.”
“What’s that?”
“You told me of how you convinced the older me you were telling the truth because of our daughter Alyson’s name.” She still looked a little green. “How you doin’, cupcake?”
Katie’s eyes went wide. “Cupcake?”
“I know. You’re not a fan.”
“No. It’s not that. You’ve done this to me before.”
“Call you cupcake? Tons of times.”
“No. I fainted at the coffee shop years ago. You were there when I woke up. You called me cupcake. Now I remember you.”
A broad smile spread over Dusty’s face. “That’s happened twice that I know of. Once when you returned to me and once when I returned to you. I’d love to know your version.”
“I overdid a run. I took off with a hangover and an empty stomach. You were at the door when I walked in and caught me as I passed out.”
“That’s how it goes. How did you get away without me bugging you for a date?”
“Oh, you bugged me, all right. I was too stubborn and hightailed it out of there. I was embarrassed as hell. Secretly I had hoped to see you again, but it never happened.”
“This is very strange. The more I do this, the more I’m convinced I’m going to strangle that old fart next time I see him.” Katie laughed. “Can I get you anything?”
“You promised me Eggs Benedict.”
“Coming right up, buttercup.” He stood up and turned to walk away, but she caught his hand. “What is it?”
“I really put up with years of you calling me those names?”
He leaned down and gave her a strong kiss. “I’m incredibly hot in bed. You overlook the little things.”
Katie and Dusty talked more over breakfast. Dusty could tell she was still apprehensive about the whole idea, but she seemed to be accepting it.
“I know I think I’m a fool for believing this, but I can’t explain everything that you know any other way.”
“Trust me, sweetness, I wish I was full of shit. I really felt for you going through this, but now…”
“But now what?”
“I think I need to buy you more jewelry.”
She laughed as she stood, then walked over to his chair. Now on his lap, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I have a better solution for right now.”
“There’s my girl.”
“I’m beginning to think I’m the nympho you say I am. I don’t know what it is you do to me. ”
“Why do you think I married you?”
“Stop it. It takes two to tango, you know.”
“And I like the way you dance, baby.”
Again they made love on the couch. Just as they finished, the front door slammed shut.
A woman’s voice called out, “Dusty?”
“Oh shit!” Dusty quickly pulled a comforter over them.
The woman kept talking as she walked in. “Will you get that goddamn gutter fixed. I parked over by your tenant’s place and I almost broke my ass again!” She stopped when she saw Dusty’s head pop over the back of the couch. “Oh geez! Shit, I’m so sorry!” The woman quickly covered her eyes and ran into the kitchen. “I’m sorry!”
Dusty sat up and handed Katie her pajama top. “I’m sorry, babe,” he said with a laugh.
“This isn’t funny, Dusty. Do I even want to know who that is?” She said as she pulled her shirt on with a huff.
“You get jealous of her every time you see her.”
“Shouldn’t I?” she said, glaring at him.
“No. Not when it’s my sister.” He gave her a kiss on her forehead and stood, pulling his pajama bottoms on.
Alyson shouted from the kitchen. “Oohh… hollandaise! You done in there or should I attempt to whip up a bene myself?”
“Don’t you dare! You’ll burn my house down. Gimme a sec.” He leaned over the back of the couch and kissed Katie again. “Come meet her. You two get along great.”
Katie grabbed his arm. “Wait. Does she know?”
“In our time, yes. Now—no. It’s bad enough telling you. I don’t want to try with her. I don’t think we’ll be here long enough to worry about it.”
“What do you mean?”
Again Alyson shouted from the kitchen. “Dusty. Come on. I’m starving here. You had me worried to death about you, and now you’re boffing your brains out. No offense in there.”
“None taken,” Katie hollered back, grinning at Dusty.
“Come meet her.” He walked into the kitchen, took a dishtowel off the counter and whipped Alyson in the ass. “You witch. Since when do you pop in without calling?”
“I love you, too, shithead.” Alyson lowered her voice. “So…spill it. She someone I should bother gett
ing to know?”
“You could say that.”
“Dustin Charles. You’re blushing. And for God’s sake, put a shirt on.”
Katie walked in with the sweatshirt he was wearing earlier. “I had to ask him already today, too.” She handed it to him then leaned into his side.
“Alyson, this is Katie.”
The girls shook hands and exchanged hellos.
“Sorry to barge in like this. I didn’t know what to make of Dusty’s call yesterday and I thought something was up. I don’t need to stay. I can go visit friends.”
“No. Stay,” Katie said. “You can tell me how rotten your brother is, so I know what I’m up against.”
The girls drank coffee at the counter while Dusty made Alyson breakfast. Dusty loved the way Alyson told the stories of their childhood. When they were younger, he always treated her with kindness and friendship, even when others tried to exclude her. Dusty never accepted an invitation to a party that didn’t include Alyson. Neither one of them dated much in high school since everyone thought they were a couple. No one else knew they were brother and sister, that suited them both fine.
“You’re not giving me any dirt here, Alyson. You were supposed to tell me how rotten he is.”
“Sorry. Can’t help you there. I really don’t know why he’s single. Maybe it’s the lawyer thing.” Alyson ducked the flying potholder. “Why didn’t you ever stand up to your dad, Dusty?”
“Maybe because I needed someone to watch my back while I did it and she was never there.” He winked at Katie. That was one story he’d covered. With everything that came out, he was seeing how they truly needed each other through every stage of their lives. He dropped the plate of food in front of her. “OJ?”
“No, thanks. Coffee’s fine.”
Dusty returned to the coffee pot and froze as he gripped its handle. He let go and spun around. “Why are you here, Alyson?”
“I told you. Your call worried me.”
“No. I mean why are you here? Without Katie saving you…you would’ve been dead right now.”
“What? What the hell are you talking about? Katie saving me?”
“You remember. Before you moved to Fargo. We got in that fight by the lake.”
“Yeah, and that crazy chick that barrel-assed across the lake on the snowmobile interrupted us when she crashed, then proceeded to tell me how great Fargo was. You helped her—”
