Close to You - Kristen Proby Page 0,58
better storage for all of those shoes.”
“Why do girls have to buy so many shoes in the first place?” He frowns, like women are as much a mystery as aliens.
“It’s not our job to understand them,” I reply with a sigh, and clap him on the shoulder. “We just try our best to keep them happy.”
“That’s a mystery too,” he says, shaking his head in disgust. “I’ve been living with this girl, Melissa, since my folks moved up to Seattle. I like her, but damn, she’s a head case.”
“How long have you dated her?”
“A couple years, I guess.” He shrugs. “We get along okay for the most part, but damn, she’s so jealous. I can’t even be polite to a waitress without her losing her shit on me.”
“That sounds exhausting,” I murmur, not envious of his plight in the least. I’ve dated girls like that before. Hell, most of us have. They’re emotionally draining.
“I was so glad you called me to come help with this,” Steven continues. “She was ranting and nagging about something this morning. Wanted me to mow the grass or something, which is fine, but I just mowed it two days ago. Sometimes I think she just needs to nag me about anything to feel good.”
I nod, not sure what to say. I can see that he’s frustrated, but we’re not really close friends. After a pause, he glances at me, and looks like he’s about to say something, but then turns away and begins stirring the paint we’re going to use on two of the walls.
“Go ahead and ask.”
He waits a minute, and then surprises the shit out of me when he asks, “Do you regret doing the Navy thing?”
I blink for a minute, mentally switching gears. “Not at all.”
He simply nods.
“Why do you ask?”
“Well, I’ve been thinking about enlisting.”
“In the Navy?”
“Yeah.” He shrugs. “I think it could be a good opportunity for me.”
I think so too. But I don’t want to push the military on him. The decision has to be his own.
“Have you talked to a recruiter?”
“A few times, yes. I don’t think I can be a pilot because of my eyes.”
“What’s wrong with your eyes?”
“Glasses. I don’t have Navy pilot eyes, but there are a million other things I can do.”
“Absolutely.” I shove my hands in my pockets and wait, expecting him to start asking more questions, and I don’t have to wait long.
“Was it hard, being away from your family all of the time?”
“I’d get homesick a bit in the beginning,” I reply, and rub my chin, thinking back to that time. Mostly, I was homesick for Cami, but I don’t tell him that. “But they’ll keep you busy with training. You’ll get leave so you can come home to visit.”
He nods. “And maybe I can get stationed in some cool places. See things I wouldn’t get to see otherwise.”
He’s a smart kid.
“That’s one of the things I loved about it.”
“I’ve heard girls like a guy in uniform.” His young face lights up at that thought, making me smile.
“I thought you already had a girl?”
“Come on, you and I both know that’s not going to last. I’m not married to her, and I can’t wait to get away from her every day. That’s not how I want to live my life.”
“No. You don’t.” I’ve been there too, and I’m so thankful that I don’t have that now. I love being with Cami. I could talk to her all day and never tire of her.
“You’re not sick of my aunt,” Steven says pointedly, looking me in the eye.
“No. I’m not.”
“So, her parents died a while back, and my folks moved away, and I’m the only family she has here, not counting the girls, so I feel like I should ask you some questions.”
He’s holding my gaze, his shoulders are square, and his hands are fisted. He’s a good young man who loves his aunt, and I couldn’t have more respect for him than I do right now.
“Ask away.”
“What are your intentions with her?” He crosses his arms over his chest.
“Are you asking if I intend to marry her?”
“Do you?”
I nod, finally able to voice aloud what’s been running through my head for weeks. “I love your aunt, Steven. She’s an amazing woman. I would be the luckiest man in the world if she agreed to marry me.”
“Aunt Cami is the best.” He nods and looks around the empty room. “She deserves the best that life has to offer. Someone to love her and