felt when I met Tyler—breathless, distracted, fluttery stomach, heart-racing—reminded me how a guy should make me feel. I didn't feel that way with my ex for the entire last year we were together. That should've been a sign things were over between us. But I held on, thinking I was just preoccupied with the stress of school and work and planning the wedding, when the real reason was because I'd fallen out of love with him.
Why do I feel so much for Tyler when I know he's unavailable? There should be a switch in your body you can turn off to stop it from reacting to unavailable guys.
"Should we go check on the kids?" Tyler jokes. "They've been in there a long time."
"She's probably just helping him with dinner. Walter really went all out tonight. Wearing a suit? Putting lights on the porch?"
"This dinner's kind of a big deal to him."
"Because he's trying to impress Grams?"
"It's more than that. He got some good news the other day and wanted to celebrate."
"What's the good news?"
"It doesn't matter. Actually I shouldn't have said anything. And don't ask him about it. Let's just go back to saying this is all to impress your grandma."
"Would anyone like some wine?" Walter says as he walks in with a bottle of red wine. "If you prefer white, I have that as well."
"Red is fine," I tell him.
He goes to the table and pours the wine into the glasses.
"Where's Grams?" I ask him.
"It seems I cooked the roast a bit too long. Cora thought it was dry so she's making some gravy."
"Do you mind if I go in there?"
"Go ahead."
When I get to the kitchen I find Grams at the stove.
"Grams, you can't come to a dinner party and tell the host he screwed up," I say in a hushed tone.
"I did no such thing!" she says, stirring the gravy. "He asked me to taste the roast and let him know if it needed anything. I told him it needed gravy but he didn't have any so I offered to make it. He was grateful for the help. Good gravy is actually quite difficult to make."
"Still, it seems strange that you're in here cooking."
"I'm almost done."
I lean against the counter. "So, um, Walter looks nice tonight. Don't you think?"
She keeps her eyes on the bubbling gravy as she stirs it. "He looks very handsome."
"And those lights on the porch? I think he did that for you."
She sighs. "Faith, I am not looking for a boyfriend. I'm far too old for such things. Walter is our neighbor. Nothing more."
"You could at least be friends with him. You have stuff in common."
"Like what?"
"You both like flowers."
"Everyone likes flowers."
Walter comes in the kitchen. "How's it going in here?"
"Almost done," Grams says. "Where's the gravy boat?"
"Oh." He looks around. "I'm afraid I don't have one of those. Will a bowl do?"
"This'll work," I say, walking over to a small ceramic pitcher that's sitting on a shelf. I bring it to Grams. "I'll go wait in the dining room."
"What's going on in there?" Tyler asks as I sit down at the table.
"Pot roast issues. Grams is fixing it. We should be ready to eat soon."
A few minutes later dinner is served and I have to agree with Grams, the roast was way overcooked. But the gravy saved it and was also needed for the potatoes. Walter made mashed potatoes, which were really lumpy but tasted good. I think it's really sweet he went to all this work to make dinner.
"Thanks for having us over," I say to Walter as we're having dessert. "Dinner was great."
"You're too kind." He chuckles. "It was edible but not as good as I was hoping it'd be. Your grandmother's gravy saved the meal."
"Walter, don't be so hard on yourself," Grams says. "For a man who never goes in the kitchen, you did a fine job."
"I've always been a horrible cook," he says. "My wife wouldn't even let me near the stove. Since she passed, dinner is usually canned soup and toast."
"Hey! I grilled burgers last week," Tyler says. "And steaks last weekend."
Walter nods. "Yes, with Tyler here I've eaten better."
"You can cook?" I ask him.
"Grill. The oven is a mystery to me, but give me coals and a hot flame and I can cook most anything."
"Would anyone like more coffee?" Walter asks as he gets up.
"Yes, please," Grams says.
"Faith and I are gonna go out on the porch," Tyler says to Walter. "If you don't mind."