Empty Nesters Ch. 01

"Come on in and sit down, and we can talk all this through, Sis." I said. "I'll take your bag back to your room; you go relax." When I found her, she had wandered into the family room and collapsed in one of the recliners. She was sobbing quietly.

"Hey, hey," I said, starting to rub her shoulders. "There, there; it's going to be alright, you know? I'm here, for you."

"Thanks Danny. I'm just overwhelmed, is all. The stress is catching up to me." she answered, sniffling herself back to a semi-calm state.

"Well, you have lots of time to figure it all out, Katie," I said, feeling her shoulders finally begin to relax a bit. "You can stay here as long as you need."

"Really, Danny?" she smiled. "You don't know how much that'd mean, to me."

"You can move in, for that matter." I heard myself saying, not thinking ahead. "I'm only here half the time, anyway. It'd be good to have someone I can trust, here, looking after things while I'm out on the rig."

"Danny, you're the best," she said, turning around to hug me awkwardly over the chair back.

The quick motion caused some unintentional contact, which I did my best to ignore as I returned her hug. "I think you need to get some sleep. I've just come off the rig, and I could do with some myself," I said, stroking her long blond hair.

"I wish I could sleep," Katie responded. "I've been having insomnia, for the longest time."

Now that I looked into her face, I could see the dark circles under her eyes. I kissed her on her forehead and told her, "I have just the thing."

I went into the kitchen and dug my bottle of melatonin out of the cabinet where I keep vitamins and supplements. I shook two tablets out of the bottle, grabbed a glass of water, and returned to the family room.

"Here, take these," I said, handing her the pills and the water.

"What is it?" she asked, as she accepted them.

"Melatonin," I answered. "It's a natural hormone the body generates, that helps regulate the sleep or wake cycle. When it's nearing time for you to go to sleep, the body releases more melatonin into the system. That relaxes you, and gets you ready to drift off to sleep easily. Stress can result in the body not producing as much melatonin, thus creating insomnia. I take these, periodically, when I have to work odd hours on the rig. I don't do it often but, sometimes, I'm required to work nights. It's not a drug, and you won't feel any after effects."

She swallowed the pills and asked, "Can we sit on the sofa, awhile? I need some 'little brother' hugs."

We moved to the sofa, I placed the glass on the end table, sat beside her and she snuggled in under my arm. We were both gone in about thirty minutes. I woke with a start, around four, to find her still snuggled into me, a wet spot on my chest where she'd drooled a bit. I sat there, for a few minutes, watching her breathe in and out. She still had a periodic heavy sigh from all the crying she'd done. I couldn't bear to wake her, so I put the recliner sofa up and drifted back into sleep, stroking her hair.

When I awoke again, Katie was starting to stir. Looking back over at the clock it was now almost 8:00 in the morning. "Wow, you really slept for quite a while, Sis."

"God, it was so nice, Dan! I haven't slept that good, in weeks!" she exclaimed. While she was stretching into a sitting position, she noticed her drool, "Oh, I'm sorry I've left you a mess."

"Don't worry about that. I'm just happy you got some sleep, even if it wasn't in a nice bed," I said, stroking her back. "Why don't we go and get some breakfast."

"Oh, that would be great. What are you in the mood for, little brother?"

"You can decide," I said, realizing my morning wood was telling me about what I'd really like.

"Okay, how about some pancakes?" she pronounced.

"That'd be good," I replied. "Why don't you go get showered and change? I'll do the same."

My house has two master suites, although one is really more of a guest suite. I went to my room, which had a big two-person shower. That shower was the main reason I'd kept the house, after the divorce. The previous owner (who'd had the place built) had added it in as a custom feature, and it's not easy to find a similar set-up without going with new construction. Stripping down, I got in and cranked on the multiple heads and got the grime off. I don't get particularly dirty on the rig, but the water there just doesn't seem to get me as clean as I get, at home. When it's my house, my water, my soap, and my shampoo, it just makes me feel cleaner and better.

I still had that case of morning wood that'd been enhanced by my sister's choice of words, when I heard her call my name. It sounded as if she was right outside my bathroom, but I had shampoo in my hair, and so I didn't look, to see. "I'll be right out, Sis," I answered loudly.

When I got out of the shower and started drying off, I noticed my clothes weren't on the floor where I'd left them. I walked into my bedroom and found Katie, sorting laundry from my hamper. Hastily, I draped the towel around my waist. "Whoa. I didn't know you were in here, Sis."

"Sorry; I saw the trail of clothes you'd left, and started picking them up," she said, casting her eyes away from me. "When I went to put them in the hamper, I noticed it was full to overflowing... so I just started sorting them."

"You don't have to do that," I said, thankful she'd turned away and couldn't see I was still pretty excited. I quickly got on some boxers from my drawer. "It's safe now," I told her, somewhat prematurely.

She turned around, "I just want to help out, while I'm here." Her eyes drifted to my slightly tented front and blushed. "I'll just get this load started, so you'll have clothes when we get back." she said, quickly brushing past me.

"I'll be ready in a jiff," I offered. I quickly got on some jeans and a shirt. Walking out into the hall I found her waiting. "I can't believe you got ready before me. You already started that load of laundry, too?"

"Well, I'm quick, at some things," she said, smiling. "I've been doing laundry a couple times a week for so long that it's just second nature... I make it go fast, so I can tend to other stuff."

"Yeah, but you finished in the bathroom and got dressed before me..." I said quizzically.

"Well, I don't have any shampoo, and I just had my hair colored," she said a little oddly.

"Oh, it looks really nice, but it looks like your normal color," I said, looking at it more closely.

"No, Dan, my normal color is quite gray, nowadays," she said, poking me in the ribs with an index finger. "But, thanks for saying it's nice."

"Oh, I guess I didn't even think about that possibility," I said absently. "It's hard to picture you as having gray hair. You look too young, for that."

"Flatterer!" she laughed, waving away my compliment.

Looking at her, in her simple skirt and blouse, I just couldn't understand why any man would leave her. She didn't look forty-four, at all. She was still every bit as shapely as a lot of women half her age, and there were almost no wrinkles on her face. Her hands were very delicate, and looked as though they belonged to one of those hand models.

"Really, you look great," I said finally. "That Jim is an idiot, for walking away from you."

"You're silly," she punched me, and I pretended it hurt.

"Hey," I countered, "You're kind of hot, Sis, whether you admit to it, or not. And I don't think I could find too many guys who'd disagree with me, on that score!"

"Save your butter for the pancakes," she smiled, deviously.

Oh my god. I thought. She's pushing that innuendo on purpose. Trying to push those thoughts away, I said, "OK, well let's go then."

We took my Ford F250, since her Odyssey was still loaded with the rest of her belongings. The truck was all I had, right then. I'd been considering getting a car but, somehow, it had never become a priority. The whole way to the restaurant, she sat there and watched my driving.

"You're a very defensive driver, Dan," she said, as we pulled into the parking lot of the pancake place.

"I'm cautious about almost everything, these days," I replied. "The industry I work in places an emphasis on safety, and my own private life experiences have led me to trust very few people."

"That's why you were acting a bit unsure about letting me stay, yesterday," she said in a quiet voice.

"What? I wanted you to stay, Sis," I replied. "I still do!"

"You weren't certain it was a good idea, at the time. I could see the wheels spinning, as you made the offer. You don't have to worry; I promise not to sleep with you again," she said, the last bit jokingly.

"I wasn't hesitating because of that," I teased her back. "I trust you. I love you, and I know you wouldn't hurt me. I just don't know if I trust me not to hurt you."

"Oh, Dan," she laughed softly. "You've never hurt me, not even that night. What we, um... well, I mean... what happened, happened. It was embarrassing, at the time but, now, I kind of think of it fondly."

Fondly? I wondered where she was headed, with that line of thinking. I wanted to ask her to explain what she meant, but the parking lot of the restaurant wasn't the proper place for that conversation.

"Well, you hungry or what?" I asked, getting out of the truck.

As I waited at the front of the truck, she opened her door and hopped down. I couldn't help notice the nice sway of her blouse as she landed. It was obvious that she'd decided to forego wearing a bra. She walked up to me and took my hand. It was really nice, even if a bit surprising. She was nearly as tall as me and I'm 6' 3". Her shoes did have a heel, but it wasn't very large. Walking into the local diner, we could smell the fragrances of breakfast. It wasn't very busy on this lovely Wednesday. That is one of the advantages of my schedule: when I'm off, lots of other people are working. Walking into most places at nine o'clock on a weekday morning, and not dealing with crowds or lines, is nice.

There was one girl, doing double duty as both hostess and waitress. She seated us quickly, and left us with menus while she fetched glasses of water and the table settings. We opened our menus and started to look them over. I was starving, just looking at the photos of the food, and I heard a faint tummy rumble coming from across the table. I looked up, and Kate peered briefly over the top of her menu at me, blushing slightly.

"Sorry about that, Dan," she murmured in a low voice. "I guess I'm hungrier than I thought."

"No problem, Sis," I chuckled back at her, patting my slightly expanded waistline, briefly. "I'm feeling the same way. I've just got a better 'muffler' than you do, is all."

"Have you two love birds decided what you'd like, yet?" The waitress was back already, and placing napkins, silverware, and place mats in front of us. That's another advantage of my schedule. I get much quicker service, hitting places when business volume is low.

Katie smiled at the description, but didn't correct her. "Yes, I'd like to have the pancake special with bacon and eggs over easy."

"That is exactly what I was going to get." I laughed. "I also want a side order of hash-browns all the way, and some coffee."

"Ooo, that sounds good, too," Katie said. "I think I'll take some, as well."

"Thanks, you two. My name is Kate, and I'll be right back with that coffee."

"Another Kate," I said, as our waitress departed. "They're coming out of the woodwork, around here."

Katie smiled and took my hand. "I love you, Dan."

"I love you too, Katie," I replied. "What brought that on?"

"I just wanted to say it; I wanted to say it yesterday when you opened the door." She paused and looked about to tear up again. Then pushing it away with her hand she continued, "I guess I'm still going through what you went through six years ago, with Launa, suffering from betrayal and having trust issues. It's just nice to be with someone you know has your back."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw our waitress approaching with the coffee service, and we quickly let go of each other's hands, to make room on the table.

"Here's that coffee," Kate (the waitress) said, pouring us each a cup. "You two make such a sweet couple." Then she told us, "I think I see your food being put up right now. I'll be right back."

"Now that is quick," I said, laughing.

"I don't think I've ever had my food show up this speedily, Dan," Katie said, after Kate left. "You'll need to leave a nice tip."

"I always tip well, Sis; these people work very hard. I can't understand why some customers are frequently unkind to workers who just aren't paid much."

Kate was right back with our plates on a big round tray, which she expertly maneuvered to deliver each item. "Is there anything else I can get y'all?" she asked.

"No, everything looks great, Kate," I responded.

Evidently, Katie was pretty hungry. She'd already dug in and was apparently really enjoying her pancakes and blueberry syrup. I smiled, briefly, and then attacked my own plate full of food.

"I guess you liked them," I teased her, as she wolfed down the last bite of her pancakes. "You want some of mine?"

"No, thanks, they were just the thing, though: comfort food, to the rescue of emotional damage," she said thoughtfully.

"We need to stop by the grocery store when we're done here," I mentioned. "I always empty out the refrigerator when I leave for a month, nowadays."

"I guess I hadn't thought about that part of your life, much," Katie said, looking distant. "What's it like, out there?"

"It's all about the same as living in the dorms, at college, just way more industrial and cramped. We have rooms with beds, central bathrooms, a chow hall, an exercise room, and all the porn you can stream at home comes right into our connection," I said, grinning.

"Yeah, I hadn't thought about that either. A month can be a very long time, without the comforts of home," she said, her mischievous grin lighting up her face.

"You don't know the half of it." I played along. "But, honestly, I don't think I've been with a woman, now, in almost a year."

"Have you gone over to the other side, Dan?" She looked sadly at me.

"No, I'm not gay. It's just that I can't bring myself to trust any of the women I meet," I said, looking at my empty plate. This conversation topic was taking me to a place I really didn't want to visit.

"We should go." I said, finally, getting out my wallet and putting forty bucks on the table.

"Dan, that's way too much," she said, pulling my hand.

"I told you I tip well, and I don't wait around or in line much while I'm home," I said bluntly. "Come on; let's go shopping for food, for the rest of the week."

I opened the door and we waved to the waitress, "Thanks, very much."

At the truck, I opened the door for Katie. "You need help up?" I asked.

"I got in, just fine, the first time," she said.

"Yeah, but then I saw you jump down, and reconsidered my manners," I said, blushing a bit.

"I saw you watching me jump down and didn't think it was my safety, that had your attention," she said, accepting my hand with a smile as I assisted her up into the cab.

"Okay, you caught me," I admitted. "You're very attractive, you know?"

"Keep on telling me that, and I just might start to believe it," she laughed.

Thinking I'd said too much, I quickly closed the door. Hopping into the driver seat, I started the truck and drove to the grocery store, which was just in the next block. "Can you grab those bags, behind you, Sis?" I asked, as I was closing my door. She grabbed several cloth bags behind her seat, while I walked around to help her down.

"You're such a gentleman, Dan," she beamed at me. "Thanks."

"What kinds of food should we get?" I asked her. "I mean, I always get fresh vegetables and fruits, milk and perishables, but what kinds of home cooked meals would you like?"

"Oh, we can just get whatever's on special," she said.

"We can, but we don't have to. I make decent enough money that I don't have to skimp or budget-shop, when it comes to food. We can make this special, and get whatever strikes our fancy," I said.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry, Dan. I totally forgot that your birthday is tomorrow."

"Yeah, but that's not what I meant, about special. It's going to be really nice, having you here, I think. We can have a real simple meal for my birthday. I don't need to be reminded of how old I am."

"What do you mean, how old you are, Dan?" she asked me, her eyes holding a mischievous twinkle. "You're not even forty, and you're in great shape, judging from what I saw of you, in the bedroom."

What the hell was going on, here? Why was she continually allowing that sexual edge to creep into her banter?

Grabbing a cart and depositing the bags into it, I said, "Yeah, let's not go there. I should have put on my jeans, before I told you it was clear. I forgot I was tenting."

She fell in beside me and hugged on my arm. We each grabbed several items as we went through the produce aisles. Tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, purple onions, apples, oranges, bananas, carrots, celery, cucumbers, and grapes all found their way into the cart. In the bakery aisle, I picked up several different breads that had been baked there, in the store. In the meat section, I selected some really nice steaks and some large shrimp, while Katie grabbed a package of chicken breast and a pork roast. We gathered several boxes of crackers and a few bags of chips, as we wheeled the cart through the snack aisle. Milk, eggs, half and half, sour cream, and several different kinds of cheese went into the cart, from the dairy section. Then we looked at some beer on the way out. I put a couple six-packs of 'light' brews into the cart, and we were done.

"That should do for now, don't you think?" I asked her.

"More than enough, I'd think," she said. "Although, some wine might be a nice addition to a couple of our meals."

She pointed to the display of table wines featured near the beer section, as she made the comment.

"Let's skip that, for the moment," I suggested. "I've got a few bottles at home, both red and white."

"Okay," she smiled. "I think we've got what we need, for most of our meals for the next week."

"Yeah, and we'll eat out, some, too. I like to cook, but I don't enjoy having to fix every meal for myself," I remarked.

"Well, I can take on some cooking, too. I'm not just here for you to wait on me, hand and foot, Dan."

"Yes, Sis. I know. You're the most helpful person I know. Just like this morning..." I said putting my hand on hers as we approached the check out.

"Did you two find everything okay, today?" the clerk asked, as he started ringing everything up.

"You bet," I said, handing him the bags we'd brought. The young man took the bags, but was clearly giving Katie a good look over. I wondered if she noticed, like I did.

With everything bagged and in the cart, we headed out to load them into the back of the truck. That was one disadvantage of the truck. It had some space behind the seats, just not enough for groceries. They always went in the back. As I finished loading them, I looked at Katie, "Maybe I'll do it, this time off."

"What's that, Dan?"

"Oh, just thinking out loud. I've been thinking it was time to replace this silly truck with a car. Maybe it's time. You up for dealing with car salesmen, this week, Sis?"

"Is anyone ever up, for that?" she shivered.

"Oh, it's not that bad. We'll go in and tease a few, while we test out the high end ones..." I joked.

The trip home was silent. Katie seemed to be deep in thought, and I wondered what she was thinking, but didn't want to push her. We got all the groceries into the house, and I started to put them away while she went off to deal with the laundry. When she returned to the kitchen, she was wearing a yellow bikini, and I nearly tripped over my tongue.