“Actually, Steve and I’ll be dancing at the Governor’s Ball in January. Mr. O’Leary invited us the other day. It seems that Steve is a pretty good friend of his. I’d be willing to bet that it’ll be on YouTube shortly afterwards,” predicted Gwen. “Thanks so much for the hospitality, but we need to get home for dessert and football. My boyfriend loves his football!”
Gwen and Steve made it by two more houses before some kids from school trotted down the sidewalk to chat with them. “Come on in and meet my parents and aunts and uncles,” coaxed a girl Steve knew as Sue. “They’re dying to meet the guy that threw ‘The Pass’ and danced with ‘The Lady in Red’.”
Gwen and Steve soon realized that their walk was destined to be more of a tour, than a stroll. By the time they returned to the Anderson home, they had been invited into five homes to meet relatives and friends, besides the many people that greeted them on the sidewalk.
“What were you two doing for so long?’ demanded Paula as she hustled the couple into the living room. “We expected you back an hour ago. Do I dare ask what took so long?”
“Mother! We kept getting invited into people’s homes to say hello to friends and relatives. We never made it past Hickory Street. It took an hour to get that far and another forty minutes to get back. Everybody wanted to meet the guy that led ‘The Drive’ and threw ‘The Pass’ and saved two kids from drowning in the icy waters of Emerson River.”
“I thought they were all asking to meet ‘The Lady in Red’ and “The Heroine of the Emerson River Rescue’. It seems that Gwen Anderson has become a source of great pride among the residents of this development,” responded Steve, before he added. “Actually, the whole town loves their heroine.”
“Well, I’m not surprised,” stated Paula’s mother. “She’s just beginning to show her potential and you’re helping a great deal with that. When I was here last Thanksgiving, Gwen insisted on going to her room to study after dinner. I was concerned about her being so reserved and introverted. Then I turn on the TV the other day and see her strip down to her bra and panties and dive into icy waters to help save two children and a very brave young man. I was amazed at how she’s blossomed. Let’s watch the videos and I’ll tell you all about it.”
The family was just finishing the videos when Paula asked Steve to help her serve dessert to everyone in the living room. Once she had him away from the others, she quickly let him know the actual reason she wanted him alone with her.
“Steve, I’ve watched the girls of mine when they’re near you and I have a serious favor to ask of you. Please promise me that you’ll try to never cause a rift between them. I’m afraid they’re all falling in love with you. I worry how that could affect how close they are to each other. I’ve always been proud of the girls and how they supported each other and protected each other. Please don’t give Gwen reason to resent Lisa or Kate.”
Steve was dumbfounded. He blushed as he sought the right words to respond to Paula’s request. “Mrs. Anderson, I’ve never tried to mislead the girls. Gwen is my girlfriend. I respect her. Kate and Lisa are absolutely beautiful, but Gwen is the daughter I want. I’ll never do anything to harm Gwen in any way. I can promise that.”
“I know you haven’t misled them, but they’re drawn to you like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I see how Lisa and Kate kiss and tease you. Gwen has to see it, too. Don’t let their enthusiasm and beauty cause you to slip up. It would destroy Gwen and possibly this family,” finished Paula.
“Mrs. Anderson, I promise that I’ll not betray your trust, nor will I ever do anything to harm your daughters in any way. Kate and Lisa are like sisters I never had. Gwen is all I want. It should help relieve you to know that she told me that I could be her boyfriend, but there would be no sex. There’s no danger there,” assured Steve.
“I have your word. That’s all I ask. You haven’t learned when a girl says ‘no’ she often means ‘yes’. You’re an extremely handsome, desirable male. My daughters are all falling in love with you. Kate and Lisa love Gwen and they’ll try to be good sisters to her, but I know the temptations they face. If you’re very careful to show them boundaries, they’ll probably respect them, but it won’t be easy for them,” worried Paula. “You’re a wonderful young man and I couldn’t be happier with the way you’ve helped Gwen. You’re part of the family. I’m just not certain how big a part you are, or will become. Thanks for listening to a worried mom,” finished Paula as she hugged Steve warmly.
“Mom! Is that why you needed Steve to help with the pie?” asked Kate as Paula quickly stepped back from Steve. “Next time, I’ll bring in the dessert with Steve and you can listen to Grandma tell everyone what a heartbreaker she was way back when. I was kidding, Mom! You know that, right?”
Paula had left the room as Kate spoke. Kate looked after her and then swung around to Steve. “What was that all about? Did you say something to Mom to hurt her feelings?”
“Kate, your mom was just asking me to not hurt your feelings, or your sisters’ feelings. She thinks that maybe you like me too much. You can understand her concern. It would be really bad if something should ever come between you and your sisters.”
“Something like a big, handsome stud? I admit that I flirt a lot with you, but I thought you were safe since you love Sis so much. I like you an awful lot, but I know better than to expect you to fall for me. Do you want me to stop flirting? I will if you ask, but I really like being honest around you. I’ve never felt so free around a guy before. A lot of it’s because you’re Gwen’s boyfriend. I think you’d cut off your arm before you’d hurt her.”
“Kate, you’re right about how I feel about Gwen. As long as you know that I’m truly falling in love with you, but like a beautiful little sister, we’ll get along great. Be sure that Gwen understands our relationship, and maybe try to explain things to your mom a little better. She’s afraid that I’ll hurt you, or Gwen, or Lisa, or all three of you. I admire how much you three love each other and I’d feel terrible if I ever messed that up.”
“Gwen knows how I feel, and how you feel. She’s real smart. As long as you love her and always show her that you do, she’ll never worry about me. A girl can hug, love, and tease her big brother, can’t she?” asked Kate as she hugged Steve. “Gwen and I’ll always be close and you’re just making it better. I’ll talk to Mom and have Lisa and Gwen do the same. She still thinks of us as little girls.”
“So that’s why we haven’t been served our pie!” laughed Lisa as she came into the kitchen to find Kate in Steve’s embrace.
“Mom told Steve that she’s worried about him breaking our hearts, or even breaking up us sisters. I was telling him that as long as he loves Gwen, there’ll never be a problem. She knows how much we like him. She also knows that we sisters stick together and he’s safe with us, except we’re going to hug and kiss him like a brother. Actually, not quite like a brother, but more like a sexy brother-in-law.”
“Kate’s right! We think the world of you, but Gwen’s our sister. Mom should know better. You’re Gwen’s boyfriend. I’ve never seen anything like the way you two belong together. If you love Gwen like I think you do, Kate and I could never come between you, and we’d never want to. That said, I want some of that hug!” laughed Lisa as she moved under Steve’s left arm to join Kate in Steve’s strong arms.
“No wonder we’re not getting any dessert!” came a calm voice from the doorway. “I leave you guys alone with my boyfriend for a few minutes and you’re all over him. To think I was going to blame Mom for keeping him in the kitchen. Where is Mom?”
“Remember when Dad gave Steve ‘The Talk’ the first night you two went out?’ asked Lisa. “Steve says that Mom just gave him another version of ‘The Talk’. She’s worried that this handsome, athletic, dancing, life saver will cause us sisters to argue and bicker and maybe even split apart the family. Mom seems to think that Kate and I will try to steal him away, or jump into bed with him or something. We were just telling Steve that we think the world of him, but you’re our sister and we’ll never do anything to ruin our sisterly bond. We told him that you’re fine with us kissing him and hugging him as long as we all understand that he’s your boyfriend. Why have such a handsome man in the family if we can’t take advantage of him?”
“Mom was worried? About you and Kate liking Steve too much? About us having a falling out over him? I thought she understood us better than that. Listen to me, Steve.
“My sisters mean everything to me. I love them without reservation and I think they feel the same way toward me. It makes me feel really good when they show how special they think you are. It helps reinforce my faith in my judgment. They’ll never have sex with you as long as you’re my boyfriend, or mean something to me. I know that. They know that. It doesn’t mean that they can’t love you. We’ll all love each others’ boyfriends, husbands, significant others, or whatever they’re called at the time. That is unless one of us falls in love with a jackass; then the other two sisters will let her know that fact immediately. We need to explain this to Mom.”