Page 15 of Inevitably Yours

Gus knew the wisdom of Andy’s words. John was a complicated man and wasn’t one to be swayed by others. He was a strong and independent being; he’d always had to be. Even though what she was offering him could change that, he had to let go of the protection his fiercely independent nature offered him and take a risk.

“I will offer you this, however. Don’t sit around and wait for him to come to you. I’m not saying chase his ass down either. That will work about as well as me going in there to snuggle Skynyrd. He will claw me to bits. But, if I sit here petting Lyn and ignore Skyn, he will eventually find his way under my touch for a few pets before retreating. Each time I visit, he accepts a little more attention from me. Eventually, he will be rolling over in my lap and exposing his belly demanding rubs. And do you know why?”

“Because there isn’t a male on this planet that can resist your charms?” Marco piped up. The blush and shy smile that graced Andy’s face was a thing of beauty, a testament to deep and lasting love. The look they shared made Gus blush. It was like peeking into someone’s windows and observing the true them.

“Not that your statement isn’t accurate, but no, it’s because he witnesses the way I am with Lyn. He is too afraid to come to me and develop that trust the way most animals do, through personal experience, I suppose. Instead, he uses Lyn’s reaction to me to form his theory. He observes Lyn’s condition after an encounter and sees that he is content with his treatment. He wasn’t harmed by it.”

“I thought you were a lawyer by day, not Jackson Galaxy’s understudy.”

“Part of being a good litigator is reading people, so if I apply that to cats, then so be it. As I was saying, Skyn has lived a hard life, been through things we can only imagine. It’s made him, let’s say, cautious. So, he doesn’t put himself out there to be hurt; he leaves that to Lyn. After a while of Lyn being consistently okay with my treatment, he will test it himself. Plus, like all males, he is envious of the other male’s attention, and of course, a little jealousy and envy are amazing motivators.”

“Are you actually suggesting I set out to make John jealous? Isn’t that against the bro code or something? Besides, John is not a man to be manipulated. However, I have thought about putting myself out there. I may be hopelessly optimistic as Stacy says, but I am also a realist. John isn’t ready for me or a relationship with me for whatever reasons. I want to believe it’s just the pregnancy, but it may not be. I may deliver this baby in a week or two and nothing will change between us. I can’t just sit around like a lump on log waiting to see if he will come around.”

Andy displayed a split second of utter shock at her words before he schooled his features, but Marco’s jaw was practically on the tile. Gus enjoyed their surprise for whatever reason. It was rare she was unpredictable, especially to Andy.

“Pick your handsome jaw up off the floor, sweetheart, you’re catching flies,” Andy said lovingly with a light touch to Marco’s jaw, before turning to Gus and dropping a kiss on her forehead. “I think that is a wonderful idea, Pixie. John is a good man, and I know you care deeply about him, and while I believe he cares deeply for you, no one should put their life on hold for another person.”

His words touched her, so Gus threw herself into his arms. Not because she hadn’t thought the same thing, but because it was a relief to hear from Andy. It was like he was giving her his blessing to pursue whatever would make her happy. Not that she needed it or that he thought he had the right to grant it, but she was carrying his child. So in a way, she did look to him for permission.

“Besides, any man who is willing to give me a chance while I’m pregnant has got to be worth something.” Gus had no designs on falling in love or even starting a serious relationship, but why should she be totally alone just because she wasn’t in the market for forever. Having a male companion to eat dinner and catch a movie with sounded good. Hell, just to sit on the couch with a man who enjoys my company as a woman and binge watch my latest obsession with me sounds like Heaven.

“And like my cariño said, a little jealousy goes a long way.” Marco’s voice broke through her thoughts. Shaking off her little mental vacay, she noticed the men readying to leave.

“You have to go already? You just got here.”

“Yes, Pixie, the vans will be here any minute now, and Marco is peculiar about where everything must go. Besides, you will be sick to death of us by the time this baby is weaned, so enjoy the fact that we are leaving without you forcing us out.”

Gus escorted them to the door and said her goodbyes. “And for the record, I’m not open to dating to make John jealous. I’m doing it to set us both free.”

After they left, she pondered her own words. It was true, as much as she saw affection in John’s eyes, she was pretty sure it wasn’t love. Not that it couldn’t be, it just wasn’t yet. If she allowed herself to stagnate and pine, John would shoulder the guilt like it was his fault. That misguided sense of guilt would likely force him to make a move he wasn’t ready for. That was something she would never allow. The one thing worse than unrequited love is being trapped by someone else’s love for you.

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