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“I think this is how you got to be forty years old and never had a serious relationship.”

“I’m a serial monogamist, I’ve had tons of relationships,” I protested.

“Not serious ones. You cut out when it gets too serious.” She raised one eyebrow. “Once you hit the one year mark, you get nervous and you break up with them, just like clockwork. That’s when your abandonment issues raise their heads.”

I shook my head, even though I knew she was right. “Well thank you for this therapy session.”

She gave me a grin. “Any time.”

“What’s new with you, by the way?”

“Just trying to get a few holdouts to prepare their state-mandated disaster preparedness plans. The governor wants them all completed by this spring but there’s a few stubborn mayors who are refusing to comply.” She made her voice deep, imitating a man. “We don’t want no liberal governor from the big city telling us to plan for some damn disaster that will never happen.”

I laughed. “Well, good luck with that.”

The next two Fridays I drove up to Pine Bluff to spend the weekend with Liz. I spent the work week sad to be away from her and every time I left town it was harder to leave again. We’d only been together for three weeks, but it felt like a lifetime.

The next weekend was Christmas, and I was trying to figure out what to do. My supervisor had approved her liquor license, and Liz was having a soft opening for the café on the Friday before the holiday. Really it was just a party for her friends, which was basically everyone in town, then she’d open officially after Christmas. I didn’t want to miss it, but I also didn’t want to leave my sister alone for the holiday.

“Why don’t you just bring her with you to my place?” Liz asked. “My kids are both going on vacation for the holiday – I think so they don’t feel like they have to choose between their parents – so I’ll have the guest room open. She can stay there and spend the holiday with us. And Evelyn.”

Steph was predictably thrilled about the idea.

“I can’t wait to meet your girlfriend!” she squealed, as if she were a teenager instead of a grown woman. “I can already tell that she’s different than all the others.”

We both took off work on the twenty-second so we could help Liz put the finishing touches on the café. She and Liz took to each other instantly, but it was Evelyn who became her new best friend.

“So that lawyer fella is your brother?” Evelyn asked as soon as they met.

“It’s Nathan,” Liz reminded her.

I had a feeling Evelyn had no problem remembering my name; the woman was sharp as a tack. She just liked to tease me. And Liz.

“He’s not a lawyer, he’s just some boring government drone,” my sister responded, sending me a teasing look.

“Takes one to know one,” I shot back.

“I know that honey,” Evelyn told my sister. “But he looks so much like that lawyer on TV I can’t resist imagining that it’s him. And teasing him about it.”

“What lawyer on TV?”

Liz stepped in before Evelyn could give another convoluted explanation about who she thought I looked like.

“She thinks Nathan looks like Bobby on that old show The Practice. Dylan McDermott.”

My sister stared at me for a moment then burst out laughing. “Oh my God! You totally do! You even have the chin dimple.”

“And the grumpy intense face,” Evelyn added. “It’s too bad he’s not that lawyer fella though, because then he could introduce me to Mr. William Shatner.”

“I loved William Shatner on Boston Legal,” Steph responded. “He was hilarious.”

After that, the two of them were thick as thieves.

The soft opening of the café was a success, with damn near everyone in town stopping by to order food, have a glass of Christmas Punch, or just give Liz their congratulations. Liz was in her element playing hostess, a true extrovert, while I stayed behind the counter manning the punch station. Evelyn and Steph pitched in to help the part-time staffer who was also on duty.

When we finally closed, we were all exhausted. Brian walked Evelyn home, much as he’d done that first day I came here, and Liz and Steph and I headed upstairs to go to bed.

I got my sister set up in the guest room while Liz took a shower, then pounced on her as soon as she returned to the room. I grabbed her by the waist and spun her around while she shrieked in laughter.