'Southern Charm' Stars Shep & Kathryn Have A More Intense Romantic History Than You Thought

Kathryn Dennis and Shep Rose may have many years between them, but they’ve lived similar lives down in Charleston, South Carolina, on Southern Charm. They each love a good time, and they’ve been known to be out on the town on occasion (or, uh, a lot). But they’re also loyal, caring, and good to their friends. Oh, and cute. Which leads a very important question — did Kathryn and Shep ever date on Southern Charm?

On the June 14 episode of Southern Charm, Kathryn, who has been taking care of Shep following his knee surgery, admitted that the first time she and Shep hooked up — which was all the way back in Season 1 of Southern Charm — wasn’t the last time the two shared some special time together. In Season 1, Kathryn was linked to Shep, Whitney, and Thomas. (Which is fine! She is and was a grown woman and can do what she wants.) Kathryn and Shep hooked up then, and then she ultimately chose Thomas. But she now says she and Shep have slept with each other a few times since Season 1, and it’s never really turned into anything serious. No coupled-up vibes right here. They have great sex with each other (which is awesome and so great that she said it out loud), but it’s never graduated into a full-fledged relationship.

And if that’s what these two want, that’s cool. Shep and Kathryn manage to spend a lot of time together, and they speak frequently on Southern Charm (this season, especially) about how much they care for each other and how they can really be themselves around each other. A lot of people might call that love, but if it’s something they’re not ready for, who can force it?

I kid, I kid. Honestly, the best thing a person can have in this life is a good friend. Boyfriends and girlfriends can come and go, but a solid friendship will withstand most obstacles and provide the support system a person needs for when the going gets tough (and it always does). Kathryn has needed friends in recent years — she’s suffered through a cycle of addiction and she’s offended plenty of people in Charleston. Not to mention her make-up, break-up, have-a-baby cycle with Thomas Ravenel, the father of her children. But now she’s on the straight-and-narrow path back to normalcy, she has her kids back, and she seems to be in a happier, much better place. Season 5 Kathryn is truly my favorite Kathryn — she doesn’t react. She doesn’t freak out. She knows she's content in herself, and she isn’t falling for any of your nonsense (or Ashley’s nonsense) anymore. Whitney said it best after Kathryn and Ashley’s Season 5 altercation in Hilton Head — the Kathryn of two years ago would have picked up a fork and started stabbing. The Kathryn of the present barely flinched when Ashley started yelling.

Shep is also growing in his maturity — sure, he takes a lady home every so often and goes out until 4 a.m. — but he is slowly recognizing that he wants to grow old with someone by his side. Wasn’t that the whole point of RelationSHEP, his dating spinoff? He dated a slew of eligible bachelorettes, eventually choosing New York-based Bella. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out. But what RelationSHEP shows is that Shep wants a partner, and he wants someone to grow old with and have fun with. Regardless of whether he believes Kathryn could be that person in a romantic sense, he at least seems to want to keep her in his life.

In an interview with Bustle, Shep said of Season 5’s storylines, “We’re all thrown in a bowl together for four months, and it always produces fireworks and insanity, which is a testament to our insanity.” These cast members may produce waves, but it seems Kathryn and Shep may have found a port in the storm of Southern Charm — each other.