Page 18 of Safe With You

“Does Katie know you’ll be at the attorney’s office tomorrow?”

“Yeah, we talked about it yesterday.”

“Good. Hopefully, knowing she won’t be alone will help.” Dad turned to face Ethan. “If things go how I think they will, you’ll need to keep a close eye on Grant.”

“Oh, I will.” He wouldn’t let the man intimidate Katie or, heaven forbid, lay a finger on her.

“Just keep a cool head while you’re doing it.”

Ethan nodded solemnly at the quiet admonition. As much as Grant deserved retribution, no good would come of Ethan even entertaining the thought of dispensing it himself. Not that such dark thoughts hadn’t entered his mind on occasion.

“I just wish he could be out of her life for good.”

“Maybe, after this, he will be. Ruby was the only real thing connecting Katie and Leah. With that connection gone, they may all go their separate ways.”

“I hope so.”

Within an hour, Mom bustled around the kitchen, setting out fruit, cereal, and bagels for breakfast and preparing chicken and vegetables to go into the oven as soon as they got home from church. Ethan helped where he could and then fixed himself breakfast.

He was slathering cream cheese on an everything bagel when voices came from the living room. He glanced up as Becca and Katie walked into the kitchen. His eyes snagged on Katie. She must have decided to go to church with them because she wore one of Becca’s black cardigans and a red skirt with black polka dots. The style and the colors suited her. She’d put her hair up like it had been the day of the funeral, dark tendrils framing her face. She caught his gaze and smiled the contented smile he would have done almost anything to ensure remained in place. He returned it and only then remembered his half-finished bagel. His attention snapped back to it.

They leisurely shared breakfast at the table, and then the women dispersed to finish their makeup. Shortly before ten o’clock, they all headed outside to Mom and Dad’s four-door truck.

“Want me to sit in the middle?” Becca asked Katie along the way.

“That’s all right. I’m the smallest. That’s usually how it works.”

Ethan opened the door for her while Becca walked around to the other side. Katie climbed into the spacious backseat, and Ethan slid in after her. He reached for his seatbelt and pulled it down, bumping hands with Katie as they both went to buckle in at the same time.

She laughed. “Oops.”

He pulled back. “Sorry, you first.”

She clicked hers in, and then he did.

Becca reached for her seatbelt. “This is just like old times when the three of us used to cram into the backseat of the old van while Joel and Megan got the two middle seats.”

Ethan remembered those days. Good times. He tapped Mom’s shoulder. “Why was it always us three who got shoved in the back?”

She turned to glance at them. “Because you were the closest and least likely to fight.”

“Fair point.”

Katie smiled and traded parting words with a little old lady, who she didn’t recognize but had known Grandma well, judging by the fond memories she shared. Several others had stopped to talk after the service, including a couple of women Katie remembered attending Sunday school with as kids. She might have found it overwhelming if Ethan had not remained near to help with the conversation. Still, the care and genuine interest she received reminded her of how much she’d missed this sort of close-knit community over the years. She enjoyed going to church with Drew, but with nearly four hundred people in attendance—more than double what she saw here—she often felt lost in the crowd.

With no one else nearby, Katie followed Ethan’s lead to where his family had gathered. Here, she properly met Joel’s wife, Naomi. They’d barely had time to talk at the funeral, but Naomi’s sweet disposition matched Joel well.

The kids were running here and there with friends, so Katie only got to meet Joel’s youngest, eight-month-old Jackson. He had luscious brown curls like his mom and wore an adorable plaid shirt and a newsboy-style hat. His blue eyes regarded her rather gravely as he sucked on his pacifier, perfectly content to watch her from his mom’s arms. Joel promised he’d get the rest of the kids to stand still long enough for introductions once they all gathered for dinner.

After fellowshipping for a bit longer, they headed back to the lake house. Katie changed into something comfortable and helped Evelyn and Becca in the kitchen with dinner. Before long, the front door opened, letting in voices, commotion, and children’s laughter. It all came spilling into the kitchen as Joel, Megan, and their families entered.

Amongst the flurry of greetings, Joel called the kids to the front. The three of them—a boy and two girls—lined up in age order, which Katie guessed to be about ten, eight, and five.

“Kids, this is Katie. She was our good friend when we were your age.”

“She’s the one from the pictures,” the middle girl piped up.

“That’s right.” Joel put his hand on the boy’s shoulder first. His wavy hair was a bit long, perhaps taking after his uncle. “This is Marshall.”

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