Page 24 of Safe With You

Those were good days. Memories like that always made him wonder what life would look like now if Katie had never left. Where the two of them might be…

He cleared his throat. “So what did Drew have to say?” Hopefully, he sounded casual and not nosy.

Katie looked up from the cat. “He always believed Grandma would leave me everything, so he wasn’t surprised.”

She didn’t say more, distracted by the cat again. If Ethan were to guess, Drew probably wondered when she would get home. It would get late if she stayed much longer.

“If you need to go, I can finish up and keep the keys at Mom and Dad’s for you until you need them.” Everything in him rebelled at the thought of her leaving, but he had no power to keep her here.

She set the cat down, and it wound around her ankles. “I decided not to leave today.”

“Oh?” He couldn’t stop the surprise, and perhaps relief, from leaking into his tone.

“Yeah. It seemed weird to leave right away now that the cottage is mine. It hasn’t even sunk in yet. Do you think it would be okay with your parents for me to stay another night or two while I figure out what I’m doing?”

“Of course. You can stay as long as you need.”

“Thank you.” She looked around the porch. “I’ve never owned a house before. I’m not even sure what to do.”

“Well, we’re always around to help…and I’m sure Drew can help.” He didn’t like the semi-bitter taste those words left in his mouth. He had no call to feel any animosity toward a man he’d never even met.

He shoved it aside and focused back on Katie’s decision. The longer she could stay, the better.

Chapter Twelve

Katie woke early the next morning, and for the first time in over a week, the crushing fear, uncertainty, and grief that had been present ever since Grandma’s passing didn’t weigh down her chest. They weren’t gone completely, and while she feared further confrontation with Mom and Grant, yesterday had brought closure.

After thinking and praying for a while, she grabbed her phone and opened the Bible app. She’d utterly failed at reading regularly in the last few months. If she wanted to look at today as a fresh start, the best way would be to redevelop better habits regarding her faith. She read until the clock showed seven-thirty and then got up to pick through her clothes.

Downstairs, she found Ethan at the table with Becca and their dad. The delicious scent of warm blueberry filled the room, making Katie’s mouth water. Evelyn always made the best blueberry muffins. She set a cloth-lined basket of them on the table as Katie neared. A little steam still rose from the ones on top.

“You’re just in time.” She paused to give Katie a look of motherly concern that Katie had ceased hoping to see from her own mother many, many years ago. “How are you this morning?”

“Good, all things considered.” Memories of yesterday threatened to dampen her mood, but she couldn’t give her mom or Grant that power. “I think I’ll go over to the cottage this morning and get ready to stay there tonight.”

“Well, you know you are always welcome to stay here, but I understand the desire to stay there. It was always such a charming little place.”

Katie found her throat squeezing and had to swallow hard. “Grandma really made it special.”

“Yes, she did.” Evelyn put her arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a comforting side hug.

As they parted, Ethan pushed out a chair for her next to him. “Would you like me to come over and turn on the water and check the furnace? It looks like it’ll be cold the next couple of days.”

She slid into the seat. “I’d appreciate that. Thanks.”

They all reached for the muffins, and Katie poured herself a cup of milk from the jug on the table. “I’d like to get some sheets washed. Do you know how the washer and dryer are over there?”

From what she remembered, the set Grandma had fifteen years ago had been pretty old, even back then.

Ethan set his coffee mug down after taking a sip. “I do, actually. Joel and I installed a new set for her only about five years ago. They should be like new.”

“Okay, good.” The money Grandma had left her might solve her current financial crisis, but the thought of purchasing new appliances or any other significant expenses still worried her.

Once they all finished breakfast, Katie helped with the dishes, and then she and Ethan headed outside. Though the sun shone brightly as they walked along the path toward the cottage, the air had cooled since yesterday. Cold enough to have needed a jacket if it hadn’t been a short walk. She still found it surreal to approach the cottage knowing it belonged to her now.

Inside, she followed Ethan down to the basement. Though the space was small and cramped, Grandma had found enough room to store the fruits and vegetables she canned every year. Many jars still lined the shelves, coated in dust.

In short order, Ethan had the water turned back on and both the water heater and furnace running. Back upstairs, he gestured to the small, cast iron wood stove in the living room. “I’ll go out and clean the chimney. That way, you can have a fire. I’ll bring some wood over later.”

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