Page 35 of Safe With You

“Joel and Naomi are bringing the kids over for a fire. Katie’s coming too. You should stick around and join us.”

“I’d like that.” He hesitated but couldn’t help himself, apparently. “Is Becca working tonight?”

Ethan gave him a sly grin. “She’ll be home at five.”

Chapter Sixteen

Katie sat cross-legged on the sewing room floor, pieces of fabric scraps strewn around her. She’d spent the afternoon picking through Grandma’s stash—sorting colors and setting aside those that caught her eye. The task involved reminiscing and a few tears as she came across fabrics she recognized. Fabrics Grandma had used to sew her sun dresses or doll clothes. Those went into a separate pile to use for something special.

O’Malley kept her company while she worked, sometimes sitting beside her or peering down at her from one of the sewing tables. She didn’t realize how long she’d been working until her stomach growled, and she looked at her phone. The display read just about five o’clock. No wonder she was hungry, considering how she had skipped lunch.

Getting up from his latest nap, O’Malley hopped off a chair and wove through the fabric towers to reach her. He head-butted her knee, and she rubbed his shoulders.

“I bet you’re getting hungry too.”

She scooped the tabby into her arms and pushed to her feet. After feeding him his evening food, she grabbed a hoodie and flashlight and left the cottage, following the path through the woods toward the Harts’. She found Evelyn near the brick fire pit by the porch. They’d improved it from what Katie remembered as a kid, enlarging it to accommodate their expanded family.

“Oh, good. You came.” Evelyn’s welcoming smile would never fail to make Katie feel that she had a place here with them. “I was making sure we had all of our roasting sticks. They tend to disappear sometimes after all the kids are here.”

Katie laughed, imagining Joel’s kids getting into mischief like she, Ethan, and his siblings had around the fires at night. “Is there anything I can help with?”

“We can go in and start gathering the food together.”

On the way inside, Katie noticed a motorcycle parked out front. “Whose bike is that?”

“That’s Adam Donovan’s. I don’t know if you remember him. He’s Pastor’s oldest son.”

“I remember.” He and Ethan had been good friends. Katie had always liked him since he hadn’t minded her tagging along on adventures, unlike some of the boys.

“He stopped by earlier, and Ethan invited him to go fishing and stay for supper. He just got back from a mission trip to Uganda.”

“That sounds interesting.” Besides California, Katie had hardly been anywhere but Wisconsin, let alone a different country.

“I’m sure he’d happily tell you all about it. He’s spent a lot of time in various places over the years and always comes back with a story.”

In the kitchen, Evelyn handed her a bag of hot dog buns from the local bakery that needed to be cut while she sliced tomatoes on the other side of the peninsula. “How are things at the cottage?”

“I’m settling in. I thought I’d focus on organizing Grandma’s sewing room so I can work on things if I want.” Katie shrugged. “Depending on how long I stay.”

“How long do you think that will be?”

Katie didn’t fail to notice the hopeful note in her voice. “I’m still not sure. I’m not in any rush to go back. There’s not much for me to go back to. I mean, except for Drew. I’d much rather be here.”

“Sounds like a complicated decision.”

Katie hummed in agreement. Definitely complicated. She had yet to figure out how to broach the topic with Drew. They already struggled to find the time to spend together as it was. A long-distance relationship didn’t sound like a good idea. But if going back to Elling or Madison was the only way to make it work, she supposed she’d have to do that.

“Have you heard anything more from your mom or Grant?”

“My mom called this morning and left a message. Thankfully, Grant has never tried to call me.”

Katie reached for another bun and realized that Evelyn had paused. Sadness and regret filled her eyes.

“I’m sorry we never knew what was happening until it was too late. I knew it wasn’t a good situation, but we didn’t realize the extent of it until Ethan told us long after you left.”

“Don’t feel bad.” The last thing Katie wanted was for her to feel like they had failed her somehow. Not after all they had done for her. “The only ones at fault are Grant and my mom. Even when you didn’t know, you still offered me a sanctuary and the opportunity to be a kid, and I’ll always be grateful for that.”

“I’m glad you had that, at least.”

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