Page 28 of Safe With You

Immediately, her heart lifted. She dashed away any remnants of tears with her sleeves and pushed to her feet. At the door, she flipped on the porch light. Ethan and Becca stood illuminated just on the other side. Ethan smiled when she opened it, though the briefest shadow crossed his face as if he had noticed the tears she’d tried to hide.

“Hey, I know it’s getting late, so feel free to send us on our way, but Bec and I just raided the pantry. Turns out we still had some kid wine left from New Year’s.” He held up a green bottle of sparkling grape juice. “We also have a bag of Mom’s favorite white cheddar popcorn she probablywon’t mind us taking. You know, if you felt like company.”

Katie thought she might laugh and cry at the same time. How did they know just what she needed? A smile broke out instead. “That sounds great.”

She stepped back to let them into the cottage, and Ethan set the juice bottle on the island. “It’s not champagne, but this seemed appropriate to celebrate. After all, this is your very first house. Moments like this should be celebrated. I don’t know why we didn’t think of it earlier.”

“I guess I hadn’t thought of it like that, but you’re right.” Katie started opening the cabinets. If they were going to do this, they might as well do it right. “Grandma must have wine glasses around here somewhere.”

She spotted them up on the top shelf in the third cabinet. “Ethan, can you get those?”

He reached up from behind her to grab three and set them on the island. Katie wiped the dust off with a towel, and then Ethan opened the bottle to pour them each a glass. He raised his to Katie.

“To your new house and all the love Grandma Ruby’s legacy stands for.”

They clinked the glasses, and Katie sipped the bubbly grape juice. Her throat tightened around it, but the moment was too special to let the emotion overwhelm her. She tipped her head toward the living room.

“Want to sit by the fire?”

Ethan grabbed the popcorn and gestured for her to lead the way. They arranged themselves around the wood stove, passing the popcorn and grabbing handfuls. It reminded Katie so much of when they were kids, and they soon began recounting memories and telling stories. The later the hour, the funnier everything became. They laughed so hard Katie’s stomach hurt, and tears wet her face, this time out of happiness instead of misery.

Sometime after midnight, the conversation wound down. The popcorn bag sat empty, and the fire had almost gone out. They all fell quiet for a minute or two before Ethan looked at Becca.

“I guess we should head back and call it a night.”

She nodded, and they got up from the pillows and blankets they’d been using for cushions. They carried their glasses to the sink, and then Katie followed them to the door.

“Thanks for coming over. I had a wonderful time.”

Ethan looked pleased. “Good.”

Becca stepped out first, and then he did, though he paused to look back at Katie. “See you in the morning?”

She smiled. “See you in the morning.”

She stood in the doorway as they walked off, a flashlight bobbing in the darkness before disappearing around the cottage. Katie turned to go back inside, but a meow stopped her. Looking out the screen door, she spotted Mr. Ginger walking toward the porch. When he reached it, he stood up on his hind legs to look in through the screen at her. He meowed again rather pitifully.

She stared at him for a moment, debating, and then opened the door. Maybe she didn’t need another person to dispel her loneliness—just another living creature to share her space with.

Chapter Fourteen

Ethan pulled his truck up to the workshop the next morning and walked to the house. Hearing dishes, he entered the kitchen, where Mom unloaded the dishwasher.

“Morning, Mom.”

She looked up from her work. “Good morning. I missed you at breakfast.”

“Since Katie’s at the cottage, I figured I’d give you and Dad a quiet morning.”

“Quiet is nice,” she conceded. “But I still like it when everyone is together for meals. It seems incomplete when it’s just me, your dad, and Becca.”

Ethan understood the feeling. He never liked eating alone at the cabin but didn’t want to take advantage of his parents’ generosity. “Hopefully, we’ll have many more family meals in the future. Ones that include Katie.”

“Amen to that,” Mom agreed, proving he wasn’t the only one who had thoroughly enjoyed having Katie around the past few days.

Dad walked into the kitchen, trailed by Rosie, and they traded morning greetings. After refilling his coffee mug, he turned to Ethan. “What are your plans today?”

“I have to drop off those two benches at Rob’s. Katie’s going with me to pick up some groceries. I’ll probably switch out that leaky bathroom faucet for her when we get back.”

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