Page 2 of Safe With You

A whole fifteen years, to be exact. Despite how many times she’d imagined this moment all those years ago, she honestly never thought she’d see him again: Ethan Hart, her best friend growing up. Other than Grandma, he and his family were all that had made her childhood bearable. Somehow, she’d always pictured him just as he’d been when she’d left, but he was a man now, even sporting the beard he’d been obsessed with trying to grow back then. Though his hair was darker than she remembered, he still let it grow a bit long. Apparently, some things never changed.

Words failed her after all this time. In all she had suffered, few things in her life had left a scar as deep as the one from the day they’d been forced to say goodbye.

Ethan shifted as if to go, his smile fading to a look of apology. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude. I just wanted to check if you were all right.”

Katie swallowed hard, the breeze cooling the tear tracks still drying on her face. Something inside her reacted sharply to his leaving. Her emotions rushed back to the surface to burn the back of her throat. Though she had struggled to connect and open up all her life, the truth tumbled out. “I’m not.”

The quiver in her voice sounded desperate even to her ears.

He faced her fully again and stepped closer. His warm, dark eyes met hers with a deep compassion and shared sorrow. “I’m really sorry about your grandma. We’ll all really miss her. I always saw her as my grandma too.”

Ethan had probably seen her even more than Katie had over the years, considering the Harts were next-door neighbors. The ache in her chest intensified. If only she could have been there too. Why couldn’t her mom have done the right thing for once in her life?

Katie only managed to nod, her voice caught in her swollen throat. She darted a look toward the church. The actual service wouldn’t start for over an hour yet. An hour that allowed ample time for her to be ambushed. She struggled for another breath, cold filling her lungs instead, and she twisted her hands in her shawl to keep from trembling.

“It’s hard to go inside.”

She’d never told him about what she’d faced during their years of friendship. Fear had kept her silent, but she wished now that he knew so she wouldn’t have to face it alone.

“Did you come with anyone? Or have anyone waiting inside?”

Her mind turned to Drew. Was she selfish to wish, just this once, he would have dropped everything for her? He was probably scrubbing in for surgery right now. He’d expressed his regret over not being here, but today was important for his career. So, she stood here alone.

She shook her head, fighting the betrayal pricking at her chest. Drew had been good to her in the years they’d dated, even if he wasn’t here today. “No, I’m by myself.”

The compassion deepened in his eyes. “If it would help, we can go in together, and you can stick with me and my family. They will all love to see you.”

Katie had to swallow the tears clogging her throat. “I would like that.”

He held out his hand to her, and she took her first full breath since she’d seen the BMW.

Chapter Two

Katie’s soft hand tucked perfectly into Ethan’s as if it had been made to be there. He hadn’t expected her to accept his invitation so readily. As close as they’d been as kids, they were as good as strangers now, but the distress pooled in her deep brown eyes reignited the protectiveness he had always carried for her.

He drew her to his side and guided her toward the church. As they crossed the parking lot, his eyes strayed back to her. Her focus rested on the building, so she didn’t notice that he let his gaze linger. Even from halfway across the parking lot, he’d recognized her instantly. And while he’d known from the moment they’d received the news of Grandma Ruby’s passing that Katie would surely be here for the funeral, he hadn’t been prepared for the impact of seeing her again. So much history existed between them, yet they’d barely been allowed to say goodbye all those years ago.

It hurt to see how the grief wrapped around her like the black shawl she wore. The Katie he remembered dressed in bright colors and unique outfits. But then he caught sight of her red heels. The high-top sneakers she had worn everywhere when they were about eight years old flashed to mind. She had even insisted on pairing them with her frilly Sunday dresses. Despite the circumstances, the memory and her ongoing love for red footwear brought a smile to his lips.

As they neared the church, she lagged behind, each footstep dragging. He stopped and half turned to her.

“Do you need more time?” Even if they missed the viewing, he wouldn’t leave her side until she was ready.

She didn’t answer, her wide gaze glued to the church door as if it were a prison. Her hand squeezed his, and he recognized the fear that flashed in her eyes and stole the color from her skin. This wasn’t just grief that prevented her from facing what awaited her inside.

Heat flushed his chest as the anger he thought he’d buried years ago flared. He tightened his grip around her hand, snapping her from the fear-induced paralysis. Her gaze shifted to him, the tears in her eyes stealing his breath. If Grant so much as looked at her wrong, he’d quickly discover Ethan wasn’t a helpless kid anymore.

He moved closer to her and swallowed hard at the way the burn in his chest had constricted his throat. “Just stay close to me.”

Her taut expression eased, and a bit of the fear faded. She lifted her chin a fraction and took a deep breath before giving a quick nod. And there was the spark he remembered—the spark from their childhood that never gave up. Maybe she would only be here for the day, and then it would again be goodbye, but as long as she stuck around, he would protect that spark.

They set off again. He stepped ahead of her at the door and opened it but did not let go of her hand. The hum of subdued voices greeted them when they entered the foyer. People filled the auditorium, visiting between the rows. He scanned the crowd and recognized almost everyone from church or around town. While he couldn’t find Katie’s mom, Leah, or her stepfather, Grant, he would keep a sharp eye out.

His parents lingered near the door to the auditorium, probably wondering why he had excused himself on the way in. The moment they spotted Katie at his side, their faces lifted. Mom led the way and met them with a loving smile.

“Oh, Katie, it’s been so long!”

Ethan released her so she could embrace his mom, though he found his hand cold and empty without hers. Hopefully, Mom’s hug would be as comforting to her as to all the other people she so generously bestowed them on.

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