Page 39 of Safe With You

Chapter Seventeen

To Katie’s relief, O’Malley’s vet appointment went well. Aside from being a little underweight, he was perfectly healthy and had no microchip. Unlike most cats, he actually liked being there and charmed everyone with his social personality, especially the young vet tech, who weighed him and collected his information. Katie stopped at the local animal shelter on the way home to check if anyone had been looking for a cat matching his description, but they hadn’t had any calls about an orange tabby.

She had just gotten home and let O’Malley out of the carrier when her phone rang with Drew’s ringtone. She pulled it out of her pocket and answered. “Hey.”

“Good morning. I was just on break and wanted to call you while I grab a coffee.” Noise from the hospital cafeteria hummed in the background.

“It’s nice to hear your voice.” They’d only texted the last couple of days. Typically, they didn’t go so long between calls.

“Yours too. I miss seeing you. It’s weird not having you at church.”

“Yeah, sorry about that.” A little guilt pricked at Katie. In the years they’d dated, this was the longest they’d gone without seeing each other. She made her way into the living room to sit on the couch.

“That’s why I called. I have Friday and the weekend off. I was thinking of coming up there to see you and the cottage.”

Katie raised her brows. She’d never imagined he’d want to come up here. “Really? That would be great. I’d love to show you the cottage and around town. And, of course, you have to meet the Harts. I can ask them if you can stay there. I’m sure they would be happy to have you, and they have a nice guestroom.”

Drew didn’t even take a moment to consider the invitation. “No, I thought I’d book a room at the Pine Lake Lodge.”

“Oh, okay. Yeah.” She told herself not to take his quick decision not to stay with the Harts as an affront. She wouldn’t want to stay with strangers either, even if they were Drew’s friends.

“I’ll book it later when I have time and drive up Friday morning.”

“Would you possibly mind grabbing a few things from my apartment on your way? I could use more variety in my wardrobe.” And her Bible.

A momentary pause hung between them before he answered. “Yeah, sure.”

“Thanks. Just let me know when you get there. Maybe we can video chat, and I can tell you what I need.”

Ethan was in the shop bright and early to finish up a planter he’d started last week. The next project on his list was a bench swing. If it turned out well, he planned to make a couple to sell at the big upcoming craft show Megan already signed them up for.

Laying out the boards, he grabbed his tape measure and started marking based on the rough sketch he’d drawn up. Typically, he stained his creations more than he painted, but in his mind, he saw this swing antiqued red.

Light footsteps caught his attention, and he looked up. The sight of Katie brought a smile to his face. He hadn’t seen her yesterday—the first day since the funeral they hadn’t at least briefly crossed paths. But he’d been away most of the day with Dad, helping a church member move. By the time they’d returned home last night, he’d ended up having a solitary supper at the cabin.

“Hey, good morning. How did the appointment go?”

“Good. No health issues and no microchip.”

“That’s good.”

She would’ve been devastated had something been wrong with the cat or if she had to give him up.

“Yeah, I’d hate for someone to miss their pet, but I’m glad no one seems to be looking for him. I’m really attached to him already.”

“He found a good home.”

She wandered closer, looking over his work, but seemed preoccupied. Maybe even nervous. She turned to him again before he could ask if something was wrong.

“So, Drew called. He’s coming to visit this weekend.”

“Is he?” Ethan fought to ignore how his stomach dropped and plastered on a smile. “That’s nice.” It didn’t explain the nervousness, though.

“Yeah, it’ll be good to see him and show him around.”

“Does he need a place to stay? I’m sure Mom and Dad would love to have him. There’s also the extra room in the cabin.” Even as he made the invitation, the thought of hosting Katie’s boyfriend left a bad taste. He forced the feeling away. He had no call to be unwelcoming. This was the perfect chance to get to know the guy who was such a big part of Katie’s life. Hopefully, he would put Ethan’s misgivings about him to rest.

Katie shook her head. “I suggested that, but he’s going to get a room at the Lodge.”

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