Page 56 of Safe With You

“I already am.”

He thanked her and headed for the shop to lose himself in work, Rosie following. Eventually, his heart would accept that Katie was his friend and nothing more. He just needed to guard it and his feelings until then and be the friend Katie needed. It might not be easy, but if that was what God intended, he trusted he’d get there eventually.

Chapter Twenty-four

Ethan picked Katie up the next morning as planned. Thankfully, she’d slept better last night and was ready to go out and have fun. She always got excited about creating a new outfit for herself, and this one would be the first for a special occasion like a wedding. The little over an hour drive to Wausau passed with talk about the summer and how the Harts typically celebrated the warmer months. Now that she’d chosen to stay in Two Lakes for a while, Katie was invited to participate in all their plans.

She looked forward to a fun-filled summer. With Drew so busy, they’d never had any big plans. For him as a kid, summer had always consisted of a three-week vacation overseas with his family, something his parents still did. They’d talked about her joining them one of these years, but it hadn’t yet worked out with Drew’s schedule.

When they arrived at a large thrift store, Katie went straight to the dresses and started with the bigger sizes. Ethan trailed after her and looked through a couple before giving her a curious look.

“Are you expecting to grow several sizes before the wedding?”

Katie laughed and shook her head. “Larger dresses mean more fabric to work with.”

“Right, that makes sense.”

He stayed with her as she picked through the dresses, giving his opinion when she asked. She had him hold a couple of potential options for her, and they talked about her process for deciding how she wanted to alter items.

Near the end of the current section, she pulled out a long, golden-yellow maxi dress with white polka dots. While the boxy shape showed little imagination, the fabric was an airy cotton blend that would be nice to work with and perfect for a summer wedding. She held it up to herself, the skirt pooling at her feet as she turned to Ethan.

“What do you think?”

He made a face as if struggling to hold in his true thoughts, though the sarcasm leaked into his voice. “Oh, that is…that is stunning. You’ll outshine even the bride in that dress.”

She giggled. She couldn’t blame him for not being able to see the potential in it the way she did. Looking it over for any stains, she nodded, mostly to herself. “Yeah, I think this will be perfect.”

Ethan still eyed it critically. “If you can turn that thing into something fit for a wedding in the next two weeks, then you are a true magician.”

“Well, when it comes to upcycled clothing, I’m always up for a challenge.”

She picked through the dresses she’d handed him and chose two to buy along with the yellow one. Even if she didn’t use them to make something for herself, she could turn them into something for her shop. Folding the yellow dress up so it wouldn’t drag, she nodded to the shelves near the back of the store.

“I’ll see if they have any shoes that match this better than the ones I have at home.”

She almost always wore her Chucks for everyday or a pair of boots in the winter. Her small collection of heels she wore to church didn’t say country since her church outfits were more traditional. Drew seemed to like that better than her more unique creations.

Ethan went to get a cart for her and met her at the shoes, where she grabbed a pair of heeled sandals to try on. They were cute but less comfortable than she would have liked if she had to wear them for hours. She’d just tried a second pair when Ethan grabbed lace wedges from the bottom shelf.

“What about these?”

She took them from him. The off-white lace had a vintage vibe she liked. She put them on and walked a few steps. They were sturdier than they looked and comfortable. And, now that she thought about it, she had a cute denim jacket back at home that she’d embroidered and appliquéd with a couple of antique doilies. It would be perfect to bring to the wedding if it got chilly in the evening and would match the shoes.

She grinned at Ethan. “You know, you have a very good sense of style.”

“Why, thank you.”

She put the shoes in the cart, and they wandered through the store, leisurely browsing the housewares section. Once they finished, Katie pushed the cart to the checkout counter while Ethan waited at a revolving sunglasses display near the entrance. She set her items on the counter and smiled at the cashier, who leaned forward a little to give her a conspiratorial grin. “Your boyfriend is very attentive.”

Katie’s eyes widened. “Oh, he’s not my boyfriend. He…” She looked over as Ethan tried on a pair of bright red, 50s-inspired women’s sunglasses. He sent her a “what do you think?” look. She choked back a laugh and shook her head before facing the cashier again. The woman’s brows lifted, and sudden warmth flushed Katie’s cheeks. She stammered. Why was she so flustered?

“He’s my best friend.”

The cashier gave a slow nod that clearly said she was not buying it. Katie broke eye contact and focused on pulling cash from her wallet and convincing her face to cool down. It wasn’t a big deal if people thought she and Ethan were dating. It would be a common misconception for any male and female friend duo. There was no reason her body should react so.

When the cashier had bagged up her items and given her the total, she handed over the cash and waited for her change. The woman still wore a skeptical expression. Change in hand, Katie grabbed her bag and walked over to Ethan. Hopefully, her face wasn’t still as pink as it had felt. However, Ethan’s brow twitched when she reached him.

“Everything all right?”

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