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“Oh my gosh, are you kidding me?”

“He’s only looking out for you.”

Katherine glanced at her father. “I know, but that’s embarrassing.”

“He’s your dad, and he loves you. Look around. Everyone does.”

Katherine looked at the faces up and down the table, and her eyes welled up. “I know,” she whispered, desperate not to cry in front of everyone.

Just then, the conversation about football heated up, and Matthew was drawn into a debate about who he thought should’ve won the last Super Bowl. As Katherine watched how the man by her side interacted with the men around the table, she felt at ease to see him blending in so well with her family.

Later, when dessert was winding down, Katherine slipped back into the kitchen to wash dishes and pack up leftovers. Her mother had made enough food for an army, which worked out well since Ginny always insisted everyone take a little something home with them.

When her sisters entered the kitchen in a chattering cluster, she readied herself for the inquisition to begin. Fortunately, they were followed by her mother, along with Sarah Brandon and Haven Harper.

“You have to let us help,” Sarah insisted. “I love my Matt, but I can only sit through so many conversations about football.”

“Here,” Katherine said, splitting a stack of plastic containers on the counter between Sarah and Haven. “If you can put an assortment of cookies in each of these, that would be great.”

“Oh, bless you.” Sarah smiled. “My Matthew was right about you, Katie. You’re an angel.”

Although the compliment was nice, Mrs. Brandon had no idea what she was starting.

“Of course she is!” Andie pounced first, wrapping an arm around Katherine. “Our littleKatieis just the sweetest.”

“That’sKatherineto you,Alexandra,” she said, wriggling free and snapping her sister with a dish towel.

“From the time she could talk, Katherine’s never allowed any of us toevercall her Katie,” Ginny explained. “Even when she was quite small, she’d say, in the tiniest, squeakiest little voice—”

“Mom, please don’t,” Katherine begged but she spoke too late as her sisters joined their mother.

“—my name’s not Katie, my name’s Kafwhin!”

As they all laughed, Katherine opened a cupboard door and stooped down like she was about to crawl inside.

“Oh, darling, don’t do that,” her mother insisted, laughing along with the others. “You were very sweet. You sounded just like Mia does.”

“Maybe it was sweet when I was four, but now it’s just embarrassing.”

About then, Matthew walked in and looked around at the women engaged in boisterous laughter.

“What’s so funny?” he asked, as Katherine rushed over to cover his ears.

“Nothing you need to hear.”

“Oh, thismustbe good,” he chuckled, grabbing her hands. “Now someone’s definitely gottatell me.”

When Ginny saw the horrifiedhelp melook on Katherine’s face, she quickly came to the rescue.

“I’m sorry, Matthew, but what happens in the kitchen stays in the kitchen. And ifanyonetalks, then no one,and I meanno one, goes home with any leftovers.”

“Sorry, pal,” Georgie said as the room fell silent. “Maybe next time.”

As everyone quietly returned to what they’d been doing, Matthew admired the effectiveness of Mrs. Bennett’s threat. “Well, I guess that’s that.” He shrugged, turning to his mother. “Mom, would you and Dad mind taking Libby home soon? She’s pretty tired.”

“Are you coming home tonight?”

Matthew lowered his voice, not sure how much Katherine’s mother and sisters knew about them. “I’d like to stay at Katie’s place again if that’s okay.”