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“Oh my gosh. How bad was the crash? How did it happen?” As Katherine questioned Matt and Sarah, her legs started to buckle under the weight of her worry.

Thankfully, Matt reached out for her, wrapping an arm around her before insisting she come inside and sit down.

“It happened this morning. Matthew called just a few minutes ago to say it wouldn’t be long before they finished collecting evidence and towing away the vehicles. He also said Officers Kendall and Patrick were both banged up, with lots of bumps and bruises from the impact and some cuts and scratches from broken glass, but otherwise, they’re fine. They were being taken to the hospital for observation but only as a precaution.”

“But they’re alive and well? And Matthew’s okay?” Katherine’s body trembled in fear. Her eyes filled with tears, and she bit her bottom lip to stop it from quivering. “I don’t know what I’d do if anything ever happened to him.”

After Matt asked Sarah to get Katherine a glass of water, he sat beside her on the couch. “I know it’s hard not to worry, but worrying won’t help the situation. He really is safe.”

“I wish I didn’t worry so much.”

“I understand.” Matt nodded. “But Matthew has always had a strong sense of duty and loyalty. So, when he got the call from your dad asking for help, nothing was going to stop him. On the bright side, by the time he got there, Jerome and Justin had a fair amount of the chaos already under control.”

Katherine nodded, but she couldn’t stop her troubled thoughts from racing. “Do you think it might be too much for him?” she asked as Sarah returned with the water. “What if it brings up memories of being at Julia’s accident?”

Sarah frowned. “Now you know why I’m so worried.”

“Of course, it’s not going to be easy,” Matt added. “But this is his job, and he’s either got to work through it, or he’s going to have to give it up and find something else.”

Katherine’s heart went out to Matthew. She knew how much he liked being a cop.

“Did he say how it happened?”

“I guess it started out as a routine traffic stop that quickly turned into a police chase. When Kendall and Patrick pulled up alongside the vehicle, the driver stomped on his brakes, then swerved, clipping the tail end of the cruiser. Before they knew it, they’d spun out and slammed into a barrier on the side of the road while the driver lost control, flipped a few times, and landed on the edge of an irrigation ditch. If you ask me, the idiot was lucky he didn’t land upside down in the water.”

“Oh my gosh,” Katherine gasped, her hands balled into tight fists. “But he survived, right?”

“Matthew said the guy wasn’t banged up any worse than Kendall or Patrick. So once the emergency crews got him out of his car, they were taking him to the hospital to get checked out, then to jail for who knows how long.”

Of course, Katherine was relieved to hear Kendall and Patrick would be okay, but she couldn’t stop worrying about Matthew from the moment Sarah told her there’d been an accident. She didn’t want her mind to go straight to the worst possible scenario, but it had.

Seeing someone you love walk out the door and come face to face with God only knows what was a frightening prospect. And until this moment, she hadn’t thought about the reality of loving another police officer.

When she was a little girl, it was never as big of a concern when it came to her dad. In her mind, he’d always been invincible. Still, looking back, she remembered times when hermother fought to hide her fear and spoke prayers of thanks when her dad returned home safe each night.

Now, it seemed she’d have to feel those same uneasy emotions again when it came to Matthew putting his uniform on and heading out to work.

“Katie…” Sarah said gently, still waiting for Katherine to take the glass of water.

“Thank you,” she responded, reaching out with trembling hands. The lump in her throat made it nearly impossible to swallow the cool liquid. But she forced it down, wanting to appear as calm, cool, and collected as possible. She wanted Mr. and Mrs. Brandon to see she could stand by their son through anything. But she was struggling. “I’m sorry. There’s so much happening right now. I’m sure I’m just feeling a little overwhelmed. Maybe I should go.”

As Katherine set the glass down on the coffee table, she tried to stand, but her legs buckled again, and Matt had to reach out to stop her from pitching forward.

“You’re not going anywhere,” Sarah insisted, explaining that it wasn’t safe for her to be alone. “Matt can help you up to Matthew’s room, and I’ll get you a cool cloth and some aspirin. You can stay here until our son gets home.”

Mr. Brandon looped his arm around Katherine, steadying her against his side. “Let’s get you upstairs, young lady.”

“And don’t worry about trying to track down Matthew. We’ll get a message to him that you’re here,” Sarah added with motherly concern. “Do you want us to call the diner and tell them you won’t be in?”

“No,” Katherine managed, though her mouth was dry, her head felt heavy, and her legs were like mushy noodles. “I was there earlier. They know I’ve gone home for the day.”

When they entered Matthew’s room and got Katherine settled on the bed, she noticed their suitcases sitting by the dresser. “I can’t take the room from you. Really, I can go home.”

“Nonsense,” Matt declared. “We planned on leaving today anyway, so don’t worry about us. You’re not in our way.”

Katherine thanked both of them, knowing just where Matthew got his good heart and helpful nature from.

Then Sarah laid a cool, damp cloth across her forehead, and set a glass of water and some aspirin on the bedside table while Matt cracked the bedroom window to let some fresh air in.