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“Look at me,” he pleaded, his head lowering to draw her gaze up to his. “Katie,pleaselook at me.”

Hesitating, Katherine wanted so much to be strong. She didn’t want to be drawn in again just because she was sad, lonely, or tired of missing him. Or because in the short time they’d been together, she loved him more than she ever thought she could love a man.

Even as she was fighting her gaze from lifting, she felt herself weaken under the touch of his warm hands against her skin.

“Please.” Then Matthew waited patiently for her to respond.

“You did hurt me.”

“I know, sweetheart, and I’m sorry for that,” he said, his heart flooded with renewed hope as he pulled her into his arms. Cupping the back of her head in the palm of his hand, Matthewheld Katherine against his chest as his eyes lifted toward heaven, and his soul gave a silent prayer of thanks.

“But I’m still mad at you,” she insisted, even though the fortress around her heart had started to crumble.

“Not furious?”

“What?” she whimpered, distracted by the smell of his skin and the warmth of his touch.

“You said you were still mad at me. Does that mean you’re not furious anymore?”

Katherine tried not to laugh. “I could be.”

“No,” he soothed. “We don’t need any more of that.”

As Matthew loosened his grip on Katherine, hoping to touch his lips to hers, she pulled free from his hold, used the ends of his shirt to dab her eyes, and then wiped her runny nose, giving him atake thatsort of smile, as Matthew couldn’t help but laugh.

“All better?”

“For now,” she warned. “Unless you make me cry again, then I’ll have to getreallysnotty.”

Matthew looked down, inspecting the dampened edges of his shirt. “Would that be figuratively or literally?”

“You don’t wanna know.”

“Oh, my sweet Katie. No, I do not,” he said. “Not figuratively and definitely not literally.”

Standing in each other’s arms seemed to heal them from the inside out. But it wasn’t long before the easy drawl of her father’s voice interrupted them.

“I take it you two are doin’ better?”

Once again, Katherine felt the weight of shame for her behavior. She loved her family more than words could ever express, and she never, for any reason, ever wanted to disappoint them or let them down.

“Is it okay to give my baby girl a hug?”

Once Matthew let go of Katherine, she turned and ran to her dad.

“I’m sorry,sir. I’m so, so sorry.”

“There, there, baby girl.” Tears welled up in the Chief’s eyes as he kissed the top of her head. “And what have I told you about that sir nonsense.”

“Yes, Daddy.” She nodded against his chest. “But I really am sorry.”

“I know you are, and so am I,” he said, then eased his hold to stare down at her, his expression stern. “But you owe your mother an apology, young lady. I don’t care how old you get, ya don’t get to run off like that and scare your mother. She’s a good woman and didn’t deserve that. She had nothing to do with that whole business.”

“Yes, Daddy.”

“And you nearly scared the life outta me, hittin’ that glass door and tearin’ out of the parking lot like you did.”

Katherine wanted to reassure him with a smile, but the overpowering quiver of her lip made it impossible.