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Katherine blushed. “I don’t use it all the time. In fact, I completely forgot about it until Peter used it a few weeks ago.”

“Pastor Peter?”

“Yeah, he was looking for you. I think you were still in Kinsey.”

“Oh…”

Katherine didn’t like the direction the conversation was going, so she quickly explained all the precautions she took before she and Libby went next door. Like putting her coat and shoes on and keeping a close eye on her when they were at Katherine’s house.

“It’s okay, Katie,” Matthew said, placing a reassuring hand against the small of her back. “I trust you.”

“Okay, good,” she said, biting back a smile before stepping away. The warmth of his touch had rattled her so much that she forgot which cupboard she’d seen bowls and plates in and had to ask Matthew for some help.

As he was pointing out the correct cupboard, Katherine wondered if it was best to maintain some distance between them because it wasn’t just his touch that had her heart racing. The smell of his skin made her want to snuggle up inside his arms. It was warm and comforting. Like the way baking a batch of cookies made an entire house smell inviting.

“Thanks,” she said, quickly grabbing what she needed.

“Is there anything else I can do?” he offered, but Katherine insisted that he take a seat at the small kitchen table.

Soon, she was setting a bowl of soup along with a plated sandwich and a pile of potato chips in front of him. Then she apologized for not making the chips from scratch like they do at the diner. “Those came from a bag I had at home.”

“I promise not to hold it against you.”

“Good to know,” Katherine said, bringing her food and Libby’s high chair to the table.

As she readied Libby’s chair, Matthew dipped the tip of his finger into his bowl and tasted the soup. “Wow, this tastes just as good as it smells. This really came from a can?”

“Technically, it came from a canning jar. I put away a lot of different fruits and vegetables, soups, sauces, and salsa to use at home and the diner. I like using as many organically grown ingredients as possible. There’s really no comparison in quality or taste.”

As she spoke, Matthew smiled at her ease when discussing food.

“What my little garden doesn’t provide I get from the local farmers’ market and roadside stands. I know it’s only a diner, but I want the food served at The Copperwall to be as close to homemade as possible.”

“It’s nice to see how much you like your job. Not everyone does.”

“Well, it’s important to me,” she said, a hint of sadness in her voice. “Sometimes I feel like it’s all I have.”

“You don’t really believe that, do you?”

When Katherine heard the disappointment in Matthew’s voice, she wondered why her comment had bothered him.

“I know you have family and friends. But I was hoping you’d feel like you have us, too,” he said, smiling at his little girl. “As your other friends, I mean. Right, Libby Doll?”

“Da-da!” Libby grinned, dropping a multi-colored bead maze onto the kitchen floor. Despite the noise, which made her visibly jump, she clapped her tiny hands together and shouted. “Yay, Da-da! Yay!”

As Matthew looked worriedly at Katherine, she only laughed, picked up the bulky toy, and dropped it back into the playpen. Then she handed Libby a small wedge of grilled cheese she’d been blowing on after dunking it into her bowl of soup. “Here ya go, Miss Libby. I think you’re gonna like this.”

Libby reached out for the sandwich with a smile. All eight of her sparkling white teeth on display as Katherine lifted her from the playpen and placed her into the high chair. Once she was buckled in and the tray snapped in place, Katherine encouraged her to try a bite.

That’s when Libby stuffed the entire hunk of soup-dipped sandwich into her mouth. “Mmm…” she approved, pulling the sucked-on, soggy hunk of bread and cheese from her mouth to examine it. Then she smiled, smacking her soupy red lips together.

As Katherine watched with patience and a glowing smile, Matthew admired how great she was with Libby. And it got him wondering why she never remarried and had children of her own.

“Is everything alright?” Katherine asked. “You’re not eating.”

“Sorry, I was just thinking.”

Worried that she’d taken too many liberties by cooking, cleaning, and looking after Libby, Katherine wanted to assure Matthew she wasn’t trying to invade his space. “I can leave after we eat.”