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“Wow.” Peter shook his head. “You really are a sap, aren’t you?”

“She is turning into a softy, isn’t she?” Matthew smiled, wrapping an arm around Katherine’s shoulder. “You should’ve seen her the first time we met. She about ripped my head off.”

“I bet. You shoulda seen me beat her at Connect Four.”

Laughing, Peter extended his arm for a fist bump.

“Excuse me…” Katherine snapped. “I’m sitting right here.”

Matthew smirked as Peter pretended to zip his lips together.

“Anyway,” Katherine said. “What do you think?”

“I think it’s great.” Peter smiled as he glanced back and forth between the two of them. “You’re both good people who could potentially have a great life together. But the real question is how do you guysfeel about it? Are you at all concerned what your families might think?”

Matthew answered with an emphatic “no” as Katherine said a slightly worried “sometimes.”

“That’s what I thought,” Peter said, studying their faces. “If you really wanna know what I think, I’d say take your time and share your relationship only when you feel you have a strong enough foundation. Because pressure from the outside can be catastrophic to any relationship. But a strong foundation based on the decision to love and stand by one another will get you through it. Everyone, and I meaneveryone,will have something to say about you two, and you better prepare yourselves for when it comes. Whether it comes from a good place, a gossipy, meddlesome place, or even a mean-spirited place, it will come. Especially considering the circumstances that brought you two together.”

Katherine swallowed as more tears sprang to her eyes.

“Come on, Katie, don’t cry,” Matthew said. “We’ve talked about this. Don’t you remember what we promised each other?”

“Of course, I remember. But—”

“No buts about it. All we have to do is work on our foundation and keep our relationship to ourselves for now.”

“Okay… I agree, we keep it a secret.”

“Don’t call it a secret, Katherine,” Peter interrupted, his face uncharacteristically stern. “This isn’t a secret. It’s just you andMatthew setting boundaries, not only for yourselves but for the rest of the world. And trust me, youwillneed them. But please don’t think of what you guys have as a secret because I know you, and if you haven’t done it already, you’ll have yourself associating the wordsecretwith something shameful.”

“That is true,” Matthew said. “I think we’ve both felt that kind of conviction. But I know it’s been hardest on Katie.”

“Katie!” Peter chuckled. “I do like hearing you call her that. And I do like you guys together. From what I’ve seen so far, I think you could go the distance.”

“You do?” Katherine’s watery eyes filled with hope as she turned to Matthew and touched his cheek.

“I do,” Peter said. “But the more important question is, do you?”

Katherine nodded, smiling at Matthew. “I do.”

“Even though we may be tested?” Matthew asked. “Even when it feels like the world is against us?”

“I can’t imagine a test that could tear us apart,” Katherine said. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?”

“Sure, but will you be strongertogether?” Peter asked. “By all means, go into this hopeful, happy, and ready to take on the world. But don’t think for a second that there isn’t something or someone that can’t tear it apart.”

“Geez.” Katherine scowled. “Nice pep talk. Especially after you got me all sappy and teary-eyed.”

“Come on, Katie. Don’t dismiss what he’s trying to say,” Matthew warned. “I know you’re scared, and at times, this is gonna be scary for both of us, but he’s right. Not only do we need a strong foundation, but we need to go into this with our eyes wide open.”

Chapter 15

Waking up next to Matthew every morning felt as incredible as it did the first time. And although Katherine hadn’t shared with anyone else what was happening in her life, the changes in her seemed to have a positive effect on others around her.

Ellie stopped tiptoeing around conversations she feared would upset Katherine. Maddie stopped commenting on her appearance. And Andie, Georgie, and their mother no longer gave her the worried once-over whenever they saw her. Even Beth Ann stopped trying to set her up on dates.

In fact, things were so great that Katherine started lingering a little longer each day and not rushing off to the diner like she’d done so many times before just to fill the void.