Page 12 of Promise Me, Katie (Bennett Sisters #1)

It was Sunday, and The Copperwall Diner was closed like every Sunday. A promise Katherine had made to Millie Fraser on the day they agreed Millie’s Place would become Katherine’s diner.

“Sundays are for God, and rest, and family,” Millie had told her when she sat across from the Fraser family matriarch more than five years ago to hash out the details of the purchase.

The retiring grandmother had summoned Katherine to her home, urging her to bring a lawyer, then promptly excused all legal counsel from the room upon their arrival.

“Did you know the diner was a gift from my dear husband, Hamish?”

Katherine watched Millie pour two cups of tea. “Yes, ma’am, I did.”

“‘Ma’am…’” the older woman had laughed, shaking her head. “I’ll never get used to that. You’d better call me Millie.”

“Yes, Millie,” Katherine said, feeling more nervous than she’d ever felt before.

After the tea was poured, Millie added two cubes of sugar to each cup, then pulled out a small silver flask from the pocket of her cardigan.

“This was my great-grandmother’s. Isn’t she a beauty?

” she said, raising the intricately designed antique flask for her guest to see.

“Family legend says she drank her Laudanum from this. Tough old bird.” Millie shook her head, smiling at a memory.

“Maybe I’ll be just like her someday. You know, the tough part. Not the Laudanum part.”

“Maybe,” Katherine had answered, not sure what to say, considering most of Windsong thought of Millie Fraser as a tough old bird anyway.

“Oh my! Where are my manners?” she scolded herself after pouring a heavy splash of whisky into each cup. “Hope you take your tea sweetened. I always forget to ask.”

“That’s okay.” Katherine smiled. “I like my tea a little sweet.”

“Glad to hear it,” she said, adding another splash of whisky to both cups before putting the flask back in her pocket. “Biscuits?”

Millie slid a plate of shortbread cookies across the table toward Katherine before lifting her cup and taking a long sip.

“Thank you, ma’am… I mean Millie,” Katherine corrected herself, then reached for a perfectly baked shortbread cookie from the plate.

She placed it on the cloth napkin in front of her, then lifted the dainty floral cup.

Once her lips reached the rim of the porcelain, Katherine could smell the alcohol.

Taking a cautious sip, she tried not to cough as the liquid hit the back of her throat and burned all the way down to her belly.

“That’s quite sweet,” Katherine rasped, setting her cup down and reaching for the cookie.

“Maybe we make your next one a little less sweet.”

“Maybe…”

“Not too many folks take their tea as sweet as mine.”

“It is pretty sweet,” Katherine said, assuming that sweet was Millie’s way of saying flammable .

Taking a bite of the crisp, buttery treat, Katherine reveled in its simple, homemade perfection. She wanted to compliment her host on its flavor and texture but didn’t get the chance.

“So, I hear your husband’s dead too.”

Instantly, Katherine choked on the delicious shortbread cookie, shocked by Millie’s bluntness. Somehow, she managed not to spit crumbs across the table, swallowed the bite in one big lump, then cleared her throat. “Yes, he is. He died in a house fire.”

“That’s right, Gideon and Ruth Chandler’s youngest. The wild one. I remember hearing about that.” Millie had nodded, studying Katherine with skepticism. “Sometimes, tragedy brings blessing. Like money.”

Choking on another sip of tea, Katherine realized that she’d never had such a direct conversation with someone outside of her family before.

“Oh, forgive me, dear. I’m an old woman, and I haven’t the patience for pretty words,” Millie said, waving her hand as if she were waving a white flag. “What I meant to say is that I understand when you lose someone, you sometimes come into a sizeable sum of cash.”

Katherine nodded as a powerful wave of intoxication washed over her, easing her even more into the conversation.

“You don’t look a day over twenty-five. May I ask how old you are?”

“I’m twenty-two.”

“Oh my… twenty-two. I remember what it was like to be twenty-two,” Millie said fondly. “I’m also guessing this is the first time you’ve ever had such a large sum of money at your disposal.”

Katherine nodded, naming the exact amounts of money she’d received from the life insurance payouts.

“Dear girl, you really shouldn’t share your financial business with others.

But something tells me that you wouldn’t have without that tea.

And that’s a good thing. But in the future, try keeping your cards a little closer to your chest. In this day and age, some folks don’t mind taking advantage of a widow.

But not me. I’m just the opposite. In fact, I intend to reduce my asking price by twenty-five thousand dollars. ”

“You are?” Katherine’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Yes, but only on the condition that it stays between you and me,” Millie added. “When we call the suits back in, we’ll tell them you played hardball until I agreed to drop the price. Got it?”

When she’d tried to protest, Millie stopped her by leaning in and reaching for her hand.

“I, too, have lost more than a husband, so I know how heartbroken you must be. Oh, you can try to put on a stiff upper lip like your mother, but you can’t fool me, young lady.

I’ve been in your shoes and know far too well the pain you’re feeling. ”

As Katherine could no longer hold back her tears, Millie handed her another napkin, then wiped a few tears from her own eyes.

“Now, I’ll admit, I had some concerns about your ability to keep the place running when your sister Andie came to see if I’d consider an offer from you.

You’re young and of a generation much different than mine.

But your brother-in-law Andrew assured me of your character, and as you may know, he’s been friends with my son Henry ever since they were knee-high to a grasshopper, so I trust him.

He also said that you’re a strong young woman who can overcome any obstacle, which I like. ”

Millie studied Katherine one last time, at first skeptical, then assured.“Now that I’ve met you, I would have to agree. So, with that said, I feel confident about moving forward.”

“Really?” Katherine’s eyes widened in surprise. “Don’t you want to look over my business plan?”

“Maybe later.” Millie had smiled just before her expression turned stern.

“Now, don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t hand my pride and joy over to just anyone.

But from what I’ve heard about your plans to clean up the place, including the money you’re willing to invest, I think you’re the right person for the job.

Not to mention, I can tell you need something to give you hope and a reason to get up in the morning just like it did for me when my heart was broken. ”

“I don’t know what to say,” Katherine replied, her lip trembling with emotion. She’d come to Millie’s house hoping for good news, but she hadn’t allowed her hopes to get too high in case they couldn’t come to an agreement.

“Well, don’t say anything just yet because I have one condition. And it’s a big one.”

“Okay…” Katherine braced herself.

“You have to promise to keep the place closed on Sundays. Now, I know it’s fashionable for folks to brunch on the weekend or take the family out to eat after church.

But it’s been a long-held tradition in all our family ventures, and I won’t see that tarnished by selfish ambition. Sunday belongs to God.”

Katherine smiled. She liked how the legacy of the little establishment meant so much to Millie.

“I promise,” she’d said, thrusting her hand out to shake on the deal. “I promise we’ll stay closed on Sundays.”

“Then consider it done.” Millie smiled, shaking on the bargain. “Now, let’s finish our tea and have a few more biscuits before we call the suits back in. I hear you have some big ideas for the menu, and I wanna hear all about ‘em.”

Remembering that first meeting with Millie always put a smile on Katherine’s face. That Sunday had been a great Sunday. Along with all the other Sundays that followed when she and Millie would meet to talk about running a business and how to keep customers coming back.

Then later, when their conversations became more about family, friends, and everything in between, that’s when Katherine looked forward to Sundays because those were all great Sundays to remember.

But this Sunday was very different.

This was a time Katherine wanted to forget and a time she knew Matthew never would. There would be no joy. No excitement for things to come. And for Matthew, memories of this time would always be shrouded in pain.

Since the accident, the entire town and life itself seemed different.

Quieter. Even the once lively atmosphere of the diner wasn’t quite the same.

The hum of happy chatter was gone, and the atmosphere was heavy and somber.

Conversations between customers were often about Julia and Matthew and the accident that took Julia’s life.

Although Katherine knew plenty of Windsong residents had attended the annual gathering at Fraser Farms the night Julia gave her last report, she was still surprised to see so many affected by the accident.

Julia must’ve made quite an impression on the locals that night.

So much so that it made Katherine feel guilty for disliking what little she knew of her former neighbor.

And soon she found herself desperate to escape whenever she approached tables where the conversation included Matthew, the accident, or anything remotely related to his situation.

“How can you not feel bad for that sweet, innocent child?” she’d heard Florence Evans say to her friends one day about Libby Brandon. “God willing, she never finds out what happened that night. Can you imagine learning such horrible things about your own mother?”