Page 18 of Promise Me, Katie (Bennett Sisters #1)

When Matthew entered the kitchen, he found Libby in her playpen with a pile of toys while Katherine was at the stove cooking. Glancing at him, her expression was so casual it was like the smoldering kisses they shared never happened.

“Feeling better?”

“Much better. Thanks.”

“Da-da!” Libby said the moment she heard Matthew’s voice and smiled a toothy grin at him.

“Hey, Libby Doll.” Matthew smiled back, leaning over to kiss the top of her wispy-haired little head. “I hope you were a good girl for Katie.”

Matthew sounded as if he still wasn’t convinced it was okay to leave his daughter with Katherine, but she decided not to mention it. Instead, she kept the conversation light.

“You didn’t shave.”

“I don’t usually shave on my days off,” he said, rubbing a self-conscious hand over his jaw. “Does it look bad?”

“Of course not. It looks great.”

As Katherine inwardly flinched at being so blunt, Matthew didn’t seem to make more of it than just a polite observation.

“What are you making?”

“Nothing fancy, just grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.”

“Mmm…” Matthew came closer, inhaling the waft of smells mingling in the air. The distinct aroma of garlic, tomatoes, and toasted buttery bread permeated the room, making his empty stomach rumble. “I can’t believe you put this together with what I had in the fridge. It smells incredible.”

“Thanks,” Katherine said, flipping one of the sandwiches to reveal the perfectly toasted golden side. She wasn’t sure she wanted to admit to taking Libby to her house without Matthew’s permission while he was in the shower. So instead, she added, “I hope you don’t mind me taking over your kitchen.”

“Not at all. It’s not like I’ve been using it. With all the meals Callie Macomb sends me home with, I haven’t had to cook.”

“I thought I recognized her chicken pot pie casserole in there,” Katherine said, tilting her head in the direction of the fridge. “Now you know why Justin’s always commenting on his waistline. Lucky son-of-a-gun caught himself a real prize when he married Callie.”

“Wait a minute.” Matthew walked over and opened a cupboard filled with canned goods. “I don’t remember having tomato soup. How did you make that?”

“I hope you don’t mind, but I took Libby to my house to get some canned soup and sandwich supplies. You didn’t have much to work with, and I thought this would be something she’d like. Kids usually gravitate towards the easier, more identifiable options.”

“So I hear,” Matthew chuckled. “I also hear there’ll be more fries and chicken nuggets in my future than I care to think about. Or at least that’s what my mom says.”

Katherine felt her shoulders relax when Matthew didn’t make a big deal about her taking Libby next door.

“Well, I hate to break it to you, but she’s probably right. I have three nieces and a nephew. And until kids get older, they tend to like what they like, no matter how hard you try.”

“I’ll have to take your word for it. I don’t have any nieces or nephews. Libby’s my first experience with a baby, so I’m no expert.”

“Trust me, neither am I. But I promise I kept her safe when we went next door.”

“I’m sure you did.”

Then there was an awkward silence before Katherine went on.

“Did you know there’s an opening in the brick wall behind the big rhododendron in the corner of your yard? It opens up on the back side of the tool shed.”

“So that’s how you magically appeared.”

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.”

“No!” he said, his quick response making her jump. Then, he tried again, softer this time. “I’d like it if you stayed. At least for a while.”

Katherine looked at the gurgling happy baby next to her and then back at Matthew. “Alright, but don’t let me wear out my welcome.”

“You couldn’t,” he said, looking around the room. Matthew didn’t know how to fully express his gratitude between the plates of food, clean countertops, and empty sink. “You’ve been great. Everything you’ve done is incredible. Really. More than I deserve.”

“Don’t do that.” A surge of frustration rose up in Katherine before she could stop herself. “You shouldn’t talk about yourself like that. You deserve more than you know.”

Katherine’s eyes welled up with tears, as Matthew’s did the same.

“I should tell you that I was never trying to eavesdrop, but I did hear some things. And I think I understand what it might’ve been like for you.” As she spoke, the corners of her mouth dipped into a frown. “You’re a good man, Matthew. You deserved more from your partner.”

There was a silent pause as he fiddled with the corner of his napkin before saying, “Thank you, Katie. I appreciate you saying that.”

Of course, Matthew knew his relationship with Julia had grown increasingly strained over the years, but he never believed anyone else understood just how difficult it had become for him.

No one ever acknowledged Julia’s condescending manner, so he’d always made excuses to himself that it wasn’t a big deal, even though it had been incredibly hurtful.

Besides, it wasn’t like it had always been that way. When they were young and first started dating, she’d been sweet, loving, and even kind.

So much so that his parents had taken an instant liking to her. Which might’ve been why Matthew fell so hard for her. He trusted his mom and dad’s opinion. After all, look at the partners they’d found in each other.

But, in the end, maybe that blind hope had been part of his downfall and why their marriage had gone on longer than it should have. Maybe it was why he dismissed so much of her cruelty.

Yet once he’d accepted his relationship couldn’t be saved, he set his focus on Libby and protecting her at all costs. Even if it meant taking more of Julia’s cruelty in stride.

“Look at us.” Katherine sniffled. “We’reliterallycrying in our soup.”

As they started to laugh, Libby joined in as if she understood what was so funny.

After that, apart from some of Libby’s adorable gibberish, they ate in silence even though Katherine wanted to ask Matthew questions about Kinsey and if he was planning on moving back.

But she also didn’t want to put him on the spot.

And since things had taken such a drastic turn between them, she decided she could wait until it came up in conversation naturally.

Nearing the end of the meal, Katherine felt an awkward nervousness rise up inside of her, and she wanted to flee back into the kitchen. Back to where she didn’t feel so vulnerable.

“Can I get you anything else?” she asked, taking empty bowls and plates from the table. “I can whip up another grilled cheese if you want.”

“Seriously?” Matthew chuckled, resting a hand against his stomach. “I couldn’t eat another bite if I tried. But thank you, it was delicious.”

“I’m glad you liked it.”

Katherine beamed with pride as her cheeks colored a soft pink.

“Justin was right. You’re a good woman and a damn fine cook.”

“It was only soup and sandwiches,” she said, dismissing the compliment even though she was obviously embarrassed and flattered.

“Only?” Matthew shook his head. “I think there’s no such thing as only when it comes to you and food.”

“You’re probably right.” She smiled, then stopped him before he stood up to help. “I got this. You take it easy.”

Restless and ready to be freed from her high chair, Libby slapped her hands on the tray, splattering tiny drops of red soup everywhere.

Out of habit, Matthew held his breath, waiting for an angry backlash. But Katherine only smiled. “Don’t worry about it. I got Libby, too,” she said, taking a clean kitchen towel and wetting it with warm water.

Over time, Matthew had grown accustomed to defending himself and his daughter from Julia’s impatience and short temper. But Katherine was different. She only laughed at Libby’s antics and proud, toothy grin. And it made Matthew sit in awe as he watched them together.

After wiping one hand, Katherine moved on to the other, but as she worked on the second tiny hand Libby took her clean hand and rubbed it back and forth across the tray, smearing drops of the red soup around as if she were finger painting.

This happened twice before Katherine finally realized she was going about it all wrong.

“Alright, you little stink bug. I see what you’re up to.”

As Katherine removed the tray from the high chair, Libby slapped her hands together.

“Watch out,” Matthew tried to warn her, but it was too late.

Fortunately, Libby’s hands were a bit cleaner than before, and only a few soup spatters made it onto the front of Katherine’s overalls. Looking down, Katherine gasped in mocked disbelief as Libby laughed and Matthew held his breath.

“Why, you little stinker pie!” she said, holding Libby’s hands far apart and diving down into the crook of her neck, growling and snarling. As Libby squealed with delight, her giggles had them all laughing before Katherine finally stopped. Then she finished cleaning Libby’s hands.

“There, nowyou can clap… hooray!” Katherine cheered, clapping her own hands and winding Libby back up again.

“Yay, Da-da!” Libby smiled, urging Matthew to join in.

When they all finally settled down, Matthew couldn’t help but think again about what a wonderful mother Katherine would make. She was patient, playful, and kind. And watching her with his little girl made his heart squeeze inside his chest.

“Thanks for being so great with her.”

“Nothing to thank me for. Kids are great all on their own. It’s the grown-ups you gotta watch out for.”

“I know what you mean.” Matthew stifled a yawn.

“Why don’t you go relax on the couch and I’ll finish cleaning up, then keep Libby entertained while you rest. Take a nap if you need to.”

Although he wanted to argue, exhaustion outweighed his reluctance, and Matthew gave in. He was tired, full of good food, and all he could think about was closing his eyes for a few minutes. “Okay, but only if you promise to come get me if there’s an issue.”

“There won’t be any issues. We’ll be fine. Right, Libby?”

Libby smiled at the sound of her name but kept playing with her toys.

“You be good, Libby Doll,” Matthew said, bending down and kissing his baby girl before turning back to Katherine. “I mean it, wake me up if she gets fussy, or you have to go?”

“I don’t have to go,” Katherine said, giving Matthew a gentle push toward the living room. “Sleep well, and sweet dreams.”

In minutes, Matthew was asleep in front of the television.