Page 27 of Promise Me, Katie (Bennett Sisters #1)

Shock snapped her eyes wide open. It wasn’t unlike her father to get straight to the point. Though she would’ve never expected him to say what he did, she felt compelled to explain. But again, he stopped her.

“You’ve been alone a long time, Katherine.”

As her lip quivered, she said, “Yes, Daddy, I have.”

With a nod, he looked out across the lawn, carefully contemplating his next words. When he finally spoke, he turned to look her square in the eye. “Officer Brandon is a good man. And I like him.”

“You do?”

“Yep.”

Katherine was awestruck. She couldn’t believe such a strong sentiment had come from him so soon. She knew those words didn’t come easy. Especially since her sister Ellie had waited nearly a year to hear the same praise about her own husband.

“Your truck runnin’ alright?”

Katherine smiled. Jerome Bennett was done discussing his feelings.

“Yes, Daddy, it’s running like a top.”

“Good, let me know if you need anything,” he said, patting her on the leg before getting up and sauntering across the porch toward the steps. “And don’t worry about Mom and the girls. They won’t hear a word of this from me.”

Katherine’s eyes glimmered with gratitude and emotion. “Can I give you a lift to the station?”

“Nope,” he said, patting his stomach. “Gotta walk off some pie before it or your mother catches up to me.”

“You ate pie before breakfast?” Katherine smirked. “That’s a first.”

Jerome glanced back over his shoulder with a wink.

“Or not,” Katherine laughed. “Where is Mom, anyway? Antiquing with Andie or volunteering in Georgie’s classroom?”

“Water aerobics,” he said, shaking his head the way he did every time his wife got herself involved in something new.

“Interesting.”

Jerome chuckled. “You could call it that if you like.”

** *

As Katherine’s old two-toned truck rumbled to a stop in the diner parking lot, she glanced at the clock on the dash. She hated being late.

“Hey, sleeping beauty, glad you could join us!” Beth Ann called out as Lucy and Lyla laughed.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to be so late.”

“Don’t sweat it. We had everything under control.”

“Thanks,” Katherine said, hurrying into the kitchen, zipping past Zach with a quick wave before she went to hide behind a row of shelves loaded with boxes and plastic bins.

“Just so you know, we will be expecting big fat bonuses on our next paychecks!” Beth Ann called out with a laugh, having followed Katherine into the kitchen.

That’s when Katherine’s head popped out from behind the shelf, and Beth Ann saw the tears in her eyes.

“Oh my gosh, Katherine, are you crying?” Beth Ann rushed over to her side. “What happened?”

“Nothing happened.” Katherine sniffled. “That’s just it.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Forget it. It’s nothing.”

“How can I? You never cry. Not even when—” Beth Ann stopped herself. “Well… ever.”

Then, Katherine laughed, confusing Beth Ann even more.

“And now it’s funny ?”

“No.” Katherine wiped the tears from her face. “It’s not funny.”

“I’m so confused right now.” Beth Ann looked to Zach for answers, but he only shrugged. “There’s gotta be something we can do to help. Anything. You name it.”

“There’s nothing you can do. I’ll be fine, I promise. I just need a minute.” Katherine slowly inhaled and exhaled, but it didn’t help. “You should get back out there for the last of the breakfast customers.”

Beth Ann hesitated, looking like she wanted to hug Katherine.

“Alright,” she said reluctantly. “And you’re sure you’ll be okay?”

“I’ll be fine.”

As the rest of the morning passed by in a busy blur, Katherine was glad she came to The Copperwall, convinced that if she’d stayed home, mulling over what had happened, she would’ve driven herself half crazy. Work had always been a welcome escape and today was no different.

After the lunch rush, and the diner emptied out, Katherine pulled a wad of bills from her pocket and stuffed them into Beth Ann’s hand. “Here, split this with Zach and the girls. Consider it the bonus that won’t be on your next paycheck.”

Beth Ann looked down at the money. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely. You guys deserve a little something extra. Now go and enjoy your freedom,” Katherine insisted. “I’m closing the diner early.”

“What about dinner?”

“Dinner service is canceled. I’ll leave a note on the door.”

As Beth Ann’s eyes bulged, Lucy and Lyla quietly gasped from behind the counter. “But Katherine—”

“No butts about it. We could all use a break from this place.”

After escorting everyone out the door, Katherine flipped the Open sign to Closed , sent a text to Grace, then went in search of paper and a pen to leave a note for the dinner crowd. But before she found what she was looking for, she heard the front door open.

“Katie…” came Matthew’s undeniable voice, and she turned to find him standing there in his uniform.

A part of her wanted to run over and hold him. But the other part of her was still agonizing over what happened that morning. “We’re closed for the day.”

“Please don’t treat me like I’m a stranger,” he said. “Besides, I just watched you send everyone home. I was in the cruiser outside with Justin.”

“Oh, well, then we’re closed for the rest of the day,” she said, grabbing a towel and wiping the already clean counter.

“Are you really going to shut me out like that?”

Stepping forward, he reached out for her hand, but she pulled away.

“No, Matthew, we’re in public. Anyone could walk in and see us.” Katherine lowered her head. “And what about Justin?”

“What about him?”

“Well, you just said he was here with you.”

“So?”

“So, he thinks we had sex.”

Matthew might’ve laughed if Katherine hadn’t been so obviously humiliated by the situation. But there was a sweetness to her that he wasn’t accustomed to. So, instead, he smiled at her adorable innocence, then immediately regretted it the moment she frowned at him.

“It’s not funny, Matthew. What’s everyone going to think?”

“Oh, Katie, I know it’s not funny. But you’re not a little girl anymore. I would think by now Justin knows you’re also not a virgin. And I’m sure he understands that women have certain needs.”

“Certain needs?” Katherine’s eyes widened. “What did you tell him after I left?”

“I told him nothing happened. I said you were there as a friend and that you come by to hang out and help with Libby so I can get some decent sleep.”

“You told him I stayed overnight?”

“I didn’t have to. Think about it. You were barefoot in my pajamas making pancakes. I think anyone would assume you stayed over.”

“This is a small town, Matthew. People around here talk. Now everyone’s gonna know about us. I wanted to wait until we were ready.”

Matthew frowned. “Look, we came into this knowing there would be challenges, and now this is one of them.” Then he grabbed her hand, not letting her pull away despite her best efforts to try. “It was a misunderstanding, but it’s fine now. Even the Chief said we could work through it.”

Then Katherine remembered what her dad had said about Matthew.

“Can’t we go back to where we were?”

“How?”

“Easy… we just let it go.”

Katherine’s pain-filled scoff spoke to years of worry and frustration. “Just let go of what everyone else will think?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t you understand that sharing our relationship with others, even on our own terms, was going to be hard enough? Now we have no control over how this gets out.”

“Maybe we never did.”

“Why is this not bothering you? Don’t you care?”

“Of course I care,” Matthew fumed. “But what are you so afraid of?”

Katherine tried to look away, but he wouldn’t let her.

“Wedidn’t do anything wrong. We kissed. We’ve held each other. So, we slept in the same bed. Big deal. So, we care about each other. How the hell is that wrong?”

Katherine couldn’t speak. The more she thought about it, the more she let fear take over.

“Katie, please, you gotta stop overthinking this,” Matthew begged. “We didn’t do anything wrong. Why can’t you see that?”

“Because they’ll think we did!” she snapped back, starting to cry. “Everyone will see me as immoral and corrupt. And I’ll be no better than the woman Max was with.”

“Oh, sweetheart… that’s just not true.”

“You don’t know that. What if people think I wanted Julia to die? That I was just waiting around for the chance to be with you.”

Matthew shook his head. He didn’t know what to do or say.

On the one hand, he was frustrated with Katherine for letting her mind go to such extremes.

But on the other hand, he hated watching her cry like this, and his heart ached.

He wondered how long she’d carried the burden of living life based on other people’s opinions and expectations.

“Did you want her to die?”

“Of course not. But I hated her for how she treated you and Libby. I heard so much more than you know. I’m sorry.

I didn’t want to, but I did. And I hated how she disrespected you and never called Libby by her name.

All I ever heard Julia call her was the baby .

Like that innocent little girl was some kind of nuisance to her.

Well, she’s not. Because she’s amazing and sweet and fun, and I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t be overjoyed to be her mother.

” Katherine choked on a sob. “Why the hell didn’t Julia know how lucky she was? ”

Matthew sighed just before he swallowed back his own hurt. “Because we weren’t what she wanted.”

Katherine sniffled, reaching for a paper napkin from a dispenser on the counter.

“Katie, am I still what you want?”

“Yes, but—”

“No buts.” Matthew stopped her. “It’s either yes or no.”

Staring into his eyes, Katherine wanted so much to believe they could make it.“How will people look at us when it’s been weeks since the accident, and we’re in bed together?”

“But no one knows we were in bed together. Besides, we didn’t do anything.”

“But we’ve wanted to.”

Matthew smiled. “You’re right, we have. And it’s going to happen someday.

So, what does it matter to the rest of the world if it’s today or ten years from today?

That’s for us to decide because we can’t live our lives based on other people’s expectations.

Our future is for us to decide. And no one gets to make those decisions for us.

And as far as Julia’s concerned, I’m sorry you were ever upset by her behavior, but honestly, from what you’ve told me about Max, I’m not too happy with him either. ”

Katherine shook her head. “Don’t you see how bad that sounds?”

“Are you saying you were never mad at him?”

“No, I still am sometimes, but it doesn’t make it right.”

“No, it doesn’t. But we’re human. It’s how we feel. We’re not perfect, just liketheyweren’t perfect. We have to give some grace where it’s needed, to them and to us, and then let it go. It doesn’t do us any good to dwell on it.”

Katherine nodded reluctantly.

“Look, I know this thing between us has happened really fast, but I don’t care. I don’t wanna give up on us, and I don’t wanna lose you.”

“I don’t wanna lose you either,” she admitted, falling into Matthew’s arms. “I’m sorry I overreacted.”

“I’m sorry, too.”

Though Katherine could’ve stood there in Matthew’s arms forever, the diner’s front door opened.

“We’re closed!” she called out, not caring who saw them together when his embrace felt better than she remembered.

“Even for a slice of pie?”

Katherine turned to see Justin. And the remorse written across his face softened her heart.

“Forgive the intrusion, ma’am,” he said. “Nowandthis mornin’.”

Looking to Matthew, then back at Justin, Katherine invited him in.

“We’ve got pecan and apple left. You want it a la mode?”

“Just the apple, ma’am.”

Before dishing up a slice of apple pie for Justin and a piece of pecan pie for Matthew, Katherine went over and locked the front door.

“Kinda early to be closing, isn’t it?” Justin remarked as he sat down next to Matthew at the counter. “It’d be a shame if people missed out on somethin’ good goin’ on.”

“Like what? The spaghetti and meatballs special?”

“Well, I didn’t mean it literally,” Justin said, watching her grab plates and cups from the back counter. “I was tryin’ to use a metaphor.”

“Day, Lord!” Katherine mimicked his Kentucky twang. “You tryin’ to git all highfalutin on me now, Officer Macomb?”

“Shoot…” Justin’s chuckle made her smile. “You know me, I’m not too fancy. But I think you know that all anyone’s ever wanted was for you to be happy. Like with this diner. And you know, other things.”

As she set the plates of pie and glasses of milk in front of them, Katherine glanced at Matthew, and the love in her heart made her worries start to fade.

“For what it’s worth,I think it’s a good idea. Because being open is important, even if it isn’t easy. Sometimes ya just gotta let people in and have a little faith it’ll all work out.”

Katherine knew Justin wasn’t talking about The Copperwall or the spaghetti and meatballs dinner special, and her heart swelled with love for him, too. If she hadn’t fully realized it before, she knew now just how much his friendship had meant to her over the years.

“I think I know what you mean,” she said, attempting to hold back a flood of emotions, but her feelings were too powerful and when her eyes misted over, it made Justin’s face turn red.

“We oughta let ya get back to work,” Justin said, taking a long swig of milk, before setting his wedge of pie on a napkin, and pulling a folded twenty from his pocket and dropping it on the counter. When Katherine started to object, he stopped her.

“Thank you,” she said, as Justin gave her hand a quick squeeze before he grabbed his apple pie and headed for the door.

Turning the lock, he looked back over his shoulder and smirked. “You have a good rest of your day,Katie.”

When surprise widened her eyes, his cheeky grin made her laugh as the door swung shut behind him.

“Is it really that easy?”

“It can be if you let it.”

Katherine smiled at Matthew, and Matthew smiled right back.

“I guess I’ll be seeing you later then.”

“How about we meet at your place tonight?”

Grabbing his pie with a napkin, Matthew leaned over the counter and kissed Katherine’s cheek before walking out the door.

Then she watched from the front window as they drove away.