Page 44 of Promise Me, Katie (Bennett Sisters #1)

Matthew woke up the moment he realized the other half of the bed was empty.

Touches of light from the early morning sky filtered through the sheer curtains covering Katherine’s bedroom windows, while water from a running shower in the next room told him there was no reason to worry why his Katie was no longer next to him.

It wasn’t until Matthew stretched his arms and yawned that he grasped just how tired he was.

And it wasn’t about them staying up past their bedtime to tease and touch.

No, the exhaustion he felt came from a night of troublesome thoughts racing through his mind and the bad dreams that accompanied them.

Exhausted and distracted, Matthew was lost in his thoughts when he failed to hear the running water shut off or when the door to the bathroom opened, and Katherine entered the room.

Standing there with her body wrapped in a robe and her hair in a towel, she was about to wish him a good morning when she saw the troubled expression on his face.

“You okay?”

Matthew visibly jumped.

“Oh, sweetie pie, I’m so sorry,” she said, hurrying over to his side. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

As soon as Katherine was within arm’s length, Matthew reached up and pulled her down onto the bed next to him. The towel twisted around her head tumbled to the floor, while his hold on her was tight enough to take her breath away.

“What’s wrong?” she managed.

Matthew didn’t respond. Instead, he buried his face in her neck and breathed in her delicately sweet, slightly floral scent. Then he exhaled with a heavy sigh of relief. Just the act of holding her body close made him feel better.

Katherine had been correct in her assessment.

He was scared. He feared that by what he knew, he could become part of the tangled web wrapped around her greatest heartbreak.

More than anything, he didn’t want to be part of her broken heart.

And he certainly didn’t want anything to come between them.

“Mmm, you smell good,” he breathed her in again, then pulled back to look into her trusting eyes. “How did you sleep?”

“I always sleep good when I’m sleeping next to you.”

Pulling an arm free, she reached up and touched the side of his face. Studying him, Katherine felt her heartbeat quicken, and without understanding or knowing why, she started to feel a little scared herself.

“Why won’t you tell me what’s wrong? I thought we had a really nice night together, but the look on your face is telling me something different. Are you regetting dinner with our families after all? I know it seems soon, but—”

Matthew stopped her with a kiss. His approach was fast and hard at first, but once their lips touched, he relaxed and kissed her gently, never opening his mouth or allowing their tongues to touch.

He wanted to kiss her like the first time they kissed, hoping the memory of it would rekindle the same excitement in both of them.

Then he pressed her to his chest and held her there, rubbing her back. “You shouldn’t worry because nothing’s changed. I had a great time last night, and I don’t regret a single minute of it. I just didn’t sleep well. That’s all.”

“I understand.”

“I like holding you, you know that, right?” Matthew said, kissing the top of her head and hoping to change the subject. “It’s a good way to start the day.”

“Ditto.” Katherine snuggled even closer. “It’s too bad I have to leave soon. Can I make you something for breakfast before I go?”

“No.” Matthew yawned. “I need sleep more than I need food.”

“Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Matthew asked Katherine to stay home and spend the day with him.

“I wish I could, but I’ve been away from the diner too much. I really think I should be there today.”

Matthew groaned. More than anything, he wanted to prolong this moment and avoid the inevitable discussion he was dreading.

“But I amworking on a plan that will allow us more time to be together. In a few weeks, my schedule will be so different you’ll be begging for some time away from me.”

“Not a chance. I’ll always want to be with you.”

“Why don’t you stay here and get some more sleep,” Katherine suggested, slipping out of his embrace and pulling the covers over him. Then she sat on the side of the bed and touched his face. Her soft fingertips traced the curve of his bottom lip, the line of his jaw, and the ridge of his brow.

As she moved her fingers over his skin, he looked up and silently studied each nuance of her face through heavy eyelids and long blinks.

Before long, Matthew felt himself drifting into a warm, tranquil fog. “That feels nice,” he sighed.

“I’m glad you like it when I touch you,” she said, her voice gentle and soothing. Katherine loved moments like this when he let his guard down and let her love him.

“My sweet, sweet man,” she whispered, brushing strands of hair away from his forehead. “You’ve been through so much.”

Captivated by her soothing voice and gentle touch, Matthew allowed himself to fall even further into the peacefulness he was feeling.

“Soon, we’ll have everything we’ve ever wanted, and nothing or no one will ever take away that away from us,” Katherine whispered, easing herself off the edge of the mattress.

Liking the sound of that, Matthew smiled one last time before slipping into a deep slumber.

“Sweet dreams,” she said softly, standing by the bed as she looked down at Matthew. It seemed impossible that they’d found each other. But somehow, they had, and Katherine knew she was ready to spend the rest of her life with him.

** *

Even though she was running a little late, Katherine was still the first person to pull into The Copperwall parking lot. Gathering her things from the passenger seat of her pickup, something caught her eye, and she stopped to gaze out the windshield of her truck.

The warm colors created by the rising sun filled the open sky above the diner, and a smile brightened her face. The same life-renewing, purpose-restoring place she’d transformed and made her own was now about to be the thing that allowed her to pursue other dreams.

Even now, she could hardly believe how much being a part of its history had helped heal her heart and bring some joy back into her once bleak life. She’d never realized it before, but now she could see how it had become like a baby to her when she so desperately needed something to nurture.

Because of the diner, acquaintances had become friends, and friends grew into what felt like extended family.

Like Beth Ann, Zachary, the Fraser girls, and Grace Chen, who stood by her side day in and day out to see The Copperwall become a place where community and family came together.

Or like Millie Fraser, who had been her mentor and friend and to whom she owed an enormous debt of gratitude. Millie’s generosity and guidance had been pivotal in bringing this place back to life and, in turn, doing the same for Katherine.

Not to mention, Millie had been the tough, no-nonsense, understanding friend and mentor Katherine needed, coming into her life at just the right time. Even now, she knew she could turn to Millie for anything.

Entering the front door, Katherine looked around at how clean and tidy her team had left the place the day before, and her stomach twisted into a knot.

It almost hurt knowing that the life of the diner could carry on without her.

Leaving her position at the helm wouldn’t be easy, but in her heart, she knew it had to happen if any of her other dreams were to come true.

For as much as she loved The Copperwall Diner and everyone connected with it, workers and patrons alike, she wouldn’t compromise what her heart and hopes were leading her to.

Lost in thought, Katherine hadn’t noticed when Beth Ann and Zach pulled into the parking lot.

“Good morning!” Beth Ann called out to her when she entered the building. “Isn’t it a beautiful day?”

“Oh, Beth Ann!” Katherine said, holding her heart. “You scared me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“What are you doing here so early?”

“I thought you wanted us to learn the opening to-do list.”

“Oh, that’s right. I forgot about that.”

“I’m sorry I scared you,” Beth Ann said with a remorse filled look on her face. “I guess I’m just excited.”

“It’s okay, although I’m starting to think you should’ve followed another career path.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know, something stealthy, maybe. You’ve always been pretty good at showing up out of nowhere,” Katherine said. “Maybe something like an international spy.”

“Really? You mean like 007?” Beth Ann lit up. “Wow, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You should,” Katherine said over her shoulder, tossing her bag under the counter, then dumped coffee grounds into the filter-lined basket of the brewer. Beth Ann followed, standing on the opposite side of the counter behind her.

“Well, maybe not James Bond, exactly,” Katherine added. “Maybe like a Bond girl. I remember my dad watching the old Sean Connery ones. I was always intrigued by the Bond girls. I remember the feeling of not knowing which side they were on.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know, the ones who weren’t what they seem to be. Beautiful and charming, with a hint of mystery. Maybe a little devious.”

“Really?” Beth Ann asked, her smile fading by the minute.

“Why not? You’re pretty enough to be a Bond girl,” Katherine said, pressing the button on the brewer that brought the noisy machine sputtering to life.

“You think of me as a villain?” Beth Ann whispered, her hands starting to tremble.

“What was that?” Katherine asked, turning to see the color drain from Beth Ann’s face as her legs buckled underneath her. “Bethie!” she cried out, rushing to the aid of her friend just before she collapsed. “Oh my gosh, are you alright?”

Beth Ann’s eyelids fluttered, and her skin changed from a pale, sickly shade to stark white. When Katherine turned the stool around, she urged Beth Ann to lean forward and put her head between her knees.