Page 50 of Promise Me, Katie (Bennett Sisters #1)

The following Sunday, Katherine got up early and drove to the diner. She had called Zach the night before and, with a lot of persuading, convinced him to bring Beth Ann by The Copperwall so the three of them could talk.

“Thanks for coming,” she said as they entered the diner hand in hand. “Please let me say that I am so sorry to both of you. The things I said and how I acted were inexcusable, and if there’sanyway that we can work this out, I’d like us to be friends again.”

“I’d like that too,” Beth Ann said, her voice still filled with remorse. “But I do need to tell you everything I was never brave enough to tell you. Things you should know before we can talk about being friends again. Because you may not feel the same way once you hear what I have to say.”

“Okay…” Katherine agreed with hesitation, wondering if she had the strength to hear what Beth Ann needed to tell her.

As Beth Ann took a breath to calm her nerves, Zach had to whisper that he was by her side and that he knew she could do it before she was able to go on. After giving him a teary smile, Beth Ann turned back to Katherine.

“What you need to know is that after Max died, I came here to Windsong to throw our relationship in your face.” Tears streamed down Beth Ann’s cheeks as she spoke.

“I wanted to hurt you because, for years, Max made me believe you were standing in the way of our happiness. He told me that he never wanted to be with you, that you tricked him into marriage, and that you tricked him again when you got pregnant.”

Katherine’s shocked expression stopped Beth Ann, and once again, she had to look to Zach for the strength and encouragement she needed to go on.

“When Addison came into the picture, I was so jealous and angry that I tried to break things off with him, but he brought her to me and put her in my arms when she was six days old.”

Katherine remembered that day when Max said he was taking Addy to his parents’ house.

“It felt so wonderful, andshewas so beautiful that I started to hate you. I became so angry and jealous of you. I didn’t think you deserved them.

And in some crazy way, I thought you somehow stole my life from me.

When I threatened to confront you, Max told me that because you were an unfit mother who cared more about your future career than your own baby, he would divorce you and fight for full custody of Addison on the grounds of abandonment.

He promised that one day we’d get married, and I’d be Addison’s mother instead of you. ”

Katherine paled at Beth Ann’s words. “And you believed him?”

“At the time, yes. But the moment I met you, when I saw how broken and sad you were behind that friendly, welcoming facade, I knew in my gut that everything Max had said was a lie and all the things he had promised were just a way to use me. I was so young and so gullible when I met him, and he took advantage of me. He saw that I had no one in my life who loved me and that I didn’t even love myself.

That’s how he manipulated me and made me believe him. ”

“When did we first meet? Was it at the funeral?” Katherine asked. “Because I don’t remember meeting you before you came and interviewed for a job.”

“Thatiswhen we met. And I didn’t come here for a job. Like I said, I came to Windsong to hurt you. But when I got here, you had bought the diner and were interviewing people, then one thing led to another, and you know the rest.”

“Oh my gosh.”

“I didn’t mean for that to happen, but it did because I never expected you to be who you are.

Max always made it out like you were some kind of monster.

But you were so nice to me.Everyonehere was so nice to me,” Beth Ann said, glancing at Zach, still by her side.

“So, you see, I don’t want you to apologize to me because it’smewho owes you an apology.

Once I knew who you really were, I didn’t want to hurt you. ”

“I know that now,” Katherine said, rushing forward to hug Beth Ann.

“Do you? Do you really?” Beth Ann cried out, holding on to Katherine. “Because all my matchmaking wasn’t to make up for what I’d done. I really just wanted to see you fall in love and be happy. And not the kind of love you thought you had. But real love. The kind you deserved.”

“The kind we deserved,” Katherine said, pulling back to smile at Zach. “Now that I know what I know, I’m so glad you found it.”

“Really?Because I wouldn’t have without you.”

“No.” Katherine shook her head, blinking away tears. “You would’ve found each other somehow. You two were meant to be together.”

“Just like you and Matthew.” Beth Ann beamed, her expression as hopeful as the day she announced Matthew was moving to Windsong.

“I don’t know about that.” Katherine pulled away, the pain of uncertainty weighing heavily on her heart. “I’m not sure if that’s even going to happen anymore.”

“But it has to.” Beth Ann grabbed her hands, careful not to squeeze the one that was still healing. “Katherine, he’s the one.”

Katherine lowered her gaze and shook her head in doubt.

“Youhaveto believe it,” Beth Ann urged. “You’ve come so far. Don’t give up hope. Anyone with eyes can see you two were meant to be together. And think about little Libby, too. She loves you so much.”

Katherine’s eyes filled with tears. For days, she’d been trying not to think about Matthew, let alone Libby. It was too painful.

“Have you talked to him yet?”

“No, not yet.”

“You should talk to him,” Beth Ann said. “I know he’s sorry, and I know he still loves you.”

“I don’t know how he could,” Katherine said, still unsure, even though Matthew had tried reaching out to her several times in the last few days.

Calling her cell and her house, leaving messages she couldn’t bring herself to listen to.

He even left a note on her front door when she didn’t show up for Grief Group.

When she didn’t respond to any of those attempts, he tried calling out to her one night through her open bedroom window. But every time he tried, she somehow found the strength to ignore him. “It’s probably not a good idea.”

“Of course, it’s a good idea. Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Because I don’t know if I can trust him.”

“You can trustmeagain after everything I’ve said and done, but you can’t trusthim?” Beth Ann shook her head. “That’s just stupid.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m sorry, but that is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. Don’t you think that’s stupid, Zach?”

“Yeah, thatispretty stupid, especially hearing it fromyou, boss.”

“Boss?” Katherine dared to ask. “Does that mean you guys would consider coming back?”

Zach and Beth Ann looked at each other, then agreed it was what they wanted.

“Thank God,” Katherine sighed. “This place wouldn’t be the same without you guys.”

Beth Ann hugged Katherine again, then led her to the counter as Zach disappeared into the kitchen.

They could hear he was cooking as they talked, but they didn’t know what.

Soon, glorious smells floated through the air, and Katherine’s mouth started to water just as Zach came out with a small feast for them.

“You look like you haven’t eaten in days,” Zach said, setting down a plate with a double everything version of The Brown Lace Bagel, French toast with bacon, and a couple baskets worth of French fries served in a big mixing bowl.

Next to the bowl, he set down a small plate of different sauces.

“I’ve been doing a little inventing of my own.

” He beamed with pride. “Try these and let me know what you think.”

“You’re a one-man cooking machine,” Katherine said, dunking a crispy French fry into one of the sauce cups.

“Isn’t he the best?” Beth Ann watched as Zach went over and cut slices of layer cake and pie to add to the counter of food. “Look at this amazing spread. He totally speaks my love language.”

As they ate, Zach shared stories about working at The Copperwall that had them laughing.

Like the horrors of four women’s monthly cycles being in sync, bad attitudes about bad hair days, roller coaster mood swings, endless hours of conversation about shopping, and the random Tuesday when Lucy and Lyla spoke nothing but the made-up twin language they created as kids.

Eventually, Beth Ann said that they had to leave. “Sorry to run, but we made plans with a friend and need to get going.”

“That’s okay.” Katherine hugged them both. “I’m just happy you came, and we were able to work things out.”

“So am I.” Beth Ann smiled. “See you tomorrow, then?”

“I’ll be here bright and early.” Katherine smiled back. “And I hope I didn’t keep you too long. My apologies to your friend if you’re late.”

“It’s okay. They’ll understand,” Beth Ann said, glancing at the clock again before grabbing Zach’s hand and pulling him out the door. “Bye!”

“Bye, you guys!” Katherine called after them, then filled her mug with more hot water and dropped a fresh bag of peppermint tea inside. She hadn’t been alone for very long when she heard the door open. “Sorry, we’re closed!”

As Katherine glanced over her shoulder, she saw Matthew standing there, and immediately she understood the plans Beth Ann had made with a friend.

“Katie...” Matthew’s voice was near pleading with desperation as she turned back around and stared into her cup.

When he walked through the new front door and found Katherine sitting at the counter, he realized it had been less than a week since she confronted Beth Ann.

But to Matthew, it had felt like an eternity.

“Please talk to me. You have to stop avoiding me.”

When Katherine turned to face him, her expression was so cold Matthew wondered if she was lost to him forever. It was like she had closed the door to her heart again, because it seemed to be shut tighter than when they had first met from opposite sides of the brick wall separating their houses.

“It’s Sunday. We’re closed.”

“I know you’re hurt—” he began, but Katherine interrupted him with a snort of frustration.

“I’m not hurt.”