Page 9 of Promise Me, Katie (Bennett Sisters #1)

Katherine sat across from Peter Humble, wondering if the man would ever make his move. If it wasn’t for how kind and patient he’d been over the years, she wouldn’t keep spending her Friday nights with him. But making her wait like this was ridiculous. And she couldn’t figure out what he was up to.

“Are you sure there’s nothing you wanna talk about?”

She knew he was trying to sound as casual as the hundreds of other times he’d asked her that question, but Katherine could feel her patience slipping away.

“Are you sure you’re not just stalling?”

“No, you just seem a little off your game tonight.”

“You wish.”

“Sometimes, wishes come true,” Peter said with a wry smile, lifting one of the black discs and letting it drop between the two sides of the yellow frame. “Connect Four, sucker!”

“Where?” she scowled.

“Here… diagonally!”

“Oh, wow!” Katherine shook her head as Pastor Peter Humble stood up and performed a shameless victory dance. “Been waiting a while to saythatone, huh?”

“You’re darn right I have!” Peter shimmied his hips, flapped his arms like a chicken, and then pretended to spike a football inside an imaginary end zone.

Smirking at his silly antics, Katherine allowed him one last moment of glory before she reached out to slide the plastic piece along the bottom of the frame and release the red and black circles.

“Not so fast, young lady. This one is going on the bookshelf in my office.”

Katherine watched as Peter lifted the Connect Four game far from her reach and set it on the shelf over the church’s kitchen sink. The same shelf she had to ask him for help when she needed something from it.

“Are you serious?”

“Heck yeah,” he said. “This defeat was way too long in the making not to display it in my office next to my other accolades.”

“I meant, are you seriously putting it up where I can’t reach it? You don’t trust me?”

When he fluttered his lashes and grinned unabashedly, it made Katherine laugh. “You’re so weird.”

Actually, Pastor Peter was an excellent man. Born and raised in Windsong, he grew up, left town to pursue a degree in theology, and met his wife, Emily. After getting married, they traveled the world as missionaries before he was offered the senior pastor’s position at Hope Community Church.

With the added prospect of finally starting a family of their own, Peter was thrilled to be back in Windsong. But Emily wasn’t.

Less than a year after returning from overseas, she went to spend time with friends in Seattle and didn’t come home. Eventually, she informed Peter that she had no intention of returning, then met with a divorce lawyer and had papers sent to him.

Months after their divorce became final, the former Mrs. Humble married a missionary doctor she now traveled the world with, raising his three boys from a previous marriage and their two girls.

“You got time for another cup of tea?” Peter asked, turning the burner on underneath the kettle.

“Sure.” Katherine stifled a yawn while his back was turned.“Why not.”

“You know, if you’re tired, we can call it a night. There’s always next Friday.”

“Who says I’ll be back? Maybe I don’t like getting beat at Connect Four.”

Peter cleared his throat and raised his hands like Charlton Heston in The Ten Commandments when he parted the Red Sea. “‘Humble thyself before the mighty hand of God—’”

“‘—that He may raise you up in due season,’” Katherine grumbled the rest of the verse.

“Ha! I knew it was just a matter of time before it would be your favorite, too.”

Katherine scoffed, “Sorry to break it to you, but that’snotmy favorite. Besides, you only like it because your first name is the book it comes from, and your last name starts the verse.”

“Young lady, are you accusing me of pride?” Peter tried to look offended but couldn’t hide his delight.

He loved bantering with Katherine. Probably because if he could draw her into any kind of back-and-forth verbal sparring, he was usually able to catch her off guard and get her to talk.

“By the way, what is your favorite verse?”

“Matthew 19:14,” Katherine blurted out before realizing what she’d done.

“‘But Jesus said, Let the children come to Me. For the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” Peter spoke each word of the verse with a wavering resonance. His ordinarily calm voice was now unsteady and sad. “Good one.”

“Geez, are you okay?” Katherine asked, even though she knew that not having children still broke his heart.

“Sure,” he said. “Are you?”

“You know, I see what you’re trying to do.” Katherine left her seat to grab a canister of sugar from the cupboard. “First, you distract me and steal my victory, then you squeeze my favorite bible verse out of me, andnow you want me to pour my heart out to you? Sheesh, the nerve of some people.”

Peter chuckled, “Isn’t that why we’ve been meeting here every Friday night for the past four years?”

“Is it?” Katherine looked around as if she were suddenly lost. “I thought this was a game night. I must be in the wrong place.”

As she started to walk out, the pastor and his whistling kettle stopped her. “Come back and have some tea. If you wanna call it a weekly game night, I guess I’ll allow it. But only because I just smoked you at Connect Four.”

“ Smoked me ?” she laughed. “Did you really just say that?”

“Come on, cut me some slack. This has been the highlight of my year, and you know it.”

Even though Katherine sometimes dreaded coming to the church on Fridays because it was a reminder of what had brought her to Grief Group in the first place, she was grateful for the company. And she knew Peter was as well.

“Fine. You won fair and square. But I expect a re-match,” she said. “How about we call a truce with some pie? I brought your favorite.”

“Maybe later,” he said, holding his midsection as if to say he was still full from the dinner she’d also brought them. “Or maybe I’ll save it for breakfast.”

“What is it with men and pie for breakfast? My dad and Justin do the same thing.”

“Guess you could say we’re three wise men… ba dum tss !” he said, acting out two snare hits and a cymbal crash.

“Oh geez.” Katherine rolled her eyes. “I didn’t think it was possible, but your corny Dad jokes are getting even worse. Youreallyneed to get out more.”

“What about you?” Peter asked. “Do you ever think about going out? Maybe meeting someone new?”

Katherine’s smile faded as she studied his face, wondering why he was pushing her even harder tonight than he had in a long time.

When she started attending the Friday night Grief Group after her mother’s persistent urging to “give it a try”, she could easily hide among the small crowd, staying silent as the other participants shared. Always passing when the circle of sharing made it her way.

Unfortunately, during her first year of attending, the group dwindled rapidly as other members moved on for one reason or another. Eventually, it was just her and Peter left.

“Wow, you’re really on a mission tonight. What’s with all the questions?” Katherine asked. “Is there something you want to share?”

There was a long pause.

“And stop trying to think of a nice way to say it. Just say it.”

“Okay,” he said, his voice turning serious. “I think I’m ready to get back out there and meet someone.”

Katherine gasped, clutching her heart. “Why, you scoundrel!”

Peter sighed, shaking his head.

“Well, you don’t have to act so dang shocked. It’s not like I’m a Catholic priest,” he said, the worry on his face fading. “I was married before. You do remember the reason why I’m in Grief Group?”

“You’re not in Grief Group. You run Grief Group,” Katherine told him, then gestured to the empty room around them. “Truth be told, this isn’t exactly what I’d call a group. If anything, we’re more like a grief pair.”

“Yeah.” Peter nodded. “I see your point. But it doesn’t change the fact that I think I’m ready to move on.”

Suddenly overcome with emotion, Katherine had to bite down her bottom lip to stop herself from crying. She felt like she was losing a friend.

“Oh, now don’t do that!” Peter insisted, reaching out to cup her hands in his. “This doesn’t change our Friday night standing appointment. I just wanted you to know because, God willing, one day, another person might be joining us.”

“Okay.” She sniffled.

“Look, I was only sharing,” he insisted, his voice full of concern, though a teasing glimmer in his eyes remained. “I’m not sure I made that clear when you started showing up all those years ago, but sharing is part of the reason why we’re here.”

“Really? Not just to get smoked at Connect Four?”

“Well, there’s that too...”

Katherine laughed, blinking back tears as she pulled her hands away and reached for her cup. “What about thousand-piece puzzles of hot-air balloons or cute puppies?Orwhat about the chance to avoid all those random weirdos out in the dating world?”

Peter laughed, “God loves all his children, Katherine, even the weird ones.”

“Whew! Thank goodness for that,” she said. “Where would that leave us if He didn’t?”

Laughing together, they finished their next cup of tea, got around to that slice of pie after all, and discussed Peter’s mission to find love again.

While she listened, Katherine realized that she admired his braveryandenthusiasm to return to the dating world.

And for the briefest moment, she wondered if siccing her little buddy Cupid—aka Beth Ann—on him might help.

No doubt, she’d have a field day with the pastor’s love life.

Probably keep her so occupied she’d stay out of Katherine’s lack of one. And wouldn’tthatbe a blessing?

But she couldn’t do that to Peter. She understood needing to take things one step at a time. And most importantly, letting Peter go about this in his own way.

Though he may be ready, and that was fine, Katherine wasn’t. And she couldn’t let her mind and heart wander into the same territory as she did when she let herself entertain thoughts of Matthew Brandon.

Nope. The day they met was humiliating enough, even though he had no idea she had the temporary hots for him.

From now on, she’d let Peter be the brave one while she would do her best to be happy and supportive, hearing about it every Friday night.

** *

As Katherine turned her old two-toned pickup onto her street, she noticed the lights were on in the house next to hers. And a shiny, new black sedan was parked in the driveway next to a slightly older SUV.

“They’re baaaack!” she said as the chilling reality set in that Mr. and Mrs. Brandon were officially her new neighbors.

Getting closer to home, she turned off the truck’s headlights before pulling into her driveway. She didn’t need any unwanted attention or, God forbid, another conversation with Matthew.

With any luck, she’d be able to avoid the Brandons for a long time.

Slipping out of the driver’s side door and gently closing it, Katherine noticed the lights in the front room being turned off just before hearing their front door open and shut.

Standing back, she peeked around the cab of her truck and watched as a tall, broad-chested figure walked across the front porch carrying a duffle bag over one shoulder, a diaper bag over the other, and a sleeping toddler in his arms.

Even with a few low-hanging branches obscuring her view, Katherine could see enough to know that it was Matthew carrying little Libby down the front steps and out to the SUV.

Watching as he tossed both bags onto the empty side of the back seat, then strapping his little girl into her car seat, Katherine felt a familiar knot inside her stomach twist even tighter. She wondered where Matthew was taking Libby and why they were leaving the house after dark.

When he walked around his vehicle to climb into the driver’s seat, Katherine ducked back, certain that he’d spotted her. Seconds felt like hours before she heard the driver’s side door open and shut and the motor of the SUV turn over.

“That was close,” Katherine breathed, holding her hand over her thundering heart. But as Matthew’s vehicle hit the end of his driveway, he turned, not in the direction of the police station, but in the direction that allowed him to drive past the front of her house.

Then panic set in as he slowed, lowered the passenger side window, and turned a flashlight on her. For a second, she was blinded by the light and didn’t know what to do.

“Hey there!” she called out with an awkward wave. “It’s just me!”

Matthew must’ve expected to find a criminal standing there because when he lowered the beam of light, she could see enough of his face by the light of the streetlamp to know he was surprised to find her standing there.

“Sorry about that!” he called out, moving the shifter on the steering column into park, before reaching for his seat belt.

“No problem!” Katherine hurried to shout before dashing up the stairs to her front door. “You have a good night!”

When Matthew raised the beam of light on her again, Katherine was grateful since she’d forgotten to leave the porch light on, and the darkness might’ve delayed her ability to get inside. Oh, how she wanted to be on the other side of that door.

“Thank you!” she answered, slipping inside before he could say anything else.

Gasping for a steadier breath, she locked the deadbolt and rushed over to the front window, gave Matthew another graceless wave as he sat at the end of her driveway, then yanked the curtains shut.

Scurrying around in a state of classic overreaction, she yanked the power cords on two lamps, wishing he would drive away.

Why wasn’t he leaving? Why was he just sitting there?

“Dear God, don’t tell me he’s thinking of coming to the door.”

Peeking ever so slightly from the edge of the curtain, Katherine watched in disappointment as the glowing red of Matthew’s taillights faded into the distance.

“Oh my gosh!” she exhaled as if she’d been holding her breath. “What was that all about?”

But it didn’t matter how long she stood there panting and trying to make sense of the situation. She couldn’t seem to wrap her brain around what was real and what wasn’t.

What was she supposed to think now? That she’d been wrong about him? That he really was a nice guy? And that she was just an irrational fool who couldn’t shake her growing feelings for him?

“What is wrong with me?” she choked out, throwing her head back. Tears filled her eyes as a surprising jolt of emotion squeezed her heart. Was it sadness? Or disappointment? She couldn’t be sure. Maybe both. But she knew she couldn’t keep thinking about Matthew Brandon the way she was.

“He’s married,” she scolded herself. “He loves his wife. They have a baby together. You know how it feels to lose all that. What the hell are you thinking?”