Page 27 of Riverbend Gap (Riverbend 1)

Her mother extended a hand. “I’m Beth, director of the group.”

“Katie.” She shook her mother’s slender hand. There was no recognition in the woman’s eyes. Katie was both relieved and profoundly disappointed by that.

“You were here last week, I think.”

Katie didn’t think Beth had noticed, the way she’d slunk in and out. “I probably should’ve said something.”

“It’s not like that around here. Come and go as you like. No pressure at all.”

“Okay.” Katie didn’t know what else to say. Her palms were sweaty, and her mind spun with things to say—none of them appropriate for the occasion.

Instead she took a sip of coffee—and yes, it burned her tongue. But she welcomed the distraction of pain.

Beth checked her watch. “I’m afraid I have to run. I’m late to meet someone.”

“Well, it was nice to meet you,” Katie said automatically.

Her mother withdrew a card from her purse and held it out. “I’d like to give you this. Feel free to call me anytime, day or night.”

“Oh.” Katie inched backward. “I don’t think—I’m not—”

“Just take the card, Katie. Please. No pressure at all to use it.”

Katie did as she said. “Thank you.”

“I hope you come back next week.”

Katie didn’t reply, and her mother scooted out the door as though she was, indeed, late for an appointment.

Katie’s hand was shaking so badly, coffee sloshed over the lip of her cup, burning her. She had to get out of there. A young woman who couldn’t have been more than twenty frowned at her as she darted toward the door. But Katie couldn’t bring herself to care. She was just trying to remember how to breathe.

She exited the room and slammed into something hard. “Umph.”

Katie looked up into Cooper’s brown eyes. He was just inches away, steadying her with his big hands.

“Katie.”

“I’m so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.”

He glanced down to her shirt. “You spilled your coffee. Did it burn you?”

Only then did she realize that, yes, she had spilled her coffee all over her chest. And yes, it did burn. The empty Styrofoam cup was crushed in her hand.

“Come on.” He took the cup from her, led her one door down, and ushered her inside. He flipped on the lights, revealing a large industrial kitchen, everything stainless steel and clean.

Cooper opened the freezer door and withdrew a large bag of ice.

Katie glanced down at her chest. The area above her V-neck shirt was red and starting to hurt.

She looked at Cooper’s shirt. “Are you okay? Did any of it spill on you?”

“No, I’m fine.” He was transferring ice into a Ziploc bag, his big fingers working efficiently.

She pressed her hand to her chest, but the heat of her palm only made her skin burn worse.

“Here you go.”

She took the ice pack and pressed it to her skin. “Thanks. I promise I don’t normally injure myself at every turn.”