“I know, Mom. But I figured I’d get it all downstairs for you before I leave.”
Rose couldn’t help herself. “Why don’t you stay for dinner and then go home after?”
Katie gave her a sweet smile, as if she knew her silly old mom was just trying to keep her there a little longer. “Because it’ll take a few hours for my apartment to come back up to temperature and I don’t want to crawl into a freezing bed. Where’s Josh?”
“He went for a quick ride,” Andy said. “One of the guests said there was a tree down across the trail. They had a few guys, so they were able to hold it up enough to pass all the machines under, but it needs a chain saw. Would’ve given him a hand, but he was ready to go and I wasn’t. Said it wouldn’t take him more than a half hour.”
As if they’d summoned him just by talking about him, they all heard the whine of his snowmobile cutting across the yard, heading toward the barn.
Katie picked up her bag and shoved her feet into her boots. “I’m going to head out, then. You call me if you need anything, Mom. And you’re still on semilight duty, no matter how good you feel.”
“I won’t let her overdo it,” Andy said.
Rose shushed him and hurried forward to kiss her daughter’s cheek before she went out the door. Then she watched through the window as Katie walked to the barn and waited while Josh took off his helmet and put the chain saw away.
They were easy together, smiling and happy, and Rose forced herself to relax. They were still okay, she thought. Her pneumonia had thrown them together and now all she could do was see if it stuck.
“I think you’re right,” she told Andy as the kids disappeared in the direction of Katie’s Jeep. “Being under the same roof was the kick in the pants Josh needed, but now they’ll have a chance to build a real relationship.”
She smiled as he slid his arm around her waist and kissed the back of her neck. “You’re good at this matchmaking thing.”
“I am, aren’t I?” she agreed, and then she turned her head toward him so his next kiss was a proper one.
*
Movie night, held on the first Saturday of each month, was a longstanding tradition for some of the women of Whitford. The hosting duties rotated and this time it was Jilly Crenshaw’s turn.
Katie was partial to movie night at Jilly’s because Gavin usually put out some of his incredible food for them before he and his dad left for Max’s to watch whatever sport they could find on the television.
Tonight the movie was the new romantic comedy on the block, which didn’t do much for her. Gavin’s buffalo-chicken dip, however, would have been worth sitting through The English Patient again. She was hesitant to try it, but once she did she wanted to bury her face in the pan and devour it like she was in a no-hands pie-eating contest. She needed that recipe.
Luckily, there was plenty of dip to go around, because attendance was light. The forecast had hinted at the possibility of sleet, which kept some of the less adventurous drivers—including Rose—at home. Paige wasn’t giving up a Saturday night with Mitch, especially since he’d be traveling again in less than a month. Hailey had gone to her sister’s house in Massachusetts to have a belated Christmas with her family.
But Fran was there, and Jilly. Tori, the part-time waitress who was Jilly’s niece, was sitting at one end of the couch, looking a little lost. There were a few others there, too, and she waved to them as she sat on the other end of the couch, balancing a plate with crackers and dip on it. Jilly sat between her and Tori, picking up the remote.
Holding the plate in one hand, Katie fumbled with her phone, switching it to vibrate before the movie started. She tucked it under her thigh and used a throw pillow to help balance her plate.
“I heard you and Josh are a thing now,” Jilly said, leaning close to her as if every other woman in the room wasn’t listening.
“Yeah, I guess we are.”
“That’s awesome. Everybody knew you guys belonged together, so we’re all happy for you. Plus, the Kowalskis throw great weddings, you know.”
Katie felt her eyes widen and shook her head. “We’re not there yet. Not even close, actually.”
Jilly patted her leg. “You’ll get there. Don’t worry.”
“Okay, Jilly, I’m ready,” Fran said as she lowered herself into Jilly’s rocker and set her knitting basket on the floor next to it.
Jilly hit the play button and Katie sat back with a sigh of relief. At least the attention was off her and onto the television where it belonged. They were already talking about a wedding?