Page 12 of Katherine's Last Hope
Cody walked Tommy to the door and watched him lope down the porch steps and to his cruiser. He hoped he hadn’t lied to the man. As much as he wanted to believe Katherine was out of the fire, he couldn’t help the nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach telling him the pot had just begun to boil.
5
As always, spending time at the shelter kept Katherine’s mind busy and off her problems. While Ollie stayed glued to Jimmy’s side, she bopped around where needed—changing bedding, preparing lunches, and chatting with Beth about what brought her to the shelter.
As difficult as it was to keep her emotions from her face, she remained passive as possible while listening to the young woman’s struggles.
Slicing a cucumber, Beth sighed and stared out the kitchen window. “The hardest part is worrying about Audrey. Wondering if my mistakes will haunt her for the rest of her life.”
Katherine rinsed a head of lettuce in the sink before breaking off leaves for a salad. “All mothers worry about that. I strongly believe as long as we do the best we can and shower our children with love and good intentions, they’ll be all right.”
“I hope so. But I doubt your son has been dealt as crappy a hand as my daughter.” There was no bite in Beth’s words, just an exhausted acceptance of a rough life.
The side of Katherine’s mouth hitched up. “You’d be surprised.”
Beth held the knife over the cucumber and stared at her with wide, brown eyes. “You were abused, too?”
“No,” Katherine said, shaking her head. “I was in a wonderful marriage with a man who made the best possible father.”
“Told you.” Beth went back to her task.
“But that’s not the end of our story,” Katherine continued. “He died in a car accident a year ago. Someone else’s mistake took away half of my heart and left us struggling to accept our new reality. The reason I’m here might be different than yours, but deep down, I need the same community you do. And if you let them, the women here can be there for you just like they have been for me.”
A sad smile touched Beth’s lips. “I hope so.”
She opened her mouth to say more, but Ollie and Jimmy ran into the room with matching grins.
“Mama, Jimmy wants to see my fidget spinner. The shiny blue one Pappy gave me. Can you go get it? Please.” Ollie drew out the last word in a desperate plea.
Normally she’d say no and tell the boys to play with something already at the shelter or go outside and enjoy the sun. But it wasn’t often Ollie displayed so much excitement, and she had to admit, the fact her eighty-something grandfather had bought a fidget spinner delighted the entire family. Something her grumpy-yet-loveable Pappy pretended to find irritating.
“It sounds really cool, Ms. Katherine,” Jimmy added, excitement bouncing him up on his toes.
Beth chuckled. “Looks like they’re wanting you to run an errand.”
“Sure does.” Katherine gave an exaggerated eye roll. “Maybe if they both promise to be very good for the rest of the day and eat all these delicious vegetables we’re preparing for lunch, I can grab the toy really quick and bring it back.”
Ollie threw his arms around her waist. “Thanks, Mom!”
She savored the affection for a second longer before popping into the storeroom to tell Elsie she’d be right back. Once Elsie assured her that she’d keep an eye on the boys, she slipped into her jacket and snatched her keys from the pocket. She rushed down the porch steps to her SUV and turned on the engine.
Soft music played from the speakers, and she hummed along with the melody. The frazzled state of her nerves evened out from a day giving back, and she settled into the drive from Pine Valley to Water’s Edge. With her home on the outside of town, the fifteen-minute drive often went fast. Especially this time of year when the bright colors of spring promised warmer weather.
She drove past the town square, stopping at the red light. A few pedestrians filtered past on the crosswalk. She tapped her fingertip against the steering wheel as she waited, and when the light turned green, she turned right away from town.
The houses grew further apart and the trees more prominent, the wind ruffling the leaves. She cracked her window to let the fresh air inside and turned up the radio. Alone time wasn’t something she got often. She might as well enjoy it as much as possible before returning to the shelter.
A quick glance in the rearview mirror showed an old truck closing the distance between them. She kept her speed right at the limit. If some eager beaver had a lead foot, he could pass her. Keeping her hands at ten and two, she fixed her attention straight ahead. The road curved around the mountain, and she couldn’t afford to be distracted.
The truck came closer, raising the hairs at the back of her neck. Intuition tingled her gut, and she put a little extra pressure on the gas pedal. The more space she carved out between her and the truck, the more even her heartbeat became.
She darted her gaze between the rearview mirror and the windshield. The truck stayed back, following her into Water’s Edge.
Take it easy. Just some random guy in a truck taking the same route. No big deal.
She took the final curve around the bend.
In a flash, the truck was on her bumper. She glanced over her shoulder for a glimpse of the driver, but a hat pulled low over his eyes kept any features hidden. Fear hitched her breath as the space between the two vehicles became almost non-existent.
