Page 9 of Katherine's Last Hope
A spark of appreciation lit Mike’s blue eyes. “I like the way you think. I’ve also been told you’ve been on the clock for way too long. You heading home?”
“Was about to, sir.”
“Do that, and when you get back to the station, we’ll go over where things stand. Until then, I’ll work with Owen and Tommy. That okay with you?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good.”
He took a step toward the door then hesitated. “How’s Katherine?”
Owen glanced over his shoulder and furrowed his brow while Mike leaned forward and rested his elbows on the edge of the desk.
Shit.
He shouldn’t have asked. Shouldn’t have let his professionalism slip enough to let his personal feelings shine through.
“I just mean, she had a rough night. I hope she got some sleep and feels a little better this morning.” Sweat coated his palms, and he fought every instinct not to wipe them on the sides of his pants.
“She’s okay,” Mike said. “She’s strong and knows how to fight back when life knocks her down.”
The knot in his gut loosened at the news and he nodded his goodbye before disappearing out the door, leaving Katherine’s family staring after him.
4
Alittle bit of the tension wrapped around Katherine’s neck loosened as she stepped into Safe Haven’s Women Shelter. After a restless night, she’d woken before Ollie and cooked him a breakfast fit for a little prince—French toast, eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit—then convinced him to head to the shelter.
Not like he needed much convincing.
She’d called ahead and found out Elsie would be at the makeshift store inside the shelter today, her sidekick Jimmy with her as usual. Since the two boys were around the same age, Ollie had perked up at the suggestion of spending time with his buddy.
Which was great since the hike she’d considered was now out of the question. Without knowing the reason behind her attack the night before, she wasn’t comfortable being alone with her son in the woods.
After hanging their jackets on the hook by the front door, she followed the sound of voices past the kitchen and to the store Elsie ran for the women who found themselves at the shelter—all the merchandise free for women in need.
Elsie sat on a stool behind the glass counter at the back of the space while Mrs. Collins bustled around the room, looking at clothes and straightening trinkets on display.
A woman Katherine had never seen stuck close to Mrs. Collins, a little girl propped on her hip. The purple bruise around her eye told Katherine she was one of the new guests Jenna had mentioned.
Jimmy sat in the corner with a book. He glanced up when they stepped foot over the threshold as if sensing their presence. “Ollie!” He jumped to his feet and darted across the room.
The woman with Mrs. Collins winced and the baby whimpered.
Anger flared to life inside Katherine. She’d witnessed that reaction countless times inside these walls and it never got easier to stomach.
Mrs. Collins rested a reassuring hand on the woman’s arm. “Beth, this is Katherine and her son Ollie. She’s a nurse and comes to help out when we need another set of hands, or just because she loves to give back. Isn’t that right, Katherine?”
She offered a kind smile. “Yep. My son Ollie and I love to hang with our friends. We’re like one big happy family.”
Ollie scrunched his nose and stared up at her with wide, brown eyes. “Jimmy’s my brother?”
Jimmy threw his head back and laughed. “No, silly. But we’relikebrothers, right Aunt Elsie?”
“That’s right. You even fight like siblings sometimes.”
Jimmy rolled his eyes. “No, we don’t. Come on, Ollie. I want to show you my book.”
Katherine was eternally grateful to see a glimmer of excitement lighten his steps as he scampered to the corner Jimmy had set up as a reading nook. Two blue beanbags were propped against the wall with a little table on one side. Two cups and a bowl of chips rested on the stand.
