“Dani…”
“Trust me. I may not have found my own happily-ever-after yet, but I know the real deal when I see it. And Katie? Don't overthink. Don't manage. Don't plan. Just let yourself feel whatever you feel.”
Dani turned to get her things, but Katie grabbed her arm and pulled her sister into a hug. “Thank you. If I’m lucky at all it’s because I’ve got the best sister in the world.”
Dani kissed Kate on the cheek and whispered, “Go get him.”
Kate changed into the sundress, surprised it still fit. The fabric was soft and light, the color bringing out her eyes. She barely recognized herself in the full-length mirror.
When she came downstairs, Ben was waiting in the front hall, and James was right. Ben was wearing a button-down shirt, navy blue, with khakis instead of his usual work clothes. He held a bouquet of wildflowers, black-eyed Susans and Queen Anne's lace and something purple she didn't recognize.
When he saw her, his face changed, softened, like he was seeing something he'd been waiting for his whole life.
“You look...” he started, then stopped, seemingly at a loss for words. “Katie, you look beautiful.”
“Thank you.” She took the flowers, their fingers brushing. Even that small contact sent warmth up her arm. “You clean up pretty well yourself.”
And he did. The shirt brought out his eyes, and he'd clearly brushed his usually unruly hair. He looked like a boy picking up his prom date, except now with laugh lines and calloused hands and the quiet confidence of a man who knew what he wanted.
Tom appeared from the office, “Have her home by midnight,” he said in an exaggerated dad voice. “And no stopping at Lookout Point.”
“We don't have a Lookout Point,” Kate said.
“Then no stopping at whatever scenic overlook Ben's planning to take you to after the festival to watch the moon over the water. Walker’s Point is always a good view.”
Ben's ears turned red, and Kate realized that's exactly what he'd been planning.
Dani smacked Tom's arm. “Leave them alone.” She smiled at Kate. “You look gorgeous. Have fun.”
“Out,” Kate told her siblings, pointing to the front door. “Don't you have your own homes now?”
“We're working late,” James said with a grin. “Someone has to mind the inn while you're on your date.”
“I'm leaving now,” Kate announced, grabbing Ben's hand and pulling him toward the door.
“Have fun!” her siblings called in unison.
Outside, Ben's truck was clean for once, no tools or lumber in the back. He'd even put a small air freshener in it that smelled like pine. He opened her door for her, something he'd never done before.
“Your brothers and sister are not subtle,” he said as they drove toward town.
“They can’t help themselves, they've decided we're meant to be together.”
“And what have you decided?”
Kate looked at him, this man who'd waited so patiently, who'd rebuilt her family's inn and never asked for anything in return, who looked at her like she hung the moon.
“I've decided to stop overthinking,” she said.
Ben smiled, reached over and took her hand, interlacing their fingers. His palm was calloused from work, warm and steady. “That’s a good start.”
The Seafood Festival was in full swing when they arrived. The harbor was packed with vendors, the smell of fried clams and lobster rolls filling the air. A band played on the main stage, and children ran between the booths with their faces painted like sea creatures.
“Hungry?” Ben asked.
“Starving. I was too nervous to eat lunch.”
“You were nervous?” He seemed genuinely surprised. “Katie, it's me.”
