“Sometimes. Tell me, what does a world-famous children’s author do in a small Montana town on a Friday night?”
“She helps load dirty dishes into the dishwasher, then cleans up the tables from The Welcome Center’s community dinner.”
He looked around the bustling kitchen. “A lot of people are helping. We could disappear without a trace and no one would notice.”
“Or we could give everyone a hand for half an hour, then leave.” Carefully, Katie slid the cake onto the counter, then pulled a cart of dirty dishes toward Peter. The volunteers who’d provided a hot meal for the community had worked incredibly hard to give everyone a healthy and tasty dinner. They didn’t need them adding the dishes from the book launch to their already hectic evening.
Peter picked up two more plates and slid them into the dishwasher. “You’re too good for my humble soul.”
“There’s nothing humble about you, Peter Bennett. You’d ruffle many young women’s feathers if you put your mind to it.” Opening the door of another dishwasher, she pulled out the tray for the cups and glasses.
“The only feathers I’m interested in ruffling are yours. When we’ve finished here, do you want to grab something for dinner? We could go back to Zac’s house and eat it there or have something in town.”
She looked through the kitchen window and scowled. With icy roads and snowdrifts galore, it wasn’t the best time to go anywhere at night. “How about we have dinner at the inn? I cooked a yummy beef casserole with herb dumplings, mashed potatoes, and green beans for dinner. Even after my family have eaten, there should be lots of leftovers.”
“That sounds better than a cheese burger and fries.”
Katie nudged him with her hip. “I hope so. Thank you for what you did tonight. I wasn’t going to do a book launch.”
“That’s what worried me. When your parents said you didn’t want to make a fuss, I thought this might be too much.”
“It was perfect.” She wrapped her arms around Peter and gently kissed him. “I’ll remember tonight forever.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled. “I hope there are many more memorable moments in our lives.”
With a sinking feeling, Katie hugged him close. In a few months, they’d be living on opposite sides of the country. It didn’t matter what they said or did, there would never be enough time to create memories that would last a lifetime.
CHAPTER13
Penny tapped her pen against the side of her coffee mug. “I know it’s New Year’s Day and you have things you want to do, but can everyone stop talking and concentrate on our meeting.”
Barbara grinned from the other side of the table. “While we were at Mom and Dad’s apartment last night, a little birdy told me you and Wyatt are ready to start a family.”
Katie stared at Penny. It didn’t surprise her that she wanted to have a baby, but she’d only been married for a couple of months. “Are you sure?”
Penny rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t have married Wyatt if I wasn’t. Apart from anything else, I’m nearly thirty-five years old. If we don’t start trying soon, it might be too late.”
“Mom didn’t have me until she was almost thirty-six,” Katie reminded her. “And I turned out okay.”
“You’re the baby of the family. Mom and Dad already had us before you were born.” Penny sighed. “This isn’t supposed to sound mean, but I don’t have to tell everyone what’s happening in my life.”
“Yes, you do,” Katie said. “We’re sisters.”
“Who won’t have a business if we keep talking about babies.” With a lethal stare, Penny handed Barbara, Diana, and Katie a copy of their planning schedule. “From this Thursday, excluding when we go to Washington, D.C., we have a full house of guests through to the beginning of September. That leaves us with a big question mark over who will organize our guests’ breakfasts after Katie flies to Los Angeles.”
“We could ask Kathleen from Sweet Treats,” Diana suggested. “She only works in the afternoons. She might be happy to provide breakfast for our guests each morning.”
“You’ll need someone to make picnic lunches and the occasional dinner, too,” Katie reminded Penny. “I have a folder of recipes that are quick and easy to make. I could leave that for whoever helps.”
Charlie, their Golden Lab, sat beside Diana. Her hand automatically lowered to scratch behind his floppy ears. “Do you really need to leave? I was hoping that once you’d published your books, you might want to stay.”
“What about Peter?” Barbara asked. “Zac said he’s staying in Sapphire Bay for at least another six months.”
Katie crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Peter’s staying here, but I promised my boss I’d return in April.”
“But you’ve already published your books and it’s so much cheaper living here.”
Everything Barbara said made perfect sense, but there was still a part of Katie that wanted to sell books through a traditional publishing house. She knew she could do it. It was just a matter of having the right manuscript for them to look at.
