Sending Griffin and Knox a pointed look, I remind them, “You said you wouldn’t hover.”
“We’ll be at the table over here,” Knox promises, taking Noah and Griffin with him.
Kat turns back to me, pointing her finger. “I’ll make the coffee. You pick a table and sit. And get comfortable too because you’ve got some explaining to do.”
I give her a salute and sit down in our usual spot. The familiarity of the situation soothes the part of me that has been on edge for days.
Kat plops down in the chair across from me, setting down a hot coffee and a fresh chocolate croissant. My stomach growls, craving the pastry on the table, and I’m not even hungry right now. I ate before we left the house.
“Raven, what’s been going on? The library was blown up, and then someone broke into your house?”
“Yeah…” I trail off. I talked with Griffin and Knox many times about what to tell Kat. The answer was simple—the truth.
So, I give it to her.
I tell her about my brother, my parents, my time in Mystic River Psychiatric Hospital, my kidnapping, and New York. The entire time, Kat doesn’t say a word, but her face gives away every emotion. Anger, sympathy, frustration, sadness, pain.
When I’m done speaking my truth, Kat reaches for my hands. She holds both of mine in hers. Her chin quivers. “I am so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault, Kat.”
“I know, but…” Kat trails off, blinking. “Are you serious about shutting down the hospital?”
“Absolutely,” I affirm.
Kat nods, staring down at the table. “I have an idea.”
Less than an hour later, Kat has sent her employees home and closed the curtains over the windows.
Griffin folds his arms. “Why does this feel like we’re about to meet with the mob?”
Knox backhands Griffin’s arm. “We’d have to be in an Italian restaurant or something for that. Not a café.”
I glance over at Noah, who is occupied with my phone and a pair of headphones. When Kat started to shoo Annabelle away, I set him up with a movie.
“Mom? I’m hungry!”
Knox and Griffin snort at Noah’s louder-than-normal volume, always a side effect when wearing headphones.
“I got it,” Kat claims. She grabs a paper plate and loads it with one of everything from the bakery display case.
Noah wiggles with a huge smile as Kat adds each item to the plate. “Thank you! Thank you!”
Kat gives him the food and turns back to us. I hop up on the counter next to the cash register, Knox leans back against the display case, and Griffin stands sentry by the door.
Holding my hands out with my palms up in question, I try to get the ball rolling. “Sooo…What’s your big idea?”
“He should be here any minute,” Kat replies.
Knox squints. “He?”
We all hear the door from the back of the shop in the kitchen open and close. Knox stands, and his hand goes to the small of his back under his leather jacket as he turns to face the sound. The shuffle reveals the grip of a handgun sticking out of his jeans.
“You’re not gonna need that,” Kat comments bitingly.
“Knox, where did you get that?” I chastise him.
Griffin scoffs. “This is Texas, Sunshine. Everyone has a gun. You should know that.”
