Hello, Again (Book 2)

Grace

KATHERINE

I didn't think I would see Betsy this morning, but I was almost weak with relief when she walked into church with Shane. They stopped at our row and Jessie, Shane's six year old daughter, bounded forward to envelop me in a hug.

"Kat, do you like my new haircut?" She shook her golden curls, laughing.

"You look just like a princess," I answered, grinning.

Then, as was our custom, she sat down to my right. A flush of worry came over me—would Betsy insist on sitting somewhere else? I could understand her wanting to keep her distance, but it would leave a cold chairs where we'd always sat together on Sunday mornings. I glanced over at the pair, only to see that Betsy's face was turned completely away from us.

Matt stood to shake Shane's hand, clearing away any awkwardness with his easy smile. "How's everything been with the company?"

Shane shrugged. "Still gotta get a few things sorted out." He smiled, but it didn't seem to reach his eyes.

Ever since he'd come down to Alabama two years ago, he'd had to shift his entire operation out of California. At least most of his work in software development was online and easily transferable, but Betsy told me a few weeks ago that the market hasn't been as open in Millard County as it had been in San Francisco.

Shane sat by his daughter, and Betsy took the chair beyond him as if she was using him a shield between us.

Service started with a song, and though I sang along, my mind was elsewhere. I churned over everything that had happened yesterday. Gramps' sickness—injury, I corrected—was a big wrench in my life right now. Erland had helped with the call to the lawyer, but I couldn't let him get involved again. He'd been only fifteen when we first got here to Alabama and he got caught in the middle of everything with Nick.

Nicolas Masiello. I glanced around and spotted him instantly—his family was identifiable by the triplets of fiery red-heads that stood between him and his wife Victoria. It never ceased to surprise me how the hurt, pain, and hatred I felt whenever I saw them was now gone completely. Sure, we hadn't had many conversations since Nick gave me a check to pay for my wedding, but Matt's sister was very good friends with Victoria. And even though they had it rough the past few years, Nick working two jobs, and Victoria raising triplets at home, Matt'd told me they're in the process of buying a new house.

Before long, service was over. When I turned my phone on, it buzzed with half a dozen messages.

Mom.

Plugging a finger in my ear, I called her back.

"Hey, Mom," I said when she answered. "What's going on? What's the news?"

A small part of me hoped that she might say that he passed. It might not get the investigation solved, but at least it would eliminate whatever threat he held against me from this earth. As soon as the thought crossed my mind, I flushed with shame and shook it away.

"Is he any better?" I added.

"He's stabilized out of surgery." She paused, yawning. "But he's not woken up yet. The doctors don't know if he will ever wake up.... How's everything with you, Katherine?"

I held back a sigh. I knew she only wanted to distract herself from whatever stress she was feeling at the hospital, but I couldn't entertain her with a story from Erland. No, she had to know about the police investigation. Especially if her proximity to Gramps put her in danger.

I told Mom about the police visit the night before.

She was silent for a moment, at which point I thought she'd fallen asleep.