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“I love you too.”
He overheard a woman from another room say in a hushed voice, “He’s here.”
Katelyn blushed pink. “That would be my aunt.”
“Shall we then?” He chuckled and wrapped an arm around her waist. “C’mon.”
Kristie Matthews Copeland and her two younger sisters stopped their chatter the instant he and Katelyn entered the kitchen. Blonde, blue-eyed, and pretty, it was obvious they were related. They probably weren’t much older than him—mid to late thirties, if he were to guess. That was awkward, but they were pleasant enough when Katelyn made the introductions. Not overly friendly. Just polite.
Her father and brother came into the kitchen. He presumed that’s who they were anyway. Brendan towered a good eight inches over both of them. Wearing a football jersey, her father’s vibrant green eyes stood out with his tousled brown hair. He guessed him to be about forty. Still in decent shape. Katelyn’s brother looked a lot like her. Hair the color of wheat. Blue-green eyes. Worked out. He appeared to be older than the sixteen years Brendan knew him to be.
“Whoa, how tall are you?” Katelyn’s brother looked up and extended his hand. “I’m Kevin.”
“Six-eight.” He grinned, shaking his hand. He got asked that a lot. “Brendan.”
“I’m Katie’s dad, Drew.”
He seemed like a nice enough guy. They joined her father and brother in the family room to watch football until Kristie announced dinner was ready. Katelyn still seemed nervous. She held onto his arm as she led him into the dining room.
Brendan couldn’t say what prompted the outburst. He, Drew, and Kevin were discussing how the NFC playoff picture was shaping up in between bites of cheesecake. Next thing he knew, Katelyn was pressing her fingers into his thigh.
Kristie pointed at her daughter with her fork, waving it. “You know nothing of yourself at eighteen.” Graham cracker crumbs flying. “You can’t even pick a major, for chrissakes.”
“Really, Mom? Again?” Katelyn calmly set her fork down on her plate and stood.
Brendan glanced around the table.
She never raised her voice, yet spoke with conviction.
“So what if I haven’t decided on a major yet. I know I like working at Beanie’s with Kelly. I know the city is my home now—my heart is there. It has been since the first time I can remember getting off the train downtown when I was a little girl. And I know I love Brendan—the same as you love Daddy. If anything, you should trust me on that. It was you and Daddy who taught me what love is supposed to look like after all.”
You could have heard a pin drop after that.
Brendan stood and took her hand in his. “Sounds like Katelyn knows herself pretty well to me. We have a long drive back and they’re predicting snow. Are you ready to go, sweetheart?”
“Yeah. Let me grab my things.”
“Sorry, man.” Kevin shrugged and got up from table. “I’ll help you, sis.”
“Thank you for dinner. It was, um, nice meeting you folks.”
She was quiet most of the ride back to the city. Katelyn gazed out the window. Brendan sensed she needed a little time to process and she was probably embarrassed, but she never had to feel that way with him, and he needed her to know that.
As the lights of the city skyline came into view, Brendan took her hand and held it on his thigh. Katelyn turned from the window. He could feel her gaze on him and lacing their fingers together he rubbed her palm.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“Nothing to talk about.” She squeezed his hand. “Sorry you had to witness that, but my mother—hell, my aunts too—need to realize that I know my own mind. I’m not a little kid anymore.”
“No, you aren’t, but you are the first one to leave home.” He rubbed her hand up and down his thigh. “And I imagine that hasn’t been easy for them. Letting go, you know?”
“I suppose.”
“Feel better now, sweetheart?”
“Not yet.” Her hand left his thigh and traveled to his groin, cupping him over the denim. “Are we almost home?”
He groaned and reflexively pushed himself against her hand.
