Page 69 of Fight or Flight
Steph was not anything like Katherine had imagined. She’d assumed she would fit her image of a schoolteacher: perfect hair, glasses perched on the tip of her nose, a stiff white blouse tucked in a navy pleated skirt. But she had long blond hair, deep blue eyes, and she wore a pair of jeans with a T-shirt that read, BAKER’SBEST.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Katherine,” Steph said, leaning in to give her a hug. She had a soft voice, but her accent wasn’t quite as pronounced as Lulu’s. “This is Bethany, my daughter.” Katherine initiated a hug with Bethany, because right there on the spot, she had decided she would reveal who she was.
Bethany was a replica of her mother, though she wore black leggings and a long pink hoodie with pink Converse sneakers.
“I’m glad I finally got to meet you both. Doc said we had a lot in common,” Katherine told her new guests. “I’ve made an apple pie, if you want a slice. We’re eating in the kitchen.”
“Who in their right mind would turn down apple pie?” Steph asked, following her to the kitchen. “Hey, Tyler, what are you doing here?”
Obviously, Doc hadn’t mentioned that Tyler would be there. “I’m about to dig into a slice of the best apple pie you’ll ever eat,” Tyler said by way of answer.
“He had dinner with K yesterday,” Doc explained to his daughter.
“Oh, I am so happy for you. Tyler never has a date; he’s always working, picking folks’ brains apart,” Steph said.
Tyler laughed along with Doc. “Spot on, Steph.”
As soon as they were all seated around the kitchen island, with slices of apple pie, coffee, and a glass of milk for Bethany, Katherine decided it was the perfect time to surprise Stephanie and Bethany.
“There’s an elephant in the room, and I need to send it on its way.” Katherine smiled at Tyler, and he winked back. “Bethany, your grandfather tells me you like reading. Is that true?”
Doc shot Katherine a look she hadn’t seen before. Fear, maybe?
“I do like books, more than most of my friends,” Bethany said, her accent more pronounced than her mother’s.
“I hear you’re a big fan of K.C. Winston’s books.”
Doc grinned, giving Katherine the thumbs-up sign.
“Yes, I love those books. Those girls are awesome. I’ve read them all twice. I have to, because when they come out, I read them in one day, then I get mad at myself for reading them so fast, so I just start over,” Bethany gushed.
Bethany was Katherine’s first in-person fan. “What would you say if I told you I know the author?” She was dragging this out just to see the excitement on the young girl’s face.
“OMG, I would ask if she would sign all my books. Do you really know her?”
“I do.”
Stephanie spoke up. “Exciting, right, Beth? You can tell your father when he calls. He’s deployed with the Reserves right now,” she explained to Katherine, “but when he’s home, he’s a teacher. We all love books. Except Dad. He and all those expensive cars he likes to make the drag in.”
Katherine didn’t have a clue what “make the drag in” meant, but it didn’t matter right now. “Okay.” She took a deep breath. She felt nervous herself, but in a good way. “I’m K.C. Winston.”
No one said a word.
Then Bethany’s eyes filled with tears. “Really?”
“Doc?” Katherine looked at him so he could confirm what she’d said.
“It’s been one of the hardest secrets I’ve had to keep from you, sweetie. I’ve known this lady for a long time. She’s smart and loves animals, and she’s a heck of a cook,” said Doc.
“Y’all aren’t joking?” Bethany asked, looking at Doc, then Tyler. People she knew and trusted.
“She’s the real deal,” Doc said.
“There’s so much mystery surrounding you,” Stephanie told her. “Our public library always orders several copies of your books. They get snapped up like grapes off the vine. I take Beth to Asheville so we can purchase the books at our favorite bookstore. Why do they always put the books out on a Tuesday?”
“Actually, most books are released on a Tuesday. It gives some of the important newspapers time to compile their charts and, usually on weekends, the sales are noted by how they place on the list. I think distribution factors in there, too.” Katherine knew more, but it was boring, and she didn’t want to get into that technical aspect of her work. She had nothing to do with that end of publishing.
“Do you have any copies of your books?” Bethany asked.
