36. Chapter Thirty-six
Memories of last night greeted Katie the moment she woke in the morning. A smile followed. Everything had changed last night. It was as if a new path to her life had opened up before her. One she couldn’t wait to walk. She spent a few minutes praying over it until her phone chimed.
Her heart did a happy skip, recognizing the tone. She grabbed her phone from the nightstand. The text from Ethan simply read, Good morning. She couldn’t have stopped the sappy grin that grew on her face even if she wanted to. So she just let it take over as she texted a good morning back to him. A few moments later, another text came in.
Do you want to get breakfast with me?
She responded that she would love to, and he said he’d pick her up in half an hour. Sitting up, she grinned at O’Malley and scooted closer to rub his chin.
“I’m going on a date with Ethan.”
Her stomach fluttered. What a strange thing. She’d known him for so long, yet butterflies were still present at the thought of this being their first date—good butterflies, full of excitement and giddy anticipation—emotions she had experienced very little until now.
The giddiness followed her through the cottage as she prepared for him to arrive. She wasn’t nervous, exactly. Ethan was her best friend, but the new feelings and possibilities for the future swirled about her. It had never felt like this with Drew in all the years they’d dated. She experienced a brief stab of guilt to think that, but it wasn’t either of their faults. In the end, they just weren’t right together. She could only pray he would find someone who made him feel the same way Ethan made her feel.
When he arrived, she grabbed her purse and headed outside to meet him. He waited by the passenger door of his truck as she stepped out of the porch. They shared a smile. There was something different about his today now that the truth of his feelings had come to light. The warmth of it almost set her to blushing like when he’d picked her up for the wedding.
“Hi,” she murmured as she drew near him. Goodness knew why she suddenly felt shy when she’d known him for nearly thirty years.
His grin just deepened. “Hi.”
He opened the door for her, and she climbed into his truck. Once he’d gotten in his side and they pulled away from the cottage, Katie looked at him.
“Where are we going?”
“There’s a little café north of here. I drive by it once in a while, and I always wanted to take someone there someday.” He took his eyes off the road for just a moment to catch her gaze. “I never thought it would be you.”
Her heart warmed that she was the special one to experience this with him. “So, does your family know?”
“My mom and Becca do for sure. I went to tell them I’d put the fire out last night, and apparently, my face can’t keep a secret.”
Nerves pinched Katie’s stomach amidst the butterflies. Surely, they were okay with it, right? “What did they say?”
“That it was about time.”
She breathed out, releasing the nervousness. “I suppose they knew how you felt for a while.”
“Yeah. Joel and Becca grilled me about it a few weeks ago. According to Joel, they can read me like a book. It was starting to feel like everyone knew how I felt except you.”
“Sorry, I’m sure that’s my fault. I got scared and jumped to conclusions after the wedding. I should’ve had a real discussion about it instead of trying to panic fix it and unintentionally friend-zoning you.” If she’d slowed down that morning and focused more on seeking God’s direction than dwelling on her fear of losing Ethan, that conversation might have gone very differently.
“It’s as much my fault as yours. I jumped to conclusions too. I could have said more like Becca thought I should.”
“I’m glad you did say more last night.”
His smile made her wonder how she’d ever misread his reaction after the wedding dance. “Me too.”
They followed the highway north for twenty minutes before Ethan turned off. About a mile down a side road that appeared to lead to another small lake town, they pulled up to a cozy little restaurant tucked in the trees. It had a welcoming cottage vibe, and the weathered blue sign above the door read Sugar Bowl Café with a cute illustration of a vintage sugar bowl underneath. Katie wondered what the story was behind it.
Ethan opened the door for her, and they entered a gift shop filled with knick-knacks and what looked to be locally handmade items. The scent of warm cinnamon permeated the entire area and made Katie’s mouth water. Fresh cinnamon rolls, if she were to guess.
A young woman at the front counter with a bright smile and auburn curls led them into a dining room with a mismatched assortment of tables and chairs. Many looked to be antiques. The decor displayed a mix of vintage country farmhouse and Northwoods items. Grandma would have loved it if only she were still here.
The hostess seated them at a little white table in a corner by the window, leaving each with a menu.
“This place is adorable.” Katie brushed her fingers over the blue checked tablecloth. “I had no idea it existed.”
“It only opened a few years ago. I’m surprised it gets enough business tucked away like this, but word-of-mouth helps. I don’t drive by often, but there are always several cars when I do.”
Katie scanned the room again, glancing over the other patrons seated and enjoying their breakfasts. Most were older couples, though she spotted one couple about their age and a family of four with two young children.
She shifted her focus to her menu. Sure enough, one of the prominent items was cinnamon rolls with the words ‘baked fresh daily’ in bold letters. There were also several varieties of pies available. Her mouth watered again.
“We’ll have to come back again after this. There are too many good desserts to try.”
Ethan looked more than happy with the suggestion. “I think you’re right.”
The waitress came to their table shortly to bring them coffee and take their orders. They chose the eggs, pancakes, and bacon that were the breakfast special and a cinnamon roll for each of them. Katie looked forward to returning for lunch or supper sometime to try the soups, sandwiches, and chicken dinner on the menu.
Once they’d received their food, Ethan prayed, and they fell into easy conversation. Their already deep friendship made it the most comfortable and enjoyable first date Katie had ever been on. While the excitement and fun remained, it was much deeper because of their existing relationship.
Thinking over what had led to all this, one particular memory returned to Katie’s mind. “So, that day in the sewing room when you made the comment about kissing me…”
Ethan shook his head, cringing in embarrassment. “I have no idea what came over me or how that slipped out of my mouth. I thought I’d just made the stupidest mistake of my life and ruined everything.”
A grin tugged at Katie’s lips as she recalled her own reaction. “I have to admit, after you said it, I started wondering what it would be like if you did kiss me.”
“Really?”
“I wasn’t fully aware of my feelings, but I think they’ve always been there. It just took returning to Two Lakes and seeing you again for them to surface.”
“Maybe I should have been honest and told you how I felt sooner. I was just afraid it would ruin our friendship. I know how much you need it, and so do I.”
But Katie had no regrets other than the part she’d played in their misunderstanding. A misunderstanding that, thankfully, hadn’t lasted long. “I think things needed to be resolved between me and Drew first. I needed to figure out this is where I belong.”
Ethan savored the deep contentment and happiness that only seemed to grow as he and Katie drove toward home. At this moment, he couldn’t imagine anything being more perfect. When they were just about home, he looked over at her. “Can I show you something at the house?”
“Of course.”
He pulled onto his parents’ driveway a moment later and parked the truck by the shop. Inside, he led her to one of the workbenches. The old thing had been there since before his birth and had been used not just by him and his dad but also by his grandpa. It had a lot of sentimental value for that reason alone, but there was another, more personal reason.
He paused, eyeing the sawdust-strewn floor and dark space beneath the bench. Perhaps he hadn’t thought this through.
“Hold on a sec.” He scanned the shop and grabbed a big piece of cardboard that he shoved under the bench. Then he took a rag and dropped down to scoot back underneath it, where he tried to swipe away all the spider webs. Some probably ended up in his hair anyway, but better his than Katie’s.
He looked up at her once he finished. She watched him quizzically, and he patted the cardboard beside him.
“Care to join me?”
She laughed, her brows quirked in confusion, but she got down and joined him under the bench. Shifting, he tugged his phone out of his pocket and turned on the flashlight.
“Look at this.”
He shined the light on the underside of the bench to illuminate a heart drawn in black Sharpie with a message inside: Ethan loves Katie. He looked over at her. A wide smile had replaced the confusion.
“I drew that when we were fourteen. You and your family were gone on a trip. I got myself sent out here to clean from mouthing off to Mom. I was worried about you and moping that you weren’t around. Clearly, I didn’t handle it in the most mature way, a trait that unfortunately carried into the next several years.” He shook his head. “I don’t know why I thought professing my love on the underside of a workbench would help, but then I did many stupid things as a teenager.”
Her smile only grew. “I think it’s cute.”
“Yeah?” He stared at her, studying her eyes in the dim light from his phone. “I thought about it so many times while working out here over the years, wishing I could have told you.”
Her shoulder pressed into his. “Well, I know now.”
He couldn’t help himself. He leaned over, and she met him for a kiss. Only after a few heartbeats did his brain remind him of their surroundings. Underneath a messy workbench, where there were probably still spiders and other bugs, was not the most romantic place to be kissing.
Reluctantly, he backed away. “Come on, let’s go before Dad walks in and finds us kissing under here like immature teenagers.”
She laughed, seeming to see the absurdity of it as well. He scooted out from under the bench and pushed to his feet. Then he reached down to pull her up, holding her hand as they walked out of the shop.