Chapter 2
KAT
The drive from Houston to her hometown was four hours, and Kat used the time to think.
It was peaceful, driving alone in the dark.
She had rented a car since owning one in the city never made sense.
It was a newer model, a quiet ride. After a couple hours, she turned the radio off and listened to the sound of the road.
She’d gotten so used to being crowded in, rushed, assaulted on all sides by the sounds of the city.
It was ironic when she thought about it.
She’d spent so much of her young life dreaming of getting out of her small hometown, and now she couldn’t wait to go back.
It was two in the morning by the time she got to the B&B she’d booked the day before.
She’d informed the owner she was going to be arriving late and asked if that was OK.
The owner was happy to leave the key to her room somewhere she could easily find it.
Small towns were like that, trusting and accommodating.
To tell the truth, Kat was surprised she was even able to get a room at the last minute.
But she supposed her little town didn’t have much in the way of tourists, so it did make sense the more she thought about it.
Her room was the kind of cozy that triggered all kinds of nostalgia for her.
The warm colors, the floral drapes and comforter, the soft lighting—it all felt more like home than any of the places she’d stayed in Houston, which were always modern and monochrome, shades of white and gray.
All that white made sense for showcasing cleanliness, but in a small town like this one, you just knew who ran a clean B&B and who didn’t.
Word of mouth was as good as bright white bedding in places like these.
So she could enjoy the colors and the cozy lamplight, knowing that her mother would never have recommended a place with a bad local reputation.
She laid her suitcase out on the luggage stand at the foot of the bed and changed into her pajamas before climbing into bed.
Breakfast was at nine in the morning, so she set her alarm for eight.
It would have been nice to sleep in, but she knew she was going to be hungry when she woke, so a hearty breakfast sounded like a better deal than another hour of sleep.
The room was so quiet, nothing like her apartment back home, where the sounds of traffic outside acted as a kind of white noise machine that lulled her to sleep every night.
But the silence was nice, too, and before long, she was dreaming about being late for a college exam.
Some things didn’t change, no matter where you were.
When her alarm went off the next morning, she almost thought she was back in Houston.
Her surroundings quickly convinced her otherwise.
She got up and showered, allowing herself a little more time under the hot water than usual.
When she was finished, she tied her hair up in a messy bun and wore comfortable clothes to breakfast. Dressing up, she would save for after.
It was never a good idea to dress up and then eat if you could flip the order, in her opinion.
If there was anything Kat was good at, it was strategy, and she applied strategy to almost everything in her life.
It must have been a slow season for the B&B because Kat was the only guest at the breakfast table.
The owner brought her a plate of blueberry pancakes, bacon, and eggs.
It was a typical hometown breakfast for her, and she loved it.
Her diet went straight out the window, and she ate like she’d been starving for weeks.
“Good?” the owner asked when she saw how much her guest was enjoying the food.
Kat nodded too enthusiastically. “It’s delicious,” she said with a smile. “Thank you so much.”
“You in town for business or pleasure?” the owner asked.
She was a middle-aged woman with short, curly hair and a friendly smile.
Kat had to rein in her instinct to resist answering.
She reminded herself that this was a small town.
Everyone knew everyone else, and asking about something that would be frowned upon in a more urban setting was considered perfectly normal and polite here.
“Well,” Kat said, “it’s not pleasure, but it’s not business either.” She smiled. “My uncle passed away a couple days ago. I’m in town for the funeral.”
“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.” The B&B owner laid a gentle hand on Kat’s shoulder.
“It’s OK, really. We haven’t been close for years. But I have fond memories of him, and I’m looking forward to seeing my family again.”
“Well, I hope you have as nice a time here as possible under the circumstances. Can I get you something else this morning? Some coffee?”
“No, thank you,” Kat said, still smiling. “I was thinking I’d head into town and get reacquainted with the neighborhood before the funeral. Is Rise and Shine still operating?”
“Of course they are,” the B&B owner said with a twinkle in her eye. “Same owners, too. They’ll be happy to see you again, I’m sure.”
Kat finished her breakfast and went back upstairs to dress for the day.
She had already chosen her outfit and brought everything she needed to get ready, so it didn’t take her too long.
She wore a simple black dress with high heels and a black purse with white details.
Her outfit was understated but classy, as was her hair, which she wore in a low ponytail draped over one shoulder.
Her earrings and bracelet were all carefully chosen to complement the rest without standing out too much.
She felt pretty good about herself as she glanced into the bathroom mirror one last time and left.
All that confidence melted away the second she got into town, when it became painfully clear that she’d overdressed for the location.
If the funeral had taken place in Houston, she would have looked appropriate and well-dressed for the occasion.
But this wasn’t Houston. Even people in their Sunday bests looked halfway casual compared to her.
She looked like someone’s high-powered attorney, off to ruin someone else’s day.
Sheepishly, Kat walked into Rise and Shine to order her usual Americano. She knew the woman behind the counter, remembered her name, even. “Good morning, Melissa,” she said, forcing a smile.
Melissa turned away from the filter she was changing to see the woman now standing at the counter. “Oh, hello,” she said, looking more confused than pleased. “I’m sorry, do I know you?”
“It’s Kat,” Kat said. “Kat Naylor? I used to live in the red house on Third and Main.”
Melissa’s eyes lit up with recognition. “Oh! Kat Naylor. My gosh, I didn’t even recognize you. How have you been? Where have you been?”
“I’ve been living in Houston,” Kat answered. “Got work in advertising.”
“Well, you certainly look like a big shot, I’d say. What was your order again?”
“Americano,” Kat said. “Black.”
Had she really changed that much? The fact that one person from her past didn’t recognize her shouldn’t have troubled Kat as much as it did.
But despite disparaging her hometown back when she was living here, she’d always considered it home.
When she thought about going home, this was the place that came to mind.
These were the people that came to mind, too.
But apparently, she hadn’t come to mind for them, and now she looked like “a big shot,” which just meant someone important who wasn’t from around here.
But no matter how exotic or important she may look to those who never left, she was still a homegrown girl.
She still missed her mother and brothers from time to time.
She still craved her favorite café, even though it might not be considered top-tier in Houston.
All of it held a special place in her heart, and it was a difficult reality to face that she was no longer considered part of it.
Kat paid for her coffee and thanked Melissa, who asked, “Are you in town for the memorial then?”
Kat nodded.
“That explains the dress,” Melissa said. “I’m sorry for your loss. Pass along my condolences to your mom, will you? Tell her coffee’s on me next time she comes in.”
“Sure thing, and thank you.” On her way out the door, Kat added, “You have a good day now.”
She went to several more shops that morning, just browsing, killing time.
With every shop she entered, it became more and more clear that she didn’t really belong here.
No one recognized her, and everyone treated her like she was way more important than she actually was.
For some, that treatment might have been a good thing, but it made Kat feel like an outsider.
The problem was that she couldn’t argue against it.
She was an outsider by almost every definition of the word.
She’d come in from out of town with her fancy dress and aloof mannerisms that she’d adopted to survive in the big city.
But she had never really belonged there either.
Now, she was left feeling like she didn’t belong anywhere, and it was breaking her heart a little more with every person she talked to.
Kat arrived at the church early. Killing time around town was becoming more depressing than a funeral, she realized, and she wanted to see her mom.
The church was small and unassuming, with flower arrangements everywhere and photos of her uncle propped up on the altar.
The sight of his suntanned, wrinkled face smiling back at her brought back a flood of memories.