As they approached the restaurant, Kat’s gaze immediately flew to the wooden sign above the entrance.
Jack’s Diner.
Heat crept up her neck. Could it be owned by her Jack? Well, not her Jack. The Jack she’d met earlier. The Jack who— She shook her head sharply, abruptly halting her ridiculous train of thought.
Squaring her shoulders, she followed Penny through the heavy, solid oak door. Hundreds of men were named Jack. And even if it did turn out to be the same one, so what? He was nothing more than a kind stranger she’d met on the street.
Despite her assertion, her body temperature continued to rise, splashing color across her cheeks. She stubbornly blamed the effect on the hearty fire crackling in the stone hearth.
“This place is… rustic.” Kat took in the abundance of plaid upholstery, exposed brick walls, and the rough-hewn wood beams stretched across the ceiling.
“Country charm at its finest.” Penny smiled as she shrugged out of her jacket. Draping it over her arm, she ambled toward a cozy booth in the back.
“Shouldn’t we wait to be seated?” Kat glanced around for a hostess. The restaurant bustled with activity even though it couldn’t be more than five o’clock.
“I always sit in the same booth, if it’s available.” Penny plucked the menu from between a bottle of barbecue sauce and ketchup. “Colt says I might as well carve my name on it.”
“Colt?” Kat grabbed a second menu and cracked it open.
“He’s one of the cooks,” Penny explained, her eyes sparkling “and my fiancé.”
Kat’s gaze fell to the antique ruby ring adorning Penny’s left hand. Why hadn’t she noticed it before? “Congratulations.”
“Thank you! He proposed this summer while we were in Greece.”
“How romantic.” Kat peered closer at the ring, noticing the way the ruby sat unusually high on the intricate yellow gold setting. “I’ve never seen a ring like that before.”
“It’s called a locket ring. Or a poison ring, in some circles,” she said with a wry grin. “There’s a hidden compartment beneath the bezel.” She gently flipped it open.
Kat leaned forward, squinting to get a closer look. “What’s inside?”
“Grains of sand. The bright white flecks are from the beach in Greece where Colt proposed. The tan-colored ones are from a secluded cove you actually know quite well.”
“Really?”
“They’re from the beach in front of your house. Of course, I didn’t know you lived there at the time. Colt brought me on a surprise date.” Her features softened. “Truthfully, it was the best date of my life. We had a romantic picnic, built a sandcastle together, and watched the bioluminescent waves crash against the shore. Then, before we left, he gathered some sand in a tiny jar as a memento.”
Kat listened in amazement. “That was you?” she cried, recalling how Fern had asked for her help to arrange everything on the beach. Since Starcross Cove had a reputation for reuniting star-crossed couples, it wasn’t uncommon to assist romantic souls who believed in the legend. But to think… on that occasion it had been her own sister!
“Small world, isn’t it?”
“Sure is,” Kat murmured, suddenly parched.
Thankfully, a man approached their table with two glasses of iced water. “Hey, Penny. I’ll let Colt know you’re here.” His gravelly voice matched his rough-around-the-edges appearance, yet his broad, genuine smile created an appealing contrast.
“Thanks, Vick.”
When he was out of earshot, Penny asked, “What about you? Anyone special in your life?”
Kat nearly choked on an ice cube, sputtering as she lowered her glass. Plucking a paper towel from the roll that served as a substitute for standard table linens, she dabbed the moisture from her chin. “Dating isn’t really on my to-do list.”
“Any particular reason?”
“Let’s just say I didn’t have the best role model.” Kat’s gaze fell to her hands where the paper towel lay crumpled in her tightly clenched fist.
“You don’t like talking about her, do you?”
Even though their mother’s name never left her lips, Kat knew exactly who Penny meant, as if Helena Bennet would forever be an unspoken bond between them. “No, not really.”
“Well, don’t worry. I promise I won’t pry you with a million questions. As far as I’m concerned, we never have to mention her again.”
Kat’s head jerked up in surprise.
“This might seem a little strange,” Penny said softly, “but growing up, my dad used to tell me all these fantastical stories about Helena. He made her sound like a magical creature in a fairy tale, and I got used to thinking of her in that way—like she wasn’t real. Looking back, I think my dad thought it would be easier than telling me the truth, that she simply didn’t love us anymore.”
At the look of quiet resignation on Penny’s face, Kat’s heart ached. And yet, she also felt a tiny pang of envy. There had been countless times she’d tried to trick herself into believing parts of her childhood were merely a bad dream, but it had never worked.
“Of course, that being said,” Penny added with an air of irony, “Helena was the reason I didn’t date for a long time. I couldn’t imagine falling in love after witnessing how badly she’d broken my father’s heart.”
Kat stared at the mangled wad of paper in her palm as guilt and remorse swelled in her chest. She hated the thought that others had suffered at her mother’s hand. But she couldn’t escape the reality that Helena Bennet had left behind misfortune like fingerprints, marring everything she touched.
“What changed?” The question escaped before she could stop it, and Kat immediately regretted prolonging the conversation. It teetered too close to unwanted territory.
“Everything,” Penny said simply. As she was about to expound, a man with dark blond hair and a dimpled grin slipped into the booth beside her. Kissing her cheek, he draped his arm around her shoulders in an easy, familiar gesture.
A sweet, self-conscious blush dusted Penny’s cheeks as a loving glance passed between them.
Kat ignored the hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach at the knowledge she’d never experience that kind of intimacy for herself.
“I was beginning to think you’d changed your mind,” the man said with an affectionate smile. “This is closer to an early dinner than a late lunch.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I forgot we needed to do a little shopping first. I definitely wouldn’t forget something this huge.” Penny’s grin broadened. “Colt, this is my sister, Kat. Kat, this is my fiancé, Colt.”
Keeping one arm around Penny, Colt extended his free hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too.” Kat noticed his grip was both friendly and firm—a fact she appreciated. She hated when men assumed they would crush her delicate bones if they gave her a proper handshake.
“Is Jack in the kitchen?” Penny asked. “I’d like him to meet Kat, too.”
Kat’s pulse stuttered to a stop, and she quickly blurted, “Oh, I don’t want to bother him. I’m sure he’s busy.”
“He can spare a few minutes,” Colt assured her. “In fact, there he is now. Hey, Jack! C’mon over here and meet Kat.”
It took all of Kat’s resolve not to slink beneath the table.
Suppressing a groan, Jack momentarily ignored Colt’s clamoring as he handed Dolores Whittaker her takeout container of fragrant garlic and rosemary chicken. He should’ve known the second he left the kitchen he’d be asking for trouble.
The elderly woman’s blue eyes twinkled behind her Coke-bottle glasses as she said, “I think Colt wants you to meet that beautiful young lady seated with him and Penny. You shouldn’t keep her waiting.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said dutifully. Even though he’d graduated from high school years ago, he still saw her as the principal’s wife. “You be careful carrying that to your car.” He nodded toward the brown paper bag. “I added some extra potatoes with the parsley and shallots you like so much, so the container is a little heavy.”
“You’re a dear.”
Jack watched her shuffle out the front door, taking a moment to gather his nerve before answering his summons.
As he neared the table, his stomach twisted into uncomfortable knots. Somehow, Kat managed to look even more beautiful than before, and he couldn’t help noticing her rosy glow, almost as if she felt as self-conscious as he did.
“Hey, there.” He mustered a welcoming smile despite his sudden lack of oxygen. “Is this man bothering you? I keep telling him he’s supposed to take the customer’s order not canoodle with them.”
“I think he’s trying to guarantee a good tip,” Penny teased. “Jack, this is my sister, Kat. Kat, this is our good friend, Jack. He owns the diner.”
“Actually, we’ve already met,” he admitted, trying not to recall the brazen way he’d asked her out—or her polite rejection.
“You have?” Penny asked, sounding surprised.
“Earlier today. She attacked me on the sidewalk in front of your store.” As he met Kat’s gaze, he tried to keep a straight face, unable to resist teasing her.
“Hey!” she protested, her tone matching his mirth. “It was self-defense. You could have been a mugger.”
“True.” He nodded in mock seriousness. “Poppy Creek is well known for its shocking crime rate.”
Her lips twitched as though holding back a laugh.
“Interesting…” Colt glanced between them, both eyebrows raised.
Catching his friend’s scheming expression, Jack cleared his throat. “So, what would you two ladies like to order this evening?”
“I’ll have the cinnamon-and-coffee steak with a side of grilled asparagus and roasted potatoes, please.” Penny closed her menu and propped it between the condiment bottles.
“And I’d love the mother lode chili and cornbread,” Kat added, nestling her menu beside Penny’s.
For a moment, Jack simply stared. Based on Colt’s gossip from earlier, he’d expected her to choose one of the fancier options, which wasn’t fair considering he barely knew her. A tiny pang of guilt—and embarrassment—pricked his heart for judging her so quickly.
“Excellent choice,” he said warmly. “One of my favorites.”
“Hey, I just had an idea,” Colt cut in. “Penny and I have a date night planned for this evening, but why don’t the four of us do something together? We can give Kat a tour of Poppy Creek before she heads home.”
Jack straightened, immediately sobered by Colt’s words. Before she heads home… He’d do well to remember her presence in town was only temporary.
“That’s very kind of you,” Kat said with a strained smile. “But I’m pretty worn out from the long drive today. If you don’t mind, I think I’ll call it a night once we finish dinner.”
While Colt and Penny expressed how they understood, but would miss her, Jack couldn’t have been more relieved.
The only way he could positively avoid not falling for this woman was to stay as far away from her as possible.