by Irene Hannon
Nor was he up for the kind of soul-baring Hannah seemed to think it would take to earn Kelsey’s trust. Not yet. He’d have to work himself into that mind-set.
But he didn’t have a lot of time. The clock was ticking on his stay here.
After ascending the steps to his deck, Luke paused at the railing to look once more at the horizon, where sky and sea met. And to follow the advice Hannah and Carlos agreed upon.
If you want me to get involved here, Lord, please give me an opportunity to win Kelsey’s trust. And if You do that, please also give me the courage to be the hero Hannah thinks I am.
Chapter Ten
“Tea break!”
At Dorothy’s announcement, Kelsey looked up from the quilt rack where she was trying to make some headway on a commission due at the end of August—a short three weeks away.
“You sound especially cheery today. Let’s see…” Kelsey leaned back in her chair and regarded her friends. “Your upbeat mood wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain gentleman who’s been enjoying quite a few solitary lunches in the tearoom, would it?”
Bright pink spots appeared on Dorothy’s cheeks as she deposited a cup of tea and a plate of scones on a small table next to the quilt rack. “I didn’t think you’d noticed.”
“I didn’t. Hannah tipped me off. She calls him your beau.”
The woman’s flush deepened. “I’m too old to have a beau. Besides, he’s younger than me.”
Kelsey raised an eyebrow. Hannah had pointed out the dapper, white-haired man to her yesterday. “How much younger?”
“He’s only seventy-one.”
Kelsey adopted a look of mock horror. “Goodness! You’d be robbing the cradle!” She picked up a scone and nibbled at it. “When was I going to hear about this new development, anyway? I tell you everything.”
“I was going to mention it eventually. If it lasted. We only met two weeks ago. I thought his interest might wane.”
“According to Hannah, he comes for lunch almost every day. I don’t think his interest is waning.” She inspected the scone in her hand. “This is delicious, by the way. I don’t recall you ever making chocolate chip scones before. New recipe?”
Dorothy’s color surged again. “Charles likes chocolate.”
“Ah. That explains it. So tell me all about this mystery man.” Kelsey grinned at her and continued to eat. She couldn’t ever recall seeing the older woman flustered. Then again, love—or even mere attraction—could do that to a person.
She was finding that out firsthand.
“His name is Charles Summer. He and his wife used to rent a condo in Holland every August after he retired, but this is the first time he’s come back since she died three years ago. He doesn’t get into Douglas much, but over the Fourth of July weekend he joined some old friends from out of town for lunch at the tearoom. We chatted a little that day, and he started coming back. More conversations led to a dinner invitation…and we’ve been seeing each other ever since.”
Finishing off her scone, Kelsey picked up her teacup. “That’s a very romantic story, Dorothy.”
“I’m too old for romance.”
“No one’s ever too old for romance.”
“We’ll see, I suppose.” The older woman smoothed back a stray strand of hair. “And speaking of romance, I haven’t seen Luke much lately.”
Kelsey shot Dorothy a cautious look. “What does Luke have to do with romance?”
“You tell me. Hannah thinks there are sparks between the two of you.”
“Hannah has a very active imagination. I’ve hardly seen Luke in the past two weeks. Now that the campaign is beginning to attract national media attention, he’s been on the go every minute.”
“I think there are sparks, too.”
“Then you have an overactive imagination as well.”
“Hmm.” Dorothy fingered her pearls. “You never did tell me what Dr. Walters had to say about this new man in your life.”
This was not a discussion Kelsey wanted to have.
She set down her teacup, bent her head over the quilt and went back to work. “He’s not the new man in my life, Dorothy. Not in the way you mean. But he is nice, and I do find him attractive. Dr. Walters thinks that’s a positive sign. I agree. Meeting him has been very therapeutic.”
“Therapeutic.” The older woman burst into laughter. “I wonder what your neighbor would say if he heard you describing him that way?”
Kelsey shot her an appalled look, but Dorothy waved her concerns aside.
“Don’t worry, my dear. Your secret is safe with me.”
With that, she retreated to her own side of the shop.
Leaving Kelsey to wonder what secret she’d been referring to—the secret about her baby, or the secret about her growing feelings for the doctor next door.
Hannah touched her white linen napkin to her lips and gave a satisfied sigh. “That was an amazing meal, Luke. Thanks for the great send-off.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” He signaled the waiter for a refill of his coffee. “More tea, Kelsey?”
“No, thanks. I’ve reached my limit. And I second Hannah’s comment about the food. I haven’t been here in years, but Clearbrook was always a wonderful special occasion place. The food is just as good as I remember.” She smoothed her fingers over the starched tablecloth. “Gram and Dorothy were born three weeks apart, and they used to come here to celebrate their birthdays every year. Too bad Dorothy couldn’t join us tonight.”
“She offered to back out on her date with Charles, but he had tickets for a play in Grand Rapids she’s dying to see, so I told her to go for it. We said our good-byes this afternoon. I wouldn’t want to stand in the way of romance.” Aiming a deliberate look at her brother, Hannah picked up her purse. “Would you two excuse me while I run to the ladies’ room?”
Luke resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her obvious strategy. Kelsey had gone to the rest room ten minutes ago, and Hannah had declined to join her. Apparently she’d been planning all along to give them a few minutes alone in this romantic, candlelit spot.
Not that it would do much good. Kelsey was chasing some crumbs from her molten chocolate cake around her plate with her fork—and avoiding his eyes. Just as she’d been avoiding him on the beach for the past ten days. When their paths did cross on the afternoons he picked up Hannah from the tearoom, she used the occasion to get updates on the youth center project and fill him in on her latest PR efforts.
As far as he was concerned, if God wanted this relationship to deepen, He wasn’t offering Luke much opportunity to take it to the next level.
Eyeing Kelsey, he picked up his coffee. “I want to thank you for taking Hannah under your wing during her visit.”
“I enjoyed getting to know her.” Kelsey set her fork on her plate and looked at him. “She was a godsend to Dorothy, too. Losing a server had her in a tizzy until Hannah stepped forward and volunteered to fill in while she rounded up a replacement.”
“Things worked out well all around. Much better than I expected after her first day on the beach.”
A smile tugged at the corners of Kelsey’s lips and she lifted her teacup. “You did seem a little panicked when she was flirting with those two college guys.”
“Guilty as charged.” He raised his cup in acknowledgement. “But much to my relief, she told me later that since she was only going to be here for three weeks, there was no sense starting something that would go nowhere.”
Kelsey rested her elbows on the table, cradling the teacup in her hands as she met his gaze. “She has a point.”
“I agree. Especially at that age.” He edged the conversation onto personal ground, choosing his next words with care. “But friendships don’t have to be bound by geography. If people are willing to make the effort.”
He held his breath as she studied him. He expected her to shut down. Or divert the conversation to a safer topic. But she surprised him.
Setting her cup in its saucer, she
clasped her hands together and rested them on the edge of the table. “Luke…I haven’t missed Hannah’s less-than-subtle efforts to push us together. Dorothy’s been dropping hints, too. But you’ll be gone in three weeks. We hardly know each other. And relationships among mature adults come with a lot of baggage that can be very difficult to deal with in person, let alone over a long distance.”
Kelsey’s candor took him off guard. As did the melancholy sadness deep in her eyes. But if she was cracking the door, he was stepping through. With both feet.
“Are you talking about the baby?”
She rested a hand on her stomach. Swallowed. Opened her mouth to respond.
“Will there be anything else, sir?” The waiter stopped beside him and slid the check onto the table.
Kelsey closed her mouth and reached for her purse.
The moment was gone.
Stifling his disappointment, he pulled his credit card out of his wallet and handed it over. “No. Thanks.”
As the waiter walked away, Hannah rejoined them. “Did I miss anything important?” She sent him a hopeful look.
“No.”
Her face fell.
“What time is your flight tomorrow, Hannah?”
Kelsey’s question redirected the conversation to more mundane matters, where it remained during the short ride home in the dark.
When they parted in the driveway, Kelsey hugged Hannah, murmured her thanks to Luke for dinner, and disappeared around the trees with an “I’ll be fine,” after he offered to walk her to her door.
The instant the darkness swallowed her, Hannah turned to him. “So why didn’t you use the ambiance at the restaurant to your advantage while I was gone? Draw her out a little?”
“I tried. But the waiter interrupted us.”
“That figures.” Hannah blew out a frustrated breath. “Well, you’re on your own after I leave, big brother. Work on it, okay?”
“I’ll pray about it. That’s the best I can promise.” He opened the door and moved aside to allow her to precede him.
“Good plan. I’ll add my voice. Wherever two or three and all that.” She stopped in the living room to give him a hug. “I need to finish packing. See you tomorrow.”
“Sleep well.”
She disappeared down the hall, and Luke wandered into the kitchen. Opening the back door, he stepped out and strolled across the deck. The moon was slivering the whitecaps on the lake, and stars twinkled above. He couldn’t imagine a more peaceful scene.
Yet as he glanced next door through the darkness, he had a feeling the tranquility of the setting would be lost on his neighbor. Despite her faith, despite a career she appeared to enjoy, despite her apparent peace with her decision to leave the corporate world, she seemed weighed down with worry. And a sadness that was soul deep.
Tonight, for the first time, she’d admitted she carried baggage. Not only that, he was certain she’d been on the cusp of giving him a glimpse into the secrets locked in her heart—until the waiter interrupted them.
But if she’d come that close once, perhaps she would again. Given the right circumstances.
And he intended to do everything in his power to create those circumstances, if necessary, before he headed south to start his E.R. director job in Atlanta.
Kelsey couldn’t remember ever being so tired.
As she massaged the small of her back, she halfheartedly pulled a frying pan from the cabinet and tried to work up some enthusiasm for the evening meal. But no way could a sautéed chicken breast and simple salad compete with last night’s dinner at Clearbrook. The oyster-and-asparagus chowder had been to die for, and the pan-seared New Zealand lamb had melted in her mouth.
Not that it mattered. She wasn’t hungry tonight anyway. Plus, she had a nagging backache. Too many hours on her feet at the shop, no doubt. But sitting at the quilt rack had proven uncomfortable, too—even though she needed to make some significant progress on her commission soon.
She pulled out a can of vegetable spray and coated the pan. Maybe if she put her feet up and—
A knock sounded behind her, and her hand jerked, sending a swath of glistening oil across the stovetop.
Only two people had ever come to the back of her house. And one of them had flown home to Atlanta today.
Meaning her visitor was Luke.
She set the can of vegetable spray on the counter, wiped her palms on her skirt and tried to downshift her pulse. Please, Lord, don’t let him try to pick up last night’s interrupted dinner conversation! Hannah was right. There’s no sense starting something that has no future. I should never have let the intimate ambiance at the restaurant prod me into beginning a discussion I don’t want to finish.
Another knock sounded. This one louder than the first.
The temptation to ignore the summons was strong. But that would be childish. He knew she was here. Her car was in the drive and lights were on all over the house.
Psyching herself up for the encounter, she moved to the back door, summoned up a smile and exited into the screened porch. He was standing outside the porch, dressed in a chest-hugging T-shirt and worn jeans that sat well on his lean hips, and despite her efforts to rein it in, her pulse shifted into high gear again as she approached him.
“Hi. Did Hannah get off okay?” She almost pulled off her attempt at a bright, friendly—impersonal—tone.
“Yes. I heard from her a little while ago. She’s home safe and sound. Am I interrupting anything?” He motioned toward her left hand.
She looked down. Her fingers were dusted with flour, and she swiped them on her skirt, leaving white streaks on the denim. “No. I was just fixing dinner. Nothing to rival last night. Thank you again for including me.”
“It was my pleasure. May I come in for a minute? I borrowed this from Father Joe after today’s board meeting and I thought you’d be interested in seeing it.” He held up a large black portfolio case. “Once we got a gentleman’s agreement on the land purchase, the architectural firm started working on some preliminary drawings for the youth center. We wanted to have some concrete ideas to show at the fundraising dinner.”
He was here on business. Good. Business she could handle.
Pushing open the door, she stepped aside to let him enter. “Is that large enough?” She gestured toward the café table in the center of the room.
“Should be.”
He walked over to it, unzipped the case and pulled out three color artist’s renderings. “They’re very different styles. Take a look and tell me which one you like best.”
Curious, she joined him at the table and leaned over to examine the drawings. All three were appealing, but one caught her eye immediately. It was a low-slung structure, constructed of glass, wood and stone, and the irregular shape lent itself to interesting rooflines that peaked and soared in several places.
“No contest. That one.” She pointed to it. “It’s stunning.”
“That was my choice, too. We must have similar tastes.”
At his husky comment, she looked over her shoulder. Only to discover he was mere inches away.
Her heart stuttered, then raced on, as she got lost in his dark brown eyes. Funny. She’d never noticed the flecks of gold in them before. Or the thin white scar near his hairline. As for the sensuous curve of his firm lips…
Dr. Walters had advised that she let herself experience attraction in a safe environment. But standing ten inches from Luke Turner suddenly didn’t feel in the least bit safe.
As she gripped the back of the chair in front of her and tried to regain her equilibrium, the phone began to ring.
Thank You, Lord!
The spell broken, she eased away from Luke and backed toward the door. “I need to get that. Thanks for bringing those over.” She motioned toward the table.
“No problem.” He picked up her favorite. “After you finish your call, I’ll give you the highlights of the architect’s comments on this one.”
He wasn’t leaving.
Behind her, she groped for the doorknob, twisting it as she fought down a rush of panic. “This could take a while. And I haven’t eaten dinner yet.”
He sat on the wicker settee, his actions deliberate, his gaze steady. “I’m in no hurry. I don’t have any plans for tonight. But I promise not to delay your dinner long.”
Pushing through the door, she fled. Certain now that Luke had more he wanted to discuss than the architect’s comments.
Focused on developing an evasion strategy, Kelsey picked up the phone and gave the caller a distracted greeting.
“Ms. Anderson?”
The male voice was familiar, but she couldn’t place it. “Yes.”
“This is Detective Mark Layton from St. Louis County Crimes Against Persons. Do you have a few minutes?”
A shock wave ricocheted through her, and she sucked in a sharp breath. An image of the detective’s face clicked into place—along with all the other details of that terrible night. Feeling for the stool beside her, she lowered herself to it as the stiffening went out of her legs.
“Ms. Anderson?”
“Yes.” The word came out strained and barely audible.
“I wanted to let you know we have a suspect in custody. His last victim managed to inflict some damage to his face that raised red flags when he was stopped two days later for a traffic violation. We’re running DNA now, but the details of the latest crime fit his MO. I think we have our man. I’ll keep you informed, but I thought you’d want to know.”
“Wh-who is it?”
“A guy named Carl Williams. A real loser. Caucasian, twenty-nine, a history of minor run-ins with the law. Does the name ring any bells?”
“No.”
“I didn’t think it would. But I’d like to email you his photo. Just in case you recognize him.”
As he recited the email address she’d given him seven months ago, she began to shake.
They wanted her to look at his face.
She closed her eyes and forced herself to take a deep breath.
You can do this, Kelsey.