Chapter Thirteen
SARAH FOLLOWED LUKEinto the dining room. She met Becky’s wide grin with a small one of her own and slipped into the empty chair at Luke’s side.
“Have you met Matt yet?” Luke inquired.
Sarah shook her head and lifted her gaze to the man who sat at the foot of the table. He really didn’t look that much like Luke, she thought uncharitably. Luke was by far the more handsome of the two. Matt’s eyes were warm and brown, instead of Luke’s stormy gray, and his hair was lighter and much shorter.
“I’m Luke’s brother, Matthew. I hope you can forgive me for bringing you here under false pretenses.”
Matt was undeniably charming, and Sarah found herself returning his smile. She couldn’t be angry with this man, after having talked to Becky. She didn’t approve of his methods, but they wanted the same thing, after all. Luke’s happiness.
“It’s good to finally meet you,” she told him and was surprised to find that was the truth. “I’m sorry I missed the two of you the last time you were here.”
“Well, Luke was being less than civil, so we thought it would be best if we let him cool down.”
Luke snorted and passed Sarah the platter of mashed potatoes. “My brother is a master of understatement.”
“Let’s talk about something else, shall we?” Matt gave Sarah another smile. “The meal looks wonderful, Sarah. It’s a welcome relief from the slop Luke usually feeds me when I come to visit.”
Sarah frowned, her ire instantly roused by Matt’s condescending tone. “I like Luke’s cooking. The first night I arrived, he cooked me dinner.”
Matt raised an eyebrow. “Perhaps he cared more about impressing you than he does me.”
Becky cleared her throat. “I love what you’ve done with the house, Sarah. I never dreamed such beautiful rooms were hidden under all that dust.”
Sarah wondered if Matt and Becky realized that everything they said was in some way a subtle criticism of Luke. Did they do it on purpose, or were they simply trying to make conversation in their bumbling, well-meaning way?
Sarah reached beneath the table until she encountered Luke’s strong, wool-covered thigh. She squeezed, and his startled gaze flew to hers. “It wasn’t that bad,” she assured Becky without looking at her. “Just a little neglected and in need of some tender care.”
Luke covered her hand with his, a wry grin turning up one corner of his beautiful mouth. “Sarah’s quite an optimist. She thinks a bucket of water and a little elbow grease can cover up any flaw.”
“Maybe she’s right,” Matt murmured. “Or maybe she realizes that nothing in this house is broken beyond repair.”
Luke stiffened and deliberately removed Sarah’s hand from his leg. He gave his brother an angry glance. “Give it a rest, Matt. I’m not in the mood to listen to this tonight.”
Dinner was a strained affair after that. Becky and Sarah kept up a steady stream of small talk, but neither Luke nor Matt spoke more than a handful of words.
