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Tiffany and J.D. joined the group. J.D. was carrying an exhausted Christina, whose usually springy curls were as droopy as her eyelids. Her head was nestled against J.D.’s shoulder, and she yawned broadly. “I take it you’ve already heard?” Tiffany asked, nodding toward the boys.
“Sounds like they’ve already cooked up plans.” Katie eyed her son and his crutches. “He really should come home and elevate the foot and—”
“Aw, Mom…I’m okay.” To prove his point, Josh lifted both crutches in the air and walked without so much as a limp. “I’m better. A lot better. Besides, it’s almost our house, isn’t it?”
“Not quite,” Katie said, but shrugged. “It’s all right with me if you’re sure—” She looked at Tiffany who nodded. “I’ll see he takes care of that ankle, and in the morning, if he’s up to it, he can help Stephen pack his room.”
“He doesn’t have his pajamas—”
“Don’t need ‘em,” Josh said.
“But I don’t want you sleeping in your church clothes. I’ll stop by the cottage and pick up anything you need.”
“I said I don’t need anything,” Josh insisted.
“He’s probably right,” Tiffany agreed. “We have double of just about anything he could want. He can have something Stephen’s grown out of.”
Josh threw Katie a look that begged her to give in.
“If you’re sure,” she said to Tiffany.
“Positive.”
“Okay. I’ll call you in the morning.” Katie planted a kiss on her son’s cheek, and he made a hasty retreat on his crutches. Tiffany and J.D. ushered the kids through the ballroom and out a side entrance. As Katie watched them leave, she realized that she’d just lost
her ride. “Oh, wait,” she called after them. “I need a lift home…”
Luke grabbed her again. “Don’t worry about it,” he said as she turned and saw the smoky blue of his eyes.
“But—”
“I’ll take you home, Katie. It would be my pleasure.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
In her driveway, Luke braked and cut the engine of his pickup. Katie reached for the door handle. Once before, she’d been in this very truck with the night closing in on them and had felt the sheer intimacy of the moment as he’d kissed her. She didn’t want a repeat of that incident. Or at least, she tried to convince herself that she didn’t. “Thanks for the ride.”
“Maybe I should come in and see that everything’s okay.”
Her heart nearly stopped. She heard the ticking of the engine as it cooled and the jingle of his keys as he pulled them from the ignition.
“Okay? What wouldn’t be okay?” she asked, buying time. Part of her was tempted to invite him in, to take a chance; the other, more sane portion of her mind warned her that she was only asking for trouble. Begging for it. The kind of trouble she didn’t need and couldn’t deal with. This man was linked to Ralph Sorenson, Josh’s grandfather. “For what?” she asked, shoving her shoulder against the door while trying to ignore her elevating pulse and dry mouth. Come on, Katie, let him in. What would it hurt?
“I’m not sure. But it’s just a feeling I’ve got that something isn’t right.”
“Anyone ever tell you you’re a worrywart?”
“A few people,” he said and climbed out of the cab.
Blue gave a soft bark as Katie inserted her key into the dead bolt and discovered the door unlocked. “That’s odd,” she said, dropping her keys into her purse. Frowning to herself she walked into the kitchen. “I’m sure I locked it.”
“You remember doing it?”
“No…” Flipping on the kitchen lights she tried to think over the rapid beating of her heart. Blue’s toenails clicked on the linoleum as he greeted her with a wagging tail and lowered head. “It was real crazy,” she said, dropping her purse on the table as she scratched Blue behind his ears. “We were running late. Josh had trouble with the knot of his tie and then had a fit about having to use the crutches, and the next thing I knew, Tiffany was knocking on the back door.” She shook her head, trying to clear the cobwebs. “I don’t remember, but I always lock it. It’s habit.”
Luke’s gaze was thoughtful. Worried. Katie felt suddenly awkward. “Would you like…some coffee or soda or…anything?” Why did the question sound so lame?
“I’m fine.” Jaw set, he strode through the kitchen and into the living room to her desk. Without asking, he pushed the Play button on the answering machine.
