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Thankfully, he didn’t force her to give him an answer.
When she met his gaze again, fully embarrassed, she found nothing but the soft, kind eyes of the man she was in love with. He reached for her hand and tugged her to him. “Are you worried?” His voice was husky, deeper, soft.
Her feet refused to work at first, shuffling toward him until they finally released and she collided with his body.
Luke hooked his finger under her chin and tilted it upward. His eyes roved over her face and he shook his head. “I need you to know that you don’t have to be worried. I love you, Allie.”
Her heart exploded in that moment sending sparks of electricity to every nerve of her body. Allie’s lips parted in surprise. That was the first time he’d ever said it out loud. This was a definite turning point.
All too easily, she allowed herself to forgive his frustration over bringing Shellie into a conversation where she had no right to be. Allie inched closer to Luke and pushed her fingers into his hair. “I love you, too.”
Luke smiled, half his lips quirking upward. “You do?”
“Of course I do. Why is that even a question? Even when we were younger, I knew my heart belonged to you.”
He released her hand, wrapping his arms around her and crushing her to his body. His chin rested on her head and he murmured. “You’re too good for me.”
“No, I’m not,” she whispered against his chest.
“Yes, you are.”
Her thoughts immediately shifted to what had spurred this little argument. Luke had been so defensive at the mere mention of Shellie’s name. The only thing that made sense was that he wasn’t over her. Like she’d worried before, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was comparing her to his late wife. He couldn’t forget Shellie, and Allie would always be a reminder of how they met.
Her stomach knotted and roiled, angry with her for the rollercoaster ride she was putting it through. As much as she’d tried to avoid it, she couldn’t deny one small problem.
She was still competing with a dead woman.
The evidence was everywhere. His refusal to talk about Shellie. His constant statements that she was too good for him. It was so clear now. He didn’t feel like he deserved her because he still had feelings for the love of his life. Luke knew deep in his soul that it wasn’t fair to bring another woman into his life when he was unable to give his whole heart to someone else.
Emotion burned behind her eyes and she blinked it away.
Was this her lot in life? To forever be second best? Could she find happiness with that knowledge?
The part of her that knew she’d never stop loving him was content to get as much as he was willing to give. But the jealous side wanted all of him. Everylastbit.
That would never be possible and now she knew it without a single doubt in her mind.
Luke pressed one more kiss to her forehead as if to say this conversation was over. They’d covered everything they needed to. Then he wandered off toward a car that arrived. One of the parents from her class got out and Molly launched toward Sarah.
They gave each other a hug and Molly practically dragged her best friend toward the hot chocolate stand.
Allie remained where she was beside the garland, watching Luke interact with Sarah’s mother. He was smiley and bright—just like he always was. Clearly this little argument didn’t bother him as much as it did her.
Perhaps she was making this out to be a bigger deal than it was. She was internalizing something that simply didn’t exist.
Would she want to discuss her dead spouse with someone she’d just started dating? Probably not. Luke was within his right to get frustrated about such a topic.
Doing her best to push aside her concerns, she forced a smile and headed toward Sarah’s mother and Luke as they hovered near the stand. Another car arrived, and Kate climbed out with her teenager in tow. Without prompting, she headed toward them. Thankfully the other fourth grade teacher was on board with this project, too. They needed all the help they could get.
Luke was speaking to Sarah’s mother when Kate reached them. “We don’t need to make it too difficult. We’ll break even if we get a quarter for each cup but since we’re trying to build up a donation for the hospital, I’ve set the price at fifty cents.” Luke gestured toward the small lockbox. “I’ve already put a ton of quarters in there. I don’t think you’ll need much else for making change. All I need you to do is relay the information to the next parent who takes a shift.” He glanced toward Allie and she smiled with encouragement.
She wasn’t about to make tonight a tough one. Her concerns would wait.
Sarah’s mother waved at Allie. “Hey, Allie. This is wonderful. I’m so glad you asked us to help out.”
Luke slipped his hand into hers and tugged her closer. “She’s a good one.”
Kate noted their connection and only mildly reacted. Her brows lifted and her smile widened. Allie made a face and waved her friend off with a shake of her head. She didn’t need more attention paid to her budding relationship just yet. It was still too new.
