nodded. “I’ll be out back.”
She untied her apron and flung it over the hook. She could use a few minutes of fresh air. Luckily, it was unseasonably warm for a November day in Michigan, so she grabbed a sweater and stepped outside.
And spotted Luke trimming back the rose bushes. She’d meant to do that before her trip, before the fall hit. But she’d run out of time, what with the Sass girls starting up community college and having limited availability.
As Luke tended to the rose bush, she remarked how normal he looked, like a regular guy. Not like a violent man who packed a gun against his ribcage.
With seemingly gentle fingers, Luke snipped the rose stem with some kind of knife. A pocket knife.
“Hey, I’ve got pruning shears,” she said.
He turned to her and she could have sworn she read regret in his eyes, probably because he’d scared the wits out of her earlier.
“Hang on,” she said. She went back inside, dug into the white china cabinet and found the shears. As she opened the door to go back out, she nearly ran into him.
She didn’t expect him to be so close. Nor did she expect her heart to skip a few beats. And not out of fear.
She handed him the shears. “Thanks.”
“It’s the least I can do considering I scared the—” he paused “—you know.”
“Have you been out there all afternoon?”
“Pretty much.”
“Did you get lunch?”
“Not yet.”
“I’ll make you a sandwich.” She motioned him into the shop, but he hesitated.
“Come on, it’s safe,” she joked.
He followed her inside and washed his hands.
“Turkey okay?” she asked, putting on gloves.
“You even guessed my favorite sandwich? How do you do that?” He settled at a table in the back.
“Everyone likes turkey.” She pulled out bread, lettuce and tomatoes.
Tori came into the back with a tray of plates. She slid them by the sink and turned to Krista. “Who’s the guy?”
“A friend of Chief Cunningham,” Luke said.
Krista kept working on the sandwich. She couldn’t blame Luke for acting the way he did this morning. It was his job to suspect danger around every corner.
And that suspicion might keep her safe.
Tatum joined her sister in the kitchen.
“Chief Cunningham’s friend,” Tori explained to her sister.
Tatum walked over to the Luke and shook his hand. “I’m Tatum and this is Tori.”
“Tori, can you start on the dishes?” Krista asked. “I’m not sure I’ve got the energy.”
“Sure.”
Krista finished making Luke’s sandwich, garnished the plate with a pickle and a few olives and put a mini scoop of fruit salad in a dish. She placed it in front of him.
“How much?” he said.
“On the house.”
He glanced into her eyes. “I can’t do that.”
“Why not?” Krista asked.
“It’s freeloading. Let me at least do the dishes after I eat.”
“Great idea!” Tori said, drying her hands and rushing off into the dining room.
“No, really I couldn’t—”
“Sure she could,” Tatum said, putting her arm around Krista’s shoulder. “In case you haven’t noticed, she has a hard time accepting help from people.”
“Wise guy,” Krista said.
“It’s true.” Tatum smiled and breezed out of the kitchen.
“Nice kids,” Luke said.
“They consider me their auntie.”
“Well, Auntie, I’d really like to do your dishes in exchange for lunch. And anything else I can do to help, just say the word. Okay?”
“Sure.”
Krista went to clean up the stainless steel prep counter. Her insides warmed at the thought of how nice it was to have a man care about her.
Then she reminded herself he was here for work, and part of his job required him to stick close and catch whoever was working in tandem with the drug cartel.
She rinsed off the prep table with bleach water and started on the dishes.
“Hey, hey, that’s my job,” Luke said.
“I’ll leave some for you, no worries.”
The back door opened and Alan stepped into the kitchen. He glared at Luke. “You’re still here?”
“I work here.”
“Yeah, right.” He turned his back to Luke and went to Krista. “Hey, I wanted to make sure you were doing okay.”
He touched her arm and she tried not to recoil. Alan wasn’t a bad guy, just not a guy she wanted touching her. She knew he wanted more than she had to give him, and she didn’t want to encourage the affection.
“I’m fine, thanks.”
“Really? Because I was worried this morning.”
“Thanks, just tired.” She stepped away from him and rearranged the tea jars. Maybe if she kept her distance he’d get the message.
She didn’t want to be rude, but she wasn’t sure how to handle this situation. She’d been clear with him months ago that she wasn’t interested, that she wasn’t ready to get serious. With anybody.
Which wasn’t exactly true. If she found the right man, a Christian man as devoted to God as he was to Krista, well, she’d definitely consider. Only there weren’t a lot of single guys of her generation left in Wentworth. Most of her classmates had gone off to college, landed important jobs in the city and didn’t return home.
“Business run smoothly this morning?” Alan asked, eyeing the tables out front.
“Sure, why?” she asked.
“It’s your first day back and you’ve got to be exhausted. I mean with your long travel day and early morning…”
