The Heart of the Matter by Kristy Dykes

Author:Kristy Dykes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2013-08-19T00:00:00+00:00

Twelve

Jeris drove to the Hugheses’ parsonage. Audra Darling had called her a couple of days ago and invited her to dinner tonight. She told her to come early so she could give her a few tips on making lasagna. The plan was to eat it as soon as they pulled it out of the oven. That sounded good to Jeris. She needed all the help she could get in the kitchen and had managed to leave work early.

She braked for a red light. A couple of weeks had passed since the beach party, and she’d stayed busy at work and church. Luke continued to drop Brady off at her children’s church class, and he was friendly each time she saw him, though she wondered why.

Was it because of the beach party? Or his visit in her apartment? She was pretty sure he’d come out of his shell because of the visit. He’d called her a couple of times to get advice about gerbils. It seemed he was going to buy one for Brady. Both times he’d called, he’d lingered in conversation. Why, she didn’t know. But she was glad Brady was getting a pet. It made children responsible. And gave them something more to love.

She pulled into the Hugheses’ driveway and was surprised to see Luke’s car. What was he doing here? He said he couldn’t cook, so Audra was probably going to include him in the cooking lessons. But why did it have to happen on the same night she invited Jeris?

She bristled as she climbed out of her SUV, shut the door behind her, and walked to the front of the house.

Audra Darling welcomed her and gave her a hug, then led her into the kitchen.

Jeris felt herself clamming up as soon as she saw Luke.

“Hi, Jeris.” He was leaning against a kitchen cabinet, his arms folded across his chest, looking like the handsome, self-assured man he was.

“Hi, Luke.” Awkward. That’s how she felt and wished she were a million miles away. She stopped at the table, put her hands on the back of a chair, and squeezed the maple wood. “Good to see you.” Sort of.

“Same here. Looks like we’re both getting cooking lessons tonight.”

“It appears so.” She let go of the chair, removed her purse from her shoulder, and set it on the table.

“I readily admit I need them,” he said.

I do, too, but with you?

“Neither of you knows how to cook, so I decided to give you some tips tonight.” Audra Darling tied an apron around her, nonchalance in her tone. “At the same time.”

Jeris was on to Audra Darling’s matchmaking. The children’s beach party was her first hint. Before that, when she had invited them for Sunday dinner, Jeris hadn’t given it a thought. But when Audra Darling had managed to get Luke to chaperone the party, she’d put two and two together. Now tonight—the lessons and dinner. With Luke. She knew Audra Darling was cooking up something.

And it’s more than lasagna.

“Here, Luke.” Audra Darling pulled out an apron from a lower kitchen drawer and placed it on the counter.

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