Back To Luke

After Eleanor paid for their tickets, they went inside and crossed to the refreshment stand. “Smell that popcorn,” Eleanor said. “I think I’ll have some, with extra butter.”

“You should be watching your cholesterol.”

Unfortunately, Jayne recognized the deep masculine rumble from behind her. She turned to acknowledge Luke, but instead stood openmouthed when she took in the sight of him dressed in jeans and a green chamois shirt, holding a little boy of maybe two against the soft material that covered his chest. Clinging to his other hand was a child of about five, who looked exactly like him.

So he was married. With kids. For a moment, Jayne felt the world tip on its axis.

Eleanor said, “Hello, Luke. Oh, Kasey, you sweet boy. And Karl. Let me buy you a treat.”

“Yes, Miss Ellie.” The bigger one spoke first and the baby gave some version of it.

Luke raised his eyes to the ceiling. “I promised their mother I wouldn’t let them have too much junk.”

“How is Belle?” The name sounded familiar. Had he married an old girlfriend?

“Spending some time with Kenny while he’s on his school break, so I’m babysitting.”

Jayne frowned. “I wonder why it is that when men take care of their own kids, they call it babysitting?”

His expression turned blank, then he laughed.

Before he could respond, Karl said, “Uncle Luke, what’s funny?”

Jayne flushed. “I thought…”

“Yeah, I can tell. They’re my sister’s kids. Karl, Kasey, meet Miss Logan.” With a scowl, he added, “Is it still Miss?”

“Yes.”

Karl greeted her, but Kasey buried his face in Luke’s neck. And something inside of Jayne shifted. The gesture showed such spontaneous trust, was such a baby thing. Combined with what she’d been thinking earlier, about having her own kids, it had her…yearning.

“Would you like to sit with us, Luke?” Eleanor’s expression was hopeful. “It would be such fun to see the boys’ reactions to the movie.”

Oh, no, Jayne thought, just as Luke said, “Great. We’d love to.”

Inside the theater, the boys sat on opposite sides of Eleanor, and Jayne took the seat next to the littlest. But then Luke said, “Excuse me,” and crawled over her to snatch Kasey out of the chair. He plunked down right next to her, with the baby on his lap. “There now, isn’t this cozy?”

It was cramped and, this close, she could smell his aftershave—incredibly, the same one that he used to wear. The associations that brought back made her entire body respond. So she said, “I can move down so Kasey can have his own seat.”

Luke gave her an are-you-stupid look. “He’s too little to sit by himself.”

And Kasey was apparently used to resting on his uncle’s lap, because he cuddled in, stuck his finger in his mouth and began to watch the previews.

Jayne tried not to be distracted by the rhythmic stroking of Luke’s big hand down the baby’s wispy hair. She tried not to watch as he kissed the baby’s head. But she began to experience an overwhelming sense of loss watching the gestures, being so close to Luke again. If she hadn’t chickened out on her relationship with Luke, these could have been their kids. They could be married now and spending a lazy day as a family. When the movie began, she tried doubly hard to focus on Ariel and her adventure, until Karl leaned over Eleanor and whispered, “Uncle Luke, I gotta pee.”

Luke said, “Great.” He glanced at Eleanor, who held a full bucket of popcorn on her lap, then lifted the baby and plopped him into Jayne’s arms.

“What…what are you doing?”

“Taking Karl to the john.” He stood, scooped up the boy, climbed over the back of his seat to an empty row and went out to the aisle.

Kasey looked up at her with wide blue eyes. She had no idea what to do with him. A smile spread across his adorable face, then he batted her cheeks with his chubby hands.

And she cooed, “Aren’t you beautiful.”

As if he’d gotten the answer he wanted, he nestled into her chest. He smelled like baby shampoo and powder, and Jayne reveled in the scent and the feel of his little body.

By the time Luke got back, Kasey was fast asleep, curled trustingly into her.

“I’ll be damned. I wouldn’t have guessed you had it in you.”

Her either. “Just goes to show you how much you know.”

“We’ll see about that.” He bit into a piece of licorice. “We’ll just see about that.”

CHAPTER THREE

LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON, Jayne reached for the gardening shears to deadhead the snapdragons and pricked her thumb on the tip of a blade. “Ouch!”

By the gazebo, where he’d finished painting the first post blue, Luke snorted. Had she known he was going to show up so late in the day to put in an hour on the structure, she wouldn’t have come out here. Now, he sat on one of the benches he’d built—she liked the way the legs of it angled—sipping a beer and making no effort to hide his study of her. “Watch out, Sleeping Beauty, or you’ll go into a deep snooze.”

Which Jayne wouldn’t mind doing. Perhaps when she woke up, the nightmare of the investigation would be over. She’d checked with her lawyer this morning and there was no news.

What exactly does that mean, Michael? It’s been three weeks.

These things take time. The architectural board is addressing it. You have to be patient.

What about the independent firm I hired to do its own analysis?

Nothing yet.

I can’t believe this.

I’m sorry. I’ll call you when I hear something.

“Hey, I’m talkin’ to you.”

She made a very unladylike noise. “Just so you don’t get any ideas about playing Prince Charming.” Again.

“No worries about that, babe. Once burned…”

Hmm. She’d always wondered how he’d handled her leaving, always wondered if it had left a hole inside him as it had, unexpectedly, in her. Probably not. He’d never tried to contact her. Most likely, she’d just bruised his ego.

There was no point in going there, though, so she nodded to the gazebo. “You know, you should paint the posts white.”

He shook his head. “God, I hate it when people play Monday-morning quarterback.”

His forceful tone reminded her of his reactions on the construction site in New York. She couldn’t resist the temptation to jab him. “So you still think it’s your way or the highway?”