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  His mouth joined with hers again, giving her no time to analyze what he’d said, leaving her breathless and hopeful.

  “Yah,” Lucas said gleefully, returning her to real life.

  It returned Jake to real life, too. His voice was shaky when he broke off the kiss and took a step back, his eyes still fixed on her face. “Abbie, what just happened, I think—”

  She sensed what was coming, so she rushed to stop him. “We shouldn’t make a big deal out of it. It was a kiss, a lovely kiss on a beautiful afternoon. Let’s just leave it at that.”

  For a heartbeat, she thought he was going to argue with her, but his face smoothed out, and he nodded. With a slight smile, he gestured toward Lucas, who was kicking his heels against the stroller and staring at a gigantic, lopsided, not-quite-ripe pumpkin.

  “So that’s the one, is it?” Abbie asked. Her voice was unsteady.

  “Why do you think he likes that one?” Jake sounded shaken, too.

  “It’s big and silly-looking. You can’t help feeling happy when you look at it.” She couldn’t help feeling happy, but the pumpkin wasn’t the reason. “Pick one for yourself,” she told Jake, her knees still feeling wobbly, her heart still zinging.

  “Okay.” He knelt down and studied a row of pumpkins, then looked back up at her. “And one for Maury.”

  She was touched that he would think to take a pumpkin home to Maury. He was like a father to the boy, and he would learn to be a terrific father for Lucas. She was sure of it.

  15

  The next few weeks flew by in fast forward. Abbie spent too much time daydreaming about Jake, but she still managed to get a lot done on the benefit. She’d whipped together the last arrangements, thrilled that the space would be filled to capacity.

  Enthusiastic volunteers had agreed to pick their chrysanthemum plants down to the ground to make centerpieces for the eight tables, and the feed store was loaning them potted mums to scatter around the room.

  She’d learned from Maury that the Falling Star High School had a string quartet. With trepidation, she’d hired them for the dinner, and even if they were awful, four students had netted her eight parents who bought tickets for the dinner.

  The plan was in place, ready to be implemented, until the last-minute crises occurred, which they would because they always did.

  As for the other two things on her mind, Priscilla had been enthusiastic about the yard sale. “Mother was thrilled to be doing something for the foster care center. She’s already furnished her room with her favorite things, and I’ll keep the family heirlooms and a few other pieces I’m fond of. The rest can go. Once I get them out of the way, the cleanup will be a lot easier. Can you get along without some of the furniture?”

  “If you leave the bed, one of the sofas, and that wing chair in the living room, I’ll be fine.” Abbie smiled. “Maybe I can get my mother to buy them when I move out.”

  Priscilla, Lilah, and her “troops” showed up after school on the Thursday afternoon before the sale. Jake was in the forefront of Abbie’s mind as she helped dust and price items. He’d been all she could think about this week. Her body had tingled each time she heard his name or saw his face.

  He was a dedicated man who also happened to be charming and irresistible. He only became more irresistible the day he announced that he’d be taking two afternoons off each week to be with Lucas. He was entertaining him this afternoon, in fact, taking him to a baby gymnastics program in Amarillo.

  Abbie lived for the promise of those two afternoons. She cherished the time she spent with Jake and Lucas, and she knew deep down that her world currently revolved around two things: making Lucas happy and being with Jake.

  It was dangerous territory. Her world might revolve around them now, but in a few months, she’d have to shift her axis, feel the pull of her classwork.

  She wanted a husband and children, but not right now. It was impossible, the daydream of becoming part of the Galloway family that had plagued her recently.

  Maybe she was just confused and lost at the moment, so daydreaming about Jake and Lucas gave her something to do besides worry. She couldn’t imagine not having a career that would make a difference in the world beyond the family she longed to have.

  She wasn’t even sure what career path she wanted to pursue, although she was finding the idea of clinical psychology increasingly appealing.

  It would take years of study. She’d have to get a doctorate. She’d have to train under a practicing psychologist. Lucas would be in school by the time she finished. He wouldn’t remember her by then.

  Jake would have to take over for her. He’d hire a new nanny to take care of Lucas while he worked, but he’d have to be the important person in Lucas’ life. He was wonderful to Lucas, but something was missing.

  If Lucas had been his own child or a planned adoption, he’d feel different. But how could anyone keep from loving Lucas? Because that’s what was missing—the sense that Jake truly loved the baby.

  “I’m going crazy being at home all the time,” Barney grumbled, shifting his recliner to an upright position. “I want to get back to work.”

  Jake couldn’t wait to have Barney in the kitchen again, but only if he was up to it. “Are you sure you should come back that soon?” he asked for probably the tenth time.

  “The doc said part-time starting Monday. You want him to write me a note?” Barney grumbled. “I won’t lift anything. I won’t stand too long. But being out and moving and doing what I like to do will be great for the old ticker.”

  Jake could see how that could help. “Okay, if you’re sure, and if you promise not to overdo. And no sneaking any fried foods.”

  Barney nodded glumly. “Yeah, it’s all grilled chicken breasts and greens for me from now on.”

  He looked so crestfallen that Jake chuckled. “Cheer up. You know I can cook a chicken breast that will make you forget all about steak.”

  Barney glared at him. “Prove it to me.”

  “Just watch me. You’ll be fine if you change your diet and exercise.”

  “That’s what the doc says. You two been talking behind my back?” A sneaky smile suddenly appeared on his face. “How’s Abbie?”

  The unexpected change of topic surprised Jake. “Fine. She’s taking care of Lucas for me.”

  “Bet you’re glad she’s back in town, aren’t you?”

  Okay, he might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but Jake knew when someone was baiting him. “What are you talking about?”

  Barney shrugged. “The whole town’s been watching you two fall for each other.”

  Jake’s mouth dropped open. “Whoa! The whole town knows? How could—wait a minute. We haven’t fallen for each other. Abbie and I are good friends, that’s all.”

  Barney snorted. “Just friends. Got it.”

  Jake let it go because he knew there was no sense in arguing with Barney. The older man had been through a lot, and fighting with his employer couldn’t be good for his heart.

  But Barney was wrong. Jake had noticed how attractive…make that beautiful…Abbie was. But it wasn’t like they were falling for each other. Not at all. Sure, they’d shared a couple of kisses, but the time he’d kissed her after the crisis with Lucas didn’t count. He’d been so strung out he didn’t know what he was doing.

  Now the kiss in the pumpkin patch—well, that didn’t mean anything either. Even Abbie had said it didn’t mean anything.

  He stood, more than ready to leave, when someone knocked on the door. “I’ll answer it,” Jake said, and to his amazement, Elaine Jackson stood on the porch.

  He was almost too startled to let her in, but he managed. “Hi, Elaine.”

  “I just came by to drop off a little something for Barney to eat,” she said. She was bent to one side from the weight of a tote bag that Jake could see was stuffed with storage containers, and she was blushing. He turned to glance at Barney. Talk about color in his face. He was scarlet.

  “That’s mighty ni
ce of you, Elaine,” he said, taking the heavy bag from her.

  “It’s all very healthy,” she said, sounding a little breathless. “I even found a cake recipe that’s made with olive oil. I’ll just put the bag in the kitchen and be on my way.”

  “No, no,” Jake protested. He deposited the bag in the kitchen. “I was just leaving. Bye, Barney.”

  “Look for me in Jake’s Place bright and early next week,” Barney said. He said it sheepishly, but then he scowled. “And that grill had better be clean.”

  “I’ll scour it myself,” Jake promised. “I don’t trust anybody else.”

  Jake waved once again. Time for him to leave so she’d stay and visit with Barney.

  Elaine and Barney? Should he spread the rumor? Nope. They were probably just good friends.

  Despite the early hour, the lawn in front of Mrs. Langston’s house was crawling with people. What furniture they were selling had gone quickly. Now all that was left were piles of smaller household items, tables filled with clothing and linens and a mountain of books.

  “Boy, you don’t mess around, do you?” Abbie turned to Lilah. “Have you ever considered running for office? You really know how to get people to go along with you. This turnout is amazing.”

  Priscilla had been unable to come to the sale due to a conflict, so Lilah sat at one of the wooden chairs behind the cashier’s table tallying up what they’d made so far. “It isn’t hard when what you’re doing supports such a good cause. I’m worried though, because business is slowing down now that the furniture is gone.”

  Abbie sat in the chair next to hers. “It’s still early,” she said. “But frankly, a lot of what’s left is junk.”

  “They are valuable heirlooms,” Lilah said, turning a mock-stern face in Abbie’s direction. “Once-in-a-lifetime purchases.”

  Abbie had to laugh at that. She could see from the disinterested expressions of some of the shoppers that the words valuable heirlooms weren’t what they were thinking.

  “Gee, I’m not sure how we’ll convince them,” Abbie said. She looked around, trying to come up with some ideas, when she spotted Jake and Lucas walking toward her. As usual, her heart fluttered at the sight of Jake. He was drop-dead gorgeous, and all she could think about was kissing him again.

  “You’ve got quite a turnout,” Jake said when he reached their table.

  “Yes, but the buying has slowed down.” Abbie leaned over and nuzzled Lucas’ cheek. “How are you guys today?”

  She’d taken the day off for the sale, but she had to admit she didn’t really want the day off. She’d rather spend it with her two special guys.

  “We’re good,” Jake said. “Had a cereal fiasco this morning, but everything is fine now.”

  “Lucas didn’t want to eat his cereal?” Abbie asked.

  Jake smiled and bounced the baby on his hip. “Let’s just say we had different ideas about what should be done with the cereal. My vote was for eating it. Lucas thought tossing it around the room was a better approach.”

  Lilah laughed and held out her arms to take Lucas. “What a mischief you are.”

  “Said like a person who didn’t spend an hour scraping cereal off the floor,” Jake said dryly.

  “I know how we can take your mind off the cereal,” Lilah said, shooting a conspiratorial smile toward Abbie. “Help us persuade our customers to buy, buy, buy.”

  Jake looked around. “Persuade them, huh?”

  “Yes, apparently Lilah feels what we have for sale here are heirlooms. We just need to help people see their potential,” Abbie told him.

  “Okay, I’ll try if you’ll try,” he said to Abbie.

  Although she had no idea how to be a super salesperson, she wanted to follow Jake wherever he was going. Standing, she circled the small table. “You go first.”

  Jake surveyed the crowd, then walked over to a middle-aged couple standing near an assortment of old pails. Since Abbie didn’t recognize them, they had to be out-of-towners, and she was sure Jake had chosen them for that very reason.

  “I want these pails,” he said loudly to Abbie. “I’ll pot plants in them next summer and put them on the back porch.”

  The couple turned their attention to the pails. “Rustic chic,” Abbie trilled. “Very trendy.”

  He glanced at a price tag. “These are authentic. I’ll take them all.”

  “Excuse me,” the woman said, “but we’d already decided to buy the pails.”

  Jake turned to Abbie. “I’ll pay you double the price.”

  “No,” Abbie said sternly, “that wouldn’t be fair. These people saw them first. I’m upset that you’d even suggest such a thing.”

  The couple gathered up the pails, all nine of them, and darted toward Lilah at the cash register. Nonplussed, Lilah sent a glance toward Jake and Abbie.

  “That went well,” Abbie said.

  “Just need to help people see the value of a rusty pail.” His eyes twinkled. “Your turn,” he said. “Let’s see you in action.” He stepped toward the cash register where Rafe had arrived and was now helping Lilah pack the pails in newspaper as if they were treasured objects.

  Rising to the challenge, Abbie spotted a group of potential buyers. She approached the teenaged girls with a smile. “Have you looked through the clothes?”

  The girls looked horrified. “They’re for old people.”

  “They’re vintage,” Abbie said. “Have you priced vintage clothes at that shop in Amarillo?” She picked up an elegant blue cocktail dress that looked as if it dated back to the fifties. “Imagine yourself wearing this to the homecoming dance. One of a kind, no one else will have anything like it.”

  “I’m buying my dress at the mall,” one of the girls said, eyeing the blue dress dubiously.

  “Me, too,” the other one said. They wandered off to look into a box of DVDs.

  One girl stayed, her eyes fixed on the dress. “I’d like something different for the dance, and I really can’t afford anything from the mall. I love this color, but I’m not sure about this.” She tweaked one of its puffed sleeves.

  “Picture it without the sleeves,” Abbie said. She looked at the price tag. “And even though it’s an expensive designer dress, it’s only five dollars.”

  The girl still looked uncertain, but Abbie spotted a talented local seamstress going through the linens. “Let’s ask Marion what you could do with this dress. I bet she could alter it to suit you, and you’d still have paid a lot less than what you’d pay for a cookie-cutter dress at the mall.”

  The girl nodded with excitement, and in a few minutes, Marion and the girl had decided how to make the blue dress into something stunning for the homecoming dance. Abbie felt good about what she’d done, and furthermore, now every woman at the sale was at the clothing table, going through Mrs. Langston’s dresses and snagging Marion for her opinion about alterations.

  When Abbie rejoined Jake, he nudged her lightly. “You’re getting the hang of this. Should we take our act on the road?”

  “Hey, Abbie, want to come over for dinner tonight?” Rafe asked, coming over to join them. “Jake and Lucas will be there.”

  Jake shot his brother a pointed look, then turned to Abbie. “Not to babysit,” he said. “To eat.”

  “I’m not sure I’d know how to eat without a baby on my lap,” Abbie said, smiling at Jake’s flushed face. “I wish I could, but I can’t.” Oh, she hated saying no. “I promised Mom I’d come to dinner after the sale. She wants to crow over the treasures she took home.” She felt like teasing Jake because he looked so uptight about the babysitting idea. “Want me to take Lucas with me?”

  “No,” chorused all three brothers and Lilah, who’d stepped up behind them.

  Laughing, Abbie stepped toward the table of thread-bare linens and was soon pointing out the hand-crocheted trims on the pillowcases. “You could put this on a little girl’s dress,” she said to potential buyers, “and turn it into something special.”

  Dinner at Rafe’s
house always included a soccer game with his foster children. Boys were everywhere, running, laughing, and playing. In the middle of the commotion was the family dog, barking and running around the backyard.

  Today, in addition to Jake and Lucas, there were Clint, Rafe, Lilah, the foster care boys, and a few of their friends.

  No wonder Abbie hadn’t wanted to come. There wasn’t room.

  Jake settled on the back stoop and watched the soccer game. Lucas sat on his lap, apparently delighted at all the sights and sounds around him.

  “He’s going to be walking in a few months,” Lilah said, sitting next to him. “Maybe sooner. And then after walking comes running.”

  Jake shuddered. “I have enough trouble keeping up with him when he crawls. I can’t even think about running.”

  Rafe came over and stood by his wife. “Ha, that’s nothing. Wait until he learns to drive a car.”

  That was it. “Now you’re just trying to bug me,” he told Rafe.

  “True.” He leaned down and took Lucas from Jake. “He seems to be settling in okay.”

  Jake shrugged. “I guess. I hope so. We seem to be doing fine, but I worry all the time. Like at any second something could go wrong.”

  “It could,” Clint said.

  “Clint!” Lilah scolded him. “Just keep an eye on him. Babies and toddlers are curious, but they don’t have a smidgen of common sense. And you have no idea how fast they can move when they’re motivated.”

  Jake sighed. “That’s what I’m worried about. I tend to get to thinking about food and the restaurant and go off into my own world.”

  “When you hear a loud crash, you’ll come right back into this one,” Clint said.

  “Clint, you’re scaring him,” Lilah said.

  “He can’t scare me,” Jake said. “I’m already scared.”