Rekindling The Widower's Heart. Glynna Kaye
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breed.
Luke’s gaze lingered as the new tenant tucked a floral sleeping bag under her arm and dragged an oversize pink suitcase up the porch steps. Talk about an optimist. She was eager to stretch her wings. To reach for her dreams. To taste all life had to offer.
He’d been like that once. A long time ago.
But watching her now, bubbling with energy and excitement, made him feel...old.
With an almost cheerful announcement that she was currently unemployed due to a layoff, she nevertheless hadn’t flinched when writing a substantial check. And when he’d requested ID, she’d handed him a Golden State driver’s license that confirmed his suspicions—she’d be only twenty-seven come August. But her birthdate also served as a reminder that nineteen years ago when he’d left Hunter Ridge, thinking that at age eighteen he was rough and tough and all grown up, she’d barely reached the tender age of eight years old.
Practically a baby.
Yeah, she was a pretty, vivacious little thing and it had been a long time since a woman had caught his eye. But he was an old codger in comparison. A father of two teens and an eight-year-old, a man weighed down with responsibilities that a young woman would want no part of.
“She’s as close to my son’s age as she is to mine,” he said aloud with a shake of his head.
The dog bumped against his leg as if in sympathy, and Luke noticed Delaney had returned to the car to haul out a box from the passenger-side front seat.
“I should go over to help her unload, don’t you think?” he said to Rags. “That would be the neighborly thing to do.”
But before he could turn away from the window, a white minivan with a Christ’s Church of Hunter Ridge logo pulled up next to her car. One of Luke’s cousins—a younger bachelor cousin—hopped out of the driver’s side with a welcoming smile.
Garrett, who already had to beat women off with a stick.
“Just as well.” Luke tugged the curtain back into place. Despite the not-so-subtle signals that she wouldn’t be opposed to getting to know him better, he’d steer clear of Delaney Marks.
He drew in a heavy breath as a too-familiar weight settled in his chest. No cradle robbing for him.
Besides, what kind of woman would take to a man who’d as good as wished his wife dead?
“Let’s get Luke over here and see if he can figure this out.” Pastor Garrett McCrae gave the microwave’s buttons one last pointless push. Then, with an it-beats-me shake of his head, he stepped back. “There’s a trick to it and he’ll likely know it.”
Delaney looked up from where she was seated on the ceramic-tiled floor beside an open cardboard box, searching for another mug and a wider variety of teas.
“I hate to bother him.” While she didn’t mind seeing Luke again—only thirty minutes after they’d parted—she didn’t want her new landlord to think she’d be a problem tenant.
“No biggie.” Garrett pulled out his cell phone and punched in a speed dial number. “That’s why God created cousins. For bothering.”
“You and Luke are cousins?”
He nodded as he held the phone to his ear. “His dad is my mom’s brother.”
Delaney mentally logged that enlightening bit of information as she studied him, looking for a family resemblance. Maybe in the eyes, though Garrett’s were more gray than blue and accented with laugh lines. His hair was darker as well. Older than her but younger than Luke, Garrett and his cousin hadn’t come from the same mold.
When the call was picked up on the other end, Garrett immediately launched in. “Hey, cuz. I’m helping our summer youth volunteer get moved in to Charlie and Emma’s old place and— What? Yeah, right. You let that slip by you?” Garrett chuckled. “You’ll appreciate that she’ll be keeping teens with too much time on their hands out of trouble. Anyway, the microwave downstairs isn’t working.”
Delaney watched as Garrett paused to listen intently, then he gave her a thumbs-up before pocketing his phone. “He’s on his way.”
Anticipation mingled with apprehension. “I hope he doesn’t think I’m going to be a nuisance.”
Garrett shrugged. “Being pestered is good for him. Gets him out of his comfort zone.”
Having moved back to the main room to wait for Luke, the door standing open to admit the scent of sun-warmed pine, they again marveled at their providential good fortune. Only last Sunday evening Garrett had been in contact with her aunt’s pastor in Canyon Springs—who happened to know of Delaney’s availability for a summer position.
“I can hardly believe the perfect timing,” Delaney concluded. “With Aunt Jen’s health in question, I needed an excuse to stick relatively close by this summer.”
“Believe me, we’re more than happy to have you here.”
“I’m glad. And thanks for helping me carry in my stuff.”
Garrett glanced at the suitcase, sleeping bag and boxes by the door. “This isn’t everything you have, is it?”
“It’s all I could cram in my car to bring over this afternoon. The apartment in Sacramento was furnished, so I’ll be borrowing furniture from my aunt and friends in Canyon Springs. I do have a few more boxes, clothes and my bicycle.”
“I’m sure folks here at the church will be happy to loan you whatever else you may need. As I’d mentioned earlier, with our youth intern forced to pull out at the last minute, you’ll be considered an answered prayer.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” said the low, mellow voice of the pastor’s cousin, carrying from the open door. “Better plan on a few disgruntled looks when Delaney is introduced on Sunday rather than David.”
She turned to Luke with a laugh, trusting his comment was teasing, even though his tone didn’t reflect that. “I hope no one is too disappointed.”
He shrugged, unsmiling. “You never know.”
Okay, maybe he wasn’t teasing.
“Disappointed?” Garrett shot his cousin an aggravated look. “Not a chance.”
“I’m giving her fair warning.” Luke leaned a broad shoulder against the doorjamb and crossed his arms. “Last Sunday you were singing the praises of that college kid, claiming he’d be a big draw for the local teens with his background in biblical studies and enthusiasm for outdoor sports. You got the boys fired up that he was big into hiking and mountain biking.”
Luke cut an apologetic glance at Delaney as if to acknowledge it was no fault of hers that her only claim to fame was making jewelry. Then his eyes narrowed in speculation as he directed a pointed look at his cousin.
Garrett merely offered a serene smile. “God moves in mysterious ways.”
“Right.” Luke pushed away from the door. “Now let’s take a look at that microwave problem.”
He strode to the back of the building, Delaney almost scampering behind him, eager to explain why his afternoon had been interrupted.
“Pastor McCrae—I mean, Garrett—attempted to warm a mug of peppermint tea, but—”
“Peppermint tea?” With a glance in Garrett’s direction, Luke raised disbelieving brows.
The pastor only shrugged, his impish smile unapologetic.
“Anyway,” Delaney continued, wanting Luke to get the full story, “when he put the mug in the microwave and pressed the start button, nothing happened.”
“Zip,”