Child of Grace (Love Inspired) Read Online Free PDF

her.
    She looked down. A pile of crumbs was all that was left of the scone she’d pulverized.
    Warmth rose to her cheeks, and she clasped her hands in her lap. It was silly to deny the obvious. But neither was she about to explain her reaction to this stranger.
    When the silence between them lengthened, Luke rested his elbows on the table, steepled his fingers and frowned. “Have we ever met before that day on the beach, Ms. Anderson?”
    “No.”
    “Then I must have done something to offend—or alarm—you during our short acquaintance.”
    “No. You haven’t.” She took a deep breath. “This isn’t a personal issue, Captain—Doctor—which do you prefer?”
    “I prefer Luke.” He pinned her with an intent gaze and let a few beats of silence tick by. “Let me be honest. This youth center is too important to fall victim to a personality…quirk—for want of a better term. We need someone with your skills to help us build public awareness, but if you don’t think we can work together, tell me now and I’ll ask the board to suggest someone else.”
    Taken aback by his candor, Kelsey lifted her cup with shaky fingers and took a sip of tea. “You don’t mince words, do you?”
    “There’s no time for indecision on the battlefield, Ms. Anderson. Nor do I have time to waste during my stay here. There’s a lot to be done in six weeks.”
    Kelsey heard the foundation of steel under what sounded like a very faint Southern drawl. Luke Turner, it seemed, was a cut-to-the-chase kind of man, with little patience for indecisiveness.
    “It must be nice to always be so certain about decisions.”
    She hadn’t meant to speak that thought. Especially in a tone that was both wistful and reproachful. And the man across from her seemed as surprised by it as she was.
    “I’m not certain how to interpret that.” A defensive note crept into his voice.
    “Here you go. A nice pot of tea and some more scones.” Dorothy pushed through the door from the kitchen and hurried over with a laden tray. Luke rose and took it from her while she transferred the items to the table. “Thank you, young man. Such nice manners. A true Southern gentleman. That is a Southern accent I detect, isn’t it?”
    He smiled at her. “You have a good ear. I’ve been gone a long time, but I was born and raised in Atlanta.”
    “A fine city. Well, you two go right ahead with your chat. I’ll be busy in the kitchen until my guests start arriving at eleven, but you just call out if you need anything and I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
    The latter remark was directed to Kelsey, and she sent the older woman a quick smile of thanks.
    When the door swung shut behind Dorothy, Kelsey turned her attention to the army doctor. Picking up the teapot, she filled his cup. “For the record, I never let personal feelings get in the way of a job. Now, in the interest of not wasting your time, why don’t you tell me a little about the project so I can see if it’s a good fit with my skills? Reverend Howard didn’t give me many details. All he said was that you became friends with a medical corpsman from this area, and after he was killed you decided to spearhead an effort to build a youth center here in his honor, as part of the Interdenominational Youth Fellowship program.”
    “That about sums it up.”
    Kelsey set the teapot back on the table. Her pastor had also told her Luke Turner was passionate about the project. But she was picking up more caution than passion.
    Her fault, no doubt. She’d treated him with nothing but suspicion and animosity in their few encounters. Yet from everything she’d heard and seen, he appeared to be a principled, compassionate…safe man. What could she have to fear from a former army doctor who was backed by a board of clergymen?
    She forced herself to meet his eyes. “Captain Turner, I—”
    “Luke.”
    “Luke.” She moistened her lips. “The truth is, I’m a bit battle-scarred myself. And overly wary. I apologize if