The Promise of Rainbows Read Online Free PDF Page B

to manic. His fingers tightened around her wrist, and she leaned into him, and the first notes of something floral drifted to him. Man, she smelled good, woman good. And he wanted to get closer to all that goodness…
    His other hand reached for her waist, but when he brushed the hourglass sides of her body, his brain kicked in. What are you doing?
    He dropped her hand and stepped back, wishing he could take a deep drag of air into his lungs without being conspicuous. But he couldn’t. So he suffered through a tight chest and limited oxygen as she took a few steps back. Her eyes refused to meet his, but he told himself it was probably for the best.
    “I should go,” she said finally, depositing the damp towel on the counter. “I’ll have some ideas for you soon. Given…the size of the job, it might be a week. Then we can talk about scheduling a time to look at some furniture.”
    “I didn’t get you that sweet tea,” he said, not knowing how to make things right between them.
    Neither one of them could ignore what had just happened. Then again, neither one of them could really talk about it either.
    “It’s all right,” she said, stripping out of his jacket so quickly it might have been on fire. “I’ll be in touch.”
    “Let me walk you to the door.”
    He set the denim jacket down on the counter and followed her long strides. She was halfway to the door when he caught up to her. Who could blame her for making a speedy exit? He slowed to a walk a few steps behind her and tried not to admire the curves of her waist.
    When he opened the door for her, she stopped at the threshold. “You don’t have to walk me out.”
    “I want to,” he replied, locking his jaw at the change in her voice.
    She was so professional and cold now, but he knew it was his doing. “Susannah. If you don’t feel like we should work together on my house, it’s okay. I realize…” What the heck was he supposed to say? That they were attracted to each other? That he was too much of a mess to ask her out?
    “It’s okay,” she said, fiddling with the purse and satchel she’d retrieved on her way out. “We’ll manage.”
    He didn’t want to manage. He wanted to tell her why things were the way they were. Why they had to be. But he couldn’t force the words out.
    “Can I still go to church with you?” he asked.
    Her rigidity dissolved like water poured out from a canteen in the desert. “Of course. You’re always welcome.”
    “Should I meet you…” Did they call it the vestibule? He was fresh out of church words.
    She worried her lip. “Why don’t you simply find us inside the church? We sit in the front if one of our family members arrives early enough to save us all seats. If we meet…people might think…”
    There was no need to finish the rest of the sentence. He knew what people would think if they showed up together. This way it could look like he was joining his friends. Friends like J.P.
    “I don’t have to sit with y’all. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or cause unwanted speculation.”
    This time she did lay a hand on his arm, but only for a moment. Her touch shot up his arm with as much power as a rifle’s kickback.
    “My family would be happy to have you sit with us.”
    Walking back into church would take some courage, and if he couldn’t sit with someone he knew, he might chicken out. Since it was only Wednesday, he still might. “Wonderful,” he replied, forcing false enthusiasm into his voice. “Which service do you attend?”
    “The ten o’clock. It’s Grace Fellowship. On Country Lane Road.”
    “I know it.” He nodded, fighting the urge to shift on his feet. Nerves. The kind he’d locked down each time he took the Humvee out for patrol. Or performed for a sold-out arena.
    “We’ll see you then,” she said, playing with her purse strap.
    “Thanks, Susannah,” he said as she started to walk away.
    Turning, she gave him a smile that brought out the dimples in her cheeks.