His Healing Touch by Loree Lough

supplication.
    “I need to know everything I can about him, and if you can shed some light…” She extended her hands, palms up, beseechingly.
    Her voice was trembling, and that made no sense at all. Especially when Adam reminded himself that Kasey thought Buddy was her own personal God-sent “miracle.”
    “I’d really appreciate it, Adam.”
    “But why?”
    She lifted her chin a notch, squared her shoulders and straightened her back. “Because,” she said in that matter-of-fact way of hers, “Buddy has asked me to marry him.”

Chapter Three
    K asey pretended to be so engrossed in pulling up her too-big socks that she hadn’t seen Adam, bobbing his head right to left, working out the tension in his neck. She’d struck a nerve of some sort, mentioning Buddy’s name, struck another by admitting he’d proposed to her. She began searching her mind for an appropriate question, one that would explain why.
    “I’m whipped,” he said, getting to his feet. He stretched, gave an exaggerated yawn, then headed for his room. “Back in a flash,” he added over his shoulder.
    Adam was carrying a pillow and a blanket when he reappeared a moment later. “I’ll bet you’re even more anxious to start countin’ sheep than I am. Good thing I put fresh sheets on the bed this morning, eh?”
    Her head was still swimming from the abrupt change of subject. “Adam, I’m not taking your bed.”
    “You’re not taking it, I’m giving it to you.”
    “But you’ve done so much already. I can’t let you—”
    “Trust me, schweetheart,” he said in a barely recognizable Bogie imitation, “nobody lets me do anything.” Hedropped the bedding on the coffee table, as if to underscore his statement.
    Kasey put her hands on her hips, to underscore her determination.
    Eyes locked to hers, he said, “Okay, but I think it’s gonna be pretty uncomfortable out here, both of us trying to share this lumpy ole couch.”
    She glanced at the huge, overstuffed sectional. If need be, two adults and maybe a couple of toddlers could spend a comfortable night here…provided, Kasey thought, looking at Adam, one of them wasn’t built like a Baltimore Ravens linebacker.
    “I’ve sawed logs out here plenty of times,” he said. “Believe me, I’ll be fine.”
    But why would he put himself through a long, torturous night, when he had every right to the big brass bed, visible from the living room?
    She already knew why.
    Smiling, Kasey recalled that several times since her arrival—as he rushed around to find her something to wear, as he grilled her a cheese sandwich—she’d thought what a nice man Adam was. It had taken only a few minutes of his hospitality to blot out her fears that he might be a murdering maniac. She’d prayed for a warm, dry place filled with warmhearted inhabitants. True to form, God had provided…not “people,” but certainly someone big enough—and big-hearted enough—to be two people! Silently, she thanked Him.
    Adam’s quiet baritone broke into her thoughts.
    “Would you be more comfortable if I tried to scare up something more, uh, more jammie-like for you to sleep in?”
    His fumbling, awkward suggestion added yet another item to her quickly growing Reasons to Like Adam list.Kasey patted her thigh. “You’re sweet to offer, but the sweatsuit is terrific.”
    She stood and faced him. “I’d like to sleep right here.” Being able to read people’s faces could sometimes make or break a sale. It appeared she hadn’t yet managed to convince Adam she was serious. “Look at it this way—how many chances does a city girl get to fall asleep in front of a roaring fire?”
    He lifted his chin, telling her he still planned to spend the night on the couch. Well, she had “stubborn” down pat herself. “I hate to be a pushy guest, but I insist.”
    Adam regarded her for a moment before saying, “Okay, but I think it’s only fair to warn you, I set a trap a couple of hours before you showed up.”
    A