says.”
He drew in a deep breath. “I’m warning you, Vanessa …”
“What are you going to do? Tell the teacher on me?” she taunted.
Lorna cleared her throat a couple of times, and both Evan and Vanessa turned to look at her. “We’re all adults here, and if getting the lead part means so much to you, I’ll speak to the professor about it, Vanessa.”
“I’ll fight my own battles, thank you very much!” Vanessa squared her shoulders. “Unlike some people in this class, I don’t need a mother to fix my boo-boos.” She turned on her heels and marched out of the room.
Evan let out a low whistle. “What was that all about?”
Lorna shook her head slowly. “You don’t know?”
He shrugged. “Not really. She said she wanted the solo part, you offered to give it to her, and she’s still mad. Makes no sense to me.” He snickered. “But then, I never was much good at understanding women. Even if I did grow up with two sisters.”
Lorna pinched the bridge of her nose. How could the man be so blind? “Vanessa is jealous.”
“I know. She wants your part,” Evan said, dropping to the bench beside Lorna. “She can’t stand the fact that someone has a better singing voice than she does.”
“I think the real reason Vanessa’s jealous is because she thinks you like me, and she’s attracted to you.”
Evan looked at Lorna as though she’d lost her mind. “I’ve done nothing to make Vanessa think she and I might—”
“That doesn’t matter. You make people laugh, and your manner is often flirtatious.”
Evan rubbed his chin and frowned. “What can I say? I’m a friendly guy, but that doesn’t mean I’m after every woman I meet.”
Lorna reached for a piece of music. “Tell that to Vanessa Brown.”
CHAPTER 8
E van moved away from the piano, wishing there were something he could say or do to make Lorna feel more comfortable about the part she’d gotten. The scene with Vanessa had been unreal, but the fact that Lorna was willing to give up the solo part she’d been offered was one more proof that she lived her Christianity and would make a good wife for some lucky man. It just probably wasn’t him.
He took a seat in the chair he’d been assigned and studied Lorna. She was thumbing through a stack of music, her forehead wrinkled and her face looking pinched. Was she still thinking about the encounter with Vanessa, frustrated with Evan, or merely trying to concentrate on getting ready for their first choir number?
Not only was Lorna a beautiful, talented musician, but she had a sensitivity that drew Evan to her like a powerful magnet. Anyone willing to give up a favored part and not get riled when Vanessa attacked her with a vengeance made a hit with Evan. Lorna had done the Christian thing, even if Vanessa hadn’t. Now if he could only convince her to give their relationship a chance. Maybe their Saturday night date would turn the tide.
Lorna had just slipped on her Farmen’s apron when Chris came up behind her. “How was school today?”
“Don’t ask.”
“That bad, huh?”
“Afraid so.”
“You’ve been back in college for a couple of weeks. I thought you’d be getting used to the routine by now.”
Lorna grabbed an order pad from the back of the counter and stuffed it in her apron pocket. “The routine’s not the problem.”
Chris’s forehead wrinkled. “What is, then?” Lorna rubbed the back of her neck, trying to get the kinks out. “Never mind. It’s probably not worth mentioning.”
“It doesn’t have anything to do with Evan Bailey, does it?”
“No! Yes. Well, partially.”
Chris glanced at the clock on the wall above the serving counter. “We’ve still got a few minutes until our shift starts. Let’s go to the ladies’ room, and you can tell me about it.”
Lorna shook her head. “What’s the point? Talking won’t change anything.”
Chris grabbed her arm and gave it a gentle tug. “Come on, friend. I know you’ll feel better once
He drew in a deep breath. “I’m warning you, Vanessa …”
“What are you going to do? Tell the teacher on me?” she taunted.
Lorna cleared her throat a couple of times, and both Evan and Vanessa turned to look at her. “We’re all adults here, and if getting the lead part means so much to you, I’ll speak to the professor about it, Vanessa.”
“I’ll fight my own battles, thank you very much!” Vanessa squared her shoulders. “Unlike some people in this class, I don’t need a mother to fix my boo-boos.” She turned on her heels and marched out of the room.
Evan let out a low whistle. “What was that all about?”
Lorna shook her head slowly. “You don’t know?”
He shrugged. “Not really. She said she wanted the solo part, you offered to give it to her, and she’s still mad. Makes no sense to me.” He snickered. “But then, I never was much good at understanding women. Even if I did grow up with two sisters.”
Lorna pinched the bridge of her nose. How could the man be so blind? “Vanessa is jealous.”
“I know. She wants your part,” Evan said, dropping to the bench beside Lorna. “She can’t stand the fact that someone has a better singing voice than she does.”
“I think the real reason Vanessa’s jealous is because she thinks you like me, and she’s attracted to you.”
Evan looked at Lorna as though she’d lost her mind. “I’ve done nothing to make Vanessa think she and I might—”
“That doesn’t matter. You make people laugh, and your manner is often flirtatious.”
Evan rubbed his chin and frowned. “What can I say? I’m a friendly guy, but that doesn’t mean I’m after every woman I meet.”
Lorna reached for a piece of music. “Tell that to Vanessa Brown.”
CHAPTER 8
E van moved away from the piano, wishing there were something he could say or do to make Lorna feel more comfortable about the part she’d gotten. The scene with Vanessa had been unreal, but the fact that Lorna was willing to give up the solo part she’d been offered was one more proof that she lived her Christianity and would make a good wife for some lucky man. It just probably wasn’t him.
He took a seat in the chair he’d been assigned and studied Lorna. She was thumbing through a stack of music, her forehead wrinkled and her face looking pinched. Was she still thinking about the encounter with Vanessa, frustrated with Evan, or merely trying to concentrate on getting ready for their first choir number?
Not only was Lorna a beautiful, talented musician, but she had a sensitivity that drew Evan to her like a powerful magnet. Anyone willing to give up a favored part and not get riled when Vanessa attacked her with a vengeance made a hit with Evan. Lorna had done the Christian thing, even if Vanessa hadn’t. Now if he could only convince her to give their relationship a chance. Maybe their Saturday night date would turn the tide.
Lorna had just slipped on her Farmen’s apron when Chris came up behind her. “How was school today?”
“Don’t ask.”
“That bad, huh?”
“Afraid so.”
“You’ve been back in college for a couple of weeks. I thought you’d be getting used to the routine by now.”
Lorna grabbed an order pad from the back of the counter and stuffed it in her apron pocket. “The routine’s not the problem.”
Chris’s forehead wrinkled. “What is, then?” Lorna rubbed the back of her neck, trying to get the kinks out. “Never mind. It’s probably not worth mentioning.”
“It doesn’t have anything to do with Evan Bailey, does it?”
“No! Yes. Well, partially.”
Chris glanced at the clock on the wall above the serving counter. “We’ve still got a few minutes until our shift starts. Let’s go to the ladies’ room, and you can tell me about it.”
Lorna shook her head. “What’s the point? Talking won’t change anything.”
Chris grabbed her arm and gave it a gentle tug. “Come on, friend. I know you’ll feel better once
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