Love's Image by Debby Mayne Page B

head.”
     
    Judd left Shannon sitting on the couch with the remote pointed at the TV. As he rummaged through the cupboards, he once again found himself in prayer—something that was happening more often these days.
     
    Lord, I pray for wisdom as Shannon and I get to know each other. Guide us in our relationship and help us get closer to You
.
     
    “The tea bags are on the little shelf to the left of the stove,” Shannon called out. “Use the big mugs on the mug tree.”
     
    “Sure thing.”
     
    Judd made himself at home in Shannon’s kitchen. He was fascinated and amused by the way everything matched with a pig motif—from the small row of tea tins on the shelf beside the stove, to the mugs and wire rack they hung from.
     
    Once the tea had finished steeping, Judd carried both mugs into the living room, where Shannon sat with her legs curled beneath her. She accepted her tea with a smile as she patted the cushion next to her.
     
    “I’ll sit over here.” He chose the chair that was angled toward her position on the couch. “I can see you better.”
     
    He wasn’t about to sit next to her now. Every time he caught a whiff of her fresh, clean scent, he felt an overwhelming urge to wrap his arms around her and draw her closer.
     
    “Mm, this is good,” she said as she sipped the tea.
     
    “There really wasn’t much to it. Just heat the water and pour over the tea bag.”
     
    “Some men can’t even do that.”
     
    Judd opened his mouth to make one of his typical sarcastic comments about men who couldn’t boil water, but he caught himself. That might touch on something that would send her over the edge again.
     
    “Can you cook?” she asked with interest.
     
    “Oh, yeah,” he replied. “I heat up a mean can of soup.”
     
    Her smile brought a flash of sunshine into the room. “How about real food?”
     
    “A few things. Roast beef, baked chicken, meatloaf, chili, spaghetti. Usual stuff.”
     
    “I’m impressed.”
     
    “How about you?” he asked. “How are your culinary skills?”
     
    “Not good, I’m afraid. My mom always shooed me out of the kitchen. She told me I didn’t need to cook with my looks.”
     
    Surprisingly, she didn’t sound conceited when she said that. Her statement was very matter-of-fact rather than boastful.
     
    “So you’ve always wanted to be a model?”
     
    “My mom wanted that. I wasn’t sure what I wanted, so I figured I might as well go after her dream.”
     
    Her confession hit him hard. How many times had he heard about the expectations of parents forcing their children to do what they had no business doing? More than he could count, that’s for sure.
     
    “Did you like modeling?”
     
    “Some of it, but not all. A lot of people think it’s all glamour and fun.”
     
    “That’s what I would’ve thought.” Judd blew into his tea before taking another sip. “Is it really bad?”
     
    “No, not bad. Just constraining. I had to watch everything I put in my mouth. I couldn’t get sunburned when I went to the beach. Even tan lines could be a problem if I had to model clothes.”
     
    “Yeah, I can see where tan lines might be bad.”
     
    She took a sip of tea before adding, “Not to mention the big blemish that would pop up the day before a big shoot. It never failed.”
     
    “Oh, that had to be awful. I feel sorry for the makeup artist having to deal with that one.”
     
    Shannon’s warm smile let him know his teasing wasn’t painful for her. That was a huge relief. “How about you? Have you always wanted to be a teacher?”
     
    “No, not really. I never knew what I wanted, but I figured I like kids, and English is something I understand. It seemed like the most natural thing to get into.”
     
    A flash of pain shot through her expression. She glanced down into her mug as if all her thoughts centered in the hot, steamy liquid.
     
    “I’m sorry.”
     
    Her head quickly shot up, and she looked at him quizzically.