The Root of All Evil (Hope Street Church Mysteries Book 4) by Ellery Adams, Elizabeth Lockard Page A

hints at proposals or moving in together, and they still hadn’t moved ahead in the physical side of the relationship. What if Nathan didn’t find her attractive or desirable anymore?
    Cooper sighed, set the hose aside and wandered to the garage, where she’d left her birdhouse materials. If she could really concentrate on building something, maybe she could get her mind off of Nathan.
    “Okay,” Cooper said aloud. “Let’s get this birdhouse built.”

4
     
     
    Cooper woke up twenty minutes earlier than she needed to on Sunday morning, just to make sure she got to Bible study on time. She’d slept hard after working on the birdhouse all afternoon the day before, and now she felt relaxed and rejuvenated. As long as she kept her thoughts away from her relationship woes, she felt happy, too.
    She was the first to arrive at church—the first of the Sunrise Bible Study Group, at least—so she set up the coffeemaker and the disposable cups and snack plates from the storage closet and put chairs around in a circle. By the time Savannah arrived, with Jake at her side, the busywork was done and Cooper was sitting quietly, reading her Bible.
    “Well, well, look who’s an early bird today!” Jake jested, helping Savannah to find her chair. He gently held her hand as she sat and then squeezed her shoulder. Savannah’s white cane was tucked up under her arm in disuse. Cooper wondered if she needed it very often anymore or if Jake had taken its place.
    “I didn’t want a repeat of last week,” Cooper replied. “I got up early.”
    Jake set a bakery box and a bag of coffee on the table beside the coffeemaker. “You went and did all my chores! I guess I’ll be forced to sit and relax for a few before the crowd shows up.” He went back to his seat and slumped down. It might have been a believable fit were it not for the smile on his face.
    “Poor dear,” Savannah said, playing along and gently touching Jake’s face with her fingertips. “You’ll have to keep me company.”
    Jake took the hand and kissed it, right on a paint stain. “My pleasure.”
    Cooper turned away, slightly embarrassed, feeling as if she were intruding on a private moment. Jake and Savannah weren’t much for public displays of affection: he held her elbow to help her around, but that was the extent of it. In fact, Cooper had begun to wonder if they were actually dating or if they were just friends enjoying some harmless flirtation.
    Now she felt she had her answer. They were serious, but they were private.
    Realizing that her continued averted gaze was awkward, Cooper rose and went to the table to see what Jake had brought. He was no cook, and he wasn’t ashamed to admit it. He usually brought something from the bakery or, if he was in a hurry, the gas station display case. Cooper opened the bakery box to find an assortment of donuts—glazed, powdered-sugar-coated, maple, chocolate and jelly—all cut in half and ready to share. They were still warm, the sweet smell wafting out of the open box and directly to Cooper’s nose. She drew in a deep breath.
    “That’s a nice way to wake up,” she mumbled. Jake had also brought chocolate Kona coffee, and Cooper spooned it into the coffeemaker and started the brewing process. While she waited, she snuck a jelly donut half.
    “Do I smell powdered donuts over there?” Savannah asked.
    Cooper looked over her shoulder and smiled at the two of them, a glob of jelly at the corner of her mouth, her lips covered in white powdered sugar.
    Jake slapped his knee and laughed. “Coop, you may want a napkin to go with that jelly donut. Would you like a powdered one, Savannah?”
    “Please! And coffee, if you wouldn’t mind.”
    “Wouldn’t mind at all, pretty lady.”
    Cooper returned to her seat with a cup of coffee and a napkin, and as she finished her snack, more Bible study members arrived, first Quinton, then Trish—on the arm of her husband, Phillip, who hurried off to an elder meeting. Bryant