insist. You have to eat something. You can’t skip a meal when you’re working so hard. Besides,” she added in all honesty, “you’d be doing me a favor. Really. I hate pimiento cheese. It was a mistake. I picked up the wrong sandwich. Here. Now I can get a ham sandwich. And would you like another coffee?”
He was left holding the pimiento cheese sandwich. She’d jumped up and darted back to the icebox before he could even blink. He knew she was just being kind, sharing with him this way, but such kindness was foreign to him. It had been so long since anyone had cared whether he missed a meal or not, and he didn’t quite know how to accept it now.
She returned, handed him another cup of coffee and grinned triumphantly. “I got the last ham sandwich. You don’t know how grateful I am to you. I absolutely detest pimiento cheese.” She started to sit, but halted in mid-motion. She stared at the uneaten sandwich he still held and her grin vanished. She cast him a look so stricken, it was comical. “Don’t you like pimiento cheese, either?”
Even if he hadn’t, even if eating it would have caused him to break out in boils, Luke would have denied it. As it was, he refuted this with complete truth. “Pimiento cheese is fine.”
“Are you sure?” she demanded.
“I’m sure. In fact, it’s one of my favorites.” He stretched the truth just a little with that last as she continued standing there, a mulish expression he was beginning to recognize coming over her pretty face. Any minute now she’d probably whirl and march to the icebox to get him another sandwich, one more to his liking. Slowly, starting at the corners and gradually working inward, his mouth tilted into a smile. “Now stop gawking and sit down. A man can’t eat when he’s being stared at.”
That crooked curve of his lips dazzled Roxie. It transformed him completely. Years washed away, distrust dissolved, severity vanished. She managed to plop down as he took a huge bite of the sandwich. They ate in silence, both aware they were being keenly observed. Subdued bits of conversation drifted over them, and Roxie struggled to find something to say. But she couldn’t tell him how breathtaking she found his smile. She couldn’t tell him how much better, how much younger and more fit he looked in the jeans and blue work shirt instead of that horrid old suit. As she wiped the last crumbs from her lips, she decided work was the most appropriate topic.
“So, do you think you’ll like the work here?”
“I’d like working anywhere the air smelled free,” he said.
She tossed a startled look his way. She wanted to say something deep and meaningful, something to let him know how much she was touched by him. All she managed was another inane, “Good,” which sounded so hollow and stupid to her ears, she decided she would do best to excuse herself and leave. She started to rise but happened to glimpse Willie’s face. He glared at Luke with unmistakable hostility.
Annoyed, Roxie turned a bright smile to Luke. “I’m certain you’ll like it even more once you’ve gotten used to the routine. And, of course, once everyone’s gotten used to you.”
His long lashes lowered. He studied her from beneath them. For no logical reason her heart gave a little bump.
“You mean once they’ve gotten used to an ex-con?” he asked on a drawl that held a tinge of menace. Or perhaps it was a twinge of pain.
Her brows drew together. She searched his expression, trying to decipher what, exactly, his tone had conveyed. His eyes were carefully void, his mouth an indefinable line, his cheekbones angularly set. She would not discover the answer that way. He was closed to her.
“Yes, I suppose in a way I do mean that,” she said slowly. His jaw tightened and her heart twisted. “But what I really mean is once they’ve realized you’re more than that. Once they’ve gotten to know you as a person, things will even out.”
His distrust was plain for her
He was left holding the pimiento cheese sandwich. She’d jumped up and darted back to the icebox before he could even blink. He knew she was just being kind, sharing with him this way, but such kindness was foreign to him. It had been so long since anyone had cared whether he missed a meal or not, and he didn’t quite know how to accept it now.
She returned, handed him another cup of coffee and grinned triumphantly. “I got the last ham sandwich. You don’t know how grateful I am to you. I absolutely detest pimiento cheese.” She started to sit, but halted in mid-motion. She stared at the uneaten sandwich he still held and her grin vanished. She cast him a look so stricken, it was comical. “Don’t you like pimiento cheese, either?”
Even if he hadn’t, even if eating it would have caused him to break out in boils, Luke would have denied it. As it was, he refuted this with complete truth. “Pimiento cheese is fine.”
“Are you sure?” she demanded.
“I’m sure. In fact, it’s one of my favorites.” He stretched the truth just a little with that last as she continued standing there, a mulish expression he was beginning to recognize coming over her pretty face. Any minute now she’d probably whirl and march to the icebox to get him another sandwich, one more to his liking. Slowly, starting at the corners and gradually working inward, his mouth tilted into a smile. “Now stop gawking and sit down. A man can’t eat when he’s being stared at.”
That crooked curve of his lips dazzled Roxie. It transformed him completely. Years washed away, distrust dissolved, severity vanished. She managed to plop down as he took a huge bite of the sandwich. They ate in silence, both aware they were being keenly observed. Subdued bits of conversation drifted over them, and Roxie struggled to find something to say. But she couldn’t tell him how breathtaking she found his smile. She couldn’t tell him how much better, how much younger and more fit he looked in the jeans and blue work shirt instead of that horrid old suit. As she wiped the last crumbs from her lips, she decided work was the most appropriate topic.
“So, do you think you’ll like the work here?”
“I’d like working anywhere the air smelled free,” he said.
She tossed a startled look his way. She wanted to say something deep and meaningful, something to let him know how much she was touched by him. All she managed was another inane, “Good,” which sounded so hollow and stupid to her ears, she decided she would do best to excuse herself and leave. She started to rise but happened to glimpse Willie’s face. He glared at Luke with unmistakable hostility.
Annoyed, Roxie turned a bright smile to Luke. “I’m certain you’ll like it even more once you’ve gotten used to the routine. And, of course, once everyone’s gotten used to you.”
His long lashes lowered. He studied her from beneath them. For no logical reason her heart gave a little bump.
“You mean once they’ve gotten used to an ex-con?” he asked on a drawl that held a tinge of menace. Or perhaps it was a twinge of pain.
Her brows drew together. She searched his expression, trying to decipher what, exactly, his tone had conveyed. His eyes were carefully void, his mouth an indefinable line, his cheekbones angularly set. She would not discover the answer that way. He was closed to her.
“Yes, I suppose in a way I do mean that,” she said slowly. His jaw tightened and her heart twisted. “But what I really mean is once they’ve realized you’re more than that. Once they’ve gotten to know you as a person, things will even out.”
His distrust was plain for her
Similar Books
