to see. He didn’t believe her, and she didn’t know how to convince him otherwise. She didn’t know why it was so important to her that he believe her. But it was important, heartstoppingly important, that she make him believe.
“Luke, I realize it isn’t easy for you,” she began in an earnest tone. “I know it can’t be. But try to understand that it’s not easy for us either. You’ve got to give us a little time—”
“I’ve done my time,” he cut in, his voice clipped.
She drew in a sharp breath. Luke saw the hurt cross her features and hated himself for it. Then he saw the pity that immediately followed and hated her for that.
Chairs scraped back, grating against the silence between them. One by one, the other diners ambled away, leaving only the echoes of their chatter. Roxie watched Willie hover by the door, willing him not to go, but he stayed only long enough to enjoy a seductive swish of Vicky Sue’s departing skirt. Then she and Luke were alone.
Roxie counted each frantic beat of her heart, trying to find something to say amid the tumbling of embarrassment and compassion she felt. At length, she forced herself to look at him. His austere expression didn’t invite apologies or commiserations. But she had to say something. She couldn’t go on sitting there like a lump of lead.
After an eternal moment she jerked to her feet. “I guess I should get back to work.”
“Wait,” he said, which was the same thing she’d said to him the day he’d applied for work.
She hesitated.
Luke glanced around the empty room, finally bringing his gaze to rest on her face. He had no idea what to say. He just knew he couldn’t let her walk out on such a negative note.
“Yes?” she prompted.
Rising, he stood next to her.
Roxie tipped her head back to look up at him. His black hair glowed with a clean sheen while the scar on his cheek shone whitely against his tanned skin. She saw his pulse beating furiously against his temple and felt an urge to soothe it with her fingertips. She took a step away from him, away from his magnetic force, before she did something she would live to regret.
Luke read rejection in her hasty movement. Nothing in his life had ever seemed as important as regaining her acceptance, and he spoke with quiet urgency. “I’m sorry. After so much time waiting, I guess I’ve gotten impatient. I know acceptance won’t come easily, from them or from me.”
“From you?”
“It’s not easy for me to accept being an ex-con,” he admitted. Before she could give way to another burst of pity, he crooked his lips in that uneven smile and said, “Anyway, I never did thank you yesterday for the job.”
Like sunshine spilling from behind clouds, her smile suddenly brightened the room. “Oh, you needn’t thank me for that.”
“I want to. I want you to know I appreciate what you’ve done for me.”
“I haven’t done anything. It’s what you’ll do that matters.”
“But you’ve given me the chance.”
Happiness gripped her, squeezing her until it was almost painful. It crushed the breath from her, and Roxie didn’t have enough left to speak another word. It was just as well. She wouldn’t have known what to say anyway. Giving him another smile, she again turned to leave.
“And Miss Mitchell,” he said, halting her.
She looked over her shoulder. Her heart nearly stopped. His eyes were flashing like quicksilver.
“I won’t let you down,” he promised.
She left the lunchroom feeling as if she were walking on air.
Chapter 4
The irate clothing store owner called a week later. As was usual in the case of missing shipments, Roxie referred the caller to Gary. As was not usual, she followed it up the next morning with a personal visit to his office. When she didn’t find him there, she went in search of him through the labyrinth of the warehouse.
Though her view was partially blocked by stacks of new boxed merchandise waiting to be sorted into the various
“Luke, I realize it isn’t easy for you,” she began in an earnest tone. “I know it can’t be. But try to understand that it’s not easy for us either. You’ve got to give us a little time—”
“I’ve done my time,” he cut in, his voice clipped.
She drew in a sharp breath. Luke saw the hurt cross her features and hated himself for it. Then he saw the pity that immediately followed and hated her for that.
Chairs scraped back, grating against the silence between them. One by one, the other diners ambled away, leaving only the echoes of their chatter. Roxie watched Willie hover by the door, willing him not to go, but he stayed only long enough to enjoy a seductive swish of Vicky Sue’s departing skirt. Then she and Luke were alone.
Roxie counted each frantic beat of her heart, trying to find something to say amid the tumbling of embarrassment and compassion she felt. At length, she forced herself to look at him. His austere expression didn’t invite apologies or commiserations. But she had to say something. She couldn’t go on sitting there like a lump of lead.
After an eternal moment she jerked to her feet. “I guess I should get back to work.”
“Wait,” he said, which was the same thing she’d said to him the day he’d applied for work.
She hesitated.
Luke glanced around the empty room, finally bringing his gaze to rest on her face. He had no idea what to say. He just knew he couldn’t let her walk out on such a negative note.
“Yes?” she prompted.
Rising, he stood next to her.
Roxie tipped her head back to look up at him. His black hair glowed with a clean sheen while the scar on his cheek shone whitely against his tanned skin. She saw his pulse beating furiously against his temple and felt an urge to soothe it with her fingertips. She took a step away from him, away from his magnetic force, before she did something she would live to regret.
Luke read rejection in her hasty movement. Nothing in his life had ever seemed as important as regaining her acceptance, and he spoke with quiet urgency. “I’m sorry. After so much time waiting, I guess I’ve gotten impatient. I know acceptance won’t come easily, from them or from me.”
“From you?”
“It’s not easy for me to accept being an ex-con,” he admitted. Before she could give way to another burst of pity, he crooked his lips in that uneven smile and said, “Anyway, I never did thank you yesterday for the job.”
Like sunshine spilling from behind clouds, her smile suddenly brightened the room. “Oh, you needn’t thank me for that.”
“I want to. I want you to know I appreciate what you’ve done for me.”
“I haven’t done anything. It’s what you’ll do that matters.”
“But you’ve given me the chance.”
Happiness gripped her, squeezing her until it was almost painful. It crushed the breath from her, and Roxie didn’t have enough left to speak another word. It was just as well. She wouldn’t have known what to say anyway. Giving him another smile, she again turned to leave.
“And Miss Mitchell,” he said, halting her.
She looked over her shoulder. Her heart nearly stopped. His eyes were flashing like quicksilver.
“I won’t let you down,” he promised.
She left the lunchroom feeling as if she were walking on air.
Chapter 4
The irate clothing store owner called a week later. As was usual in the case of missing shipments, Roxie referred the caller to Gary. As was not usual, she followed it up the next morning with a personal visit to his office. When she didn’t find him there, she went in search of him through the labyrinth of the warehouse.
Though her view was partially blocked by stacks of new boxed merchandise waiting to be sorted into the various
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