resist temptation was to run in the opposite direction.
Too bad for her that when the pastor released them, Tommy took her hand. “I want a doughnut, Auntie. You promised if I was good, you’d get me one with sprinkles. Wasn’t I good?”
Since Amy’s arrival in Catcher Creek, Tommy had clung to her like she might vanish into thin air should his attention waver from her. She turned, prepared to send Kellan packing with a searing glare, but he was nowhere to be seen. Relieved, she squeezed Tommy’s hand. “You were a perfect angel. Let’s get you a doughnut.”
She ushered Tommy through the double doors to the courtyard and saw Kellan talking with a girl a year or so older than Tommy. He bent over the refreshment table, giving Amy a full view of the same perfect ass that got her in trouble the morning before. She tried to shift her gears into reverse, but Tommy urged her on.
“I want the pink one, right there, Uncle Kellan,” the little girl said.
“Then that’s the one you shall have. And lucky you, because it looks like this is the last one with sprinkles.”
“Oh, no, Daisy,” Tommy wailed, stomping to the table and throwing his arms up. “That was for me.”
The little girl looked at the doughnut in her hand, then at Tommy. “We could share.”
“What a great idea, Daisy. That’s a nice thing to do.” Kellan patted the top of her head, then split the doughnut for the two kids.
Amy’s nipples hardened. Good grief. Who in their right mind got so turned on by a man breaking a doughnut in half that she wanted to grab him by the tie and kiss him senseless? That’s right—Amy Sorentino, the easiest lay in Quay County.
Once he got the kids settled, Kellan straightened to his full height and regarded Amy from beneath the low brim of his Stetson. Amy grabbed a glazed old-fashioned and shoved it in her mouth before she smashed her own record time for rule breaking.
“Did you enjoy the service, Amy?”
“Yup,” she said with her mouth full.
“I did, too, except for one point. It’s my opinion that the tricky part about temptation, what Pastor Schueller was remiss in mentioning, is recognizing the difference between good temptation and bad.” He raised a hand and she angled her face toward his approaching fingers, anticipating his touch. Instead, he flicked at her cheek. “Errant sprinkle.”
“Thanks.” She swallowed and licked at the corners of her lips. “I disagree. I think most people know bad when they see it.” And thank you, Kellan, for bringing her mind around to the sermon. With the pastor’s words in her head, she was confident she’d be able to keep her desires in check. In fact, she was ready to meet her temptation head-on. “Are you going to ask me to dinner now?”
His eyes shifted, taking in the noisy courtyard full of parishioners. “Not yet.”
She opened her mouth, ready to give the obstinate man her answer anyway.
“Aunt Amy? I need a napkin.” She smiled at Tommy, whose face had gone pink with frosting and sprinkles. “You need more than a napkin, buddy. I’ll take you to the restroom and wash you up.” Without looking in Kellan’s direction, she grabbed Tommy’s hand and hustled off.
Jenna ran into them in the vestibule.
“Here, take Tommy. You can pick me up at the supermarket when you’re done.”
“What?” Jenna called after her.
“I have groceries to buy. See you there.”
She tore across the sanctuary, ducked through the door behind the organ, and skidded into a dusty side room with an exit she remembered from Tommy’s baptism four years earlier. Bursting out onto a narrow breezeway between the sanctuary and the administrative offices, she chanced a look over her shoulder as she jogged. The coast was clear. She was running like a yellow-bellied coward, but at least there weren’t witnesses.
Kellan’s imposing form materialized at the end of the breezeway, blocking her progress. He folded his arms over his chest and propped his shoulder
Too bad for her that when the pastor released them, Tommy took her hand. “I want a doughnut, Auntie. You promised if I was good, you’d get me one with sprinkles. Wasn’t I good?”
Since Amy’s arrival in Catcher Creek, Tommy had clung to her like she might vanish into thin air should his attention waver from her. She turned, prepared to send Kellan packing with a searing glare, but he was nowhere to be seen. Relieved, she squeezed Tommy’s hand. “You were a perfect angel. Let’s get you a doughnut.”
She ushered Tommy through the double doors to the courtyard and saw Kellan talking with a girl a year or so older than Tommy. He bent over the refreshment table, giving Amy a full view of the same perfect ass that got her in trouble the morning before. She tried to shift her gears into reverse, but Tommy urged her on.
“I want the pink one, right there, Uncle Kellan,” the little girl said.
“Then that’s the one you shall have. And lucky you, because it looks like this is the last one with sprinkles.”
“Oh, no, Daisy,” Tommy wailed, stomping to the table and throwing his arms up. “That was for me.”
The little girl looked at the doughnut in her hand, then at Tommy. “We could share.”
“What a great idea, Daisy. That’s a nice thing to do.” Kellan patted the top of her head, then split the doughnut for the two kids.
Amy’s nipples hardened. Good grief. Who in their right mind got so turned on by a man breaking a doughnut in half that she wanted to grab him by the tie and kiss him senseless? That’s right—Amy Sorentino, the easiest lay in Quay County.
Once he got the kids settled, Kellan straightened to his full height and regarded Amy from beneath the low brim of his Stetson. Amy grabbed a glazed old-fashioned and shoved it in her mouth before she smashed her own record time for rule breaking.
“Did you enjoy the service, Amy?”
“Yup,” she said with her mouth full.
“I did, too, except for one point. It’s my opinion that the tricky part about temptation, what Pastor Schueller was remiss in mentioning, is recognizing the difference between good temptation and bad.” He raised a hand and she angled her face toward his approaching fingers, anticipating his touch. Instead, he flicked at her cheek. “Errant sprinkle.”
“Thanks.” She swallowed and licked at the corners of her lips. “I disagree. I think most people know bad when they see it.” And thank you, Kellan, for bringing her mind around to the sermon. With the pastor’s words in her head, she was confident she’d be able to keep her desires in check. In fact, she was ready to meet her temptation head-on. “Are you going to ask me to dinner now?”
His eyes shifted, taking in the noisy courtyard full of parishioners. “Not yet.”
She opened her mouth, ready to give the obstinate man her answer anyway.
“Aunt Amy? I need a napkin.” She smiled at Tommy, whose face had gone pink with frosting and sprinkles. “You need more than a napkin, buddy. I’ll take you to the restroom and wash you up.” Without looking in Kellan’s direction, she grabbed Tommy’s hand and hustled off.
Jenna ran into them in the vestibule.
“Here, take Tommy. You can pick me up at the supermarket when you’re done.”
“What?” Jenna called after her.
“I have groceries to buy. See you there.”
She tore across the sanctuary, ducked through the door behind the organ, and skidded into a dusty side room with an exit she remembered from Tommy’s baptism four years earlier. Bursting out onto a narrow breezeway between the sanctuary and the administrative offices, she chanced a look over her shoulder as she jogged. The coast was clear. She was running like a yellow-bellied coward, but at least there weren’t witnesses.
Kellan’s imposing form materialized at the end of the breezeway, blocking her progress. He folded his arms over his chest and propped his shoulder
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