What's Cooking by Gail Sattler

Mitchell knew that was what he wanted. It wasn’t to sit with his goofy friends, but to sit quietly and participate in the Sunday worship service with that one special woman with whom he would spend the rest of his life.
    He wondered what Carolyn was doing, who she was with, and if she was thinking of him.
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    At the exact second Carolyn slipped her key into the lock, the phone rang.
    She hadn’t wanted to invite Hank inside, but with the insistent ringing, she didn’t have the time to tell him good-bye without being rude, especially after he’d surprised her and treated her to lunch.
    When she ran to catch the phone, Hank followed her inside, closing the door behind him.
    â€œHello?” she panted into the phone.
    â€œHi, Carolyn. Did I catch you at a bad time?”
    â€œMitchell?” Without thinking why, she covered the mouthpiece with her hand and stared at Hank, who was studying her needlepoint on the wall. The one Mitchell had hung yesterday.
    The last thing she wanted right now was to talk to Mitchell. All throughout the church service, she couldn’t stop thinking of him.
    The pastor had read Psalm 50:1 and 2 as the theme of his sermon. The same verse engraved on the plaque. She glanced over and read it silently. “The Mighty One, God, the Lord , speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets. From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.”
    Instead of reflecting on God’s glory when the pastor read it, she thought of Mitchell’s comment about adding the verse to his list of favorites.
    Mitchell Farris was dangerous.
    â€œCarolyn? Are you there?”
    She fumbled with the phone. “Oops. Sorry. Yes, I’m here. I just got in the door and had to run to answer the phone. I’m a little out of breath.”
    As if Hank could tell she was looking at him, he turned toward her. “Carolyn? Who is it?”
    Mitchell’s voice immediately replied. “Who was that? Do you have company?”
    â€œYes, Hank is over. We went out for lunch after church.”
    â€œOh. Does that mean you have plans for the rest of the afternoon?”
    She turned to Hank. He hadn’t asked her specifically to do anything, but he hadn’t left her at the door when she ran in to catch the phone. But she had the feeling that if she told Mitchell she didn’t have plans, he would suddenly show up on her doorstep. The only way to prevent that from happening was to do something with Hank.
    â€œYes. I think we’ll be going out.”
    â€œOh. I was going to ask if you wanted to join me for dinner tonight.”
    She wanted to tell him she’d just been out for dinner with him the day before, except that she wasn’t sure if their trip to the marketplace and fast meal in the food court could be counted as dinner. “Sorry, not tonight.”
    â€œOh.”
    The disappointment in his voice was almost her undoing. She didn’t know if Hank was ever disappointed when she had other plans.
    Good manners and guilt at his disappointment made her reply, “Maybe another time. Good-bye, Mitchell.”
    â€œI’ll be sure to take you up on that. Good-bye, Carolyn.”
    The way he said her name made her quiver inside, like he was there, standing beside her, talking in her ear, just as he had on the monorail.
    Hank’s voice behind her nearly made her drop the handset.
    â€œI see you have another picture hanging on your wall.”
    She struggled to control her trembling hands as she hung up the phone properly. “It’s from my last vacation. Have you ever been to Tofino? I love it there.”
    â€œNo, I’m not into wilderness. That’s not a place I would ever go.”
    Mitchell had been there before. In fact, he’d recognized the bay in the picture. He liked it there, too.
    Carolyn squeezed her eyes shut for a second to wipe the thought from her mind, then turned to Hank. “Would