She talked with him for a few minutes, heard for the dozenth time about the pros of football, which was played at the same time of the year as soccer, and how a fine, “strappin’” boy like Josh should get into a decent sport. She hung up, wondering if borrowing the car was worth hearing all the advice. As much as she disliked Hal Kinkaid—a surly, quiet man who seemed to forever carry a chip on his shoulder—at least he didn’t butt into her life. In fact, he’d never shown much interest in her at all.

Growing up, Katie had felt neglected and had knocked herself out trying to get Hal’s attention. She’d been flamboyant in high school, part of the “wild crowd” who drank and smoked, though she’d drawn the line at drugs. She’d flirted outrageously, gained an ill-gotten reputation and, of course, lost her virginity to Dave. At the thought of her one and only lover, she felt a pang of grief. In retrospect, getting pregnant was the best thing that had happened to her. She’d settled down, suffered the indignities and slurs about being an unwed mother when it wasn’t quite as fashionable as it was today, but given birth to the greatest kid in the world. She glanced into the living room where Josh was flopped on the couch with his ankle, propped on the overstuffed arm. Nope, she wouldn’t have changed anything about her life. It was just too darned good. Even if she did have to put up with John Cawthorne’s opinions on every subject in the world.

When her mother came over to drop off the car, Katie hoped to speak to her in private, tell her about Dave. All in all, Brynnie was the only person in whom Katie could confide.

And what about Luke? Are you going to tell your mother that for the first time since Dave Sorenson, you enjoyed kissing a man, even fleetingly wondered what it would be like to make love to him?

She swallowed hard at the thought. Making love to any man was out of the question right now. She had too much to do to get involved with anyone. Even if she had the time, Luke Gates was the last man in the world she could dare trust.

And yet ... she couldn’t help fantasizing about him a little. After all, what would it hurt? It wasn’t as if she would ever get the chance to make love to him.

“Thank God,” she whispered and realized that a sheen of perspiration had broken out all over her body.

* * *

“Oh, honey, I hope you’re not getting yourself into the kind of trouble you can’t get out of.” Worry pinched the corners of Brynnie Cawthorne’s mouth as they walked through the overgrown vegetable garden at the side of Katie’s house.

“I’ll be fine.”