“Okay. I’ll call you in the morning.” Katie planted a kiss on her son’s cheek and he made a hasty retreat on his crutches. Tiffany and J.D. ushered the kids through the ballroom and out a side entrance. As Katie watched them leave, she realized that she’d just lost her ride. “Oh, wait,” she called after them. “I need a lift home. . . .”

Luke grabbed her again. “Don’t worry about it,” he said as she turned and saw the smoky blue of his eyes.

“But—”

“I’ll take you home, Katie. It would be my pleasure.”

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

In her driveway, Luke braked and cut the engine of his pickup. Katie reached for the door handle. Once before, she’d been in this very truck with the night closing in on them and had felt the sheer intimacy of the moment as he’d kissed her. She didn’t want a repeat of that incident. Or at least, she tried to convince herself that she didn’t. “Thanks for the ride.”

“Maybe I should come in and see that everything’s okay.”

Her heart nearly stopped. She heard the ticking of the engine as it cooled and the jingle of his keys as he pulled them from the ignition.

“Okay? What wouldn’t be okay?” she asked, buying time. Part of her was tempted to invite him in, to take a chance; the other, more sane portion of her mind warned her that she was only asking for trouble. Begging for it. The kind of trouble she didn’t need and couldn’t deal with. This man was linked to Ralph Sorenson, Josh’s grandfather. “For what?” she asked, shoving her shoulder against the door while trying to ignore her elevating pulse and dry mouth. Come on, Katie, let him in. What would it hurt?

“I’m not sure. But it’s just a feeling I’ve got that something isn’t right.”

“Anyone ever tell you you’re a worrywart?”

“A few people,” he said and climbed out of the cab. Blue gave a soft bark as Katie inserted her key into the dead bolt and discovered the door unlocked. “That’s odd,” she said, dropping her keys into her purse. Frowning to herself she walked into the kitchen.

“I’m sure I locked it.”

“You remember doing it?”