Lynnette Kent - Luke's Daughters

Eventually, though, the ice cream and popcorn and bread ran out. Sarah realized she could either stay in and starve to death…or get herself together and go shopping. Saturday morning, she dredged up the will to try.

She gasped as the brightness of the day sliced at her eyes, even behind dark lenses, even under a wide-brimmed hat. The humidity was high, especially after five days in constant air-conditioning. All the usual outdoor noises—traffic, lawn mowers, sirens, birds—beat on her ears like a rock concert. Maybe she should just go back in—

“Sarah?” She wondered if she’d imagined that deep voice, that Southern accent, until she heard it again. “Sarah?”

Opening her eyes, she discovered Luke Brennan sitting astride a big Harley-Davidson parked next to the Jeep.

“What are you doing here?” She winced—her social graces had definitely deteriorated over the week alone. “I see you’ve had a haircut,” she added lamely. “Nice.”

“Thanks. I hadn’t heard from you about those pictures, so I came by to see if…if you’d printed them yet.”

Her photographer’s eye appreciated the aesthetic potential of a gorgeous guy in a white T-shirt, worn jeans and boots on a big, black bike. Short hair only emphasized the beauty of his face, revealing his well-shaped head and the strong column of his throat. He’d make a great pinup. Or maybe without the shirt…

She halted that thought in its tracks. “No. No, I haven’t. I’ve stayed in this week.”

“You deserved a break. Your voice sounds better.”

“Thanks. I guess not talking much helped.”

“That’s what the doctor said.” He crossed his arms, and her knees went weak. “So when do you think you’ll have the pictures?”

“Well…”

He looked embarrassed. “I don’t mean to hassle you or anything. I’m kind of anxious to see them, that’s all.”

“No, it’s not a hassle.” She was glad of a good reason to stay out of the house. “I could go down and print them now, actually. If you wanted to come with me and wait.”

“I would, but Jen and Erin are getting back from Florida this afternoon.”

Disappointment weighed her down. “I’ll call you, then.”

“Or…” He snapped his fingers. “Or we could meet a little later. I’ll go see the girls, then ride over to the shop. We can get something to eat, afterward. How does that sound?”

Tempted and yet troubled, Sarah hesitated. Luke’s smile turned coaxing, a little bit teasing, and completely irresistible. “Come on, Sarah Rose, say yes.”

He held out his hands, palms up, in an open, generous gesture. “How could a little dinner between friends possibly hurt?”

DADDY MATT TURNED OUT to be more fun than Erin expected.

He bought her a Goofy hat and a Minnie Mouse nightgown and cotton candy. When they went to Sea World, he let her have a Shamu cup with a curly straw, filled with strawberry punch. And he never ran out of money for the games in the kid’s club room at the hotel.

Sometimes Mommy went out with Daddy Matt by herself, which was okay, because the hotel had good baby-sitters with lots of videos and snacks. Even Jenny didn’t mind going to the baby-sitter’s room—she got to watch Cinderella as many times as she wanted.

Erin knew she didn’t have a real reason to be sad. She could have just about anything she wanted. What more could a kid ask for?

Like now—here she sat in the fanciest restaurant in the world, wearing a dress that she’d picked out all by herself and which didn’t scratch, and she’d just eaten a whole plate of really good spaghetti. They were going to have dessert in a few minutes, just as soon as Daddy Matt and Mommy came back from dancing.

“Mommy’s pretty,” Jenny said. “Like a princess.”

“A queen,” Erin corrected. That would make Daddy Matt the king.

Erin watched them dance. Mommy’s red dress swirled around her. She looked up at Daddy Matt, smiling. And he smiled down at her.

Maybe, Erin thought, she wouldn’t have dessert after all. Her stomach felt funny.

Back in their hotel room, Mommy was still smiling, still humming the dance music. She stopped long enough to get Jenny undressed and read them both a story. Jenny, as usual, fell asleep before the story ended.

But Erin stayed awake, listening, even after kissing Mommy good-night. She heard Mommy and Daddy Matt talking in the other room, and then laughing. And then there was music again. She didn’t have to see through the door to know they were dancing.

Erin turned over and put her pillow on top of her head. That drowned out the music. But she felt like she heard it in her head. And she saw Mommy dancing, even with her eyes closed.

In Erin’s head, though, Mommy danced with the right person. She danced with Daddy.

But Erin was old enough to know that if her dream could come true, she wouldn’t be crying herself to sleep.

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