hadn't called me Savannah in as long as I could remember. It sent a little jolt straight to my heart.
"Could I interest you in dinner later?" He asked.
He had opened a door and all I had to do was walk through. It could be the first step in the healing process.
"You came over at 9 in the morning to ask me if I wanted to go to dinner?"
"Well, do you?" He leaned closer to me and I felt drawn in by his presence.
" What are you doing Luke? You have barely spoken to me in the last seven or so years, and now you're asking me to dinner?"
"How about drinks then, your friends could come too, and I'll bring a friend."
Way to avoid the question Luke.
Drinks with friends . That was acceptable. I was probably going to need a few drinks and the distraction of my friends to keep me sane around him.
"Wait, how did you know my friends were here?" I asked.
"A little birdie told me," he smiled slyly.
"Tonight then?" I said, before I could change my mind.
"Well, I will have to check my calendar, but I think I'm free," he smiled , and my heart fluttered, as Nick walked up behind me.
"LJ! 'Bout time you showed up!" Nick and Luke shook hands, clapping each other on the shoulder.
"LJ?" I asked, looking from Luke to Nick.
"Yeah, Miss Caroline, this is Luke Johnson, my partner. He's here to talk with your mother about the restoration," Nick said. "I think I saw her out back. Let me go get her."
As Nick walked back toward the kitchen all I could do was stare at Luke.
"Did you know you were going to be working here when I saw you yesterday?" I asked.
"Well, I knew Nick was working over here, but until I saw him for dinner last night, I wasn't sure if I'd be on the job too," he smiled as my mother walked into the foyer with Nick.
"Oh my word!" She exclaimed , dropping the documents she was carrying, clapping a hand over her mouth and taking two steps back, astonished by what she was seeing.
"Mom, you remember Luke Johnson. He's Nick's partner."
After my mother regained her composure she walked over to Luke.
"Forgive me Luke, you just look so much like Mark. I didn't mean to react that way. I guess I should have known which Johnson it was when I called your company, but I really just didn't put two and two together until this moment."
"No problem, Mrs. Foster, it's understandable."
"Please, call me Allison," she said with a smile.
I looked from Luke to my mother and then at Eva and Anne Marie who had wandered into the foyer and were staring ridiculously. I turn ed back to Luke.
"Do you think we could talk before you leave this afternoon?" I asked him.
"If that's what you want." He kissed me on the forehead, searing my skin. "Now, I better get to fixing up the house for your mother, or she'll fire me before I even get started. Always a pleasure."
As he walked toward the kitchen I couldn't help but notice the way his jeans clung to his backside as he moved. I inhaled a big breath and blew it out.
Damn universe!
~~~~
Anne Marie, Eva and I spent the late morning and early afternoon cleaning out more of the upstairs bedrooms. There were five of them, and not one had any less than a jammed packed closet. Every dresser was filled with magazines, trinkets, odds and ends. There was enough stuff to keep us here for several weeks if we let it. As I pulled the last box out of the closet in the room we were currently working on, Anne Marie and Eva cornered me about Luke.
"You were totally right Caroline. Even though I hadn't seen Mark in years, I can totally see the how much they look alike. Is it weird for you?" Anne Marie asked.
"I don't know, Anne Marie, I kinda think she likes him," said Eva, challenging me to deny it.
"Look, he's Mark's brother, and even though I'll admit that I have always been attracted to him, after everything... I just don't know how to feel."
" If you keep telling yourself that you feel nothing for Luke then you're going to let a fine looking man walk away. I admit, I only knew Mark when he was young, but
"Could I interest you in dinner later?" He asked.
He had opened a door and all I had to do was walk through. It could be the first step in the healing process.
"You came over at 9 in the morning to ask me if I wanted to go to dinner?"
"Well, do you?" He leaned closer to me and I felt drawn in by his presence.
" What are you doing Luke? You have barely spoken to me in the last seven or so years, and now you're asking me to dinner?"
"How about drinks then, your friends could come too, and I'll bring a friend."
Way to avoid the question Luke.
Drinks with friends . That was acceptable. I was probably going to need a few drinks and the distraction of my friends to keep me sane around him.
"Wait, how did you know my friends were here?" I asked.
"A little birdie told me," he smiled slyly.
"Tonight then?" I said, before I could change my mind.
"Well, I will have to check my calendar, but I think I'm free," he smiled , and my heart fluttered, as Nick walked up behind me.
"LJ! 'Bout time you showed up!" Nick and Luke shook hands, clapping each other on the shoulder.
"LJ?" I asked, looking from Luke to Nick.
"Yeah, Miss Caroline, this is Luke Johnson, my partner. He's here to talk with your mother about the restoration," Nick said. "I think I saw her out back. Let me go get her."
As Nick walked back toward the kitchen all I could do was stare at Luke.
"Did you know you were going to be working here when I saw you yesterday?" I asked.
"Well, I knew Nick was working over here, but until I saw him for dinner last night, I wasn't sure if I'd be on the job too," he smiled as my mother walked into the foyer with Nick.
"Oh my word!" She exclaimed , dropping the documents she was carrying, clapping a hand over her mouth and taking two steps back, astonished by what she was seeing.
"Mom, you remember Luke Johnson. He's Nick's partner."
After my mother regained her composure she walked over to Luke.
"Forgive me Luke, you just look so much like Mark. I didn't mean to react that way. I guess I should have known which Johnson it was when I called your company, but I really just didn't put two and two together until this moment."
"No problem, Mrs. Foster, it's understandable."
"Please, call me Allison," she said with a smile.
I looked from Luke to my mother and then at Eva and Anne Marie who had wandered into the foyer and were staring ridiculously. I turn ed back to Luke.
"Do you think we could talk before you leave this afternoon?" I asked him.
"If that's what you want." He kissed me on the forehead, searing my skin. "Now, I better get to fixing up the house for your mother, or she'll fire me before I even get started. Always a pleasure."
As he walked toward the kitchen I couldn't help but notice the way his jeans clung to his backside as he moved. I inhaled a big breath and blew it out.
Damn universe!
~~~~
Anne Marie, Eva and I spent the late morning and early afternoon cleaning out more of the upstairs bedrooms. There were five of them, and not one had any less than a jammed packed closet. Every dresser was filled with magazines, trinkets, odds and ends. There was enough stuff to keep us here for several weeks if we let it. As I pulled the last box out of the closet in the room we were currently working on, Anne Marie and Eva cornered me about Luke.
"You were totally right Caroline. Even though I hadn't seen Mark in years, I can totally see the how much they look alike. Is it weird for you?" Anne Marie asked.
"I don't know, Anne Marie, I kinda think she likes him," said Eva, challenging me to deny it.
"Look, he's Mark's brother, and even though I'll admit that I have always been attracted to him, after everything... I just don't know how to feel."
" If you keep telling yourself that you feel nothing for Luke then you're going to let a fine looking man walk away. I admit, I only knew Mark when he was young, but
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