Page 60 of Crossing Every Line

The door opened, and the pretty woman from the picture stood before them, smiling. “You must be the couple Jasper mentioned.”

“This is Kendall, my wife.” He didn’t even trip over the word. The idea wasn’t nearly as terrifying as it should be. He’d just met her, and she’d blown his world to hell, but the idea of her and forever didn’t send him running. He needed a damn lobotomy. “And I’m Shane Justice.”

She ushered them in and led them to a small kitchen. “I’m Delinda Cooper. My husband is finishing up a visit to a ward member, but he’ll be back in a little while.” She gestured to a chair in the adjoining dining room. “You two look tired. Can I get you something to eat?”

Kendall smiled back. “No, we don’t want to be a bother.”

“It’s no bother. I’ll be right back.”

Kendall sagged into a ladder-back chair and dropped her head onto her folded arms. “It’s not even eight o’clock, and I could sleep right here.”

He smoothed her hair absently and looked around the room. Oak furniture infused with beeswax polish calmed him. It was a room that would have suited his mother. Understated and well cared for, the eight-foot table was perfect for large gatherings. Even in a town as run-down as Lund, he imagined there would be a feast for Thanksgiving.

And this would be his first holiday alone. The pang of loss curled his fingers into her hair. She looked up at him; surprise changed to a soft questioning glance. Kendall read him far too easily. He drew his hand away, but instead of letting him go, she snagged his pinkie. He could pull away. She’d left it open for him to pull back if he wanted, but he didn’t—couldn’t. Soaking in her softness and laughter was addicting, and he found himself going to that well more often than was wise.

Delinda came back with two covered plates, and he let her hand go. “You two must be just exhausted. Why don’t you eat, and I’ll make sure the room is ready.”

“We don’t want to trouble you—”

Kendall stood and took the plates. “We really appreciate the hospitality. I run a bed-and-breakfast myself. My mother is just like you. She needs to take care of all the people who walk through the doors.”

Delinda blushed. “I don’t get much of an opportunity to do it, but I love it. Five kids keep me on my toes, though. And Jonathon.”

Shane shut his mouth. Kendall had a sixth sense about people. The two women chattered on about kids and the husband. Before he knew it, he was sitting in front of a plate of meat loaf, mashed potatoes, and brussels sprouts, and Delinda had disappeared again.

“How do you know what to say to these people? It boggles my mind.”

She forked up a brussels sprout and held it out to him. “Some people just like to take care of people.”

He turned his mouth away. “I suppose.”

She laughed. “Eat your brussels sprouts, little boy.”

He gave her a bland look. “No.”

She popped it into her mouth. “They’re delicious.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

“No, really. She seasoned them with all sorts of deliciousness. I’ll have to get the recipe for my mom. Most of our recipes revolve around perch or trout fish.”

“Lots of fishing goes on? I’m trying to picture you with a fishing pole.”

Her grin faded, and she focused on her plate. “Yeah, well, it’s not pretty.” Before he could ask her more about that, Delinda came back in.

“There are towels on your bed and a minifridge stocked with water, juice, and some fruit. Help yourselves.”

Shane stood. “Thank you for putting us up tonight. We appreciate it. Just let us know how much we can pay you—”

“Oh, there’s no payment. We just help when it’s needed.”

Shane sat. That wasn’t the way the world worked.

Kendall covered his hand. “Surely we can donate to the church.”

Delinda’s smile was wide and nearly rivaled Kendall’s in punch. “You do whatever makes you happy.”

And that was the correct answer, Shane thought. But it didn’t have the oily, preachy tones he’d been expecting. The idea that there were people out there who still did things out of the kindness of their hearts was foreign to him. His father’s charm was friendly, but in the end, it served a purpose. It drew people in, made them trust him, and helped build his business.

---