Missy Tippens - The Guy Next Door

“When Joan first started Food4Kids at the elementary schools, the number of kids whose parents weren’t willing or able to provide nourishing meals on weekends was small. No more than ten children. But a growing number come to school on Mondays hungry.”

“How many are in the program now?” he asked.

“Over a hundred kids countywide. More on a waiting list.”

“And you need more funding.” His mother’s face formed in his mind. He recalled her working diligently for those children, making sure each one went home on Friday afternoons with a backpack full of food to keep them until Monday’s breakfast at school. She would be pleased to have his help on her pet project.

If Luke took over this auction and saw it through, the funds would help the community, and possibly comfort his grandmother.

Ensuring this program continued would honor his mother. Perhaps help his dad to heal. “Granny, tell me what I can do.”

Squeezing his hand, she blinked back tears. “You’re a kindhearted man, Luke. I’m proud of you.”

She wouldn’t be so proud when he offered his dad a job in Tennessee. Or when he asked Granny if she’d consider joining them.

Grace popped up out of her chair once again and grabbed a spiral-bound notebook from the small desk near the pantry. She set it in front of him. “Here are all the ideas Darcy and I have jotted so far. And a preliminary list of individual and business donors.”

“Darcy has all this info, too?”

“Yes, she’s been my co-chair and has worked on the committee for a couple of years.”

“Good. She can get me up to speed. I plan to see her this weekend.”

“Perfect.” She shoved the notebook into his hands. “The job’s all yours.”

Later, though, after Burt joined them for dinner and Luke had time to reflect on the arrangement with Darcy, he had a moment of doubt. Six months ago—six days ago, even—he would have said working with Darcy would be fun. He would have been pleased to spend time with his best friend. Content to relive the times they worked together on school or church projects.

But now, he felt uneasy.

He thought of the spark that zipped between them earlier, across the table and again at the front door. Thought of Darcy’s greeting the other day, falling into his arms, so glad to see him. The flowery smell of her silky auburn hair, the brush of her arm against his as she looked up at him, caring, trusting.

Yeah, the trusting part must be what was unsettling him.

He’d come to help his dad prepare to move. Period. He couldn’t let his thoughts run to what Darcy expected from him, or of any disappointment she’d shown over his plan.

* * *

While sitting at the workbench Saturday afternoon, Darcy’s stomach growled. Loudly.

Lois, her coworker in the microbiology lab, giggled. “Almost ready for lunch?”

“All done.” Darcy stacked petri dishes in a large bin and slid it back into the incubator. She enjoyed her full-time job at the local hospital. Loved the challenges each day offered, loved knowing her work helped patients even though she didn’t have direct contact with them.

“You want to go to lunch first?” Lois asked.

“I’ve still got to enter culture results into the computer.”

Darcy pulled over the portable keyboard to record the Saturday morning data. When she got to the last patient, she entered “Light growth beta hemolytic Strep. Isolated for typing and sensitivity.”

This particular patient had been septic. Darcy prayed the organism they’d discovered on a Gram’s stain yesterday wouldn’t show antibiotic resistance.

“Darcy, there’s someone out front asking to see you.” Dr. Violet Crenshaw, the new pediatrician in town who often came by the lab on weekends to check test results of her patients, stood in the doorway of the microbiology lab. “And he’s gorgeous,” she said in a singsong voice.

“Thanks. I’ll be right there.” The mystery man had to be Luke. She’d always gotten that kind of reaction when she introduced him to friends at college or work.

Lois popped up from the microscope and hurried around the workbench. “So? Who is he?”

“No reason to get excited. I’m sure it’s only Luke, an old friend of mine.”

She wiggled her eyebrows. “Only a friend?”

“My best friend since birth.”

“Ooh, is he single?” she practically purred.

“No.” Shock jolted through Darcy at the sharp tone she’d used. “I mean, yes. I assume he is.”

Lois’s surprised expression confirmed her abruptness.

“I’m sorry. Anyway, he lives in Nashville now,” she added stupidly.

“If he’s only a friend, maybe you can introduce us sometime. I love Nashville.” Lois wiggled her eyebrows and headed back to the scope.

“Sure.”

Why did I do that? Lois and Luke would actually be a good match. She was cute and fun. A little quiet, but not afraid to belt out a good laugh when warranted. And she was a struggling single mom with a young son who could use a good man in his life. Luke would like her sweetness. Her generosity. Her dark brown eyes and wavy blond hair.

Luke had always been partial to blondes with brown eyes.

By the time Darcy reached the lab waiting area, workers whispered and checked him out. She was irked that Luke had garnered the interest of every female in the lab.

She tried to exhale her irritation as she approached, brushing her not-blond hair out of her not-brown eyes.

“Hi, Darcy. I saw you back there in the lab, looking professional in that lab coat,” Luke said.

“Yeah, it’s a real fashion statement, all right.”

“I’m serious. You worked hard to get here.”

Her stomach tumbled and twirled, pleased he’d noticed. “Thanks. So, what’s up?”

“Looks like we’ll be working together on the Food4Kids auction.”

“So you’re definitely taking Grace’s place?”

“I figured it’s the least I can do to honor my mom. And I have some ideas. Wanted to see if you’d like to have lunch to discuss them.”

Still hesitant to spend too much time with him, yet certain she could handle it, she gave a firm nod. “It’s a great way to honor your mom. I was just about to take my lunch break.”

He held up a bag from the local sub sandwich shop. “Brought your favorite.”

“You don’t know my favorite anymore.”

He widened his eyes at her, looking quite pleased with himself. “Really? You don’t give me enough credit.”

“I no longer order ham and cheddar.”

“No ham and cheddar with mayo, mustard and tomato?” he asked with a cocky grin.

She shook her head, admittedly pleased he at least remembered her old favorite. “See? You’ve been gone too long. Things have changed.”

“Then I’m glad I ordered you the turkey and Swiss instead. With light mayo, honey mustard, spinach and green peppers.”

“How on earth?”

He shrugged and glanced across the room awkwardly. “I care enough to find out what you like.”

Her stomach swooped up and around, doing a few curlicues in the region of her heart. She opened her mouth but, unable to find words, she snapped it shut.

The fact that he knew her new favorite sandwich really should not make her so happy. She was acting ridiculous.

Luke suddenly gave her a big flirty wink—a Luke Jordan trademark, as if the whole embarrassment thing had been for show. “I also had to promise Mike a place to stay when he comes up for a concert in Nashville.”

Of course. Mike. The owner of the sub shop where she’d eaten regularly for the past year.

She snatched the bag out of his hand with a laugh. “You’re incorrigible.”

“The weather is perfect. Let’s go outside.”

She joined him as they headed outside to a picnic table near a walking path for employees.

As he set out the sandwiches and chips, she realized she hadn’t been on a picnic since their college days. They’d frequently eaten together while studying, sometimes in the quad on a blanket. Of course, their last picnic had been a disaster.

“The last picnic I had was when we ate pizza outside the dorm during finals senior year,” he said.

Why did he always seem to know what she was thinking as if their brains were somehow connected? “Me, too. And you ruined that one by bringing along what’s her name.” Which had hurt Darcy’s feelings. Before that day, they’d always kept their friendship separate from dating relationships, had protected their time together.

He grinned and held his hand over his heart. “You wound me. You don’t even remember her name.”

Snorting a laugh, she reached for the can of Coke he’d sat in front of her and popped the tab. “You probably don’t, either.”

He belted a hearty laugh as he pulled Grace’s notebook out of the bag and flipped it open. Then he attacked the wrapping on his ham sandwich. “I think an auction is a great idea for a fund-raiser, but I wonder if maybe we should do more this year. Maybe host a dinner or even a formal dance to coincide.”

She threw her hand up. “Whoa. I only signed on for the auction, which has always included a covered-dish dinner right after church. What you’re suggesting sounds like a ton more work. As it is, I barely have time to breathe.”

“I figured we might as well give attendees other opportunities to contribute. No matter what we end up doing, I’d like to have a special time to honor my mother.”

She envisioned table decorations, caterers, a band. “All great ideas. Honoring Joan would be fantastic. But I can’t let this project eat into my part-time hours at the mall. If you want to do a dinner or dance, maybe I could talk Chloe into taking over for me. She has a lot of business contacts in town.”

His nose scrunched. “That might not go well.”

No, he and her sister hadn’t gotten along since he’d pursued her one summer in college. Luke finally captured Chloe’s heart—breaking Darcy’s—but the big breakup later that fall ruined his and Chloe’s friendship.

“You’re both adults now,” Darcy said. “Surely you could work together for charity.” Yes, they were all adults. So how could the mere suggestion that he work with Chloe still hurt?

“I’d rather work with you.” He looked into her eyes, and like some kind of terrible magnet, his gaze tugged at her heart.

Losing herself in those amazing brown eyes was an all-too-familiar feeling. Even at twenty-five, she was still vulnerable to his charm.

She couldn’t allow it. He would distract her. Hurt her. She had to stay focused on her goals.

“We’ll have to work around my two schedules.” Darcy forced her attention to her sandwich. She needed to work the two jobs to pay off student loans early so she didn’t have to rely on her mother. Noreen was finally acting happy again, and Darcy suspected she’d been seeing someone. She needed to give her mom some space, and despite what Grace said, Prince Charming wouldn’t just show up to sweep her off her feet.

Darcy glanced across the table. Luke with his flirty winks and his flattering words would only set her heart down the wrong path.

“Let’s just stick to doing the auction and lunch. We can manage.” He slapped his hand on the notebook. “So, have you looked at the list of tentative donors?”

“I helped compile it. Now we need to call each one to confirm and arrange a time to pick up the items. We can split the names.”

“I can do the calling. I’ll be around the house helping Dad, so my schedule will be flexible.”

“Sounds good. I’ve already arranged to pick up an unassembled portable basketball hoop from Mr. Lipscomb at the sporting goods store. Can you help with that on Sunday after church?”