Something Old - Dianne L. Christner [46]
“Okay!” Instantly, she abandoned her drink, bounding off the stool and running up to her room.
“Better change first,” Katy called after her, wondering if she should follow her up and check on Tyler. When she’d decided to do just that, she’d gotten partway up the stairway when she heard footsteps. She whirled. Sean Brooks was home.
“Oh hi. You’re early,” she said, retracing her steps so that she could speak to him.
“Tammy told me you needed a break.”
“She did?” Katy glanced up the stairway and back with hesitance. “Tyler’s in his room. I was about to check on him. And Addison’s changing out of her dance costume. We were just going to play a board game. I’m afraid she’s going to be disappointed.”
“I’ll do that with her.” Sean started toward the kitchen.
Katy waited with hesitance. To her relief, he didn’t grab a beer but returned with an envelope in his hand. She had cleaned around it earlier that day. “Tammy wanted me to give this to you.”
It hit Katy that Tammy must have sensed her frustration. She’d misjudged her employer after all. The envelope probably contained a token of apology. She felt a tinge of guilt over her ugly thoughts earlier in the car. The envelope felt like it might hold a gift card. They still needed many things for the doddy house. “Thanks.” She took her coat off the bar stool and shrugged into it. “Tell Tammy I really appreciate it.”
“No problem. Our treat. Just enjoy.”
Nodding, Katy replied, “Tell the children ‘bye for me. I’ll see them on Tuesday. Thanks again.” In the garage, she got into her car and started the engine. But her curiosity couldn’t be ignored, and she ripped open the envelope. Inside were two tickets. Not what she’d expected. Furling her brow, she pulled them out far enough to read the print. Tickets to the Cinderella ballet! She lay her head against the headrest, pinched her eyes closed, and rapped her forearms against the steering wheel. The horn honked.
By smooth maneuvering on Katy’s part, Lil was joining her at the doddy house to talk with Jake about the new church kitchen. Katy refused to meet him alone.
Still, as she approached the front porch, her nerves bristled. Inside the tiny house, Jake turned and gave her one of his crooked grins. She drew in a deep breath at his dark good looks and willed herself to stir up some of those Christian attitudes God had impressed upon her in her recent car devotional.… She needed to act lovingly. No, that was just too strong for this circumstance. Arguing inwardly, she substituted the word sisterly.
“Hi.” For a Christian attitude, it left her feeling a bit breathless. “See you’ve got a whole crew here today. Where’s Lil?”
“In the bathroom, talking to the plumber. The electrician is installing lights. But the rest of the house is ready to start painting.”
“Awesome.” Now she was talking like Tyler.
Jake caught her slip of tongue. “Somebody’s in a good mood.”
Maybe being nice wasn’t such a good idea. Looking at him wasn’t, either. He definitely wore his jeans too tight for a Conservative boy. It made her wonder how much he’d changed or if she even knew him anymore. She sucked in a breath when he looked down at the buckle on his low-slung tool belt, worked the clasp, and dropped it on the ground beside him. Breathe, she told herself, pull up your gaze. The view wasn’t much safer there. His logo-free T worked to his advantage, the black material emphasizing the black, wavy hair that fringed his baseball cap.
“I don’t suppose that means you’ve decided to tolerate me?”
Of all the nerve, after she’d specifically told him she didn’t