chair.
"That's probably Sharon. We're going shopping this morning."
Laurel set her empty mug on the counter, too despondent to wash up the few dishes that were there. She couldn't believe she'd gotten through Ginny's inquisition without hanging herself.
I'll never, ever, lie again , she silently promised.
"Laurel, it's for you!" Ginny sang out the words.
Laurel stiffened, knowing, even before Ginny finished her last, drawn-out note that it was Michael at the door. Glancing heavenward, she mumbled a quick prayer.
"Lord, you really don't have to teach me a lesson. I just promised never to lie again."
She left the kitchen expecting to be caught in her own deceitful web but found herself immediately enveloped in a warm, tight bear hug. Michael's freshly shaved cheek was smooth against her own and his earthy cologne seemed as familiar to her as his touch. Caught off guard, she simply stood there, limp as a wet noodle. His quick, firm kiss shocked her even further and she stared at him, silent questions written all over her face, she was certain.
"Good morning," he whispered, a wicked gleam in his eyes.
"Morning," she croaked.
"I'm glad you're up and about. I came to take you girls out to breakfast."
"Oh." Laurel's throat was so dry she could hardly speak.
"Darn," Ginny said, snapping her fingers smartly. "Doesn't look like we'll be going fishing today, sis."
"You two going fishing?" Michael asked. "I didn't know you already had plans."
Laurel glared at her sister's innocent expression. "We do not have plans," she said.
"I do," Ginny said sweetly. "I'm going shopping, remember? You couldn't have forgotten that fast, Laurel. I just told you thirty seconds ago."
"Oh." Laurel cleared her throat.
"But you'll come?" Michael asked, catching hold of Laurel's hand.
"Sure," she replied, still not sure what he was up to. Her voice was tight with apprehension as she added, "I'd like that."
"Michael." Ginny's voice made them both turn toward her. "Laurel tells me you're one terrific cook."
Michael frowned in confusion, and Laurel quickly squeezed his hand to get his attention.
"Yes," Laurel said, trying to cover her panic. "I told her about the dinner you fixed for me last night." She spoke the words deliberately, hoping he'd catch on. Gripping his hand tighter, she added, "The steak. And the salad."
Before Michael could speak, Ginny piped in, "And she said the mushroom sauce was delicious."
Michael raised one eyebrow, staring down at Laurel. "My mushroom sauce was delicious, huh?"
He stared at Laurel for the length of a heartbeat, then two.
Taking the sudden wicked glimmer in his dark gaze as acquiescence, Laurel was flooded with relief.
"Absolutely delicious," she said, trying hard not to laugh at his crooked grin. She was so glad his back was to Ginny.
"Listen, could we go now? I'm starved!" She had to get out of the house before she burst into hysterics at this farce.
"Anytime you're ready," Michael said. "Better bring a jacket. It's chilly."
"You two have a good time," Ginny said.
When Laurel stepped out of the bedroom with her jacket, Michael placed a guiding hand on the small of her back. "Get a move on, woman."
"See ya later," Ginny called.
As they walked toward his truck, Michael exclaimed, "Mushroom sauce? I hate mushrooms!"
"I had to think fast," she said, laughing. "I couldn't tell her what really happened, now, could I?" She got into the truck and slammed the door, narrowing her eyes at him. "What's this all about, anyway? I thought maybe you were up to something last night, but the last thing I expected to see this morning was you on my doorstep."
"Well, I got to thinking last night." He started the engine and pulled out of the drive. "If Ginny was driving you to drink—" even though he said the words jokingly, Laurel felt her cheeks flame "—then you definitely needed my help."
"Your help?"
"From everything you've told me, you're obviously not comfortable with this dating idea." He kept his
"That's probably Sharon. We're going shopping this morning."
Laurel set her empty mug on the counter, too despondent to wash up the few dishes that were there. She couldn't believe she'd gotten through Ginny's inquisition without hanging herself.
I'll never, ever, lie again , she silently promised.
"Laurel, it's for you!" Ginny sang out the words.
Laurel stiffened, knowing, even before Ginny finished her last, drawn-out note that it was Michael at the door. Glancing heavenward, she mumbled a quick prayer.
"Lord, you really don't have to teach me a lesson. I just promised never to lie again."
She left the kitchen expecting to be caught in her own deceitful web but found herself immediately enveloped in a warm, tight bear hug. Michael's freshly shaved cheek was smooth against her own and his earthy cologne seemed as familiar to her as his touch. Caught off guard, she simply stood there, limp as a wet noodle. His quick, firm kiss shocked her even further and she stared at him, silent questions written all over her face, she was certain.
"Good morning," he whispered, a wicked gleam in his eyes.
"Morning," she croaked.
"I'm glad you're up and about. I came to take you girls out to breakfast."
"Oh." Laurel's throat was so dry she could hardly speak.
"Darn," Ginny said, snapping her fingers smartly. "Doesn't look like we'll be going fishing today, sis."
"You two going fishing?" Michael asked. "I didn't know you already had plans."
Laurel glared at her sister's innocent expression. "We do not have plans," she said.
"I do," Ginny said sweetly. "I'm going shopping, remember? You couldn't have forgotten that fast, Laurel. I just told you thirty seconds ago."
"Oh." Laurel cleared her throat.
"But you'll come?" Michael asked, catching hold of Laurel's hand.
"Sure," she replied, still not sure what he was up to. Her voice was tight with apprehension as she added, "I'd like that."
"Michael." Ginny's voice made them both turn toward her. "Laurel tells me you're one terrific cook."
Michael frowned in confusion, and Laurel quickly squeezed his hand to get his attention.
"Yes," Laurel said, trying to cover her panic. "I told her about the dinner you fixed for me last night." She spoke the words deliberately, hoping he'd catch on. Gripping his hand tighter, she added, "The steak. And the salad."
Before Michael could speak, Ginny piped in, "And she said the mushroom sauce was delicious."
Michael raised one eyebrow, staring down at Laurel. "My mushroom sauce was delicious, huh?"
He stared at Laurel for the length of a heartbeat, then two.
Taking the sudden wicked glimmer in his dark gaze as acquiescence, Laurel was flooded with relief.
"Absolutely delicious," she said, trying hard not to laugh at his crooked grin. She was so glad his back was to Ginny.
"Listen, could we go now? I'm starved!" She had to get out of the house before she burst into hysterics at this farce.
"Anytime you're ready," Michael said. "Better bring a jacket. It's chilly."
"You two have a good time," Ginny said.
When Laurel stepped out of the bedroom with her jacket, Michael placed a guiding hand on the small of her back. "Get a move on, woman."
"See ya later," Ginny called.
As they walked toward his truck, Michael exclaimed, "Mushroom sauce? I hate mushrooms!"
"I had to think fast," she said, laughing. "I couldn't tell her what really happened, now, could I?" She got into the truck and slammed the door, narrowing her eyes at him. "What's this all about, anyway? I thought maybe you were up to something last night, but the last thing I expected to see this morning was you on my doorstep."
"Well, I got to thinking last night." He started the engine and pulled out of the drive. "If Ginny was driving you to drink—" even though he said the words jokingly, Laurel felt her cheeks flame "—then you definitely needed my help."
"Your help?"
"From everything you've told me, you're obviously not comfortable with this dating idea." He kept his
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