Stranger in the Mirror [Shades of Heaven] (Soul Change Novel) by Tina Wainscott Page B

out of here, wash up, and get back in here to help,” Helen said.
    Jesse grabbed two bottles of beer from the fridge, pressed one to his flushed forehead, and walked out to hand one to Billy. He stood in the living room, his shirt stripped off, wide shoulders tapering to his waist and narrow hips. The black pants shaped his tight butt nicely. His damp hairs brushed the base of his neck as he moved. When her eyes felt locked to him, he turned and caught her staring. She couldn’t tear her gaze away, and a warm fire burned in her stomach.
    “Green beans are easy. You just cut the ends off and put them in the steamer.” Helen’s voice broke Marti out of her spell.
    “Hm?”
    “Uh oh, having a hot flash?”
    The warmth of Marti’s cheeks flamed hotter. “H-hot flash?”
    “Pregnant women sometimes have them. Hormones. Your face is all red.”
    Marti waved her hand in front of her face. “It’s the first time it’s ever happened to me. That’s probably what it is.” She flicked a glance to Jesse. Be much safer to believe that.
    Dean stopped by, and after a quick perusal of the surroundings, pushed out his lower lip. “Caty’s not here?”
    “She’s out birthing a cow,” Helen said. “Come on, wash up and I’ll put you to work.”
    They kept everything waiting for Caty until Helen decided the turkey would be dried out if it stayed in the oven any longer.
    When Jesse set the turkey platter on the table, Dean said, “At least we’re not having beef for dinner. Katie’d probably be a little upset after helping that baby cow into the world.”
    Jesse leaned over and whispered in Marti’s ear, “Just ignore him. Everyone else does.”
    Before a single green bean could be dropped onto a plate, they all joined hands for prayer. Jesse’s hand enveloped hers on one side, and Helen took her other one. Billy passed the duty of the “head of the household” onto Jesse, who easily took charge.
    “Dear Jesus, thank you for bringing us here together, our health and sanity intact, Billy notwithstanding. We thank you that Caty is absent from our table only because she’s helping a living thing come into the world.” Marti felt him squeeze her hand as he continued. “We thank you for bringing Marti to us and for giving the tiny baby inside her health as he grows. Amen.”
    Everyone repeated the Amen, and for a moment, four sets of smiling eyes settled upon her. Uncomfortable under their gazes, she reached over to stab a piece of turkey meat.
     
     
     

CHAPTER 6
     
     
    The following Monday was another long struggle of balancing trays. Marti saw a lot of the same people she had seen on Saturday.
    “Don’t these people have anyplace else to eat?” she’d whispered to Caty during the afternoon rush. “The same people keep coming in, day after day, meal after meal.”
    “There’s only two other places in town to eat lunch besides us. At least we offer more variety than Pie in The Sky.”
    “Yeah, well, I guess you can only eat so much pizza.”
    Marti caught Chuck watching her again. Often he seemed to be studying her from his steamy place in the kitchen. Was he just curious about the changes in her work habits? Sometimes she’d look back at him, and he’d grin at her, then resume whatever he’d been doing.
    Jesse was always a welcome visitor, even though he could only order a couple of sandwiches to go today. He sat at the counter and watched her shoulder a tray of meatloaf specials.
    “How’s it going, doll? Any better than your first day?”
    Whenever he called her ‘doll,’ her legs got all jiggly. Which was not good when shouldering a tray of food. Why he could say it so casually and make her go silly boggled her mind. romantic. And you don’t want it that way, do you? Her self didn’t answer, but she was sure she didn’t.
    She tried to remember his question. “Uh, it’s okay. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this kind of work.”
    “Wish I could stay for a while, but it’s busy