Suddenly, as if just thinking about him had conjured him up, she felt Luke’s presence. He settled himself onto the bench beside her, as he had so often in the past, slouched down, legs sticking straight out, arms stretched across the back of the bench, fingertips just barely brushing her bare shoulder. Her entire body heated from that innocent, casual touch. Katie longed to fling herself into his arms seeking the safe haven she had once found there. Instead, sitting stiffly, she waited for him to explain why he’d come.
He regarded her worriedly. “What’s up, Katie? You look as if you’ve just lost your best friend.”
She glanced over at him. He was dressed once again in the familiar, casual attire he’d always worn. She still couldn’t reconcile this Luke with the man whose picture had appeared on so many financial pages, all decked out in perfectly tailored designer suits. This look made him seem familiar, accessible. She could almost believe he was still her best friend and that nothing had ever gone awry between them.
“How’d you find me?” she asked.
“Peg said you’d taken off. You weren’t at the boarding house. After that it was easy. I spent a lot of years tracking you down every time you were hurting. You always aimed straight here, even when you were too young to drive and had to walk all the way.” His gaze searched her face. “So what’s the deal? Are you hurting now? And why was Peg in such a snit? She practically bit my head off.”
“I’m feeling guilty.”
“About?”
“The way Peg found out about our plans. That also explains her mood.”
He regarded her with obvious puzzlement. “I thought you had told her. Isn’t that how word got out today?”
She gave him a rueful look. “No, I didn’t tell her. You did.”
“Me? But I didn’t say a word, not until...” He studied her expression, then groaned. “Hell, Katie, hadn’t you told her before I showed up this afternoon? Half the town was talking about it by then. I just assumed...”
“Believe me, I know. I suppose it’s better that the news came from you, rather than some well-meaning busybody,” she said wearily. “Luke, she’s so hurt. She hasn’t said a single word to me.”
His expression turned incredulous. “You mean you didn’t sit down and talk about it after I left?”
“Not a word. She went into the kitchen and stayed there.”
“No wonder she looked at me the way she did. Why didn’t you go after her?”
“The diner was too busy,” she said defensively.
Luke regarded her with blatant skepticism. In the face of his doubtful expression, Katie hesitated, then finally admitted the truth. “I’m afraid she’ll guess. I’m afraid she’ll take one look at my face and know that this whole thing is some sort of sick joke.”
Luke stared at her for what seemed an eternity. “Is that how you see what we’re doing?” he asked, his voice flat.
“Well, isn’t it? Usually two people get married because they’re madly in love, not because one wants a baby-sitter and the other one needs financial backing.”
Apparently the bitterness she was feeling came through in her tone, because Luke asked quietly, “Do you want out of our deal, Katie? Is that what this is all about?”
“Yes,” she said without thinking, then sighed. “No.”
“Which is it?”
I want you to love me, she thought, but she didn’t say the words aloud. There was no point in voicing the impossible. It would just make an already awkward situation untenable.
“We made a bargain. I intend to keep it,” she said firmly, trying to blink back the tears that threatened.
For a minute Luke looked as if he might argue with her, but then his expression shut down. He reached over and gently brushed away the single tear that tracked down her cheek. “We’ll make it work, Katie. I swear to you that somehow we’ll make it work.”
His solemn promise only served to make even more tears well up. Katie hurriedly swiped them away before they became a deluge.
When she could bear to meet his gaze, she looked up at Luke. “Thanks for coming to look for me. I needed a pep talk.”
He gave her one of his patented, reassuring smiles. “In just a few more days, I’ll be around whenever you need me. Don’t forget that.”
“I’m counting on it.” She gave him a wobbly, damp smile. “By the way, why did you come if you didn’t know about Peg and me?”
“Maybe I just wanted to see you,” he said lightly.
Katie didn’t believe that for a minute. “Is there a problem?”
“No, there is not a problem,” he said with a touch of impatience. “I just had some time. I thought maybe we could go for a drive or something.”
It was the first time she could think of that Luke had so much as hinted at a desire to spend time alone with her. Katie was certain there had to be more to it. “You and me and Robby?”
“No, Katie. You and me. Period.” He shook his head. “I guess it was a bad idea.”
Something in his expression told her she really had spoiled what had been meant as a gesture to bring them closer together before the wedding. “We could still go.”
“You need to talk to Peg. At the moment that’s more important. I know how much her opinion matters to you.”
“She raised me, Luke. She’s all the family I have.” Suddenly something occurred to her. “Speaking of family, you haven’t said a word about Tommy. Will your brother be here for the wedding?”
“No,” he snapped without hesitation.
The curt response startled her. “Luke?”
“Leave it alone.”
Something in his expression told her to do exactly as he asked. She knew Luke had been deeply hurt when Tommy had run off years ago, but surely after
