Child of Grace (Love Inspired) by Irene Hannon Read Free Book Online

gone too long without a date added up to hormones. Nothing more. And there was no harm in enjoying the little flicker of attraction for a few minutes.
    She took a sip out of her mug as he set up his chair beside her, and he tipped his head toward it. “More tea?”
    “No. I get more than enough of the decaf and herbal versions at the shop. This is milk.” She wrinkled her nose. “And I feel about it the way you feel about tea.”
    He didn’t need to ask why she was drinking it.
    “When is the baby due?” He lowered himself into his chair and stretched his legs out in front of him, crossing them at the ankles.
    Her lips flattened, telling him two things. This wasn’t a subject she wanted to discuss. And her feelings about her pregnancy were mixed, at best.
    A reaction that only raised more questions.
    “September fifteenth.” She gestured to the tablet. “We’d better talk about this before we lose the light.”
    Luke got the clue and did his best to switch gears. “Okay. I’m ready.”
    As she laid out her recommendations, he continued eating his sandwich.
    In addition to media interviews, she’d come up with a dozen other ideas to garner public support and spread the word about the project, including a fundraising dinner, speaking engagements at local organizations, and a clever way to generate positive publicity for companies who donated goods to the cause, creating a win-win scenario.
    When she finished, he shook his head. “All I can say is, you must have been very good at what you did in the corporate world.”
    Her cheeks pinkened as she slipped the sheet of paper back into the lined tablet and drained her mug. “It’s not difficult to be successful when your job is your life. But that’s not the healthiest way to live.”
    “Is that why you left? To get more balance?”
    She bent down and settled the mug in the sand, hiding her face from his view. “Let’s just say circumstances helped me realize I needed to realign my priorities. Spectacular sunset, isn’t it?”
    Luke checked out the sky. The sun had dipped to the horizon, edging the clouds with gold and tinting the sky—and the beach—pink. It was spectacular. But he was more interested in the woman beside him.
    “Yeah. Fabulous.” Luke leaned back in his chair, out of her line of sight, and studied her. The setting sun continued to cast a warm glow on her profile. But it also highlighted the faint lines at the corners of her eyes that spoke of weariness and worry. Apparently, realigning her priorities hadn’t erased either of those from her life. Why not? And what “circumstances” had made her ditch the fast track in the corporate world and move to her grandmother’s cottage to make quilts? Where did the absent father of her baby fit into the picture?
    The more he learned about Kelsey Anderson, the more intrigued he became.
    Suddenly, as if sensing his scrutiny, she turned her head.
    He transferred his attention to the sky at once. “I’m glad I didn’t miss this.”
    “It beats anything on TV.” With one more glance at the sky, she tucked her tablet under her arm and swung her legs to the side of the chair. “I’d stay to the end, but navigating those steps is tricky enough when the sun is shining. It’s downright dangerous in the dark.” Her voice sounded nervous, as if she’d once more wrapped herself in a cloak of caution.
    As she struggled to extricate herself from the low-slung chair, Luke rose and held out a hand.
    “You may need to switch to a regular lawn chair soon.” He kept his tone light, hoping she’d accept his help. “They’re a lot higher off the ground.”
    He waited while she considered his hand—and let out a sigh of relief when she took it. He didn’t relinquish his hold until he was certain she was steady on the shifting sand.
    “Thanks.” She sounded a little breathless as she tugged her fingers free and reached down to fold up her chair and snag her jacket off the sand.
    As it had the day of