Lorie's Heart by Amy Lillard Read Free Book Online Page B

opened her eyes, and straightened her spine. “I’m allrecht now.”
    The look on Luke’s face was doubtful, but he didn’t contradict her. He merely gave a small nod and together they continued toward the front desk.
    Carol spotted them and stood, her mouth pulled into a small wince. “It didn’t go well?”
    â€œNo,” Luke said.
    â€œIt’s not uncommon for family members to have trouble dealing with a loved one’s memory loss.”
    But that wasn’t the problem. Something about her being Amish had upset Betty. Maybe since her son had left her here and gone to live among the Plain people, she blamed them for her being alone.
    â€œListen,” Carol started. “I know today didn’t go well, but don’t let it scare you off from ever coming back. Henry was her only visitor with the exception of the volunteers.”
    â€œHe was?” she asked, even though she knew it to be true. Who else would visit her? Her father was an only child. Or at least that’s what he told her.
    Stop. You can’t go around doubting everything he ever said.
    â€œMaybe you should give her a couple of days, maybe even a week, and try again. I hate to see you find her only to never see her again.”
    â€œI’ll think about it,” Lorie said, but how could she come back? She lived miles away, and she couldn’t get a driver every week without raising suspicions all over Wells Landing. “ Danki for letting me see her. I hope we didn’t cause too much trouble.”
    Carol gave her a kindly smile. “It was no trouble at all.”
    â€œLorie?”
    She turned at the sound of her name. Zach, the Englisch bu from the auction, walked toward her, surprise and something that looked like joy lighting his expression. “Hi.”
    She dropped her gaze to her feet. This day was turning out to be even more than she expected.
    She could feel Luke’s questioning eyes on her as Zach approached. But he wasn’t the only one. Carol and Amber watched with undisguised curiosity as he drew near.
    â€œWhat are you doing here?” he asked, coming to a stop just in front of her.
    She lifted her gaze to his and felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. His eyes were just so beautiful.
    â€œDo you know someone living here?” Confusion puckered his brow.
    â€œSort of.”
    â€œI never expected to see you again.” His voice rose in what she thought was excitement. But her thoughts were spinning so she couldn’t focus on more than one at a time.
    â€œI need to go,” she whispered. She couldn’t stay there a minute longer, not even for sky-blue eyes and a smile like the sun.
    Zach glanced from her to Luke, then back again. His confusion so apparent. As if it hadn’t been before. “Oh, okay. Well, maybe I’ll see you around.”
    â€œ Jah, ” she murmured.
    â€œYou want to tell me what that was all about?” Luke asked as they continued out into the warm Oklahoma sunshine.
    She could feel Zach’s eyes on them as they left. He must have stood there in the hallway and watched until they disappeared out the door.
    â€œIt’s nothing,” Lorie said.
    â€œUh-huh.”
    â€œWhat?”
    Luke shook his head. “You want to get something to eat?”
    Her thoughts were tumbling over each other, every one pushing to be the one she settled on. Her father, her grandmother, Zach . . . “What? No. Sure. I mean, I guess.”
    Luke chuckled at her indecision and unlocked the car doors. “Food it is.”
    Half an hour later Lorie found herself seated in a booth in a pizza restaurant staring at Luke across the table. “I just don’t understand how he could keep that from me.” She punched down the ice in her soda and took another drink, but so far she hadn’t been able to touch the loaded pizza in front of them.
    â€œMaybe he was trying to protect her. You saw how confused she