Free Leap of Faith by Tanya Stowe Page B

hair was flowing? If the braid almost reached her waist, how long would it be when it was loose?
    Zack realized he was staring when she ducked her head, obviously embarrassed by his perusal.
    “Mr. Hart said you weren’t feeling well so I brought you this.” She lifted the plate, but as Zack looked down, she tucked her hands under it so very little of them showed.
    He had his glasses, the mug, one shoe, and a dirty pair of socks in his hands, so he couldn’t take the plate.
    Zoe smiled and gestured to his table. “I’ll just put it over there if that’s OK.”
    “Sure,” Zack stepped out of the way.
    He pushed the door shut with his foot and dropped the dirty socks and shoe in a nearby basket. As he looked around the room, he began to apologize for its condition.
    “Don’t,” Zoe said with a shake of her head. “You shouldn’t apologize for being sick.” Her quick, sweeping gaze suddenly stopped on the computer. “Oh,” she whispered.
    “Oh, what?” Zack asked, coming up behind her.
    “Nothing.” With a shake of her head, she placed the plate on the table. “You should know Hart’s nephew, David, and Gabe have a challenge over whose ribs are best, David’s Texas barbecue or Gabe’s Chicago style. We’re all supposed to vote when Gabe cooks. But he says you can end it as soon as you taste David’s ribs because you know Gabe’s are better.”
    Zack shook his head. “Leave it to Gabe to get me right in the middle of something when I’m not even there.”
    Zoe smiled. “Maybe you should taste David’s ribs before you say that. Gabe may be right.”
    Zack lifted the napkin and peeked under. “I don’t know. Those look mighty tasty.” He looked back at Zoe but she had turned her head to study his computer again.
    It gave him the chance to examine her face up close. She wasn’t wearing makeup, not even on her long, dark eyelashes. She had soft-looking, creamy skin so he was glad she didn’t cover it up. He wondered once again how he had missed Zoe’s flawless natural beauty in all their previous meetings. He even noticed she chewed on her full bottom lip.
    “Is something wrong?” he asked.
    She took a deep breath and turned back to him. “Look, I know this is going to sound strange.”
    Zack had a hard time concentrating on what she said because now that she was close, he would bet her eyes were hazel, not green, and they had picked up the forest color from her sweater. Did they take on other colors, too?
    “I have a message for you,” she said.
    “More trouble from Gabe?” His gaze traveled over her lips.
    “No, not from Gabe. I have to tell you to listen to the promptings of your heart.”
    Right now the promptings of his heart told him to lean over and kiss those sweet pink lips. He felt quite certain those were not the promptings Zoe meant.
    “I don’t understand. What does that mean?”
    She took another breath. “It means God is trying to tell you something, Zack. You need to listen.”
    A chill descended through him, as if cold water had been poured over his head. He blinked then took a step backward.
    “God is trying to tell me something,” he said each word carefully, disbelief heavy in his tone.
    Zoe nodded. “You have a decision to make. It’s important that you trust your instincts.”
    His gaze darted to the computer. “Wait a minute, how do you know about the job offer?”
    “You have a job offer?”
    “Just about the best offer a guy could get.”
    “Then why haven’t you accepted it?” She spoke in a soft and quiet tone.
    “How do you—” He cut off abruptly and stepped back again. “This is getting way too weird.”
    He remembered then that Zoe had always seemed a little too “other-worldly” for him. Maybe that’s how she’d slipped past his babe-detection radar. His weirdo-detection radar had been blipping too loudly. “Look, I appreciate your concern.”
    She shook her head. “It’s OK, Zack. You don’t have to believe me. I just had to tell