Free Time for Grace by Kate Welsh Page A

herself with him the other day. And ever since she’d been trying to tell herself that the attraction she’d felt was an aberration. No one felt an electric charge when someone touched them unless it was the result of plain old static electricity.
    Unfortunately for that theory, it also had happened the first day she’d met him. It was also unfortunate that there was no carpeting in the art room—nothing, in fact, that would produce the kind of friction to give anyone even a mild charge, much less what she’d felt.
    Most unfortunate of all, she’d agreed to this trip before she’d acted like an idiot. If only he hadn’t sounded annoyed when he’d reminded her that he didn’t have all day to help her. His irritation was the worst part of the whole embarrassing episode because it told her he’d noticed her reaction to him.
    And if his annoyance hadn’t made it clear enough then what he’d done Thursday made it crystal-clear. All she was to him was a charity case. He hadn’t called to confirm as he’d said he would. Instead he’d had an Agape Air secretary call her to verify today’s flight as an Angel Flight and to give her the time. Which meant this flight wasn’t even one friend doing a favor for another. It was a handout.
    Sarah plastered a smile on her face and pulled her apartment door open. “I’m all set,” she told Kip and turned back to grab her purse.
    “Come on then. The meter’s running,” he quipped with a kind smile and a gesture toward his big black pickup.
    Kip’s teasing put her at ease—a little. Maybe he’d forgotten what happened. Or maybe it had meant so little to him it just wasn’t worth remembering.
    Knock it off! This flight is about Grace, not you.
    He was flying Sarah back to West Virginia so she wouldn’t be away from her precious daughter for an entire weekend or even longer in order to pack and move her things. She wouldn’t let pride or injured feelings get in the way of anything concerning her daughter’s welfare.
    Kip was a nice man, even if all he felt for her was pity. Besides, he could have been very busy this week and his offer of help could have been about friendship. His easy smile certainly said so. She prayed that was the case even as it stung.
    Think of him as the brother you never had, she ordered herself as she pulled the apartment door shut behind her and locked it.
    Sarah followed Kip to his extended cab pickup and stopped dead when her hand fell on the passenger side door handle. Sitting in the seat was a stunning blond woman. “I hope you don’t mind riding in back,” Kip said over the hood. “Joy’s way too tall to fit back there. They call this a four-passenger cab but only if two of them are munchkins.” He grinned. “Your height qualifies you for back-seat duty today, I’m afraid.”
    The blonde opened her door then pushed open the door to the back seat that opened in the opposite direction. “Sorry. I’ve tried to sit back there but, embarrassing as it was, I got motion sick all crunched up like that.”
    Sarah stood stunned and not really thinking too clearly. Then her brain kicked into gear.
    Message received. He brought along his girlfriend and I’m just another passenger.
    She forced a smile, desperate to hide a hurt she had no reason to feel. “Don’t be silly, I’ll be fine back here,” she said and climbed in. “The headmistress at the first boarding school I went to had a favorite saying when any of us complained about something. ‘Beggars can’t be choosers,’ she’d say. I’m grateful for any help I can get if it helps me get settled quicker so I can take better care of Grace. Kip’s been more than generous with his time. I’ll be forever grateful.”
    And message sent, and received, I hope. I know my place now.
    “I told you, I don’t want your gratitude,” Kip grumbled and put the truck into gear. “Joy agreed to co-pilot. Joy Peterson, meet our passenger, Sarah Bates. Because of the cargo coming back with