Free Love Finds a Way by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Saturday night. Maybe Evan didn’t have time to pick Vanessa up for their date. Maybe she’d been out running errands. It didn’t matter. Lorna’s shift would be over in a few hours, and then she could go home, indulge in a long, hot bath, and crash on the couch in front of the fireplace. Maybe a cup of hot chocolate and some of Ann’s famous oatmeal cookies would help soothe her frazzled nerves. Some pleasant music and a good inspirational novel to read could have her feeling better in no time.
    Lorna moved away from the window and sought out her next customer. She had a job to do, and she wouldn’t waste another minute thinking about Evan Bailey. If he desired someone as self-serving as Vanessa Brown, he could have her.

    Determined to come up with a way to win Lorna’s heart, Evan had decided to try another recipe from his online cooking class. This one was called Bodacious Banana Bread, and it looked fairly simple to make. Between the loaf of bread and the explanation he planned to give Lorna tomorrow at school, Evan hoped he could let her know how much he cared.
    Whistling to the tune of “Jesus Loves Me,” Evan set out the ingredients he needed: butter, honey, eggs, flour, salt, soda, baking powder, and two ripe bananas. In short order he had everything mixed. He poured the batter into a glass baking dish and pulled it off the counter. Suddenly his hand bumped a bowl of freshly washed blueberries he planned to have with a dish of vanilla ice cream later on. The bowl toppled over, and half the blueberries tumbled into the bread pan, on top of the banana mixture.
    “Oh no,” Evan moaned. “Now I’ve done it.” He tried to pick the blueberries out, but too many had already sunk to the bottom of the pan.
    “Guess I could bake it as is and hope for the best.” Evan grabbed a wooden spoon and gave the dough a couple of stirs to ensure that the berries were evenly distributed. He figured it couldn’t turn out any worse than the other desserts he’d foiled since he first began the cooking class. That Lemon Supreme he’d been dumb enough to give Lorna without first tasting had been one of the worst. He’d sampled a piece after their date on Saturday night and realized he’d messed up the recipe somehow, because it wasn’t sweet enough.
    Two hours later the bread was done and had cooled sufficiently. Evan decided to try a slice, determined not to give any to Lorna if it tasted funny.
    To Evan’s delight, the bread was wonderful. The blueberries had added a nice texture to the sweet dessert, and it was cooked to perfection. “I think I’ll call this my Blueberry Surprise,” he said with a chuckle. “Sure hope it impresses Lorna, because I’m not certain I have any words that will.”

CHAPTER 10
    G oing back to school the following day—knowing she would have to face both Evan and Vanessa—was difficult for Lorna. She didn’t know why it should be so hard. Evan had made no commitment to her, nor she to him.
    When she arrived at school, Lorna was surprised to see Evan standing in the hall just outside their anatomy class. He spotted her, waved, and held up a paper sack. “I have something for you, and we need to talk.” His voice sounded almost pleading, and that in itself Lorna found unsettling.
    “There’s nothing to talk about.” Lorna started to walk away, hoping to avoid any confrontations and knowing if they did talk, her true feelings might give her away.
    Evan reached out and grabbed hold of her arm. When she turned to face him, he lifted his free hand and wrapped a tendril of her hair around his finger. He leaned slightly forward—so close she could feel his breath on her upturned face. If she didn’t do something quickly, she was sure she was about to be kissed.
    Evan moved his finger from her hair to her face, skimming down her cheek, then along her chin.
    Lorna shivered with a mixture of anticipation and dread, knowing she should pull away. Just as Evan’s lips sought hers, the