deserved some positive response from Luke. Didnât it? But based on this reaction to the Todayâs Times crew, sheâd obviously misjudged the value of her surprise.
Unaccustomed to being snubbed, Claire felt the heat of anger rise in her cheeks.
âItâs okay, son. Thereâs time enough tomorrow to wrap up the details.â Pastor Ken stepped around Luke and covered the moment of rudeness. Ken took over the introductions, extending his hand to the newcomer.
âIâm Ken Allen, the senior pastor here.â
âPastor Kenââ She hesitated, toying for a moment with the idea of ignoring Luke completely. âAnd Luke Dawson, Iâd like to introduce Arthur OâMalley of Todayâs Times Magazine.â
Luke turned, watched Ken and Art exchange comments about the bandâs performance, then tucked his chin and inched away from the circle of light that surrounded them. When he glanced up, his lips were pressed into that tight line sheâd seen several times. Claire wanted to shrink from the aggravation on his face but she stood tall.
Ken excused himself to rejoin the council. Art motioned for the cameras to wait for him at the door and then turned to Luke.
âPleased to meet you, Luke. We got some great footage of the audition and weâd like to get a few stills of Claire and the youngsters she sings with if you donât mind.â
Luke avoided any possibility of a handshake by grabbing the contract and rolling it into a tight paper tube, as he turned toward the stage.
âNope. No time for publicity tonight,â he said, refusing the request. âWe have real work to do.â
Claire clenched her fists at his abrupt dismissal. She could wring Lukeâs ornery neck.
âWellâ¦â Art politely retreated. âMaybe tomorrow, then. I can come back when youâre not so pressed for time. From what Claire tells me you have quite an impressive setup. Maybe our entertainment editor would be interested in doing a piece on you.â
Luke jerked his head toward Art. There was no denying the message in Lukeâs eyes. He made no effort to disguise the pure, unadulterated disgust.
âNo thanks, hotshot. Use the band to help out Miss Savage all you want, but my work speaks for itself.â He turned on his heel and strode toward the mass of middle schoolers that still dominated the front of the sanctuary.
âLuke!â Claire gasped. She was embarrassed to the core by the uncalled-for surly behavior. Determined to give him a piece of her mind, she took two steps in his direction. Art caught her arm, stopping her progress.
She yanked her arm free of his touch.
âSorry!â Art insisted. His eyes were round, his palms raised and spread declaring his innocence. âI didnât mean to startle you, just let you know you donât need to bother with Dawson. Itâs okay if heâs not interested.â
She glanced from Lukeâs rigid back to Artâs wide eyes, a loud sigh voicing her exasperation.
âAnd donât give his comment another thought.â He angled his head toward Luke. âIf I got my feelings hurt over the way some people react to the press Iâd spend a lot of time in the fetal position.â
âStillâ¦â She risked a quick look toward Luke. He was engaged in conversation with the teens, seemingly oblivious to her feelings, never giving her the time to explain her intentions.
âHey, thanks for letting us interrupt your day.â
She pried her gaze away and turned to Art.
âIâm the one who should be thanking you for this opportunity. The timing couldnât be more perfect.â She followed him up the aisle toward the exit. âAny chance Iâll get to preview the article before it goes to print?â
âSorry, no. My editor makes the final changes and at that point deadlines are tight. But Iâll fax an advance copy to you before the issue hits