Free Just a Little Faith by Amy J. Norris

favorite pair of jeans and a royal blue sweater that she knew brought out her eyes. Forgoing shoes, she decided instead to pad around in her socked feet. She hoped by seeing her in casual mode, Seb would , in turn , feel more comfortable as well.
    She opened the door, again taken away by his appearance. He , too , had gone the more casual route with his clothing, but it certainly did not take away from his attractiveness. His faded blue jeans and red sweatshirt seemed to only enhance his athletic build , and his blue eyes were as striking as ever.
    â€œWell hello there , Bash . ” He smiled at her use of the nickname. “ I hope you brought your appetite, because I think I have enough food to feed you, Rangy, Linc and maybe even the rest of the starting lineup .”
    Entering her apartment, he laughed. “Don’t worry about the amount of food. You might be surprised at how much I can put away if I have a mind to.”
    Seb tug g ed on he r arm encasing her in an embrace . “Before I forget, I want to thank you again for the invitation to dinner. I have been looking forward to this all day.”
    His warmth enveloped her . The slight scent of his aftershave filled her senses. S he stepped away from his embrace and willed herself in to the kitchen. “Well, I’m glad you’re hungry because I just realized I forgot to eat lunch. I think tonight I could even out-eat you . ”
    H is laughter rang in her ears.
    Pointing toward the den, she opened the refrigerator door. “Make yourself at home. And like I said last night, I seriously doubt t he cats will make an appearance. B ut don’t be startled by a flash of fur every now and then as they dart from hiding place to hiding place.”
    G lad her kitchen had an open area over the counter where she could observe him , she watched as Seb strolled into the den, then to her bookcase and per used the hundreds of titles on the shelves.
    â€œThis is quite the collection of books . I think you have one from every genre of literature. You didn’t tell me you were an avid reader.”
    S he tossed the ingredients for the salad in a bowl. “My dad is a voracious reader. I didn’t get his intelligence, but I inherited his love of books. Both my sisters read as much as I do. I enjoy escaping to another world in the pages of a good novel .”
    He pick ed up a picture of her parents . “I don’t think I ever thought to ask, but what do you r mom and dad do? I assume they live somewhere else?”
    Pax opened the cabinet , the sounds of clinking glasses and plates filled the kitchen when she p lac ed them on the counter . “My Dad is a history and math professor at a small college back in Alabama. He was born to be a teacher. I can’t imagine him in any other line of work. He loves to share his knowledge , and his students adore him. I think his enthusiasm for learning inspires them as well. ”
    Seb glanced in her direction. “And your mom?”
    â€œShe works part-time for a print shop doing their accounting. She enjoys the hours , and the work is not too difficult , but challenging enough to keep her mind occupied. My parents both work so they have money to travel as much as their schedule allows. They have been to almost every country in Europe , I think . They are always planning their next big adventure. Most of the time , they go with that couple I mentioned before, you know , the ones who live here . I n fact, their being here was one of the reasons I felt comfortable moving from Alabama.”
    â€œDo you get to see them often? The other couple ?” Sebastian replaced one of the books he picked up off the shelf and proceeded to kneel down checking her DVD collection.
    â€œ The Richards? We are members of the same church over in Ellisville. I try to have lunch with them on Sundays if our schedules aren’t filled.”
    â€œIt’s nice you have them here. When I moved here from San