Free Someone to Trust by Lesa Henderson Page B

time with what some people would refer to as dumb animals, but I can plainly see when a girl isn’t ready for a serious relationship.” She seemed to relax a bit.
    “Besides, I don’t believe a man and woman can have a real relationship unless they are first friends.”
    Slanting her head to one side, she studied him warily, much as he’d seen many animals do as he tried to gain their trust. She seemed torn between bolting and coming closer. He proceeded with caution.
    “Come on…” he coaxed. “It’s just lunch. Afterward, if you decide being friends with me isn’t a good idea, then that will be it.”
    Suddenly, she laughed. That sound was as beautiful as the sound of the meandering brook trickling over the rocks behind his cabin.
    “You’re crazy, you know.”
    “So, I’ve been told.” He grinned.
    “Okay, we’ll have lunch together— as friends. I’d like to follow you in my vehicle, if you won’t be offended.”
    “No offense taken. A girl can never be too careful. At least let me drive you over to where you’re parked, especially until we know for certain that ankle is indeed okay.”
    She nodded, limping slightly as she followed him around to the passenger side of the truck.
     

Chapter Eight
    As it turned out, Megan ended up riding with Lee. Before Lee pulled the truck onto the highway he turned to Megan and asked, “Would you mind going to a place in Chatley?”
    Megan considered the request for a moment. Chatley was a thirty minute drive across the mountain; she’d never been there and thought she might enjoy seeing the town. Besides, she’d heard the drive included incredible views and she didn’t have anything pressing to do that afternoon.
    “Not at all,” she said.
    “Great,” Lee said, with a wide smile before whipping out his cell phone and punching in some numbers. Megan listened as he reserved a table for two and gave their estimated time of arrival to the person at the other end of the line.
    Lee snapped his phone shut with a grin and a wink at Megan before pulling the truck onto the road.
    The town of Chatley was smaller in size than Laurel Ridge, but just as well preserved. By the look of the quaint village, it was a hidden jewel and frequented by quite a few tourists. It boasted a couple of cobblestone streets, remaining from a bygone era. Lee stopped his truck on just such a street in front of a two-story Victorian home. The home’s wide veranda displayed lush hanging ferns, porch swings and rocking chairs, all of which beckoned anyone passing by to relax in peaceful comfort.
    As Megan walked up the brick walkway, she read the sign standing in the well-manicured yard, CHATLEY’S BED & BREAKFAST INN, HOME OF VERA’S OLD-FASHIONED FAMILY CUISINE.
    “This place is beautiful.”
    For a moment, her heart raced as Lee grinned at her. Acting only as a gentleman, he placed his hand in the small of her back and guided her up the stairs. He hadn’t kept it there beyond that time but she could still feel the pressure and the sensation.
    “Come on in,” Lee invited, guiding her with a hand beneath her elbow, through the solid oak and oval glass door. They stepped into the wide foyer of the old home and Megan instantly felt as if she had stepped back in time. Everything was perfect from the elegant flowered wallpaper, to the rich draperies at the foyer windows, to the polished oak floors with their original luster and beauty.
    Lee rang the bell resting on an antique desk which doubled as a reception stand. “You go ahead and look around if you like. I’m sure our table is almost ready.”
    “Are you sure? I don’t mind waiting here with you.”
    “Are you kidding? I can tell you’re itching to check this place out. I’ve been here before so you go on.”
    How could he discern so much about her in such a short time? How could he have known she would love a place like this? A lucky guess, perhaps. Or maybe he didn’t have a clue. Either way, she wasn’t wasting any more