Free Goodness and Light by Patty Blount

want to start something with you I can’t finish. Thanks for understanding. Merry Christmas. E.
    Yes, laughable.
    She tugged a tissue from her coat pocket, and wiped her eyes.

    L ucas shoved his phone back in his pocket with a curse.
    “Careful, man. You might scare away the customers.” Chuck Garrison crossed his arms over his barrel chest and studied Lucas carefully. “Woman trouble?”
    Luke pulled the candy cane from his mouth and snorted out half a laugh. “Yeah.”
    Chuck blew out a loud sigh, tore the paper hat off his head. “Man, that is discouraging. Guys like you have trouble with a woman, there is no hope for short and pudgy guys with an adorable sense of humor like me.”
    “Come off it, Chuck.” Luke rolled his eyes. “You’re the married deacon of a church with three kids.”
    “Oh. Right. All hope was lost years ago.” He tugged off his formerly white apron, balled it up. “Wanna talk about it?”
    Luke shot him a yeah-right look. “No. I want to hit something. Hard. You okay by yourself? I’m going to the gym.”
    “Yeah, sure. Go. And good luck with your lady.”
    His lady. Outside Trinity Church, with the frigid air hitting him like a bucket of cold water, Lucas couldn’t stop thinking about Deacon Chuck’s words. Lucas didn’t do relationship—no girlfriends, no involvements, no relationships.
    No meaning.
    His lady. Damn it, no. He had no claim on Elena Larsen. Okay, so they’d shared a kiss or two. And yes, it had damn near stopped his heart. That didn’t mean—
    Ah, hell.
    Yes, it did.
    Without the fury pushing him, his restless mind kept replaying everything that had happened the day before. He hadn’t said anything rude—though there were a few opportunities he’d let fly by. And she hadn’t pissed him off.
    Much.
    The kiss—she’d assured him it wasn’t the kiss. So what the hell happened?
    His phone buzzed again. He pulled it out, tugged off his gloves, and checked the ID. “Hey, Al.”
    “Luke, I’m sorry, but I think I messed things up for you with Elena. Have you talked to her today?”
    Lucas came to a screeching halt in the middle of the sidewalk. “You spoke to her? When? What did you say?”
    “I saw her about an hour ago. Down near Fulton. She said she had to buy groceries.”
    Lucas shut his eyes, prayed for patience. “I mean what did you say to upset her?”
    “Nothing! We were standing on the street, looking up at the new trade center. I mentioned some of the symbolism—”
    “Oh, please. Not more signs.”
    “I know, I know. But she seemed interested in all of that. It wasn’t until I mentioned the soup kitchen that she got weird.”
    “Why the hell did you tell her?”
    “That was an accident. She said you had a breakfast thing, so I thought you’d told her you served breakfast over at Trinity. I misunderstood.”
    “Okay, forget it. What did she say?”
    “That’s just it. She didn’t say anything. She just took off. Looked like a kid who just found out the truth about Santa.”
    “Thanks, man. I’ll take care of it.”
    “Good luck.”
    It made sense. An hour ago was about the time he’d gotten her text message. Lucas shoved the phone back in his pocket and took off at a run. Woman thinks she can just kiss him to within an inch of his life one day and walk away the next? They’d just see about that. If she thought he’d hit the streets just because she sent him off with a text message—
    He skidded to a stop, pulled off his hat, dragged both hands through his hair. At a slow walk, Lucas pondered his options. Walk away. Confront her. Move on. He could call Jill or—or what was that redhead’s name? Alison. He could put Elena firmly out of his head. Yes. Yes, that was a good plan. This way, there’d be no drama.
    He hated drama.
    He turned away, took one step and found Elena standing there, watching him, with that same haunted look in her eyes, the same look that used to be in his and sometimes, still was.
    She turned and