Free His Healing Touch by Loree Lough Page B

breath and said a quick prayer for forgiveness. “You’re acting like a jealous girlfriend,” she whispered, turning on the flame under the teakettle. And she had no right to feel that way. Had no right to judge Carole, either. There must be something redeeming about her personality, because Adam was kindhearted and good and decent. If he’d chosen her—
    “Need any help?” Marcy asked, peeking around the doorway.
    “No, but thanks.”
    “This is really nice of you, having a bunch of strangers over for dinner. I feel like Mother Hubbard, because my cupboards are totally bare!”
    Kasey laughed. “I’m happy to do it. Adam was such a wonderful host last night, and he and Wade were such good sports, even after they got all muddy getting my car unstuck.”
    It seemed Marcy hadn’t heard a word she’d said. “So tell me…what do you think of him?”
    “Wade? Oh, he seems very nice. I think—”
    “Not Wade, silly,” she said, grinning. “Adam.”
    She poked around in the freezer, grabbing ice cubes for the tumblers she’d lined up on the countertop. Considering what a fool she’d already made of herself, fussing over her hair and makeup, taking forever to choose just the right outfit to impress Adam, Kasey had no intention of admitting her real feelings to this perfect stranger. Even if Marcy did have a wide, friendly smile and big, honest brown eyes.
    “He seems very nice. Polite, gentlemanly, intelligent—”
    “You make him sound like a Boy Scout leader! C’mon, you can tell me. You like him, don’t you?”
    Kasey poured iced tea into each glass. “Well, of course I like him. As I said, he’s very nice and—”
    “Sure you like him. Everybody likes him. But do you like him?” She wiggled her eyebrows.
    Kasey simply couldn’t bear to admit that she’d allowed herself to develop a crush on a man she barely knew.
    A horrible thought suddenly occurred to her.
    Maybe Adam, suspecting she’d grown too fond of him, too quickly, had brought Carole along tonight as a polite yet firm way of telling her he wasn’t interested in a relationship. If that was the case, what difference did it make whether or not she liked him that way?
    “Seems he’s already spoken for,” she blurted.
    “You mean Carole?” Marcy’s laughter echoed from the yellow-tiled kitchen walls. “Adam isn’t interested in her!”
    “Could’ve fooled me,” Kasey muttered.
    “Hmm?”
    “Nothing.” The teapot began to whistle, and Kasey busied herself spooning honey into Carole’s cup.
    “What is that delicious aroma?”
    Kasey sighed. “Lasagna. I have no idea what I’m going to feed Carole….”
    Marcy looked in the freezer. “Fish sticks, frozen macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, and two diet TV dinners.” Smiling, she met Kasey’s eyes. “You eat like a teenager, you know that?”
    “Those are for my daughter.”
    “How old is she?”
    “Almost seventeen.”
    “Seventeen! You don’t look old enough to have a kid, let alone one that old.”
    “Well, she’s adopted. But I couldn’t love her more if she were my own flesh and blood.”
    Marcy closed the freezer door and stood, one hand on her hip, nodding. “You’re one cool chick, Kasey Delaney. I think I like you.”
    Now, how could anyone help but smile at a comment like that! Kasey flushed.
    “Want my opinion?”
    “Depends.”
    “Feed Carole the macaroni and cheese. Seems right up her alley.” With that, she grabbed two iced tea glasses andheaded for the family room. “How long ’til supper,” she said in a loud voice, “’cause that lasagna smells wonderful and I’m starving!”
    Balancing the remaining tumblers in one hand and the teacup in the other, Kasey followed Marcy into the family room. It might not be the evening she’d planned, but it sure wasn’t going to be boring!

Chapter Four
    “I keep thinking I know you from somewhere,” Carole said around a mouthful of sticky macaroni and cheese. Using her fork as a pencil, she drew a