Swallowing the lump of embarrassment, she nodded. “Well, I think I’ll be going now. Have a good night.” Turning around, she closed her eyes. Have a good night? She wasn’t at one of her mother’s friend’s houses.
Was she ever going to learn to be less self-conscious? A little bit more composed? A little bit more like her grandmother?
She increased her pace. Kept her head down as she walked by the couple on the couch. Ignored the stares as she strode to the front door, her heels once again clicking against the hardwoods, each step echoing in the suddenly quiet room.
“Jennifer.”
She paused, mentally debating whether she wanted to turn around and face Lincoln in front of all his friends or keep walking.
She decided to get the heck out of there.
She opened the door. Felt the cool breeze bite her cheeks.
A large hand gripped the edge of the door as it swung open. “Jennifer, wait,” Lincoln said.
She could feel his breath on her neck. Goosebumps rose, not from the cold air but from his proximity.
“Yes?”
“Jennifer, turn around, babe.”
Babe? She wasn’t a fan of that word. Wasn’t a fan of being called that either.
So why did a part of her insides melt a little when she heard it from his lips?
How come she pivoted on her heels right then and there, just like she had no option?
They were barely standing eight inches apart. Close enough that she had to raise her chin to meet those blue eyes. “Um, yes, Lincoln?”
Humor lit his gaze before he visibly put his game face back on. “I’m gonna walk you out.”
It was dark. There were all sorts of men lurking around his house. She might have social issues, but she wasn’t a fool. She nodded. “Thank you.”
Taking her arm, he guided her out and pulled the door shut behind him. Almost immediately, she could hear the noise level rise inside.
The five men on the porch abruptly stopped talking and watched them.
Lincoln acted as if they weren’t even there. “Where’s your car, honey?”
She pointed to the driveway, where her reliable gray Camry still sat at the end of a long line of vehicles.
“How come you parked so far away?”
She shrugged, not wanting to admit how close she’d come to turning around.
He sighed and started down the stairs, still holding her arm in his heavy hand, like he was afraid she’d dart off without him.
They stayed silent as they walked. She was doing her best not to thank him a second time for walking her out in the dark. And John? Well, who knew what was on his mind?
When they reached her vehicle, he held out his hand. “Key?”
“Oh, there’s no need.” She patted her pocket. “It’s keyless entry.”
“You going to be okay getting home?”
She was a grown woman. It was a three-minute drive back to her grandmother’s farm. The farm that was barely a mile away. So, all in all, it was pretty silly question.
But it still made her feel cared for. “I’ll be fine.” Looking up into his eyes, she smiled softly. “Now, you have a good night, John.”
“It’s Lincoln.”
“I didn’t forget.” Unable to stop herself, she chuckled at his irritated expression before opening her door and slipping inside.
Lincoln stepped away, but she knew he watched as she turned around and slowly drove back onto the main road.
She’d been the one who’d delivered a thank-you cake, but she had the strangest feeling that Lincoln Bennett had given her something too.
She just wasn’t sure what it was.
Acknowledgments
When you write a series based on a town you no longer live in, feature a ballroom dance teacher when you don’t know how to ballroom dance, and have a number of police officer and social worker characters even though you have no background in law enforcement or social work . . . well, you can imagine the amount of help an author has to have! I’ve been blessed beyond measure to have so many people give me their time to answer innumerable pesky questions.
First, thank you to Alex Napier for answering many, many questions about his work as a cop in a number of Cincinnati-area police departments. I’m also grateful to a longtime reader and friend, Marilyn Ridgway, for long ago telling me about her work as a child advocate in the court system. I’m also grateful to dance instructor Yvette de la Torre for her continued dance lessons—this time, helping me fumble through the cha cha. Yvette, you’re a gem!
A big thanks also goes out to Lynne Stroup, my first reader extraordinaire, who always helps get manuscripts in shape for the editorial team at Blackstone.
Once again, I’m beyond thankful to the team at Blackstone Publishing for taking my stories and turning them into beautiful books to be proud of. Thanks especially to my editor, Ember Hood, who always seems to find the right things to say; to acquisition editor Vikki Warner, who is always beyond kind and encouraging; and to the marketing and publicity teams, especially Hannah Ohlmann. I also must mention Alenka Linaschke who designed the book’s cover and helped bring the Dance with Me studio to life.
No acknowledgment letter would be complete without mentioning my agent Nicole Resciniti—who is everything an author could ask for—and my wonderful readers, both new and longstanding. Finally, I’m so grateful to have a relationship with the Lord. He’s blessed me with the ability to write and the security of knowing that I’ll never have to write a book alone. I’m always so grateful for that gift.