fly coach. After a slight delay on takeoff, Gage Brewer was in the air.
* * *
Unaware trouble was coming to find her, Cathy was in a good mood and happy. She was wearing one of her new outfits to lunch today: chocolate-brown denim jeans, a long-sleeved white V-neck T-shirt, and natural suede Chelsea boots. The sky was scattered with clouds, and the wind was a little gusty, so she’d added a leopard-pattern jacket for comfort. It was a big change from the clothes she’d come to town with, and she liked the feel of being stylish again. As for the usual disarray of her copper-red curls, she used them to finish the look—like a cherry on a hot-fudge sundae.
She had her wallet and keys in a new shoulder bag and was impatiently waiting for Duke to arrive. When she finally saw his big truck pull up in her driveway, she tensed. And then she saw him getting out, and her heart skipped a beat. Blue jeans, dark-brown cowboy boots, a pale-blue shirt and a brown leather bomber jacket.
Drop-dead gorgeous.
And then he was coming up the steps. But when he knocked, she didn’t quite pull off the casual approach she’d planned as she opened the door.
“Hi!” she said, and then winced. A little too exuberant.
Duke didn’t seem to mind.
“You look gorgeous!” he said, then leaned down and kissed her—not enough to mess up her makeup, but enough to let her know he meant it. “Are you hungry?”
“Yes, for everything life has to offer!” she said.
He grinned. “This may be the shortest lunch I’ve ever had in my life.”
Cathy threaded her fingers through his. “No need to hurry about anything. I’m not going anywhere.”
He kissed her again, and this time she reached up and wiped her lipstick from his mouth.
“Just sprucing up the Duke,” she said, and then locked the door behind her.
They were still high on life when they walked into Granny’s Country Kitchen. Lovey’s eyes widened when she saw Duke’s arm around Cathy’s shoulder.
“Hail the conquering heroine!” Lovey said. “Good job you did yesterday.”
“Thanks,” Cathy said. “This place always smells so good.”
Lovey beamed. “And thank you. The special today is baked ham with two sides. Follow me.”
Duke’s hand was in the middle of Cathy’s back as they followed Lovey through the busy dining room to a table near the back.
“Your waitress will be with you shortly,” she said, and left their menus as Duke seated Cathy before sitting in the chair closest to her.
Cathy was instantly aware that they were a new topic of conversation. Duke nodded at a couple of people who caught his eye, but ignored the rest of them. He reached across the table and laid his hand over hers.
“Yes, they’re staring, and it’s not just because you’re beautiful. They know what you did and are somewhat in awe.”
She glanced up then, smiling at a couple of people she recognized, and began to relax. At that point their waitress showed up.
“Sorry for being so slow, y’all. We’re slammed today.”
She took their drink orders, brought back some hot biscuits, butter, and honey, and then their drinks.
Duke downed one biscuit before Cathy had her first one buttered.
“I always eat the first one straight,” he said.
She laughed. “Good to know,” she said, then took a bite and rolled her eyes in appreciation. “Mercy sure can bake.”
“Agreed,” Duke said. “But you’re no slouch in the kitchen. That roast I had the other day was amazing.”
Cathy shrugged off the compliment. “I haven’t cooked in years. I’m surprised I remembered how, but I always enjoyed it. I used to make all of our meals when it was just Mama and me. Her hours at the casino were so weird that I finally took over that job.”
“Do you know what you want to eat?” Duke asked.
“Yes, the ham. It sounds good.”
“I know Hope is baking turkey for Thanksgiving, so I’m choosing ham, too.”
They turned in their orders when the waitress brought their drinks, and then talked about everything but the next step in their relationship.
While they were waiting, Rhonda Bailey and her brother, Robert, came in and were seated before they knew Duke was there.
Rhonda saw him first and pointed him out to her brother, who turned, then got up and went to their table.
“Hey, Duke, how’s it going?” Robert asked.
“Good to see you, Robert. Have you met Cathy Terry yet? She’s our newest resident to Blessings. Cathy, this is Robert Bailey. His sister, Rhonda, is the nurse who was with you in the