bowl and serving plate had been whisked away and replaced with a new one. It wasn’t until hours later that she’d realized people were dropping them off in her kitchen.
Seth blew out a breath as he took in the disaster around them. “I should have opened the church. I didn’t realize ladies had borrowed from there to serve. Maybe I should have asked them to take them home and wash them before bringing them back.” He glanced at the bottom of a 9x13 pan to find the ministry’s name etched into the glass. “This one’s ours too.”
“Who is going to take Jesus’s serving dish home? The guilt would burn them in their seats on the ride home.”
He laughed. She closed her eyes and let the sound rumble through her. It was such a deep, comforting, joyous noise that she didn’t think she’d ever get tired of hearing it.
“What are you thinking about?” Seth asked.
She opened her eyes to meet his dark brown ones. They were warm and wonderful and brought a sense of being home into her soul. Just looking into them made her feel open and free to say what was on her mind, even if it was silly. “I think I just understood something in a new way. You know the phrase making a joyous sound unto the Lord? I always thought it referred to singing. But maybe it has something to do with laughter too.” Her whole body flushed with the confession. She turned to the tap, filling the sink, hoping he wouldn’t realize how much happiness it gave her just to hear him laugh.
He laid a hand on her forearm, his palm hot against her even hotter skin. “I’d never thought about it like that.”
She glanced at where their skin came together. He purposefully removed his hand, causing her heart to drop. Considering his background, what little he’d told her, she wondered if he’d ever had someone reach for him in love—if he understood what that meant, if he could feel that peace in his heart. Maybe it frightened him.
What they both needed was something soothing to take the edge off of the moment.
“Hang on a sec.” She bustled into the living room and grabbed his guitar off the stand. Carrying it close to her body so she didn’t accidentally bump it into the wall, she hurried back and held it out to him. “Will you play?”
“But …” His eyes darted to Mount of Dishes to Wash. “I need to help with this.”
His voice held a desperation she didn’t like, one that came from long ago. Again, she wondered at his life, his childhood, and what had happened to instill the fear that he struggled against when he got close to her. She pulled out his chair and motioned for him to sit down. “You will be helping.”
“Really?” He quirked an eyebrow at her, indicating that he thought she was trying to sell him a bushel of magic beans. “It feels like I’m getting away with something.”
She chuckled, already feeling lighter. “You’re giving me a gift. I promise. I don’t need a concert. I just want to hear music while I work. Make a joyous sound for me.”
He eyed her carefully. “What do you want to hear?”
Her heart flopped to the side and let out a sigh. He was so thoughtful, first insisting on doing dishes with her, now wanting to play whatever she asked. Your music. The kind that fills my soul with heaven’s song. “Surprise me.”
“But—”
She met the full gaze of his brown eyes and let all teasing drop. “You can’t disappoint me, Seth.” The words hung there, heavy and meaningful, like ripe fruit on the vine. She waited until she was sure he had the full measure of them before turning around to turn off the water and plunge her hands into the suds.
A moment later, Seth played one chord, soft and testing. Then another. And then a measure, loving and lifting, floated around her shoulders in an embrace. He gained confidence, and the notes melded together into a song.
At times, she could swear he played the looks he gave her. At others, she heard the sweat and strain of working side by side in the yard. Sometimes he hummed—as if there were words he didn’t quite have to give, but the desire was there.
All the while, she scrubbed and rinsed and set to dry. If ever there was an evening full of love and—dare she say it?—romance, then this was it. She’d