in this case, she’s absolutely right.”
He still seemed happy, so Keira risked pushing a little more. “Will you be going back?”
“Maybe.” He shrugged. “We’ll see.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, what made you leave?”
He glanced at her, and something dark clouded his eyes. Then he blinked, and the expression was replaced with the warm smile she was growing so fond of. “I lost my way. I chose to study medicine for a very specific reason, but one day, I realized that the original motivation was no longer driving me. Instead, I was making sacrifices for goals I’d never wanted—never should have wanted—and…I decided I needed to get out. Center myself. Figure out who I am.” He laughed again, and it almost sounded natural. “I sound like a motivational poster right now, don’t I?”
“One of the extra-cheesy ones,” she replied, agreeing. “One with dolphins jumping over a sunset.”
They were passing the parsonage. Adage was home; the lights were on and a disco track was floating through the open windows. “Thanks for walking me back.”
“Anytime.” Mason stopped and tilted his head to the side. He looked relaxed, but his expression held something strange. “Keira?”
“Yeah?”
He hesitated, then said, “Be safe, okay?”
“Of course I will.”
He opened his mouth, closed it again, cleared his throat, and took a step back. “You have my number if you need anything. I’ll see you soon.”
“Good night.”
She watched him start down the driveway, then turned toward her cottage. The sun was edging toward the horizon, and Keira tried not to shiver as she wove between the tombstones.
I didn’t say anything to upset him, did I? She exhaled heavily and turned in to the cottage’s dead garden. Zoe might be misguided about many topics, but Keira thought she’d identified something in Mason. He was discontent, and trying very hard to hide it. She just wished she understood why.
A piece of paper had been taped to the front door. Keira slowed as she neared it and recognized Adage’s scrawl.
Keira,
I cooked a pie that I have no hope of finishing on my own. Would you care to join me for dinner?
Adage
Keira snorted and shook her head as she entered the cottage. People around here are too nice.
Daisy’s large, amber eyes glowed from the kitchen. Keira turned on the cottage’s light and found the scrawny, black cat sitting in the sink.
“What’re you doing there?” She grinned as she carefully lifted the cat and moved her to the rug in front of the cooling fireplace. Daisy pushed her head against Keira’s hand, so she gave the fuzzy ears a scratch. “You’ll need to have dinner by yourself. I’m sorry. I hope you’re not getting too lonely.”
Daisy flopped onto her back and stretched out, paws poking toward the ceiling. Keira returned to the kitchen and served up a fresh can of cat food. She left it beside her companion, who ignored it except for a twitch of the nose. Keira gave the cat’s head a final scratch before turning toward the door.
Visiting the Crispin properties didn’t lend much to help me solve my ghost’s problem, but I’m not out of options yet. Every town has its gossips, and I have a feeling Adage might be one of Blighty’s.
Chapter Seventeen
“Come in, child!” Adage’s voice echoed from inside.
Keira let herself through the open door and went in search of him. The house smelled like garlic and parsley, and Keira found the pastor surrounded by dirty pots in the kitchen. She grinned. “You’ve been busy.”
“It always seems a waste to cook just for myself,” Adage said as he pried the pie out of its tin. “But I really do love food, so I tend to go all out when I have a guest. If the Lord hadn’t called me to his ministry, I think I should have liked to be a chef.”
Keira took the empty pie tin from Adage and began stacking the mess by the sink so it didn’t take up so much counter space. “Why not do both? Become a TV chef who recites sermons while preparing food. Call it the Cooking Church.”
“I could see that working. ‘Add a pinch of salt, just as you are to be the salt of the earth.’ And then I could recommend accompanying communion wines.”
“You’re onto something now.”
They laughed as they carried the food into the little dining alcove. Pots of herbs lined the ledge above the corner. Adage had already set out cutlery, so Keira sat at the wooden table while he served her.
“You’ve been busy today,” he said,