LITMIR.BIZ

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to Zambia. That’s where he’d left his heart. And yet the longer he was away, the less he felt the Lord leading him back.

      The truth was, for the first time since he gave his life to Christ, Logan had no idea what God wanted him to do after his late wife’s property was sold and the money distributed. So until He gave other instructions, Logan intended to put all his effort into making that sale happen.

      Pippa must have sensed he had no answer, or perhaps she realized he did not want to reply. Whatever the reason, she offered a wry smile and then nodded toward the spot where the satellite dish lay askew. “So, tell me more about your thoughts on a covering for the deck portion of the roof. Is that possible up there or would the wind make a structure like that a bad idea?”

      And so it went, a smooth transition from the uncomfortable to the comfortable. Only later when Logan had deposited Pippa at her grandmother’s doorstep did he wonder if she had managed that transition on purpose or by accident.

      “Thank you for taking the time to show me your idea,” she said as she climbed from the Jeep, her hand still on the door handle. “You probably noticed I like it very much.”

      And I like you.

      The words came so close to the tip of his tongue that he actually bit down on his lower lip to keep from speaking. He glanced beyond her to where several people were loading catering equipment into the back of a Pop’s Seafood Shack truck.

      “Thank you for missing out on the party to come along and see it firsthand.”

      Her laughter caught his attention. The wind had whipped strands of her very proper do into a more casual style. In the waning light from the afternoon sun, Pippa Gallagher looked absolutely stunning. When she smiled and offered a goodbye, Logan found himself wishing he could stay just a few minutes longer.

      “So I’ll see you at the meeting next week,” she said as she closed the door.

      “Wednesday morning. Ten sharp,” Logan said through the open window. “And I’ll have the preliminary sketches to you by Monday afternoon.”

      Pippa rested her hand on the car door and leaned slightly forward to meet his gaze. “I would hate to be responsible for making anyone work on what is supposed to be a beautiful spring weekend.”

      Logan shrugged. “Nothing better to do.”

      “No?” she said. “You don’t happen to skateboard, do you?”

      “Nope. I prefer to keep my adventure to the water.” At her confused look, he said, “Surfing.”

      “Oh. Well, surfing and skateboarding aren’t much different. You balance on a board either way.” Pippa tucked a golden strand behind her ear and, for the first time, he noticed she wore tiny pearl earrings.

      “Different enough.”

      Logan thought of the surfboard he was working on in his garage, the one he’d probably sell as soon as the property issue was settled. If he worked quickly enough and the weather cooperated, he might get a few decent days of surfing from it before it was gone.

      “You sure you don’t want to give it a try? I’ve got this thing Saturday and I...” Pippa shook her head. “Your expression speaks for itself.”

      “Does it?”

      A nod. “You’re frowning, Logan.”

      “Oh, well...” He forced a smile. “How’s that?” he said while trying to keep his grin in place.

      “Worse.” A warm wind ruffled the palms standing sentry on either side of the gate. “However, since you ignored my little incident with the umbrella, I’ll pretend otherwise.”

      He patted his front pocket where the second paper umbrella still resided, and Pippa laughed. In the distance, a gull shrieked. She looked up to spy the white bird circle and then dive out of sight behind the house.

      “Thanks for saving me from the speeches,” Pippa said when she turned back toward Logan. She seemed to study him for a moment.

      “I get points for that, right?” he called.

      “Yes, but you lose them for not being brave enough to try a skateboard.” She gave him a suspicious look. “Or have you changed your mind?”

      Logan shifted the Jeep into Reverse. “Never.”

      And yet as he drove away, Logan couldn’t help thinking if anyone could convince him to get on a skateboard, it would be Pippa Gallagher.

      * * *

      “Pippa, darling?”

      Taking the phone off speaker, Pippa rose to close the door to the storage-closet-sized office she had claimed for her own at the skate park. Outside, the afternoon shadows were lengthening, but with the first-ever skating competition being held Saturday, there were too many details yet to handle.

      Since Pippa had been forced to stay, she allowed those few kids who had nowhere else to go on a Tuesday night to stay, as well. They were now having a grand time on the ramps while she struggled to hear her grandmother. The door muffled the noise to an acceptable level.

      “Yes, Granny. Sorry, I’m at the park and the kids are making noise. Are you back from visiting Aunt Betsy?” She returned to the squeaky chair and ancient metal desk that the previous owners had left.

      “Why are you at the skate park so late?”

      “Just tying up some loose ends. The outreach is Saturday, although the kids would rather call it a skating competition.” Pippa leaned back and rested her head against the cinder block wall. “Anyway, everything all right with Aunt Betsy?”

      “Everything is wonderful,” she said. “I’m having such a great time that I’ve decided to stay here in Dallas an extra week. I hope you don’t mind.”

      “Mind? No, of course not.”

      “Will you let our contractor know? His is the only appointment I’ve not yet canceled. I thought perhaps you could tell him yourself, what with the familiarity I saw between you at the reception last Saturday.” A well-timed pause. “Interesting that the two of you left at exactly the same time. The speeches had barely begun.”

      There it was. The reprimand she expected. Or at least the beginning of it.

      “Yes, Granny, about that. I do apologize.”

      “Do you?” Before Pippa could respond, Granny continued. “Well, we can discuss that when I return. Will you just please let our Logan know we’re rescheduling?”

      “I will,” she said. “Would you like me to have him email the plans to you so you can look at them before next week?”

      “Oh, goodness no. I’ve got a great-grandbaby to play with. Why in the world would I want to look at construction drawings? And besides, I prefer old-fashioned blueprints I can touch to some silly nonsense on a computer screen.”

      “Then I’ll have him overnight the blueprints. That way you can study them.”

      “Have you not heard a word I’ve been saying, Pippa? Just handle things until I get back. Make all the decisions you want. It’s going to be your home.”

      “And your gallery,” Pippa reminded her.

      “Yes, of course,” Granny said, “but Gallagher and Company is hardly the reason for this renovation. It’s just a very nice benefit of the project.”

      “Oh? What is the reason if not to build a gallery for your art?”

      “Sorry, darling. I really must go. Bye now.”

      And then she was gone.

      Pippa opened her laptop and sent a quick email to Logan canceling tomorrow’s meeting and rescheduling for the following Wednesday, then went back to putting together the skating competition.

      A half hour later, she closed

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