Luke flipped his keys in his hand. “I thought I was taking you to dinner.”
She swallowed. “You said you wanted to meet for dinner, but you didn’t say where. I thought this was as good a place as any.” She motioned toward the baby. “That way I can put Jamison down.” Was that really it? She’d put Luke from her mind, but had she really? According to her reading, often the subconscious would work against rather than in harmony with the rational mind in search of what it considered an ideal mate.
But Luke Mason was not and never would be an ideal mate. At least not for her. He was too like his brother—reckless, thrill-seeking, and driven.
She didn’t need that. Unlike her sister, she liked agendas, orderliness, and—
“Are you going to invite me in?”
Should she tell him she had forgotten about his dinner stipulation? She pulled the door open and smiled.
He stepped through it too quickly. With a shudder, she realized what Aidan would think. If he found her and Luke in the dining room, he would completely misread the situation.
“I want to go out after all,” she blurted.
“But you said Jamison—”
“I know what I said, but I’ve changed my mind.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Are you sure? We can still make our reservations at the Tuscan Grill.”
“I love the Tuscan Grill. That sounds perfect.”
Jamison banged his spoon on his highchair tray as if he agreed.
“I don’t know,” Luke said, as he wandered into the dining room. “This looks pretty perfect here.”
“It just looks that way, but it’s not.”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“It’s not the Tuscan Grill. This isn’t the apple whiskey chicken—I love that.” She bustled into the dining room, plucked the Stromboli platter off the table, tucked the bowl with the green salad under her arm, and headed for the kitchen. “I can eat this tomorrow for lunch.”
“All of it?”
“Or I can send some home with you.”
“Are you sure?” His eyes filled with suspicion. “There’s something you’re not telling me.”
“No, there’s not.”
Another pair of headlights swung down the drive.
Aidan.
“Are you expecting someone?”
“Aidan Hoffman. He’s a vet now. I left Atticus with him earlier. He’s just returning him.”
He studied her face as if trying to read her and the situation. He folded his arms across his chest and his jaw tightened.
The mudroom door opened and Aidan came in carrying Atticus in his arms.
“You leave your back door unlocked?” Luke asked, his voice thick with disapproval.
Sophie lifted her chin. “Aidan is a back door sort of friend.”
“You should keep your doors locked.”
