Temporarily Yours

Chapter 5

My eyes darted from Til to Luke as they argue, sending complaints back and forth. I just shook my head and set the table while continuing to listen.

"No, you're not going over to David's tonight. I already established that tonight was going to be a stay-in-spend-time-together night a week ago." Luke bellowed.

I could tell Luke's patience was running thin by the way his arms were crossed and how his foot would lightly tap against the wood floor. Til sure was pushing him to his limits.

Til persisted, though. No surprise there. "But uncle Luke," He whined. "David and I were planning on goin' fishin' in the mornin'."

Luke sighed heavily. "Boy, you better quit your mouthin' before I-"

I cut into the conversation before it went any farther than it needed to. "Til, why don't you just  have David come over here and then ya'll can go fishing in the morning. Easy solution."

Til's face lit up. "I never thought of that. I'll go call him. Thanks, Miss Caroline."

I smiled lightly. "No problem sweetheart, now go on." 

Luke turned to me once Til had bounded upstairs. He smiled wide, sending the swarms of butterflies in my stomach into a frenzy.  "How do you do that?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it was the most logical choice to please both of your stubborn butts." 

Luke nodded shoving his hands into his pockets and then smirked. '"You'd be a great mom, you know that Caroline?"

I glanced down at the floorboards, not daring to look in his eyes. I chuckled slightly. "If I ever find the so-called one to have them with, that'd be amazing. I'd love to be a mom." 

Suddenly, I felt Luke's finger on my chin as he slowly brought it up so I was looking at him. He spoke gently. "Hey, look at me."

I glanced into his eyes, trying my best to hold in the tears.

"You'll find him, trust me. There's a great guy out there waiting to find you."

I nodded, swallowing hard. He continued. "He might be closer than you think,"

There was something in Luke's eyes that he was talking about himself as the searching fellow of my dreams. Part of me wanted to believe that, and another part of me told myself to keep away from the man with cowboy boots and a ball cap, he doesn't love you. in that sense. Just then, the doorbell rang, causing Luke and me to break from our trance. Luke quickly made his way to the door and opened it, lighting up with delight as a woman I didn't know entered the home. She had wavy, burgundy colored that was cut off at the shoulders, green eyes, and a dashing smile. She was gorgeous might I say. He quickly offered to take her coat for her before pecking her on the lips. That answered my question. Kelsie. My heart sunk, shattering as it did so, creating wounds as it settled in my stomach. 

Keep away from the man with cowboy boots and a ball cap, he doesn't love you. 

I quickly excused myself to the kitchen before he had the chance to introduce me to her. I had two hands on the sink as I bent over it, listening to their laughs bellowing from the family room. Luke, she'd whine in a schoolgirl's tone. What, he'd say playfully. A tear gently rolled down my cheek, but I was quick to wipe it away, fearing that one of the boys or the new couple would enter the kitchen at any moment, catching me in the act of wallowing in my own pain. The timer on the oven sounded, startling me.

"Is the roast done Caroline?" Luke yelled from the family room.

"Uh, yeah," I said, my voice wavering. "Tell the kids to come join us and wash up."