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tomorrow.”
    “Excellent.” He smiled at her, and for some reason the tearoom suddenly felt too warm. “Now I’ve taken up enough of your time for one day.” Setting his napkin on the table, he rose and extended his hand. “Thank you for meeting with me.”
    She stood, too. His fingers engulfed hers in a strong grip. “It’s hard to say no to Reverend Howard.”
    “Father Joe’s the same way.” He released her hand. “We’ll have to employ their persuasive skills in our fundraising efforts.”
    She grinned. “True. Few people do a better job of asking for money than the clergy.”
    Eyes glinting with amusement, he pulled a small notebook and pen from his jacket pocket, then bent down and jotted a number with bold strokes. A faint whiff of his appealing, rugged aftershave tickled her nose, and she found herself fighting a temptation to lean closer.
    Thrown by the impulse, she gripped the back of her chair and held on tight.
    He tore the small sheet of paper from the notebook and handed it to her. “That’s my cell number. Why don’t you call me when you’re ready to continue our discussion?”
    His lean fingers brushed hers, and her heart skipped a beat—then lurched into double time.
    What in the world was going on?
    “Kelsey?”
    At his concerned query, she somehow managed to drag her lips into the semblance of a smile. “Yes. Good. I’ll call you.”
    She tried not to squirm under his discerning perusal.
    “Okay.” He pocketed his notebook and pen. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
    With that, he strode toward the front door and disappeared to the accompaniment of a cheery jingle.
    Kelsey groped for the edge of the table and sank into the chair she’d vacated, trying to get her pulse under control.
    This was not good.
    For the past seven months she’d coped with mild panic attacks in the presence of powerful men. She was used to the shakiness. The feeling of being off balance. The adrenaline surge.
    This time, however, her reaction hadn’t been caused by fear, but by an equally unsettling emotion. Attraction.
    Kelsey closed her eyes and exhaled. No doubt Dr. Walters would call this progress and be pleased. But Kelsey wasn’t. Because the man in question was here for a very short time on a mission that did not include romance.
    Rising, she steadied herself on the edge of the table and ran a finger over the soft fabric that covered the scar on her shoulder. She couldn’t let this flicker of attraction get out of hand. If she did, it could lead to heartbreak. And scars of a different kind.
    And she’d already had enough trauma to last a lifetime.

Chapter Four
     
    L uke paused at the top of the long flight of stairs that led to the lake, determined to finally watch a sunset from the beach. Based on the position of the yellow orb, he still had a good hour before it hit the horizon. And that was okay. He’d have plenty of time to eat the sandwich and chips he’d picked up in Saugatuck after his productive meeting with Dennis Lawson, the manager of the hotel where Carlos had worked during his high school years.
    He drew in a lungful of fresh air, letting the stillness seep into his pores. Only after arriving in Pier Cove had he realized how parched his soul had been for peace and quiet—rare commodities in his prior life.
    And they were his number-one priority for tonight.
    Hoisting his beach chair to his shoulder, he started down the steep flight, juggling a cardboard tray containing a cup of coffee and a white deli bag in one hand while keeping a tight grip on the railing with the other.
    Although his schedule today had been a cakewalk compared to the grueling pace and intensity of battlefield medicine, he was beat. Tension was so much a part of his life, it was difficult to relax. And that led to soul-deep weariness. The kind that sets in after too much stress over too much time. Today’s meetings, which had all involved baring his soul a little beyond his comfort zone, hadn’t helped, either.