Barely Mistaken. JENNIFER LABRECQUE

into the kitchen. Ruth paused in midroll, a smile joining the other creases in her worn face. “Bless my soul, you’re a sight for sore eyes. We haven’t seen you in almost two months.”

      “Been over in Mississippi on a big job for the last six weeks. We wrapped it up early.”

      “Well, it’s good to have you home.” She shook her rolling pin in his direction. “Did you check your boots?”

      “Clean as a whistle. And you’re still as pretty as a picture.” Luke wrapped an arm as far around her ample frame as possible and kissed her weathered cheek. Although her salt-and-pepper hair had lost its pepper and was a snowy white, Ruth’s blue eyes remained sharp. He glanced at the mountain of food on the sideboard. “Getting ready for Grandma Pearl’s big birthday bash tomorrow?”

      “I’ve been cooking for three days now.” She leveled a stern gaze his way. “You are coming, aren’t you?”

      “Would I miss a chance to be held close to the family bosom? Uncle Jack’ll be three sheets to the wind.” Uncle Jack managed to get wasted at every family function and generally invite disgrace. Luke liked the old reprobate. He and Uncle Jack shared a penchant for trouble. “And Grandma’ll be thumping her cane and threatening to disinherit everyone. I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

      His stomach issued a loud growl. “Any chance of me getting some of those leftover chicken and dumplings?”

      “Guess you should’ve showed up at lunch like decent folk and then you could’ve had some.” Despite her fussing, Ruth spooned up a generous portion.

      “Wouldn’t want to ruin my reputation by doing anything decent folks might.” He accepted a bowl of homemade heaven with a grin. “Actually, I was double-checking the supply list for the library’s new addition. Our crew starts work on Monday.”

      “Olivia’s mighty excited. But then she’s worked real hard to raise the money.” Ruth and Olivia Cooper’s father claimed distant kin. Ruth resumed rolling her crusts.

      “She must’ve busted her…butt. It’s a nice addition. A new ivory tower for her to lock herself away in her library castle. How is Lady Olivia? It’s been years since I’ve seen her.” Olivia. Just speaking her name knotted his gut. He’d known thirteen years ago, she was far too good for him. When she’d pulled away and run from him as if he’d tainted her, he’d vowed to stay away. He could live without that kind of rejection. Especially when so many other girls had been willing. He’d talked to the assistant librarian earlier today, but Olivia, with her solemn gray eyes and touch-me-not air, had been conspicuously absent.

      Ruth lowered surprisingly delicate brows in her weathered face. “You’d be a far sight better off with someone like Olivia than those trashy women you’re too ashamed to bring home to meet your mama.”

      Luke shrugged off Ruth’s rebuke as he spooned in a mouthful of dumplings. So, he liked women that ran as fast as his motorcycle. He wasn’t ashamed, just never interested or involved enough to bring them home to meet his mother. “I believe your dumplings get better every time I eat them.”

      “Changing the subject ain’t gonna change the fact that you ought to stop chasing tramps.”

      “Should I chase the fair Olivia?” He laughed but somehow the idea didn’t sound as ridiculous as it should have.

      “Nope.” Ruth plunked the rolling pin down on the counter. “Adam beat you to it. They’ve been seeing one another.” She sniffed in apparent disapproval.

      Startled, Luke paused, his spoon in midair, his entire body taut with surprise and a gut full of instinctive protest. “Olivia and Adam?” He wasn’t a snob, but his family sure as hell was—it was one of the major differences that formed the chasm separating them. “Dating? When did this happen?”

      “A little over a month and a half. Maybe two.”

      “About the time I headed to Mississippi.”

      “Um-hmm.” Ruth cut out the crusts with practiced economy and draped them over two pie plates mounded high with apples and cinnamon. Her nimble fingers tucked and shaped the pastry. “Can you imagine?”

      Luke put the bowl on the counter, his appetite gone. Actually he could and that was the problem. Apparently Olivia hadn’t run like hell when respectable Adam kissed her. Thirteen years and her horrified flight from him still rankled. Thirteen years and he still remembered the sweet innocence of her lips, her brief flare of passion. “Can’t be very serious. They haven’t been seeing each other that long.”

      Ruth slid the pies into the oven and straightened, sending him a dark look. “How long do you think it takes?”

      For what? hovered on the tip of his tongue before he thought better of it. Never mind. It wasn’t his business and he really didn’t give a damn, even though the idea of Adam and Olivia nettled him, like a splinter beneath his skin.

      Luke shoved away from the counter without comment. “I stopped by to see Mother. Any idea where she is?”

      “Mrs. Rutledge headed down to the river. She’s been painting late in the afternoons. The Colonel’s in his study.”

      They both knew she’d added his father’s whereabouts, not so Luke could seek him out, but as a warning. His mother might not understand him, but she loved him fiercely. The same could not be said of his father. “Thanks, Ruth. Great chicken and dumplings, as usual.”

      “I’ve never known you to leave more than a bite of ’em in a bowl before.” A hint of speculation glimmered in her eyes. “I’ll save them for you.”

      Without comment, Luke let himself out the back door of the kitchen and headed for the path that skirted the terrace and led downhill to the muddy banks of the Cohutta River. He pulled out a thin cheroot and paused beneath the broad arms of a river oak to light it.

      “How much longer will you have to see that Cooper girl?” His father’s voice carried clearly from the open French doors of his study. Luke stilled the lighter, the unlit cheroot clenched in his teeth. Even though he couldn’t see the Colonel, the disdain in his voice clearly painted the sneer on his face.

      “Only a little longer. She’s an ice princess, but she’ll come around. I’ll put a ring on her finger if I have to.” Adam laughed in derision.

      People swore Adam and Luke sounded alike. His own mother often couldn’t tell them apart on the phone. Luke hoped he didn’t sound like a pompous ass. And he shouldn’t be so damn glad to hear Adam refer to Olivia as an ice princess. She might not run in the other direction when Adam kissed her, but it also sounded as if Adam hadn’t tapped into the passion Luke knew simmered beneath her surface.

      “Good God, I hope it doesn’t come to that. But do what you have to do. There’s a lot at stake here.”

      Well, well, well. Adam was dating Olivia because she could help him somehow? Luke rubbed his jaw.

      “At the party tonight, I’ll invite her to Grandmother’s birthday celebration.”

      What strings could she pull for a powerful Rutledge? Whatever was going on, it didn’t bode well for Olivia.

      Luke leaned against the rough bark of the tree and squelched his inkling of protectiveness. Olivia was a big girl. She could take care of herself. Luke was nobody’s hero and it’d stay that way. He’d hate to ruin his reputation.

      “What about—” The shrill of the phone, his father’s private business line, masked the name. “—Will he be there?”

      Adam’s “Yes” coincided with another ring of the phone.

      His father answered, held a brief conversation and hung up. “That was Boswell. You need to meet with his man tonight.”

      “But what about the party? I’ve already got a pirate costume and everything.” The outfit in the car.

      “Forget the party. You can get the