Jodie's Song Read Free Page B

romance? Finding her way to love? No. Not by miles.
    Not even with someone as promising as the groundskeeper at Heart’s Haven.
    At her deepest core, Jodie longed for only two things. First and foremost, she wanted to serve her family by helping her father and thereby give her sister the means by which to move on in her life. Second, she wanted to continue to minister to others via her radio program. Anything else would be a miracle, because she had nothing left to offer after seeing to those two issues.
    What exactly would God’s overall plan bring to Jodie Cunningham? Right now, there were no clear answers, and no defined heart path to follow except her love for her family and her obligation to her job.
    Why, suddenly, did that recognition seem ominous...and unsettling?
     
     
     
     

3
     
    Admittedly, being a guy’s guy and all, the errand Kevin presently executed struck him as somewhat…awkward. However, given present circumstances, there was no way he would deny Aunt Vivian a thing.
    She was on her way to an unexpected visit to the doctor with Uncle Andy, so Kevin had been recruited to perform welcome wagon duties. He shifted a heavy, old-fashioned pie tin from right hand to left so he could ring the doorbell of Jodie Cunningham’s place. A crocheted hot pad, created for Vivian by Heart’s Haven resident and office receptionist Maria Lang, protected his fingertips from the still warm contents—a classic apple pie, made from scratch. Tiny ribbons of white steam lifted into the air and tempted his taste buds to dance.
    Light footfalls from inside the apartment signaled Jodie’s approach. Kevin cleared his throat and straightened, looking forward to seeing—
    The door came open, and there she stood. An expectant smile lit her features as she wiped her hands on a dish towel. Kevin stared for a second or two, captured by sparkling brown eyes and an underlying vulnerability, a beauty, he sensed all over again when it came to this lovely new resident of the Haven. He moistened his lips and offered a smile. “I come bearing gifts from Aunt Viv.”
    “Thank you, Kevin. It smells fantastic.” A moment of uncertainty came and went then she widened the door opening. “I’m still admiring the landscape job you finished out front. Please, come on in.”
    “Thanks. I really can’t stay, but I wanted to drop this off for my aunt.”
    Concern crested Jodie’s fair features. “Is everything OK with Viv?”
    Long story , Kevin thought, but he smiled through a cloud of uncertainty. “You’re new to Heart’s Haven, but you seem to catch on like everyone else and recognize what a treasure she is. Aunt Viv has a tradition of welcoming people to the complex with a fresh baked apple pie. She would have delivered it personally, but she asked me to help out when she was called away.”
    “That’s so sweet of her. Thanks for bringing it by. Are you sure you can’t stay and share a slice?”
    Kevin followed her to the kitchen. “I could swing it without too much trouble, but apple pie? At ten in the morning?”
    “Hey, it’s not just for dessert anymore.” She flashed him a mischievous grin that shot a lightning bolt of heat through his frame. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll brew a fresh pot of coffee.”
    A trio of tall chrome stools lined a breakfast nook that divided the kitchen from the living room. While Jodie filled the carafe and snagged a pair of colorful stoneware mugs from a cabinet, Kevin looked around. Boxes were still tucked into corners, but all in all, she had made fast work of settling in. Jodie sliced and served; Kevin continued to scope the nearby end tables and a number of small built-in shelves that featured what seemed to be family photographs.
    “So tell me about Vivian. Is everything OK?”
    Jodie tucked into the chair next to his. Flipping a yellow linen napkin open she spread it across her lap. Kevin followed suit. In unison they dove into perfectly flaked crust and dewy, crisp apples that