Kyle shook his head. “You’re right. Forget I said anything.”

Good thing she seemed satisfied with his answer because he wasn’t sure how he would explain what he’d said. Just because there were people in his life who would prefer to stay hidden didn’t mean everyone was like that.

“How about we divide the list and work individually on the easy searches?” she said. “We’ll tackle the tougher ones together.”

“Sounds good. But no lists were in the file.”

She grinned sheepishly. “Right. I took the list home to work on in the evenings. I’ll get your half to you.”

He was marveling again that Julia didn’t have more dates to fill her evenings when she snapped her fingers.

“I know. I’m going to a picnic at Central Park with my sister, Charity, and her family. Why don’t you join us? I’m sure they wouldn’t mind. I could give you the list then.”

“I don’t know.” He wasn’t even sure why he hesitated when he had to admit he’d been looking forward to seeing her.

Still, as tempting as spending an afternoon with Julia sounded, there was something about her invitation that appealed to him more. Julia had mentioned the word that had meant little to him in the past but had become so critical now: family. He wasn’t ready to face his judgmental brother again, and he hadn’t gotten up the guts up to visit his parents since his release, but he still liked the idea of sharing time with somebody’s family.

“I guess that sounds all right,” he answered.

“Oh, good. It’s going to be fun.”

“Your sister’s family? Does that include her mother?”

At first she looked surprised, but then she must have remembered that she’d shared the story because she shook her head. “I’m sure she was invited, but she tends to decline when I’m invited, too.”

“Her loss.”

She smiled at that, but sadness lingered in her eyes until she perked up again. “I hope you like cold fried chicken, German potato salad and apple pie. Charity’s an amazing cook.”

“What about you?”

“If you like boiled water, I’m your cook, but otherwise you might want to consider takeout. I usually survive on frozen dinners and canned soup.”

“Nobody can be everything, I guess.” He said it as a joke, but he was serious. A Julia Sims who was also a twenty-first-century Julia Child in the kitchen might be too much for Milford, Michigan, to handle—in his part of town, anyway. He didn’t mention that or the fact that once upon a time he’d been more than competent with a sauté pan and spatula.

Fidgeting, she tilted her head to the side. “So, we’ll meet you there tomorrow at about noon?”

“Need me to bring anything?”

“Just yourself.”

“I’ll be there. I’m looking forward to it.”

He smiled at her, and she smiled back for several seconds before looking away shyly.

“I’d better get going. See you tomorrow.” With a wave, she started for the door.

Kyle studied her as she left. Why had Julia come to the church in the first place? If she’d come for her committee work, she hadn’t brought anything, and she hadn’t taken anything with her. He didn’t mind the idea that she might have come just to invite him to the picnic. It was a kind, Christian gesture for her to include him. It also beat a Saturday afternoon of him sitting around his apartment wishing he had cable.

Anyway, there was something to be said for fun, food and family on a sunny afternoon. Though he realized it was unwise, he couldn’t resist imagining himself slipping away with Julia for a romantic walk along the river. And maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea for him to become involved with a woman right now. He was looking forward to tomorrow, all right. He couldn’t wait.

“Would you stop fidgeting?”

At her sister’s voice, Julia looked up from her hands that were indeed fidgeting. In fact, the wrestling match of her wringing hands had become downright painful.

“What do you mean?” Julia asked, but couldn’t keep a straight face.

Charity frowned at her, but her expression didn’t stick, either. She slipped onto the picnic table bench across from her younger sister. “Don’t worry. He’ll be here. Nobody skips my fried chicken.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about.”

Nodding, Charity glanced over Julia’s shoulder to the parking lot. “I wondered about your plan. It’ll probably be fine, though. He’ll appreciate the effort.”

Charity’s uncomfortable expression suggested she wasn’t as confident as her words. Julia tried not to let her sister’s unease shake her confidence, not when she knew she was doing the right thing.

Rick called out to his wife from the blanket just outside the park shelter. “Hey, Charity, take a look at this.”

Both women looked up in time to see ten-month-old Grace take an unsteady step toward her daddy. The tiny golden ponytail on top of her head bounced with the effort of this new skill, but her eyes shone with excitement. The next three steps came in a rush before she landed on her diaper-padded behind. With a wail, the baby held out her arms for her mother.

“When it’s playtime, she wants Daddy, but when something hurts, it’s all Mommy,” Charity said, already off the bench and gathering her child in her arms.

“She just knows which of us gives softer hugs.” Rick grinned as he leaned down to wipe a tear from his daughter’s tiny pink cheek.

Charity glanced toward the parking lot again. “Oh, he’s here.”

Swallowing, Julia looked over her shoulder to determine which he had arrived first. Kyle had climbed out of his car and was reaching back inside it for something.

Julia took a deep breath to steady her nerves, but it didn’t help. Somehow this didn’t seem as good an idea as when she’d come up with it yesterday, and not just the surprise part, either. She’d hoped to develop some immunity to Kyle by now. She’d kept her distance for a whole week, figuring time and space would help her put her thoughts about him into perspective. Kyle was the kind of man she should be willing to reach out to as he tried to repair his life, but he wasn’t the type she could ever see socially. Unfortunately, his past did make a difference.

So why, if she realized he was a poor choice for her, couldn’t she stop these feelings of attraction she felt whenever she was around him? Even now as she watched him bend to pull several shopping bags from his car, she couldn’t help noticing how his polo shirt stretched across his shoulder.

The shirt’s deep green color would bring out the flecks of green in his hazel eyes. She wished she didn’t know that.

Glancing to the side, Julia discovered that Charity had come to stand beside her and now balanced Grace on her hip. Julia could only imagine what she’d seen because that knowing smile Charity wore was something only a sister could love.

Julia couldn’t meet her sister’s gaze. “I told him he didn’t need to bring anything.”

“That’s what I told you, too, and look at how well you listened.”

The bags of bakery goods from where she’d pillaged the local Kroger’s spoke for themselves, but still Julia explained, “I just didn’t want us to run out of food.”

Kyle started in their direction, his saunter confident and un-hurried. Julia liked seeing this self-assured side of him, so unapologetically male.

“That’s unlikely.”

“What’s unlikely?” With effort, Julia drew her attention back to her sister.

“Like you said. That we’d run out of food.” Charity indicated with a tilt of her head the picnic table they’d commandeered and then loaded with enough picnic fare to feed a small army—or at least a start-up militia.

“Oh. Right.”

Kyle had reached the edge of the parking lot, so Julia waved to make sure he’d seen them. His smile was so warm that she felt rooted in place by it with no thought of anything but staring back at him.

“Hi, there,” he said when he reached her.

“Hi.”

Kyle looked at the shopping bags dangling from his hands. “I didn’t want to show up empty-handed.”