Peace Offering

Austyn flung his phone onto the backseat. Isabel’s words lingered in his mind. He had feelings for Kira? No way. The psychologist did not have the full set of facts. How could she make a diagnosis when he couldn’t even put his feelings into words? She must be wrong. He would never love another woman in his life. His only true love died seven years ago. His heart died with her. Isabel was wrong. She had to be. Austyn’s phoned trilled with an incoming text message. It was from Elsie. A photo jumped out onscreen when he tapped on the envelope icon. Kira. She was wearing a baby blue apron and standing in the kitchen. Her long hair was tied into a ponytail. The photo showed her slender form in profile. Her head was down, eyes on the sink, where water was running over a bamboo colander filled with vegetables. Cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, and some kind of leafy vegetables. The green of the veggies accentuated the ivory white skin of her forearms. The girl looked deadly serious as if