One More Kiss Read Online Free

was just looking for a ladder to take it down, in fact. It was supposed to say—”
    “I was just telling Betty,” Valerie interrupted, “that the church board was discussing how out of hand Halloween has gotten, and what a bad influence her display window could be. It could stir up more trouble.”
    Betty turned to the other woman. “Now wait a minute, that’s not what—”
    “And based on my directives,” Valerie continued, as if she wasn’t there, “Betty has agreed to remove this sign and put more family-friendly stock in her window.”
    Betty clenched her fists, suddenly picturing Valerie’s conversations with Cole Anderson all over again.
    “It’s a victory for the moral fiber of the town,” Valerie said, gazing at the pastor through her long eyelashes. “Don’t you think?”
    The only thing Betty could think of was how she wished she could stick that hunk of sidewalk gum right in Valerie’s face.
    The pastor took a sip of his coffee. He looked from Valerie to Betty.
    “What was the sign supposed to say?” he asked.
    “Satin,” Betty said. “It was supposed to say, Satin is here .”
    She didn’t know what she expected him to do, then. She wondered if maybe the pastor’s eyes would darken at the typo, or if his brows would pull together in disapproval, or if he’d take Valerie’s arm and lead her away from Betty’s sinful storefront.
    Certainly she didn’t expect laughter .
    But that’s exactly what happened.
    The pastor cracked up loud enough to get geese honking on the nearby river. He threw his head back with amusement, his whole face crunched with the force of it, his eyes sparkling like Moccasin Lake in the summer.
    His laughter was booming—a cannon of power she didn’t expect. It thrilled her and made her nerves spark. She thought she could listen to that sound forever and not grow tired of it.
    The pastor grabbed hold of Betty’s arm for support. She glanced at the way his strong fingers rounded over the top of her arm, and wondered at the solidness of his grip. Her insides fluttered wildly. He’d certainly never touched her in the basement of the Lutheran church when they chatted after his Sunday sermons. Before now, he’d never touched her at all, in fact. Not that she minded. She shouldn’t be getting so worked up, but she couldn’t help it. It was deliciously thrilling.
    I should get out more , she thought to herself.
    “You’re…you’re s-serious,” the pastor wheezed, “about the typo?”
    “Yep,” she said. And promptly got the giggles, too.
    It was all over then: The pair of them could hardly stand for clutching their stomachs and losing their breath with laughter. Betty was literally crying tears of hilarity. She wiped them away only to see Valerie standing cold and stone-faced, staring at them both.
    “Are you two finished?” Valerie asked.
    That set them off all over again. It was minutes later when Betty finally felt like she could focus on anything except how crazy and ridiculous the whole situation was. Satan is here. Good grief.
    “I think the tone of this town’s Halloween festivities could use some dialogue,” Valerie said pointedly when they’d quieted down. “Pastor, if you don’t mind, I’d like to make an appointment to speak with you about this privately.”
    Her emphasis on the word privately needled Betty.
    The pastor wiped his eyes. Morning light slanted across his sharp cheekbones and ignited hints of amber in his dark hair. It made Betty slightly breathless to realize the man was so handsome. How had she never paid attention before?
    “Of course,” the pastor said, his voice slightly strained, possibly from making an effort not to guffaw all over again. “Come by anytime. In the interim, Betty, can I help you get this banner down?”
    Betty shrugged. “Maybe. Or we could replace it with a new one. Say HELL o to savings? ”
    Laughter rumbled in Randall’s chest. “ Note our new address, 666 Main Street? ”
    “ Prices are