“Would you look at this!” Cassie ambled into the kitchen shortly before breakfast was ready to be served.

Star had been hard at work prepping fruit. She whirled around, dropping her paring knife in surprise. “Oh my goodness, Cassie, you nearly gave me a heart attack sneaking up on me like that.”

Cassie had the grace to look half ashamed for a second before she brandished that morning’s paper in front of her like a flaming sword, ready to do battle. She jabbed her index finger right in the middle of the huge picture of Lukas Millar’s face.

“It’s Mr. Millar! He’s setting up his own practice. It’s all over the papers. He’s going to make half his cases Pro Bono, for those that need a lawyer but can’t afford it. He’s also going to lend his support to the kitchen, and all because of you! He says so right here!”

“What?” Cold shock washed over Star. She grabbed the paper unceremoniously. “Let me see that.” Sure enough, the entire article was all about how the kitchen had inspired Lukas to start his own practice and changed the way he thought about lawyering. He mentioned Star by name several times, Jed and even Cassie. He promised that a portion of the proceeds brought in by the firm’s paying clients would be donated to Hope and Bread.

“See? It’s all there, just like I said.” Cassie beamed. “You were the only one he never won over. I can’t understand it. The man changed like night and day. He came in here pouty, all high and mighty and too good for the likes of us and he changed his mind. He helped people here. He’s going to keep helping. He really turned over a new leaf. What is there not to like about a man who can admit he was wrong?”

What indeed. “He’s…” Star faltered. It wasn’t like she could list her real reasons for removing Lukas from the kitchen. Even those fell flat. It had been nearly three months since he left and each and every day she spent without him was haunted. Her home was haunted with visions of what they had done. Visits with her father were haunted by the easy way Lukas had assured Andrew that everything would be alright. The kitchen, of course, was filled with memories. Every waking minute and most of her sleeping ones as well were restless and disturbed.

It didn’t help that flowers arrived once a week to the kitchen. The card was addressed to all the wonderful volunteers but Star wasn’t fooled. Lukas signed it and it was another reason Cassie and Connie and even Jed still rooted for him. It’s another reason I still root for him. He didn’t give up like I thought he would.

Cassie cocked a brow. “Maybe you could give him another chance. I know you had his hours assigned to another shelter, or what was left of them. He didn’t leave on his own. He sends flowers. He’s mentioned us and you in the papers. I’ve never known you to be this hard, Star. I think that can only mean one thing. You’re making yourself hard. Now, why would that be if you didn’t care at all?”

Star stared dumbfounded at the older woman. “Cassie!” She couldn’t think of a single thing to follow up that breathless statement.

Cassie just shrugged. She set the paper down gently on the counter. “You think an old woman like me wouldn’t notice what was going on right in front of me? I saw the way you looked at him. I saw the way he looked at you. You’d have to be blind not to notice. I’ve never seen two fools so taken with each other. Maybe instead of pushing him away and running away, you should just give in. You, of all people, certainly deserve happiness.”

“It could never work…”

“It wouldn’t with an attitude like that.”

“I can’t… I have the kitchen and my dad and Lukas is… well he’s…”

“You do have your father and you do have the kitchen and Lukas might not be perfect. Should that stop you from loving him?”

“I don’t love him,” Star protested. “I don’t even know him.”

“But you want to. And you could. If you just gave him a chance.”

Star hung her head, suddenly so very tired of fighting what she already knew to be true. Whatever Lukas was, whatever he had done, she was very much afraid she’d fallen in love with the man he’d become. Maybe he’d always been that man, buried under layers of pain and time.

“I couldn’t tell him. I don’t even know where he is now.”

“Well that’s easy enough to find out. But you don’t have to.” Cassie grinned like a fool.

“What do you mean?”

“He’s in the serving area at a table. Waiting for breakfast I guess. You could go out and join him.”

“Cassie!” Star was utterly shocked. “You knew he was out there all this time!”

“You bet I did. He’s the one who brought me the paper. He asked to speak with you. Are you going to go out there and admit what you feel or are you going to keep running and being miserable?”

“I’m not miserable,” Star stammered.

“No? Well we’ve all noticed that you seem sad. Changed somehow. We all know the reason. Go out there and tell him how you feel, even if you don’t fully understand it. You have to start somewhere. My guess is he’s willing to meet you wherever you’re at.”

“And what if it’s not all that simple?”

“Take it day by day. Nothing is simple but sometimes things can be. Trust is never easy. You just have to decide for yourself if it’s worth it.”

Star blinked hard. Already tears pricked the corners of her eyes. Her heart rate sped up until it was pounding frantically against her ribs. “I guess I’m going to go out there,” she whispered. “I have a feeling that if I don’t, he’s going to sit there all day.”

“Not a chance. We’d put him to work first. He always was a good help.”

“No when he broke a tray of dishes.”

“That we had piled up there? I suppose we can forgive him for that one.” Cassie winked. “Go on then. Go have breakfast like everyone else. While you’re out there, ask Lukas if we can have the old Star back. We miss you.”

Star rolled her eyes. “I’m going, alright?”

Cassie just winked, crossed her arms over her chest and nodded, like her work was done. Star swallowed hard. She pushed down all her rising fears and insecurities and just took a deep breath. Cassie was right. One day at a time. One thing at a time. Star didn’t know anything except that she couldn’t keep living like this. If she had two choices, Lukas in the flesh or Lukas the ghost that haunted her, she knew which one she would pick.