LUKE HAD A FEW MINUTES to help Maddie with her geography lesson before his date. She was studying the African continent and along with boundaries and capitals, she was learning about Christian persecution. He normally liked helping Maddie when he could, but this subject made him think of Ethan and all the work he did in dangerous countries, places where he could literally lose his life for his faith.

He shook his head; he had feelings for Abby, but he knew he had no right to those feelings. She would marry Ethan.

And I have to get over it.

That’s what tonight was all about. Meeting Faye Fallon had been the high point in the midst of this turmoil. Woody had coyly declined her dinner invitation, so it was going to be just Luke and Faye. He’d rather think about her than Ethan Carver. Or Lowell Rollins.

There was still a lot of uncertainty about life with another woman swirling around in his heart. But if things went well with Faye, Luke was willing to think about the future with a new woman in his life permanently.

“Dad, hello.” Maddie tapped the top of his head.

“What? Oh, sorry, Mads.” He returned his attention to her lesson.

“Did I get the spelling right?”

Luke bent to the task of checking the paper. “Let me see.” He looked over the paper and silently thanked God that his daughter was smart and she studied hard.

“Yep, 100 percent.” He put his knuckles up for a fist bump.

“Cool. Can I go play basketball now?”

“Double-check with Grandma —”

Just then Grace stepped into the room.

“Luke, you have a visitor.” Grace moved aside and into the room stepped Abby Hart.

“Oh.” He stood, heart thumping. “Abby.”

“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” she said, looking more than a little ill at ease.

“You didn’t,” Maddie said brightly. “I’m done. Aced it.” She waved the paper at Grace. “Basketball now?”

Grace smiled. “Sure. Just change your clothes first.” With that, Grace and Maddie left the room, leaving Luke and Abby alone.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

Abby shook her head. “No. But I have something to ask you. Sorry to just stop by unannounced. It looks like you were on your way out. A date?”

“Yeah, actually. With Faye Fallon.”

A flicker of something Luke couldn’t quite define crossed Abby’s face. “I’ll make this quick then,” she said. “We know most of what happened at the Triple Seven all those years ago, and it points squarely to one person. I’m going to use that information to find some way to take down Alyssa Rollins. Are you in?”