“Oh, a night off of cookin’? Woe is me,” she jested in a melodic voice. She chuckled then and shook her head. “Ye don’t have ta twist me arm,” said Karen with a smile. The smile died a little but not for any bad reason, merely that she was responding to him, “Aye, I will join ye.”

And then she was intent on listening to his story. Her smile died the rest of the way but there was still no judgment in those eyes of hers. So… he had a scandal in his past too. She said, “I am the last person ta judge ye fer a mistake ye made… Ye’re doin’ the right thing by raisin’ her.” Oh, how she wanted to kiss the man and reassure him that he should not be ashamed of himself as much as he seemed to be.

“I was with Harold out of wedlock,” she said in a low voice. “Aye, we married, but… I was still with him. And I… had me moment of weakness wit’ the man I almost married.” She paused and looked down at her belly, glad that she’d not become pregnant. “The point is…” she cleared her throat, “Mistakes happen and we learn from them. Thank ye for trustin’ me enough ta tell me that.”