“Me?” Her cheeks grew hot. She didn’t want to argue with Tom. “Oh, whatever.” She took a few strides up the driveway.
Tom caught her arm. “You’re not afraid of Jake and I don’t think you need to be afraid of Al either.”
“Fine.” Amie didn’t want to have this conversation. It was too close to the secret she’d tucked down deep inside.
“You heard Al tonight. We’ve known each other since junior high and, I’ll admit he gets to me, but I can tell you first hand that Big Al’s bark is all he’s got. There is no bite.”
“Except he treats his wife like crap. That’s obvious from his behavior tonight. And at Thanksgiving, Nancy said she wished she’d married you instead.”
Tom heaved a weary-sounding sigh.
“He was a brute tonight in church, trying to threaten me into thinking he was a real man.” Amie stood as tall as her heels allowed on this gravely road. “It’s you I’m worried about.”
“Me?” Tom jerked his chin back.
“Yeah, you. We discussed the ramifications of your involvement with Nancy, but tonight you couldn’t take your eyes off the little mama.”
Tom held out his hands. “What are you talking about?”
Amie’s sigh was laden with exasperation. She marched up the driveway.
Tom caught up and took hold of her arm. “Oh, no you don’t. You’re not running away from this. If you’ve got something to say, let’s hear it.”
“So, you heard nothing I said on Thanksgiving?”
“I heard everything you said.”
“But you’re not heeding my warning, is that it?”
“I’ve taken great care to heed your warning.”
Amie tried to disengage, but Tom firmly held her upper arm.
“What’s this got to do with your being afraid of men? Pushing me away is what I think you’re doing—trying to get me angry so I’ll leave you alone.”
Amie gazed at the clear star-studded sky.
“You can talk to me, Amie.”
“I’m not afraid of men. Can’t you get that through your thick skull?” Tears blurred her vision. “Now let me go.”
Tom did as she asked.
Amie jogged the rest of the way to the front door. Her tall heels slapped the wet pavement.
“There you are.” Katie strode toward her as Amie entered the house. “Where are Tom and Jake?”
“I think Jake got tied up at church and Tom is…” She looked over her shoulder, but he hadn’t followed. “I don’t know where he is.” And at this moment, she didn’t care.
~*~
Women! Not that Tom had any real firsthand knowledge of them, other than his sisters.
He stuffed his hands into his pockets and ambled back to the church. He looked in on Jake and found him still engaged in deep conversation with Mr. Tucker. The man’s wife was in a nursing home and he seemed lost with her. Some men seemed to love being with their women, others appeared to constantly complain about their women. An eternal mystery, he supposed.
Standing inside the cloak room, he rubbed his frozen hands together. He’d let some time lapse before making his way back to the parsonage. Hopefully Amie wouldn’t hold on to her anger or nurture a grudge. Maybe she was as quick to forgive as Hal had been.
Tom leaned against the wall and mentally went through tonight’s events leading up to that fateful question he’d asked. Even though she’d denied it and got mad, there wasn’t a doubt in Tom’s mind that she was afraid of men‒correction, some men‒and he had a bruised foot to prove it.
But why wouldn’t she admit it to him? They were friends, confidants, and business partners.
Well, he’d have to wait and see what happened once he got back. Just in case he needed reinforcement, he’d hang around and wait for Jake.
Twenty minutes later, the pastor emerged with Mr. Tucker at his side. Despite Jake’s repeated invitation to come over and celebrate Christmas Eve with his family, Mr. Tucker refused, adding that he’d promised his wife he’d return to the nursing home and he’d never broken a promise to her yet.
Both Jake and Tom wished the man a Merry Christmas before heading toward the parsonage.
“Is there a reason you were waiting around for me?”
Tom glanced at Jake, then nodded. “Yeah. Amie’s angry with me. I noticed her strong, negative reaction to Al tonight, and it wasn’t the first time. She reacted to me the same way when we first met. Frightened. As if I might hurt her or something.”
“Hmm…”
“So I came right out and asked her about it and she got upset. She turned the tables on me and accused me of getting too friendly with Nancy Simonson.” Tom rubbed the back of his neck. “Jake, she and I talk about everything else. Why wouldn’t she just answer my question about being afraid of men?”
“Because she’s not ready to talk about it yet. You can’t take it personally. But in the future, tread lightly when it comes to that subject—just in case there is a history of abuse.”
“I think…” Tom shook his head. “No, I’m sure there’s a history of abuse.”
“Family?”
“No. And this is just a guess, of course, but I think maybe she was the victim of some traumatic event. Maybe she got robbed by a guy in a ski mask or maybe she…” Tom stopped his speculating. He couldn’t quite get his thoughts to go further. He forced his legs to move forward.
“Amie is your business partner, Tom, and business partners—”
“We’re more than that.” Tom’s breath came out in frozen huffs of air. “Amie and I are friends. Good friends. We trust each other and, for both of us, that’s saying an awful lot.”
“Agreed, but you can’t force Amie to talk about something she’s not ready to discuss.”
“What if I can help? What if all she has to do is tell me?”
They reached the front door of the parsonage and Jake set his palm on Tom’s shoulder. “Accept Amie for who she is in the moment. Don’t play mind games with yourself because you can ‘what if’ until the day you die and go to heaven. What Amie most likely needs is her friend and business partner to walk beside her whether she confides in you about that topic or not. And let her know it’s OK if she never wants to talk about it.”
Tom thought it over and bobbed out a nod. “Yeah, I can do that.” Although it’d be difficult to shake off his ponderings about Amie’s past. He followed Jake inside the house. The smell of cinnamon tickled his senses.
“Hi, guys.” Katie strode toward them, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. “I started thinking you two got lost and needed a search party to come find you.”
“Ha, ha, ha,” Jake said with sarcasm dripping from each word. He kissed Katie, then rubbed his palms together. “Where are the girls?”
“Upstairs, changing into their nighties.” Katie tipped her head, gesturing toward the hearth. “I’ve been waiting for you to build a nice, cozy fire so we can open presents and read the Christmas story from the Bible.”
“Madam, your wish is my command.”
“That’s what I like to hear.” Katie smiled. “Meanwhile, I’ll finish fixing our supper. For dessert I made your favorite cinnamon roll cake with vanilla icing.” She gave Jake a playful nudge before turning toward the kitchen.
“See, Tom, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”
“I wouldn’t know, so I’ll trust you.” Tom dropped into an armchair. “What’s the way to a woman’s heart?”
“Ah…the very question men have asked through the ages and one no rational human being can sufficiently answer.” Jake knelt in front of the heart and prepared to light it. “In other words, if you figure it out, let me know.”
“Right.”
Tom lifted a magazine and leafed through it. He walked his thoughts back over tonight’s events, unwise as it might be. He clenched his jaw recalling Al’s shameless insensitivity toward Nancy and their daughters. Al’s behavior not only hurt them, but it was painful for their whole congregation to w
atch. Worse, Tom recognized the misery in Nancy’s gaze because he’d felt it in his heart for years, especially this Christmas, the first one without Hal, who loved the holiday as much as any kid.
He stared, unseeing, at the magazine. A sense of loss flashed inside of him like lightning. If the Lord would use him to somehow help Nancy and her girls—and Amie—then this gut-twisting pain would be worth it.
But it would take a miracle. As he was right now, a high school educated guy living in his church’s basement, no one would listen to the words coming out of his mouth, even if he spoke God’s truth.
Returning the periodical to the coffee table, Tom stared at the archway dividing the large, eat-in kitchen from the living room. And Amie…she was a puzzle. But he’d follow Jake’s advice and accept her for who she was and where she was at emotionally.
Katie called Jake to the kitchen and he left the room just as the object of Tom’s thoughts entered from the hallway. Tom stood until she plopped down on the sofa. He re-claimed his seat, hating the idea of any sort of confrontation. Yet he longed to set things straight. He sat forward with forearms on his knees.
Amie got comfortable in adjacent arm chair. She wouldn’t look at him.
He cleared his throat. “Um, Amie, I’m sorry if I offended you.”
She glanced at her lap, picking at her slacks. “You didn’t offend me.”
“OK, then would you mind telling me what happened? Everything seemed fine until I mentioned Big Al.”
Her blue-eyed gaze snapped to his. “I don’t like him.” She growled each word.
“That’s obvious.” Tom rubbed his rough chin, praying for the right words. “To tell you the truth, he’s not exactly one of my favorite people either.”
“Then why do you insist upon defending him? Personally, I think you ought to punch him in the nose.” She sat back with a huff. “Or maybe I’ll do the job just to prove I’m not…afraid.”
Tom had something to say and…well, it would drive him nuts if he didn’t say it. “Listen, Amie, we’re supposed to turn the other cheek as Christians, not retaliate. I don’t like what Al says about me. I’ll admit it’s humiliating. But I’m trying to keep the whole picture in mind. As far as Nancy is concerned, she’s a new Christian and she wants Al to be saved too. If I treat him the same way he treats me, what will that prove?”
Amie’s face turned an odd shade of pink. “Whatever.”
Tom shifted. “Um...I suppose you’d best be aware that it’s Big Al’s company I selected for the construction of our hotel.”
“What?” Amie sprang to her feet, her fists clenched at her side. “Are you out of your mind?” She kept her voice low, although she may as well have been screaming. “That...that brute doesn’t deserve our business!”
Tom rose from the sofa and swallowed hard. “I didn’t deserve God’s saving grace, but I got it anyway.”
“That’s different.”
“Maybe. But the Simonsons need the money.”
“Oh, so that’s it. You’re hiring Al for Nancy’s sake.” Arms still at her side, Amie leaned forward. “Why didn’t you just say that in the first place?”
Tom was taken aback by her venomous tone. “I thought you liked Nancy.”
“I do, but…” Her teeth clenched, Amie squeezed her eyes closed. “Oh, fine. Hire Nancy’s husband’s company if that’s your choice. Your personal affairs are not my business.”
“Affairs?” Tom didn’t care for her word choice.
“But we need the community’s support, unless a little adultery doesn’t faze folks up here.”
“What?” Tom placed his hands on his hips. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Are you accusing me of adultery?”
“It’s none of my business.”
“You just made it your business, Amie Potter, by accusing me of something irrational and immoral and if that’s what you really think of me—”
“Tom, stop!” Tears sprang into her eyes. One leaked out and made a trail down her cheek. “I don’t know what to think anymore.” Her voice sounded suddenly small and helpless.
Tom’s anger deflated. “Give me the benefit of the doubt, all right? We’re friends.”
“I know. And you’re a good guy.”
“Wow. From adulterer to good guy in”—He glanced at his watch—“thirty seconds. That’s gotta be some kind of record.”
Amie further surprised him by cracking a smile. “I apologize for insulting you. I didn’t mean it the way it came out. I’d wanted to make a point, but it obviously caused you pain instead.” She cast a furtive glance in his direction. “Can we forget what just happened and enjoy Christmas?”
“Yeah. Sure.” Tom stepped closer.
She whisked away the last of her tears with the tips of her fingers.
Her shiny, ruby nail polish caught his eye. “And about hiring Al—”
She groaned. “I think it’s a bad idea, but since I wasn’t consulted it’s a moot point, isn’t it?”
“You told me to take care of hiring the construction company, so I did.” Some of the old insecurities and discouragements came prowling back. Should he have consulted her first? Maybe she was right. He shouldn’t have selected Al’s company. “I prayed about it,” he added. It was the truth, yet it sounded so lame.
She folded her arms. “I don’t like him.”
“That’s more than obvious.” Tom met her gaze. “But Al does a good job. He’s got good references, his bid was well-balanced and the lowest, and you won’t have to see him often.”
“I suppose you’ve signed the contract.” She sniffed.
He inclined his head. “Right after Jim Henderson looked it over.”
“Well, what’s done is done. I’ll just have to deal with it.” She crossed the room, glanced out the door, walked back, and stood right in front of him.
Positioned just inches away, Tom decided she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Her indigo eyes sparkled with unshed emotion and her cheeks were heated to a lovely color that nearly matched her red blouse.
“Tom, I’ll be honest, although it sounds un-Christian of me. Al gives me the creeps. Warning bells go off in my head whenever I see the guy. I think you should forget about the—”
“You’re so pretty.” The words rolled off his tongue effortlessly.
Her eyes widened then narrowed. “Don’t try to change the subject.”
Entranced, Tom brushed a few strands of her blonde hair off her shoulder. Was there even a remote possibility… No. He didn’t have a chance with a woman like Amie Potter.
She pushed his hand away. “Will you listen to me?”
“I’m listening.” He was captivated, actually.
A moment later, she burst into a fit of giggles, surprising Tom right out of his catalepsy.
“Oh, you nut! You are just like my dad. Every time he gets me upset and I try to give him a piece of my mind, he ends up making me laugh. You look so…so…staring at me with those big, innocent eyes...”
Tom pushed back several loose strands of his banded hair. His shoulders sagged with relief, although he was baffled by Amie’s emotional swings. Though his feelings were in a whir, too. Angry, then mystified. Confident, then as insecure as the seventh grader Al picked on continually.
She sighed, her mirth fading. “We’ll work it out, won’t we, Tom?”
“I’m sure we will.”
Jake barreled into the living room, his arms filled with wood. After setting it down near the fireplace, he shook the snow out of his auburn hair and brushed it off the shoulders of his black wool coat. “It’s really coming down out there.”
“Snow on Christmas Eve.” Amie sounded wistful as she turned to Tom. “How fitting.”
“In a good way?”
“Yes.” She seemed to understand his hesitancy. “In a good way.”
Tom released the breath he’d been holding.
Katie’s voice hailed them from the dining room. “Dinner’s ready. I’ll call the girls
and we can eat.”
12
Amie curled up at one end of the sofa, soaking in the sights and sounds. How different this family was from hers. Christmas actually meant something to the Warrens.
The girls squealed as they ogled the gifts beneath the colorfully lit fir tree. Flames danced in the fireplace. Jake’s deep, loud laugh seemed to bounce off the walls, followed by Tom’s softer chuckles. In the kitchen, dishes clapped together as Katie put them away now that she and Amie had washed and dried them.
Supper tonight had consisted of homemade vegetable soup and freshly baked bread. The girls barely touched their portions, being so excited about opening presents. Jake made them sit politely while the adults finished up and Amie was impressed by their good behavior.
When at last the meal was finished, everyone ambled into the living room and waited while Amie and Katie cleaned up. With the task accomplished, Amie joined the others and now everyone just waited for Katie putting away the special dishes.
Finally, she strolled into the living room, much to the girls’ delight. She instructed the girls to sit somewhere on the floor while she dispersed the gifts, making piles for her enthused daughters. Her laden arms deposited a couple on Amie’s lap.
Surprised, Amie smiled in delight. She honestly hadn’t expected even one. “For me?” Amie searched Katie’s face.
Katie grinned, as excited as the children.
Across the way, Jake dug right in and ripped open his gift with fervor. “A coffee mug!” He held it high, proudly showing it off. “Thank you, Amie. I’ll pray for you each time I drink my morning coffee from it.”
She was pleased he liked it. “You’re welcome—and I appreciate the prayers.” Especially after her display of temper earlier. Tom must think he went into business with a fruitcake, although it all made sense to her. Didn’t it? The truth pressed in on her again. She was jealous of Nancy. And she was scared silly of Big Al. Hadn’t Tom heard the subtle threat Al made? Real man…what a joke! Obviously, the man thought very highly of himself.
Her Hometown Heart. Page 11
