Her Hometown Heart.

by Andrea Boeshaar

  “What is all your imagination?” Amie tipped her head and tucked her hands into the deep pockets of her blue jeans.

  Tom’s hazel eyes darkened so they appeared more brown than green. He set his arm around her shoulders. “Well, as long as you’re here, business partner, you might as well come along and find out.”

  ~*~

  The construction crew was packing up for the day. The men cast curious glances at them.

  Amie noticed ominous stares from two in particular.

  “Who are those guys, Tom?” she whispered as they walked onto the site of their hotel.

  “Keith Reider and Tyler Johnson. They’re Al’s buddies. We all went to high school together.”

  “They look mean.”

  “They’re probably hot and tired from working all day.”

  Amie pressed her lips together to avert an argument and turned her attention to the inspector. Holding a clipboard stacked with forms, the man brandished his pen across the paper with expertise. His round head matched his belly and his dark, gray hair was buzzed, except for the very top where he’d gone completely bald. Wearing tan trousers and an off-white short-sleeve dress shirt and brown-striped tie, he possessed something of a military appearance, even though he barely stood five feet five inches tall.

  He poked at piping and rattled wooden beams, scrutinized the cement foundation and cement block walls going up. He asked minimal questions. But every so often he’d paused to consider Amie, who was growing increasingly uncomfortable.

  Finally, he said, “Don’t I know you?”

  She shrugged.

  “I’m Ed Holm,” he stated, even though introductions had already been made.

  “My mother’s maiden name was Holm,” she replied, “but I really didn’t think anything of the similarity, since it’s a common last name around here.”

  He snapped his fingers. “Lillian’s daughter—Halvor’s niece.”

  She smiled, somewhat relieved to know the reason behind his earlier observations of her. “That’s me.”

  “I’m Lil and Hal’s cousin.”

  “Oh.”

  “Sure. But I’ll bet it’s been at least ten years since I last saw you.”

  She nodded. “I’ll tell Mom I ran into you.”

  “Do that.” Cousin Ed began studying Tom.

  “This is my fiancé,” Amie slipped her arm around Tom’s.

  “I worked for Hal at the filling station,” he added.

  “Right.” Ed chuckled. “I thought you looked familiar, too. Small world, eh? You request a building inspector and you get me.” He glanced around the construction site. “So, you two are getting hitched and then will run a hotel together, huh?”

  They nodded.

  “Be good to have more family up here.” Ed gave Amie a look of approval. “Well, listen, kids,” he said more soberly now, “there’s nothing here that’s in any code violation, per se, but, the workmanship stinks. Who’s the contractor?”

  “Simonson’s Lumber and Building.”

  “Big Al? Well, he usually does an OK job.” Ed hiked up the front of his trousers by the belt buckle. “Maybe he’s got a brand-new crew this year.”

  “Don’t think so. I recognize most of them.”

  “Then money must be tight and he’s charging you a pretty penny but using seconds. Look here. The quality of wood isn’t the greatest, piping is cheap, foundation looks sloppy.”

  “I noticed the foundation,” Tom muttered, and Amie had to stifle a surprised gasp.

  “But, believe it or not, it’s up to code.” Ed grinned wryly. “The big bad wolf’ll just be able to huff and puff and blow the place down.”

  “Great,” came Tom’s dismayed reply.

  Ed crossed his arms and looked at them earnestly. “You two are family. Normally, I don’t do this, but I’m giving you some advice.” He tapered his stare. “Hire a different builder.”

  ~*~

  Sitting beside Tom in the pick-up truck, Amie guarded her tongue against any “I told you so” remarks. He seemed miserable enough without her adding to it.

  “Do you have to work at the motel tonight?” She kept her gaze on the fields outside of her window.

  “Yeah,” he replied flatly, turning onto the church road. “Gotta work.”

  Feeling a case of nerves on the rise, she decided to change the subject. “I quit my job this morning, Poor Buzz. I thought he would have heart failure. And the other secretaries actually started to cry because I was leaving.” She shook her head, still amazed and slightly saddened. “They knew I wasn’t staying forever. But these past few months we got to be friends. The ladies even came to church with me one Sunday.”

  Tom reached across the truck’s cab and took her hand. “Amie, I can tell you’re upset. But don’t worry, all right?”

  She took a deep breath and chastened herself about babbling. “Are you terminating Al’s contract?”

  He dropped her hand. “I don’t have a choice, do I? I gave him a chance, but...” He paused, looking almost hurt. “I don’t get it. What did I ever do to make him hate me so much that he’d try to ruin our hotel?”

  “Do you think this is a personal thing, Tom? Maybe Cousin Ed was right, when he suggested Al’s funds are low.”

  “His funds are low, but it’s personal.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Positive.”

  Amie wanted to inquire further, but they’d reached the Warrens’ drive.

  “I’ll let you off here ‘cause I’ve got to get to work. Katie will be happy to see you and she and Jake can fill you in on everything else.”

  “Everything else?”

  Tom gave her a guilty nod.

  “You mentioned your run-ins with Al, but you haven’t told me the whole story, have you?”

  “No. I didn’t want to worry you.”

  “Worry me? It’s that bad?”

  “Katie can explain, and I’ll call on my break.”

  His eyes seemed to plead with her until finally she acquiesced with a nod. Opening the door, she jumped down from the truck.

  ~*~

  Amie watched the late-night news in the Warrens’ living room. Once the four girls were tucked snugly into bed, Katie and Jake were able to join her, so they could finally talk uninterrupted.

  “Thanks for putting me up tonight.” Amie looked at Katie, then Jake. “I suppose I could have stayed at the Best Rest in Shawano and bothered Tom all night by calling him at the front desk every fifteen minutes.” A giggle bubbled out of her mouth.

  “You could never bother Tom.” Katie gave her a sweet smile. “I’m sure he would have enjoyed your staying there. But we’re a lot cheaper than the Best Rest, and we love your company, too.”

  Amie’s heart warmed. She’d put the Warrens through as much of a roller coaster ride as Tom, but the family still took her in. Amie folded her legs beneath her. “OK, tell me. What in the world is going on with Big Al?”

  Jake and Katie exchanged a glance then Jake spoke up. “We don’t have any evidence that anything’s going on with Big Al. It’s just that certain things have happened—”

  “What things?”

  “Well…” Jake kneaded his jaw. “A few weeks ago, Tom was on his way home from work. It was about 2:30 AM and the highway was pretty much deserted. But then he noticed an old, rusty pick-up truck tailing him. Finally, it passed him, and Tom noticed there were three men inside, but he didn’t get a look at their faces. All he can swear to is that they wore ball caps of some sort.”

  “After the truck got ahead of him,” Katie piped in, “its driver slowed down and when Tom tried to pass, he sped up—even crossed lanes so Tom couldn’t get ahead of him. That lasted all the way until Tom turned onto the church road out here.”

  “Intimidation,” Amie muttered.

  “Exactly.” Katie wore a wide-eyed expression.

  “And then there was an accident at the site last week,” Jake said, “which really started to concern us.”

>   “First tell Amie about Nancy,” Katie interjected.

  “Oh, yes...Nancy gave birth to another girl. Did Tom tell you?”

  Amie nodded. He’d emailed her about a month ago with the news.

  “Another baby girl sent Big Al into a frenzy. He’d had his heart set on a boy and, I don’t know...Nancy told us he thinks fathering all females is some kind of insult to his manhood.” Jake spread his arms wide. “I’ve got four daughters, and I feel blessed.” He sighed. “I tried to share as much with Al, but he refused to listen. Finally, he became so hostile toward Nancy that this past weekend, she packed up the girls, moved out of their home, and in with her parents for safety reasons.”

  “Right around the time the accident at the site occurred,” Katie said.

  “So you suspect these two events are related?” Amie sat forward.

  Katie inclined her head.

  “What accident?” Amie’s heart did a two-step.

  “Tom got the notion things weren’t going exactly right with the construction of the hotel,” Jake said. “It’s just what the building inspector confirmed this afternoon, but last Saturday morning, he was nosing around, thinking he was alone at the site, when suddenly a generator fell from a crane where it’d been strung up for safe keeping. It nearly hit him. In fact, he’s got a gash on his elbow from flying debris and needed a couple stitches, but God, in His infinite mercy, protected him from real harm.”

  Amie folded her arms, feeling slighted. “Tom never said a word about it.”

  “He didn’t want you to worry.” Katie looked plenty worried herself. “He planned to tell you eventually.”

  “And no one saw anything?”

  “Not so. Big Al saw the whole thing. In fact, he took Tom to the hospital.”

  “Big Al?” Amie replied incredulously.

  Jake nodded. “He said he was driving down Highway 45 when he saw the generator crash. That’s why he stopped. Told Tom it was one of his most expensive pieces of equipment. Couldn’t understand how it fell from its perch.”

  “But Tom doesn’t believe him?”

  “No, Amie. And, unfortunately, neither do I.” Perched on the ottoman, Jake folded his hands over his knees. “There are too many unanswered questions, such as why was Al’s minivan near the crane? If, indeed, he’d seen the accident and pulled into the site off of 45, he would have come to a stop out in front, not around back.”

  “Are the police involved?”

  Jake shook his auburn head.

  Amie was shocked. “Why not?”

  “There’s no proof and, for Nancy and her family’s sakes, we’re keeping this quiet until more evidence surfaces...if it ever does.”

  Rising from the comfy sofa, Amie strode to the bay window where she viewed the stars sparkling in the inky dark sky. She shuddered inwardly, suddenly fearing for the life of the man she loved.

  20

  Amie pensively tap-tap-tapped the end of a pencil on the dining room table until Tom’s hand covered hers, putting a stop to her fidgeting.

  “Yes or no, Amie? We’re all waiting.”

  “Yes!” she declared at last, smiling into his eyes. “Yes, yes, yes! This’ll be great!” She glanced at Katie and Jake who were all smiles now also. “If I move in here until the wedding, I won’t have to live with my folks.” She laughed. “I’ve been dreading the move since the sale of my condo.”

  “Is that the only reason?” Tom feigned a wounded expression.

  “Of course not.” She gave his arm a playful shove. “If I move in with the Warrens, I’ll get to see you everyday—that’s the biggest blessing of all.”

  One side of his mouth hiked up. “Just makin’ sure.”

  “Well, Amie, you handled that just right,” Katie teased. “We ladies must always be mindful of our men’s fragile egos.”

  “Oy.” Tom hurled a glance upward.

  Jake chuckled. “All right, ladies, our fragile egos aside for the time being...the best reason for Amie moving in is so that the four of us can begin discipleship classes twice a week.” The humor vanished from his face. “From what you’ve both shared, I sense you’ll be bringing a lot of baggage to this marriage unless certain issues get settled before the wedding. Delving into God’s word will help you give your pasts over to Him.”

  “I agree,” said Tom. He took hold of Amie’s hand.

  She inclined her head, glad they’d confided in Jake. It became apparent this weekend that they both needed to learn how to communicate and better address their insecurities.

  “Then on that note…” Jake scooted his chair back from the table and stood. “I’m wiped. Good night, people.”

  Katie rose as well. “Am I terrible hostess if I turn in before you, Amie?”

  “Not at all.” She waved away the notion. “Besides, I won’t be a ‘guest’ for long.”

  “True enough.”

  The Warrens ambled off for the night, and Amie considered the pad of paper before her. Picking up the pencil again, she jotted down several more notes.

  Tom strode to the living room window and peered outside.

  After the worship service this evening, and just before the conversation had turned so personal, they’d been discussing the hotel and how to handle their current predicament.

  “Do you want me to call these other construction companies in morning?”

  He nodded and folded his arms. “We’ll need estimates.” He sounded weary as he raked fingers through his hair. “And I’ve got to tell Al I’m backing out of our contract.”

  “Did you get hold of Jim Henderson?”

  “Yeah, and he’s taking care of the legalities.” He turned Amie’s way. “But now it’s back to square one.”

  Amie worked her lower lip between her teeth, giving the matter more thought. “Do you think the hotel will still be ready to open before the wedding in October?”

  “I hope so.” He arched a brow. “Did those invitations go out yet?”

  “No.” Guilt stabbed her. “They’re printed, but...well, I was holding off mailing them until I talked to you this weekend.”

  Tom shook his head. “You thought I’d change my mind, when, in reality, I was just too afraid to confess my angry feelings.”

  “But that’s all over with now and we’re taking measures to correct things.” She smiled and stood. “I’m relieved. We’ve really got a chance, Tom. With godly counsel we’ll learn how to verbalize our feelings. Our whole future is filled with promise. If God is for us, who can be against us?”

  “You’ve quoted that verse before and they surely are words to live by.”

  “Agreed.” Amie smiled as she headed toward him. A bright sense of hope had been renewed in her—a far different feeling than the one she’d harbored on Friday, and the past few months. As for the situation with Big Al, she felt encouraged about taking steps to rectify it, too. She only prayed that once they’d canceled their contract with him, he’d stay out of their way for good. Perhaps he’d concentrate on reuniting himself with Nancy and their children.

  “You know what I wish?” Tom asked, gazing at the twinkling stars.

  “What do you wish?”

  “I wish our wedding was a lot sooner than October.” He moved his hands to his hips. “How am I supposed to stand firm on my convictions with you around all the time?”

  “Need a chaperone out there, Tom?” Jake called from the other end of the hallway.

  Amie laughed softly.

  Looking thoroughly abashed, he shook his head. “No, sir, I’m just on my way out.”

  “Good. I want to get some sleep.”

  Tom shook his head, wearing a wide grin. Then, after gazing at Amie for a few, long moments, a pining light in his eyes, he told her “good night” and departed, leaving Amie wishing their wedding was sooner, too.

  ~*~

  On Monday morning a thunderstorm moved through the area so none of Al’s crew showed up at the construction site. By the end of the day, Jim Henderson had terminated The Have
n of Rest, LLC’s contractual agreement with Simonson’s Building and Lumber Company; however, Tom still felt he owed Al an explanation or, at the very least, a phone call. Getting the big man on the line, he got five words in— “Hi, Al, it’s Tom Anderson” —before the profanity began. Finally, Tom hung up on him.

  “You did what you could,” Jake told him. “Now take your hands off the situation. It’s up to the Lord at this point.”

  While Tom agreed, he had a nagging fear that Al would try to retaliate. Law enforcement was aware of the situation since the crane accident, but officers could do nothing until Al actually made an illegal move—

  And they caught him at it.

  ~*~

  With her condominium sold and most of her belongings moved into a large storage facility in Shawano, Amie settled in at the Warrens’ and began to enjoy the summer. After just a few weeks, she adjusted to country living and learned to perform amazing feats, such as weeding Katie’s vegetable garden and hanging clean laundry on the clothesline to dry. Such simplicity, yet so foreign to Amie, who had lived her whole life in a bustling city. Mom had never hung clothes out to dry, neither had she cared for gardening. Consequently, Amie hadn’t given the chores much thought. But, lately, when she lay in bed, preparing for sleep, she could smell the sunshine in her linens and feel a healthy freshness in her skin that tanning booths couldn’t ever achieve.

  “You look happy, Amie,” Katie remarked one evening as they stood at the kitchen sink, washing dishes.

  “I am. I’m very happy.” And doing free lance marketing on the side kept her checkbook in the black—even with paying the Warrens rent each month, money they refused but Amie insisted on giving.

  Katie smiled. “I’ve been meaning to ask if you’ve met more people. I feel bad that the neighborhood Bible programs have been keeping me so busy I’ve neglected introducing you around.”

  “In this town, introductions aren’t necessary. Even Judy at the grocery store knew who I was. She said, ‘Aren’t you the one marrying Tom Anderson?’ And I said, ‘Yep. I’m the luckiest girl in the whole world.’ Then Judy told me she’d marry Tom, too, since he inherited all that money.” Amie grinned. “But I set her straight by informing her that Tom is flat broke—and so am I. Our hotel is taking every cent and then some.”