She spent the next several hours unpacking, cleaning, and catching up on all the dirty laundry she had brought home from her trip. She usually tried to reserve Sunday as a day off from housework, but she’d been gone two weeks, and even though Paul had done his best, it was clear his talents lay in areas other than keeping a clean and tidy home.
While she worked, she puzzled over what she should do next about the library. Livvy clearly didn’t want her to do anything. So should she abide by her friend’s wishes?
Maybe she was seeing a problem where there was none, Kate thought. Maybe the library was being renovated or repainted. That could explain all the packing.
But it didn’t explain why Livvy was so upset. Or why she was afraid she would lose her job if she talked about it with Kate. Or why she had been so secretive, even with her own husband. And why would the head of the town council be coming in repeatedly to harass Livvy, as it sounded like he’d been doing?
Kate had a very bad feeling about the whole situation. She had learned to heed her intuition, and right now her intuition was shouting at her to figure out what was going on.
Paul came home as she was breading a couple of boneless chicken breasts dipped in honey-mustard sauce. She heard his truck pull into the driveway, and moments later, the door shut behind him. She looked up, smiling, as he came into the kitchen.
“Hi, honey. What’s for dinner?”
Kate indicated the chicken, which she was just sliding into the oven. “Chick—” She stopped short, taking in her husband’s appearance. “Paul Hanlon, what on earth have you been doing? You’re fried!
And indeed he was. Paul was wearing a pair of his oldest jeans and a T-shirt. Both were filthy. His face, exposed arms, and neck all were so red, he nearly glowed.
“How did you get so sunburned?” she asked.
Paul lifted one hand to his neck for a moment. “I was working on a roof,” he said in a nonchalant tone.
“A roof!”
He nodded. “Lucas Gregory called the day after you left. He asked if Faith Briar would like to be included in a multichurch building-repair effort. First Baptist and the Presbyterian church are also getting involved.”
Kate smiled. Lucas was an Episcopalian priest and one of Paul’s good friends. “What are you repairing?”
“There’s a family named Pellman out in Skunk Hollow—”
“Where?” She couldn’t hold back the laugh that bubbled up.
“Skunk Hollow. It’s an area just past the Ash Grove Campground. In fact, the road that runs through there is called Skunk Hollow Trail.”
Kate shook her head, chuckling. “Anyway, go on. You were telling me about the Pellman family. Wait!” She threw up a hand in a “stop” gesture. “I just met a woman named Louisa Pellman today at the library.”
Paul nodded. “I heard she was volunteering there.”
“So how do you know her?” As far as Kate could remember, she had never heard Paul mention the woman’s name.
“I didn’t. Lucas knew her, and she’s the lady whose roof we’re repairing.”
“So this is the project you mentioned yesterday.”
On the way home from the airport, Kate had done most of the talking, but Paul had told her that he was involved in a big project he would tell her about later.
Kate studied her husband. “That explains the sunburn.”
“Mrs. Pellman’s roof is in terrible condition,” Paul said, “The house needed some structural repairs that she just couldn’t afford.” He raised a hand, index finger extended upward in a “hold on one minute” gesture, when Kate started to speak again. “St. Lucy’s, First Baptist, the Presbyterians, and Faith Briar are all working together to reroof the home. We’ve organized four different teams that take turns working.”
Kate didn’t feel much better. “Don’t all these people have to work?”
Paul shook his head. “We all agreed to take a week of our own vacation time.”
“There are a lot of generous hearts in this little town.” Kate was warmed by the story.
“Very generous,” Paul agreed. “Several people at St. Lucy’s chipped in to buy some insulated windows, which are also being installed. And Lucas has been thrilled with all the volunteers who’ve stepped up.”
“So your sunburn is from working on Louisa Pellman’s roof.” Kate suddenly felt anxiety rise inside her. “Paul, what do you know about roofing? Thinking of you that high off the ground makes me a little nervous.”
“I don’t have to know a whole lot,” he assured her. “Drew Mears from First Baptist works for a roofing contractor in Pine Ridge, so he’s the crew chief. Ephraim Dresser from the Presbyterian church volunteered to take over the chairmanship. Between the two of them, they’ve got us and the materials organized.”
“Who else is helping from our congregation?”
“Each church provided a five-man team. Ours includes Carl Wilson, Sam Gorman, Eli Weston—Eli was in construction, remember?—Joe Tucker, and me.”
Kate reached into the fridge for the lettuce to make a salad. “Joe was also in construction when he was younger, wasn’t he?”
“Yes. Both he and Sam worked for the same company. And even though Carl’s a mechanic, he and I figured we can follow directions as well as the next guy.”
“When did you start all this?” she asked while chopping tomatoes.
“Last week,” Paul told her. “I spoke to the church about it last Sunday while you were away, and those fellows volunteered. We got organized and started later in the week.”
Kate was impressed. “You’ve moved pretty quickly.”
“Our goal is to get the roof done by next weekend.”
“Is that reasonable?”
“Drew Mears thinks so, especially if we’re working in four shifts.”
“That’s exciting. But you need to start wearing sunscreen,” Kate told him.
“I know.” Paul grimaced. “Before I picked you up in Chattanooga, I bought a big straw hat with a wide brim. That should help too.” He stepped forward as if he intended to kiss her, then halted and looked down at himself. “I’d better go shower and change.”
Kate chuckled. “You’d better.”
OVER DINNER, Kate filled Paul in on the very little she had learned during her trip to the library. “So the library definitely is closed,” she concluded. “But I have no idea why, and no one knows when—or if—it might open again.”
“Are you going back?” Paul asked.
Kate’s eyebrows rose as she looked up at her husband, who resembled a very large lobster at the moment. “Of course,” she said simply. “Livvy’s my best friend, and she’s hurting. I have to help.”
Paul put an arm around her and gave her a warm hug. “That’s my Katie.” He withdrew his keys from his pocket and jingled them. “Why don’t we go over to Emma’s and get an ice-cream cone? It can be sort of a ‘welcome home’ celebration.”
Kate regarded him with amusement. “You just want an excuse to indulge that sweet tooth, honey.”
“You caught me.” Paul grinned.
“I always do,” Kate said with a sassy smile as she grabbed her handbag and preceded him into the garage, where they climbed into Kate’s Accord and set off for town.
As they drove, Paul turned on the radio and tuned in to a local station just in time to hear the weather forecast.
“There’s a chance of severe thunderstorms again tonight, folks,” the announcer said. “And until 10:00 PM, the National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for Harrington County. So keep your eye on the sky and be careful out there.”
With a sense of dread, Kate remembered some of the high winds and hail that had accompanied other storms that year. She did not want to be caught in a car during one of those. “Tornado season is supposed to be in the spring,” she grumbled.
“That’s true,” Paul said, “but summer storms have spawned some pretty devastating tornadoes. The chance of a tornado coming through Copper Mill is pretty
remote, though.”
“Any chance at all makes me nervous,” Kate told him. Neither of them had ever been close to a tornado, despite their years in Texas, and Kate was happy to keep it that way.
Chapter Three
Paul parked in front of the Mercantile on Main Street a short distance from the ice-cream shop. Kate looked down the street toward the library. “I wonder if she’s sleeping at all,” Kate said sadly.
“I hope so,” Paul said in a sober tone, seeming to know exactly who “she” was.
They walked toward Emma’s in silence. Kate was trying to make sense of what she’d seen and heard earlier that day. The sun was setting, although it was still so hot that she felt sticky and sweaty within moments.
Finally Paul broke the silence. “I can’t believe Danny didn’t tell me about the library closing. If I’ve seen him once, I’ve seen him ten times in the past week. We had a basketball game one night and a meeting of the church board. And I ran into him at the Elks’ cookout...” His voice trailed off.
“No one knew anything was wrong until Friday,” Kate reminded her husband. “Livvy has my cell-phone number, and I had the phone with me through my whole trip. I can’t believe she didn’t call me.” But even as she spoke, she recalled Livvy’s trembling voice and shaking hands. And the words she had whispered: I can’t talk to you about this. I could lose my job.
Livvy had really looked afraid. Had Tosten Glass or someone else actually threatened her with the loss of her job? If so, Kate realized she had to be extremely cautious about what she said.
She felt a little odd not sharing her thoughts with Paul. They had been partners for nearly thirty years, and she rarely kept things from him, except perhaps for the occasional surprise birthday party or something she wasn’t ready to discuss.
And yet until she knew more about Livvy’s situation, Kate felt that it was Livvy’s secret to keep.
“I just don’t understand this. The library is a public building,” Paul said. “It’s paid for with our local taxes. Makes me wonder exactly why it’s closed and how long it will stay that way.”
Kate’s mind was still on Livvy’s dramatic statement. Was it really possible that someone had told her she could lose her job? Who would have the authority to fire her? The obvious answer, she realized, was the town council, which hired and terminated all public employees. Including the head librarian. She thought of what Morty had said about Tosten Glass’s meetings with Livvy.
“Paul?” Kate spoke carefully. “Do you know Tosten Glass?”
“I’ve been introduced to him,” Paul said. “But I’ve never had more than the most superficial contact with the man. Why?”
Kate sighed. “Oh, just something Morty mentioned when I was at the library.”
Paul tapped his chin. “I do know that he’s not running for town council again, even though he’s still eligible. I didn’t hear a reason, though. I thought that was rather odd. He struck me as the sort of person who would...enjoy public office.”
Reading between the lines, Kate surmised that Paul was trying to say that Tosten Glass liked the power that an elected office gave him.
Paul paused and opened the door for Kate as they reached Emma’s. “Are you going to help pack up books tomorrow?”
Kate nodded. “Yes. I might learn more about this.”
“Well, hello, Hanlons!” Emma called as they stepped into the air-conditioned ice-cream parlor. “Welcome home, Kate. Did you have a good trip?”
“Thanks, Emma,” Kate said with a small wave. “It was terrific.”
Emma Blount, the proprietor of Emma’s Ice Cream Shop, wore a blouse covered in eye-popping yellow daisies. Kate sometimes wondered what it looked like inside Emma’s closet. The gray-haired woman rarely wore other colors, and Kate had visions of an explosion of golden light blasting out of Emma’s closet anytime the door was opened.
Glancing around, Kate noted that five of the six round ice-cream-parlor-style tables were occupied. Emma’s was a popular place for families on a summer evening, and the teen population of Copper Mill also found it a good place to hang out. As they made their way to the marble counter, Kate and Paul exchanged greetings with several kids from Faith Briar’s youth group.
“How are you two?” Emma asked as they neared her.
“Doing fine, Emma,” Paul said when they reached the counter. “How’s your mother?” To Kate, he said, “Ada caught a cold last week.”
“She’s coming along,” Emma said, her sallow face lighting up. “Thought she was starting a sinus infection, but antibiotics seem to be helping. Thanks for asking.” Emma’s mother, Ada, was ninety-two years old and suffered from Alzheimer’s. Emma cared for her at home, and Kate often wondered how she juggled it along with managing the ice-cream parlor.
“Please tell her we’ll keep her in our prayers,” Kate said.
“I surely will.” Emma pointed to a handwritten sign posted just below the list of ice-cream flavors. “What do you fancy tonight? Got a new house special. First time I’ve made it, but I think it’s delicious.”
“Chocolate-cherry marshmallow,” Paul read out loud. “Hmm. I love chocolate-covered cherries. I think I’ll try it, Emma.”
“Cup or cone?” Emma didn’t waste time getting Paul’s treat ready.
Kate ordered a cone of lime sherbet. The cool fruity delight might just keep her from melting, she thought.
As Emma handed her the cone, she said, “Do y’all know what’s going on at the library?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. I just saw the sign today.” Kate took a quick lick to keep her sherbet from dripping.
Emma huffed out an annoyed breath. “Wonder how long it’ll be closed? I got some books on tape for my mother, and she’s finished with them. I need to get new ones.”
Kate gave Emma a sympathetic smile.
Paul paid for their treats, then he and Kate said their good-byes as they exited the shop.
“At least we aren’t the only ones in the dark,” Paul commented.
“I almost wish we were,” Kate said. “It really seems fishy to me that no one has heard anything about this.”
“It does,” Paul agreed.
Kate took another lick of her sherbet. “Is it just me, or has this heat gotten even worse? It feels like someone laid a wet blanket over me...after I got in a sauna.”
“It is worse,” Paul agreed. “Look over there.” He pointed up at the surrounding mountains, visible even above the buildings of the town.
Kate looked just in time to see a jagged spear of lightning flash. After a significant pause, there was a faint, distant rumble. “That’s not heat lightning.”
“No,” Paul said, “but it’s nowhere near us.”
Just then a voice called, “Hey, Paul. Kate. Hello!”
Kate turned at the same time Paul did.
The voice belonged to Sam Gorman, one of Paul’s close friends and the owner of the Mercantile, which they were just approaching. Sam was the organist and choir director at Faith Briar, although watching his stocky figure plow toward them, Kate still found it incongruous that someone with hands the size of small hams could make such beautiful music.
“What are you doing at the store?” Paul asked after he had greeted his buddy. He consulted his watch. “It’s almost seven o’clock on a Sunday evening.”
“Just packing up a few nonperishables for my homebound folks,” Sam replied. “Then I can make those deliveries first thing in the morning.”
Kate thought it was incredibly sweet of Sam to take groceries to some of the people who were unable to come down to the store. Only in a small town, she thought.
“Hey, Kate, we missed your voice in the choir,” Sam told her. “It was good to have you back this morning.”
“It’s good to be home,” Kate responded.
Sam’s smile faded. “Have you heard the news about the library closing?”
Kate nodded. “I have, although details seem to be sparse.”
“It
’s big news,” Sam said. “I just heard about it Friday. I was shocked out of my shoes when Livvy came in and bought all the moving boxes I had and then asked me to order about a million more.”
“I bet,” Kate said. “I was pretty shocked when I saw the notice about it being closed.”
“It sure is going to feel different downtown without the library,” Sam said. “I hope it doesn’t take too long to do whatever it is they’re doing.” He shook his head again. “Well, I gotta get going. See you, Kate. Bye, Paul.”
“Good-bye, Sam,” they said together. Then they looked at each other and laughed.
They stopped to finish their treats before getting back into the car. Kate noticed that the lights were still on in the library. She worried that Livvy was going to make herself sick trying to keep up this pace.
Kate was about to open her car door when a movement caught her eye.
A boy was sprawled in the grass of the diminutive library lawn, one hand outstretched, holding out peanuts. About five feet away, a small squirrel hovered near the base of a black oak tree, eyeing the peanut and the boy.
Kate put out a hand to signal Paul. They walked on across the street and stopped to watch.
The squirrel crept halfway across the space between the tree and the boy. Then it stopped, its plumed tail twitching, and darted back to the tree. Twice more, it repeated the process, each time getting a little closer. Finally, on the fourth foray, the squirrel lunged forward, snagged the peanut, and raced back to the tree in a split second.
The boy giggled.
Kate caught her breath. “Are you okay?” she called to the boy. “Wild animals can carry rabies, you know.”
He smiled as he sat up. “Squirrels rarely carry rabies. They’re rodents, and rodents have never been known to cause a case of rabies in the United States. Also, the most common method of rabies transmission is a bite, and I’ve never been bitten by a squirrel.”
Kate’s mouth fell open as she and Paul both stared at the child. He sounded like an encyclopedia, yet he couldn’t have been more than nine or ten.
A Firm Foundation Page 2
