Hard Hat Man

by Curry, Edna

  “Fine. Less stuff for me to sort through.”

  “Oh, but you may want to keep this one.” She held out a notebook to Jan. “It’s a collection of Horace’s personal sermons.”

  Jan took the large loose-leaf notebook and paged through it. “Really? Horace wrote sermons?” They were all neatly handwritten, with many sentences underlined for emphasis.

  “Sure. That small church he belonged to didn’t have a regular pastor. So the members took turns leading the service themselves. Not all of them would do it, of course, but I heard Horace did it quite often.”

  Jan put it aside, saying, “I’ll look at it later.”

  Louise nodded. “When would you like me to take the stuff?”

  “As soon as is convenient for you,” Jan said.

  Louise smiled. “Then how about right now? I’ll call a couple of my assistants and they’ll bring a truck.”

  “Fine,” Jan agreed. “I’ll just empty Horace’s desk into a box to sort later and you can take that, too. Same with the dressers. Just put the clothes and stuff into a box.”

  By the time they’d loaded everything and left, Jan was exhausted. She showered and changed into blue slacks and a white blouse. Kyle sat at the kitchen table waiting for her when she came out of the bedroom.

  “Oh, you’re here,” she said.

  “Yes. Ready for supper?”

  She nodded. “I’m starved.”

  “Good. Let’s go, then.” He led her to his car and helped her into it. “I saw you had company this afternoon,” he said, getting behind the wheel and starting the engine.

  She wrinkled her nose. “Yeah. Dear Mr. Andrews and Ms. Robards.”

  He laughed. “Two of my favorite people. What did Erick want?”

  “My mother called him to check on me. Honestly! My cell phone needed charging and she couldn’t reach me, so she called him. Can you believe it? And he had to go tell her about all the problems out here, so she’s all upset. I told Erick to call her back and tell her everything was fine here.”

  “Hm. Sounds more like Erick wanted an excuse to come see you himself.” He eyed her. “Did he ask you out?”

  Jan grinned. “No. Ms. Robards showed up before he had a chance. He made a hasty retreat. I don’t think they get along either.”

  Kyle’s eyes twinkled. “No, I don’t think they do. Erick’s dad dated her for a while and the rumor going around said Erick broke them up. He told people she was just after his dad’s money.”

  “That would probably do it,” Jan agreed. “I keep forgetting how much people in small towns know about each other. There are always so many layers to relationships here.”

  Kyle nodded. “I suppose in large towns, it’s less likely to find connections between people you know. There’re just so many more people, after all.”

  “Right.” Jan sighed. “Still, in the city, I really do miss knowing everyone when I walk down a street. And having people stop you in a store to chat or ask questions about someone you know. That’s just never happened to me in Chicago. Most people walk past without even looking at you.”

  His cell phone rang and he pulled over to answer it. After talking a minute, he pocketed the phone. “That was Sylvia. She happened to drive by the house I’m building and says there’s a problem at my house. Do you mind if we make a quick stop there? It’s right on the way.”

  “Sure.”

  That possessive, willowy blonde lived close to him? A surge of jealousy curled in her stomach. How close were they, anyway?

  “I’d like your opinion on what I’m doing with my house anyway. I’ve been meaning to take you over to see it. But with all that’s been happening…”

  “I understand.”

  “So Mrs. Robards took some of the furniture and stuff?”

  “Yes, she brought a truck and a couple of helpers. She took a few boxes of books and a few pieces of the furniture. I’ll need to call Goodwill and have them come get the rest when I finish sorting.”

  He turned off the highway and drove several miles along a wooded side road, then slowed as he took a drive into the woods.

  She leaned forward as she caught a glimpse of a large split-level home with a curving drive. The house appeared finished, but the landscaping wasn’t. Weeds stuck out of the black soil where eventually a lawn would be.

  “Come on in. Watch your step and stay on the sidewalk so you don’t get muddy.”

  She followed him inside. “What kind of problem did Sylvia tell you about?”

  “She said the patio doors were broken,” he said, leading the way across the kitchen and dining area. The subfloors were in, but the rest of the room was unfinished. The kitchen was more complete. It held a table and cupboards and appliances and had a tile floor as well.

  “Damn, she’s right. Looks like someone threw a couple of bricks threw it,” Kyle said, picking up a damaged brick and checking the doors. The doors led out to a muddy back yard.

  “Hello!” a voice called from the door they’d entered.

  They both turned to see Sylvia standing just inside the door. She wore a sleek blue pant suit and matching high heels. Her hair looked like she’d just come from the salon.

  “Hello,” Kyle said. “We just got here.”

  “I saw you drive in and thought I’d drop over to see if I could help.”

  “Looks like I’ll have to replace these patio doors. I’ll board them up for now. Did you see anyone suspicious over here today?”

  Sylvia shook her head. “No, but I’ve been gone all day. Just stopped over a while ago on my way home and saw the damage as I looked through the window. So I called you.”

  “Thanks, Sylvia. I’ll take care of it.”

  “Shouldn’t you report it to the sheriff?”

  “Yeah, I’ll let him know. He’s busy on the murder case right now.”

  “Oh, yes, I heard about the body you found. How awful.” She shuddered and then eyed Jan. “And I hear it was a relative of yours, too, right?”

  Jan nodded, leaving it at that.

  Kyle said, “We won’t be sure until they finish their tests in a few weeks, but we think it’s Horace’s daughter, Nancy.”

  “How dreadful.”

  “I’ll just check out the rest of the house to make sure nothing else has been damaged and find some plywood and tools to cover this patio door.” He disappeared down the hall.

  Slyvia eyed Jan, her brows dipping in a frown. “So how come you’re out here with Kyle?”

  “We were on our way to a restaurant to get some dinner when you called, so we stopped on the way.”

  “You’re dating him?” Her incredulous tone said that was unbelievable.

  Jan smiled. “Don’t worry, Sylvia. I’ll go back to Chicago soon and you’ll have him all to yourself again.”

  Sylvia flushed. “I was against Kyle doing this project from the start. I warned him no good would come of associating himself with Horace’s property. He was one weird dude.”

  Jan gasped at her rude reference. “Horace was eccentric all right, but I would hardly call him weird.”

  Sylvia lifted a shoulder. “But you weren’t here to know him like the local people, were you?”

  “Well, no, I live in Chicago. I hadn’t really seen Horace since Aunt Esther’s funeral.”

  “Well, ask anyone around here. Horace and that group of men who call themselves a church are a pretty odd group. They go door to door preaching on a regular basis. People see them coming and lock their doors and pretend they’re not home.”

  Jan laughed. “Well, we have people like that in other places, too. Mostly they’re sincere about what they believe, even if no one likes having it shoved down their throats. But that doesn’t make them weird.”

  “Think what you like. But don’t think you’re going to walk off with Kyle. He’s a local boy, through and through. That’s why he’s building this house. His roots are here. He isn’t likely to go off to Chicago and build skyscrapers.”

  Jan flushed at t
he way Sylvia was clearly marking her territory. “I’m sure you’re right.”

  Sylvia looked about to say more, but Kyle came back, so she just snorted. “Humph.”

  “I don’t see any other damage,” Kyle said. “Thanks for letting me know about the damage here, Sylvia.” His voice clearly dismissed her.

  Sylvia flushed, murmured, “You’re welcome,” and left. She gunned her car’s motor and spun her wheels as she backed out of the driveway and drove off.

  “Sorry about her attitude,” Kyle said. “She can be clueless. Are you okay?”

  Jan drew a deep breath. “I’m fine.”

  “What did she say?”

  Jan shrugged. “She claims to have warned you not to buy Horace’s farm for your project. Thinks it’s jinxed because he was odd.”

  Kyle nodded. “Yeah, she’s been talking like that ever since I started these plans. Not sure what her beef with progress is. She’s so proud of being a Chamber of Commerce member, so it really doesn’t make sense that she’s so against me building here.”

  “Does she object to your house, too?”

  “Oh, no, she likes that. Though I wish now I’d found another spot. Dad gave me this land, so I went ahead and used it, not realizing she’d be a pain living close by.”

  “Oh? She’s a pain?” Jan smiled and sent him a coy look from under her lashes. “I thought maybe you’d built this house with her in mind.”

  “What? No way,” Kyle said.

  “Besides, she shouldn’t complain about Horace pushing religion door to door. She and that bunch of ladies she hangs out with are constantly having sales parties and pushing stuff like make-up, clothes, kitchen tools and dishes. My secretary is always complaining about being invited and trying to get out of going to them. They even have sex toy parties.”

  Jan laughed and winked at him. “You object to sex toys?”

  He reached for her and took her in his arms, his lips claiming hers. After another probing kiss, he answered, “Hell, no, I don’t object. I like them as well as the next guy. But I don’t want to buy them in public, at a party.”

  “That does sound a little embarrassing and odd,” she agreed and ruffled his hair. “I like my sex private as well.”

  He released her. “Let me secure this door with plywood and then I’ll show you around. But remember, there’s still a lot of work to be done here.”

  “Okay.” She swept up the glass while he cut the plywood to size and covered the door. By now, it was getting dark, so he turned on lights as they walked around, showing her what he’d planned for each room. In a couple of the rooms he’d already put up the drywall. In others, only insulation covered the walls.

  He showed her the plans he’d laid out on the kitchen counter. “I want to put a fireplace along this wall, and bookcases on either side of it. Then a bay window on this wall with a place to sit and read, overlooking the garden here.”

  “I love gardens. Someday I’m going to have one myself.”

  “You can’t have one in Chicago?”

  She shook her head. “Well, I have a couple of pots on my patio. Other than that, everything is maintained by the managers for the apartment building. Nobody gets any garden space. I’d just like a bit of dirt to call my own, you know, to plant a few flowers, maybe a raise a few fresh tomatoes. Yours sounds like it will be lovely, Kyle.”

  “Yeah. If I ever get the time and money to finish it. Right now, that seems far off.”

  “So where are you living now? When you’re not staying with me, I mean.”

  “The back bedroom suite is done, so I have a bed and bath there and I use this kitchen. My office is in Blaine, so I work out of that most of the time.”

  “I see.” So, mostly, he did live close to the willowy blonde. No wonder she acted as if she owned him and his house. In spite of his denial, Jan’s gut tightened with jealousy. And she had no right to feel that way. She’d be leaving soon and Sylvia would be handy. A brief love affair with him didn’t change those facts.

  “I’ll just grab some changes of clothes, then we’ll go get some dinner. It’s getting late.”

  ***

  Hours later, they cuddled in her bed, making slow love and enjoying each other’s bodies.

  Afterward, Kyle fell asleep, but Jan lay in bed, wide awake and thinking. What had really happened on this farm fifteen years ago? Who had killed Nancy? Had she suffered? Been afraid? Known she was about to die?

  A rhythmic noise from upstairs captured her attention. Jan sat up, looking over at Kyle. Dare she wake him? He looked so peaceful lying there. A light snore came from his lips. She knew he was exhausted after all yesterday’s excitement. He needed his sleep.

  The noise continued. She sighed. Nancy’s room was directly overhead. It was probably Aunt Esther’s ghost, making the noise rocking again. She should ignore her and go back to sleep. What good would it do to go see her crying? She never said anything, just cried and disappeared again.

  And why was she the only one who could see her, anyway? If Aunt Esther wanted to tell her something, why not just tell her and be done with it? Why just sit there and cry? That didn’t tell Jan anything.

  The rocking continued.

  With a sigh, Jan got up, threw on her robe and made her way upstairs. She was not afraid of her own timid, loving aunt. As far as she knew, Esther had never hurt anyone intentionally. She wouldn’t start now.

  Switching on lights as she went, Jan hurried up to Nancy’s room. The door stood partly open. She could still hear the rocking noise.

  Pushing the door open, she stepped inside. Once again, Esther sat in the chair rocking as she had the first day Jan had seen her.

  Jan suppressed a nervous shiver. Perhaps if she tried talking to her? Could ghosts talk? “Aunt Esther? It’s Jan, your niece, remember me?”

  And this time, Esther looked straight at her. “Yes, dear, I know who you are. Laura’s daughter.”

  “You can talk?”

  ‘Yes.”

  “Why are you crying?”

  “Nancy’s dead.”

  Jan nodded. “Yes, I know. I’m so sorry, Aunt Esther. We found her remains under the silo.”

  “That’s where they buried her? How awful. She needs a proper burial.”

  “Mom and I will see to that. Don’t worry.”

  “There’s an extra plot I bought for her. Beside my body in the family plot. Not beside Horace. On the other side.”

  “Okay.” Jan nodded, hoping she could find that information. Maybe Louise could help her with that.

  “And a stone marker. I wrote down the date in our Bible.”

  “Yes, I saw that. You moved the Bible from the box I’d packed it in, didn’t you?”

  Esther nodded. “Yes. I needed to make sure you found it. I didn’t know then that they would find her body. How did that happen?”

  “Kyle bought the farm. He’s building some apartments and a swimming pool where the barn and silo were, so they were removing them.”

  “Some men don’t want that to happen. Be careful. They may come after you.” Esther rocked harder, looking at the far wall where Nancy’s dolls were lined up on a shelf.

  Jan frowned at her. “Why would they come after me? This is Kyle’s project and I don’t have anything to do with it. And I didn’t have anything to do with Nancy’s death.”

  “You know too much. I shouldn’t be telling you more. It’s dangerous. They might hurt you, too.”

  “Who, Aunt Esther? Who would hurt me? Who killed Nancy?”

  But she just shook her head. “Be careful.” Then she disappeared.

  “Wait!” Jan cried. “Tell me more.” But she was talking to thin air.

  “Tell you what? Who are you talking to?” Kyle asked.

  Jan spun around. He stood at the bedroom door, his dark hair tousled. He wore only his pants that he must have pulled on hastily, since they weren’t zipped, and he was beltless, as well. A hot surge of desire crawled up her center at the sight of all that luscious
bare skin. She swallowed hard. “I…I thought you were asleep.”

  “I was. Then I heard noises and people talking up here. What’s going on? Who were you talking to?”

  Why did he have to wake up and catch her talking to a ghost? No way could she explain this to him. Even her own mother hadn’t believed she’d seen Esther’s ghost. Why would he?

  “Nobody. I,,,I just heard a noise up here and came up to investigate. It must have been a mouse or something.” She took his arm to urge him back out of the room, trying to ignore the heat the connection sent surging into her body. “Come on, let’s go back to bed, Kyle.”

  He stayed rooted to the spot, eyed her strangely, then scratched his head. “Do you always talk to yourself?”

  “Only when I’m nervous.”

  “And are you nervous now? Why?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. You were sound asleep and I didn’t want to wake you, but felt I had to investigate the noises. It could have been anything, you know, after all the odd things that have happened on this farm since I came here.”

  “That’s true.” He relaxed and allowed her to lead him back downstairs to their bedroom. “Next time, wake me before you go prowling around in the night, okay? I don’t want you hurt.”

  She smiled agreement, thankful that he wasn’t pursuing the talking to someone angle. “Yes, Sir Galahad.”

  “Very funny.” Beside their bed, he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. “Come on, let’s go back to sleep. We have to work in the morning.”

  He pulled back the blanket and urged her into bed, then got in and curled around her, spoon fashion. Wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her neck and held her close.

  Jan tried to go back to sleep, but a niggling thought kept her awake, though she squeezed her eyes tightly shut and pulled up the covers.

  She was thrilled that he wanted to protect her. It sent a warm sensation running along her veins. Why did she care so much what he thought of her? She’d always been an independent person, going her own way. Live and let live. But Kyle had gotten under her skin and she liked it.

  Oh, my God. I’ve fallen in love with him.