Restoring His Heart

by Lorraine Beatty

  She couldn’t fathom such a life. She was so close to her parents and brothers. They got together as much as possible, helped each other, comforted each other. Of course, it wasn’t all roses. Mom could be a meddler at times and Dad tended to be overprotective where his kids were concerned. She and her brothers got along most of the time, but there were petty issues that caused differences of opinion now and again. Matt was way too uptight and serious. Tyler was hotheaded and easily angered. She’d been the fixer, the one who wanted to save things and make things better. But they were family. First and foremost.

  Her cell phone rang and she scooped it off the end table, smiling at the name on the screen. “How did you know that I needed to talk to someone?”

  Shelby, her soon-to-be sisterin-law, chuckled. “Just a feeling. Actually I wanted to see if you wanted to go with me to look at wedding flowers next week. I need to decide what I’ll carry down the aisle.”

  “Of course. Just let me know when.” There was a slight pause.

  “I also wanted to ask you about your new hired hand. I know he nearly destroyed the gazebo, but he’s seriously good-looking. You might have trouble concentrating on your work.”

  “Aren’t you about to marry my brother? You shouldn’t be noticing other guys.”

  “I’m engaged, but not dead. He might be handsome, but he can’t hold a candle to my Matt. No one could. Seriously, though, what do you think of him?”

  “He’s an entitled rich guy who only thinks about himself. Been there. Done that.”

  “You mean Ted, your ex? Is he really that bad?”

  Laura sighed. “Okay, he’s not that bad. He’s actually been easier to deal with than I’d expected.”

  “Well, Kenny and Cassidy thought he was way cool. Kenny hasn’t stopped talking about him.”

  She had a point. The kids had followed him around like little groupies and he’d treated them with kindness at every turn. She’d seen his joy in participating in the family football game, and her brother and dad had both treated him like one of their own.

  “Matt and I liked him right off. And from what I saw, your parents like him, too.”

  That left her as the only one with doubts. Maybe Shelby could help her sort things out. “He told me our family wasn’t like anything he’d ever known.”

  “What did he mean?”

  “I think we made him uncomfortable. He said he was raised in boarding schools and rarely saw his parents because they were too busy with their own lives.”

  “How sad. Though, I have to tell you, the first time Matt brought me to your house on a Sunday I was totally intimidated. I can sympathize with Adam.”

  “I guess we do take a little getting used to,” Laura said.

  “You know, I think he’s attracted to you, Laura. I saw him watching you a couple times today.”

  “No way. I’m his boss. Besides, I’m not his type. I’m sure his taste in women runs toward sophisticated and wealthy. Maybe even a supermodel or two.”

  “Laura, don’t put yourself down. You’re beautiful and sweet, and somewhere out there is the perfect man to appreciate you. Maybe he’s right there in your father’s house. Oh, sorry, I’ve got to go. Cassidy is picking on Kenny again. Time to play referee. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  Laura hung up the phone, shaking her head at the nonsense Shelby had spouted. Adam was not attracted to her. Sure, he’d actually opened up to her and told her a bit about his life. But that didn’t mean he was interested in her.

  She stood and headed to bed. Adam Holbrook was not attracted to her. Besides, the only men she wanted in her life were skilled workmen, not some self-centered adventurer. Right?

  *

  The room was closing in on him. He’d been here with the Durrants for three nights now and he still felt awkward and on edge. It was a nice room. Spacious and comfortable, but it wasn’t his room. It belonged to a stranger. Everything in this house was strange to him. He was used to hotel rooms, or tents and huts on the way to his latest adventure. He even felt at home in the most luxurious of homes, but he didn’t feel any more comfortable in this happy family homestead.

  His gaze landed on the trophies lovingly and proudly displayed on the dresser. Matt was a grown man with a family, but his parents still cherished his accomplishments. Adam had no idea where his trophies were. Tossed in a closet? Thrown in the trash? He couldn’t remember either parent looking at one.

  He stretched out on his side, surfing through TV channels as a distraction. He was dog-tired and sore all over. The hot shower had helped, but now he couldn’t relax. He needed to sleep if he was going to keep up with Laura tomorrow. For such a little thing she had more energy than five men. Though she treated him like he was incapable of doing anything without her detailed instructions. She’d been telling him for two days she’d teach him to use the saw, but so far he hadn’t touched anything more than a crowbar and a hammer. He was anxious to show her he had some aptitude. All he needed was a chance to prove it to her.

  He looked at Laura differently since Sunday. She’d been relaxed and happy, moving with a grace and femininity that mesmerized him. She’d laughed with her mom as they prepared dinner. Teased her brother mercilessly and played with her niece and nephew. During the football game, the women had cheered the men on and he’d found himself looking in her direction to see if she was watching him.

  Over the past couple of days on the job, she’d stopped and spoken a kind word or shared a hug with nearly everyone who had passed by the gazebo. There appeared to be no end to her caring nature. Love came naturally to her.

  Which only made him more aware that he didn’t belong in Dover or with the Durrants. He needed to get home. Maybe it was time to eat crow and call his ex-girlfriend/lawyer, Gail. The thought didn’t sit well. But he didn’t belong here, and if he didn’t get home in time, he wouldn’t belong anywhere.

  *

  Laura parked the Handy Works van in her dad’s driveway and honked the horn. She hoped Adam was ready because they had a lot to do today. The old bricks had arrived on time and her brickmason, Tony Donato, would be hard at work for the next couple of days bringing the foundation back to its former glory. The damaged section of the gazebo had been dismantled, stabilized and all the pieces catalogued.

  Adam hopped into the passenger seat, glancing around the large vehicle. “What’s this? Aren’t we working today?”

  She shook her head. “Tony is starting the foundation repairs. That will take a couple days.” She looked over at him and raised her eyebrows. “Today you start the community-service phase of your sentence.”

  He frowned. “Let me guess, serving up soup in a kitchen or picking up trash along the highway?”

  “Neither. Something much more fun and educational.”

  “Now I’m scared. Like what?”

  “Have you ever done any plumbing?” She glanced over at him, choking back a giggle at the look on his face.

  “You’re kidding.”

  “Nope. And we have a long list of good deeds to do today.”

  “Good deeds?”

  “That’s right. We’ll be doing a few Handy Works projects for the next few days.”

  “Handy what?”

  “Handy Works is a ministry my brother and I started. We do repairs, chores and anything else people need who can’t afford to hire the work done or are unable to do it themselves.”

  “And you do this because?”

  “We’re called upon to help those less fortunate. Didn’t your mother ever teach you it’s better to give than to receive?”

  “No.” He looked away. “Like I said, she wasn’t around to teach me anything.”

  Her cheeks burned with remorse. She realized that Adam always used the past tense when speaking of his mother. “I’m sorry. When you talked about her the other day, I didn’t realize she was dead.”

  “She’s not. She’s in Thailand lounging on the beach. No, that was last month. This month I think it’s Australia.”
<
br />   Laura stared over at him. He was completely cool and indifferent when he spoke about his mother. She’d found his comments about his parents so hard to believe that she’d convinced herself he had been exaggerating. Now she had to consider he might be telling the truth. “Surely she was home when you were little.”

  “Nope.”

  “Then who raised you?”

  Adam exhaled a bitter laugh. “Nannies. Seven, if I remember correctly. What’s our first stop?”

  How sad. His parents absent from his life, never experiencing the closeness and love of a family all added up to a picture of neglect that made her heart ache. She was a soft touch for anything or anyone who’d been neglected. She’d have to watch herself. Adam wasn’t an old building or house she could restore. He was only a man passing through her life. She wasn’t God. She couldn’t restore people. In a few weeks he’d be gone.

  Later that morning Laura backed the van out of the narrow potholed driveway of the Randall home, bracing herself for what she knew was coming. The repairs on the bathroom had been hampered by a drunken and belligerent Mr. Randall. It had gotten so bad that at one point Adam had been ready to plant a fist in the man’s face. It was her reminder that punching Mr. Randall would only lengthen his stay in Dover that had stopped him.

  She knew he had a mind full of opinions to spew. It was easier to let him get it out than try to restrain him. She’d barely cleared the drive when he cut loose.

  “Why are you helping a man like that? He’s a lazy bum. He doesn’t deserve any charity. All you’re doing is making it easy on him.”

  “I didn’t do it for him. I did it for his wife and children. They deserve running water. They deserve to live in a house that has a working toilet. Or would you have me let them suffer because he’s a jerk?”

  Adam stared out the window a long moment before answering. “It doesn’t seem right.”

  Laura understood his outrage. It was hard for her, too. “Yes, Will Randall is a mean drunk. No, he doesn’t provide properly for his family, but that’s not the issue. Our ministry is to help, not judge or rehabilitate or condemn.”

  Adam sighed and propped his foot on the dash. “Who’s next on our charity list?”

  “Edith Johnson’s house.” She pointed ahead a few houses. “She needs a wheelchair ramp built from her front porch to the driveway.”

  “Doesn’t she have family who could do that?”

  Laura nodded. “But one son lives in Vicksburg and the other is in New Orleans. They’ve been trying to coordinate their schedules, but they have teenaged kids. It’s hard. She finally called and asked us for help.”

  “So you step in like a fairy godmother.”

  “No, as a friend wanting to help. Sometimes people are too proud to ask. As Christians, we’re called upon to help those less fortunate.”

  “Handy Works, you mean?”

  Laura glanced over at him, gauging his expression. He seemed sincere enough. “Yes, I wanted to do something to help.”

  She parked the van and got out, walking up to the house. Adam followed at a distance. She knocked. The door opened slowly, a face peered out through the narrow opening. “Miss Edith? I’m Laura Durrant from Handy Works. We’re here to build your ramp.”

  “Oh, bless you.” The little woman cooed happily. “I’m so glad you’re here.” She opened the door wider, making way for her walker. “I’m so ready to get out of this house and I can’t until I have a ramp.”

  Laura entered the house, stopping just inside the door. “Are you doing better? I thought you were confined to the wheelchair?”

  “Oh, no, not all the time. I’m supposed to use this contraption as much as possible while I’m home.” She jiggled her walker slightly. “But if I leave the house I need the chair. The senior shuttle won’t pick me up unless I have a ramp. All my friends are going to all sorts of exciting places and I’m stuck here.”

  Laura patted her arm. “Not for long you aren’t. We’ll have that ramp done this afternoon. You’ll be ready to run the roads with all the other girls.”

  Edith giggled. She glanced at Adam. “Who’s your handsome friend?”

  She’d almost forgotten about her shadow. “This is Adam Holbrook. He’s going to help me build your ramp.”

  Edith nodded, studying him closely. “You’re the one. I heard what you did.” She shook her head, making a clicking sound with her tongue. “It’s good that you have to fix what you’ve broken, young man.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Laura appreciated Adam’s respectful tone.

  Edith smiled then and reached over and patted Adam’s arm. “You’re a good boy. I can see it in your eyes. You just need some attention.”

  Adam didn’t respond and Laura seized the moment. “Well, we’d better get started. You go on about your business and we’ll check in with you on our progress.”

  Back at the van, Laura opened the double doors and stepped inside. “You grab the worktable, I’ll get the circular saw.” Adam followed directions without comment. Within minutes they had the work area set up. Portable workbench. Table and miter saw. Lumber.

  She instructed Adam on how to measure for the ramp and how to figure the correct grade to prevent the wheelchair from rolling too quickly. “First rule. Measure twice. Cut once.”

  “Sounds redundant.”

  She couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or not. “You miscut a piece of lumber, you waste money, material and time.”

  “Got it. So when do I get to cut?”

  She had to let him do it eventually, but she hated turning her tools over to someone else, especially a novice like him. But she needed his help and for that he had to learn to handle the equipment. Resigned, she picked up a couple pieces of scrap she’d brought along for just such a purpose. She placed a section of two-by-four against the fence of the miter saw and stepped back. “Okay, hold it firmly in place, grip the handle, pull the trigger first, then lower the blade.”

  Adam looked uncomfortable, but he did as he was told. Laura watched carefully.

  “There.” He held up the severed board. “How’s that?”

  “Okay. Do it a few more times until you get the feel of it.”

  Adam smiled after cutting his fourth piece. “I like this.”

  Laura frowned. “It’s the easiest one to use. Next up, circular saw.”

  “I’m ready.” He rubbed his hands together eagerly. “Bring it on.”

  Twenty minutes later Adam made his first real cut. He surprised her by doing it quickly and correctly. With his help, the base for the ramp was completed in short order. He’d measured wrong only once. Laura tugged on her cap and wiped her forehead. “All we need now is to cut the plywood to fit and Miss Edith will be set free from her home. Go get a piece of three-quarter-inch plywood out of the van and bring it over here while I set up the saw.”

  Laura adjusted the blade angle, then glanced at the van. Adam was walking toward her, the four-by-eight sheet of plywood balanced against his shoulder. The muscles in his arms strained against the weight. His long, sure stride accentuated the powerful legs.

  She told herself to look away, but she couldn’t. He was the very image of masculine power. Of course he was in good condition. He’d have to be to pull off some of the fool stunts he did. Laura gritted her teeth and forced herself to look away. She couldn’t deny Adam Holbrook was an attractive man. Too attractive. Which had nothing to do with anything.

  Adam held the edge of the plywood as she guided it through the table saw, taking its weight as the blade did its work. He set it aside and followed Laura to the ramp base. Pulling a handful of screws from her apron, she handed them to Adam. She’d have preferred to use her nail gun, but the nail gun required a compressor and the van they were in today didn’t have one.

  Adam set the last screw, then stood and stretched. “Is that it? We done?”

  Laura slipped her hammer into her holster. “We just need to get Miss Edith’s approval.” Laura knocked on th
e door, eager to see the smile on her face. She wasn’t disappointed. The older woman touched the rail tenderly and shook her head in disbelief.

  “You did it so quickly. Thank you so much. Oh, I have something for you both.” She disappeared inside briefly, then emerged with two small bags. “Please accept these in appreciation for all your hard work. I know you won’t take any money, but what you’ve done for me is such a blessing that I can’t let you go without saying thank you in some way.”

  Laura took the two small bags with pleasure. The chocolate-chip cookies were still warm from the oven. She wrapped her arms around the slight woman in a warm hug. “It’s our pleasure, Miss Edith. And thank you for the cookies.”

  Once in the van she handed Adam one of the bags. “If you want a thrill, then you need to bite into one of those. No one makes cookies like Miss Edith.”

  He examined the bag of cookies. “Do the people being helped contribute anything to this arrangement?”

  “Like what?”

  “Money. To help with the costs.”

  Laura shook her head and started the engine. “Handy Works is a volunteer organization. We rely on donations to keep operating so we don’t have to ask for funds from those needing help.”

  “That doesn’t sound like a good business plan.”

  “We’re not in it to make money. We’re in it to help others.”

  “But you get nothing in return.”

  “Oh, I get a great deal in return. You just can’t put a price on it. We’re a charity, not a business.”

  “I understand that, but who pays for the supplies, the gas for the van? What if no one volunteers one day? What then?”

  “It’s worked so far.”

  “I’m just saying there might be a better way to do things and still keep it voluntary, but provide you a little financial security, as well.”

  “You sound like my dad.”

  “From what little I’ve seen he appears to be a good businessman.”

  “He is.” Her father had always told her if she got the same advice from two different sources, she should pay attention. But why did one of those sources have to be Adam Holbrook?

  *