As if that weren’t bad enough, the Conrad project was behind schedule. The owner had requested last-minute changes that meant ripping out what had been done and starting over. Which in turn upped the cost and time for everyone and put her budget deeper into the hole. The situation with the Mobile job was still in limbo and her bank account was in a serious bind.
A while back, she’d considered taking a second mortgage on her house to bid on the Keller building. Her dad would have been furious, especially because there was no guarantee she’d win the auction. Now she was thinking about a loan to save her business.
She swiveled in her desk chair and looked out the window in her small office to the workshop beyond. Adam had spent the past few days doing whatever work was needed in Laura’s shop. Sweeping, inventory, ordering supplies. Surprisingly, she could almost believe he enjoyed the work. Yesterday they’d spent the rainy day at the Handy Works warehouse stocking the van and inventorying materials. He’d even manned the phone one day, taking requests for assistance. Another long rainy day had sent him to her dad’s store to work when she couldn’t find anything else for him to do.
They were back at her shop today, Adam hovering around her cabinet maker, Jeb, as he worked. If she didn’t find something for him to do they’d all go nuts.
“Adam, stop bothering Jeb and go sweep or something.” She hadn’t meant to sound so curt, but she was in a horrible mood. He glanced over at her and she could tell by the expression on his face that he would want an explanation.
She turned her back, but she knew the moment he came near. Her nerves always tingled in a strange way when he was close. She turned and faced him. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”
“Something on your mind? I know the weather isn’t doing either of us any good, but there’s not much we can do about it.” He looked past her to the calendar on the wall, his expression filled with understanding. “Oh. Today’s the auction, isn’t it?”
She didn’t want to think about that, although she was touched that he’d remembered. “It’s going on right now and there’s nothing I can do to stop it or change it. I just hope whoever buys it will use it for something that will benefit the town.”
Adam stooped down beside her chair, laying his hand on her arm. “Your dad keeps telling me the Lord makes everything work for good. Maybe He’s got something planned you don’t know about.”
She wanted to believe that, but she also knew sometimes the Lord said no, and she was afraid this was one of those times.
Chapter Eight
The rain had moved out. For the last two days they’d been able to work and gotten nearly caught up. The new posts had been installed, a perfect match to the originals. Once they were painted no one would be able to distinguish the old from the new. But they were too far behind for her liking, and there was still a lot to do. What concerned her most was the forecast for this afternoon. More rain was on the way.
The last handrail had been secured when the first drop of moisture touched her cheek. She ignored it. It could be sap from the trees overhead. It wasn’t thunder. It was a jet flying over. She frowned and pressed the nail gun against the wood. It couldn’t rain. They didn’t have time for rain.
The light sprinkles sent her heart into the pit of her stomach. She placed the last nail and forced a glance at the sky. If they hurried, they might be able to get this section of spindles in place before the rain shut them down. Yesterday had been a total loss to the weather. Now half of today would be lost, as well.
Suddenly the sky opened up.
“Adam!” Laura grabbed for a tarp, struggling to cover the spindles to keep them dry.
The wind tore it off. Adam appeared at her side, grabbing her by the shoulders.
“We’ve got to get out of here. Lightning.”
“The tarp. Hurry.”
He grabbed the blue plastic and wrestled it over the work table and the now-wet spindles. Laura grabbed the other end and together they managed to tie it down.
“In here.”
Adam propelled her toward the interior of the gazebo where it was shielded from the torrential rain by a curtain of thick tarps on all sides. They’d put them up a few days ago so they could keep working in the drizzle.
Laura pounded a fist against one of the thick turned posts. “I can’t afford this rain.”
“It won’t last long.”
Laura shook her head. “It’s going to last for the next several days. We’re already so far behind we’ll never finish in time for Founder’s Day.”
“We’ve got plenty of time. We’ll make it.”
“Not if those cypress shingles don’t get here soon.” She paced back and forth, arms across her chest. “I can’t believe this is happening. We should be looking at painting and landscaping by now.”
“What happened to the shingles that arrived yesterday?”
Laura pulled off her baseball cap and yanked the clips from her hair. “They were cypress all right, but from 1980, not 1880. I sent them back.”
“But you’ll find the ones you need, right?”
She nodded. “I did, but they’re coming from Savannah. I’m not sure they’ll get here in time.” She bit her lip to keep from crying. What was wrong with her? She’d been emotional for the past few days. The least little thing choked her up.
“Hey,” Adam said softly. “You’ll pull this off. I have faith in you.”
She wanted to cry. Where did he get off saying sweet things like that to her? “Thanks.” She turned and took a seat on the bench that ran around the inside of the gazebo. “Guess we’re done for today.”
“We’ll work harder tomorrow.” Adam took a seat beside her. “I’m getting pretty good at installing those little spindles of yours. Me and the jigsaw are one.”
She knew he was trying to lighten her mood and she appreciated it, but nothing would help right now. She wanted to be done in time for him to get home. But there was less than a week left and unless something miraculous happened, Adam wouldn’t be leaving for Atlanta until his sentence was completed. The wind and thunder swelled. Frustrated, she stood and moved to the tarp, pulling back the edge. The rain had increased, driving down in sideways sheets, whipping the tarps around violently. A blast of cold rain drove her back. “Oh.”
Adam pulled her behind him to the center of the gazebo, then hurried to retie the flapping tarp. “What were you trying to do?” he demanded, coming to her side.
She was drenched. Her shirt and light jacket were soaked through. “I thought the rain might be letting up and we could get to the truck.”
Thunder roared overhead, causing the gazebo to vibrate. “I think we’ll be here awhile.”
Great. More time lost. She shivered as the cool air blew against her wet clothes.
“You’re going to catch pneumonia.” He started to unbutton his shirt and she took a step back. Before she could move farther, he’d wrapped his shirt across her shoulders.
Its warmth still held his scent. He pulled her against him, one hand wrapped tightly across her shoulders, the other vigorously rubbing her arm to stimulate warmth. She shivered again, but not from the cold. Her hand, resting against the T-shirt that covered his broad chest, moved with the beating of his heart. She told herself to move away. But she was cold and he was warm and strong and she felt oh so safe. She dared a glance at his face. She held her breath and felt him do the same.
The air was charged with electricity. She knew what was going to happen. Stop this. Stop it now. But her heart had other ideas. She wanted him to kiss her. She’d wanted him to for a while now.
“Laura.”
He said her name reverently and she melted against him. His lips were warm, gentle but eager and she met them the same way. His arms wrapped around her waist, crushing her to his broad chest. She was lost, sinking into the wonder and discovery of it all.
Adam ended the kiss, pulling back only far enough to caress her face with his gaze.
“So sweet.” He l
owered his head again, then reality struck. What was she doing? She couldn’t afford to get involved with someone like Adam. They were too different. He could never stay put and she could never pull up roots and leave.
Fear surged upward into her chest and she pushed Adam away, backing up until she bumped against a post.
Adam stared at her, and the look in his eyes brought her to tears. Behind the surprise was a pain and sadness so profound she had to look away. A second realization hit her then. This wasn’t about Ted or Adam. This was all about her. This was all about her fear of being hurt. More specifically her distrust of God’s plans for her life.
“Adam,” her voice quivered.
He shook his head, a tight smile on his face. “No need to explain. I understand. I stepped over the line. It’ll never happen again. Promise.” He turned and moved to the other side of the gazebo and untied the flap.
The rain had eased up. The storm had passed.
“We can make that run to the truck now.” Adam kept his back to her.
She pulled his shirt from her shoulders and handed it to him as she passed, careful not to let her hand touch his. Safely in the truck, she tried to ignore the heavy tension that hovered between them as they drove to her parents’ house. Adam got out, gave a salute and hurried to the porch. She watched him disappear inside, fighting the need to cry. She should have stopped the kiss. It had only confirmed what she’d suspected. She was in love in Adam Holbrook.
The awful truth was it was one-sided. Oh, he was attracted, she knew that, but there was no future for them. No future for the gazebo, no hope for Keller building and no hope of getting Adam home in time to meet with his father.
Once safely inside her home, she curled up on the sofa and gave in to the tears. This story couldn’t have a happy ending because in just a few days, Adam would lose everything and it would be all her fault.
Chapter Nine
Laura stole a quick glance at her passenger. Adam smiled and stretched his body into a more comfortable position. The generous truck cab began to shrink. She was acutely aware of his every move, every breath. Nervousness loosened her tongue. “I’m really hopeful this place will pan out. It’s a turn-of-the-century Italianate Victorian just outside town. I need to see if it’s worth restoring. Supposedly most of the historic aspects are intact, but I’m not sure about the bones of the place. I want to make a quick check before I hire engineers to inspect it.”
“Sounds interesting.”
A short time later they pulled into the drive of an old brick mansion. Laura stopped near the carriage house in the back. All concerns about Adam vanished when she saw the old home. Her imagination caught fire with possibilities. It was one of the original homes in Dover and the thought of bringing it back to its former glory excited her.
Laura dug out the key the Realtor had given her and unlocked the weathered side door. They entered through a small vestibule into the sunroom. Three walls of windows rose upward twelve feet, ending in an arched roof made of glass. Laura smiled, her mind filing with vignettes of using the room on a rainy day to read a book, or curling up on a sweet Sunday afternoon with someone she loved. “Isn’t it a wonderful old place?” She trailed her hand over the small panes of glass in the windows.
Adam nodded, his attention focused on the woodwork inside the next room. “This is amazing. I’ve never seen anything like this craftsmanship.”
Laura wandered past him deeper into the house. It had fourteen-foot ceilings, one-of-a-kind fireplace surrounds and several stained-glass windows. “Now you can see why I love to work on these old places.”
Adam stooped down to examine the tile surround on a fireplace. “What is this stuff?”
Laura came and leaned over him. “Porcelain relief tiles. It was a sign of wealth at the time to have them designed specifically for each room.” Adam turned his head and smiled up at her. Her heart skipped a beat and she inhaled abruptly, drawing his woodsy scent deep into her lungs. Her cheeks flushed and her mind replayed their kiss.
Straightening, she turned away, but Adam was right beside her. The air in the old home became oppressive and muggy. Thanks to the hurricane, it was an unusually humid October day in Mississippi. Of course the house would feel stuffy and uncomfortable. It had nothing to do with Adam being so close beside her. So why was her heart pounding and her mind replaying their kiss like some crazy video loop?
She started toward the back of the house to inspect the kitchen, acutely aware of Adam’s every move, every breath. She glanced at him to see if he suspected her discomfort. His green eyes met hers and she knew without a doubt that he was remembering the kiss, as well. She stopped in the middle of the kitchen, intending to comment on its sorry state, when Adam touched her arm. She jumped.
“So what do you think?”
She gulped down the lump in her throat. Was he asking her about that kiss? She’d hoped he’d let it go and forget the entire incident. She looked into his eyes. He stood so close she could see the rise and fall of his broad chest, the day-old stubble on his strong chin. He made her feel so small and feminine. “About what?” she finally managed to ask.
He smiled again. “The house. Can it be saved?”
“Oh. I don’t know yet.” She turned and hurried through the kitchen and into another room, eager to put distance between them.
Her attraction was getting out of hand. Her pulse raced and her heart pounded in her chest every time she thought about him, but she didn’t want him to see how she felt. It would be too humiliating. Her only hope was that when he was gone, she’d get over it and move on with her life. But move on to what?
They wandered through the rooms, but she was unable to make any real assessments. All she could think of was Adam. If he hadn’t kissed her, it would have been easier to deal with him. But he had and she couldn’t erase it from her mind. Worse still, she found she didn’t want to.
She turned to move to the next room and came face-to-face with Adam again. He didn’t move. His green eyes caressed her. Her lungs refused to work. Her heart pounded. The air became charged with electricity just like before. He wanted to kiss her again and Lord forgive her, she wanted that, too.
But the idea terrified her. She found her voice and stepped away from him. “I want to go upstairs. I need to see what condition it’s in.”
*
The stale air made Adam even more aware of Laura’s scent. The fresh, citrus fragrance that always surrounded her. He exhaled slowly, bracing himself against the feelings her nearness caused. Maybe a little space between him and Laura would be a good thing. “I’ll wait down here. You go ahead.”
Laura studied him a moment, her violet eyes inquisitive. Did she see his growing attraction on his face? Could she feel the way his heart pounded whenever she was near?
She shrugged. “Suit yourself. I’ll be right back.”
Adam ran a hand along the back of his neck as he heard Laura tromping up the stairs. He had to do something about these feelings he was having. It wasn’t right. Laura was his boss. Her father was his jailer. Falling in love with his daughter amounted to betraying Tom’s trust.
He should never have kissed her. He should have tried harder to resist, but she’d looked so small and helpless, her clothes and hair damp from the rain. He’d been overcome with an intense need to comfort her, wrap her in his arms and ward off the cold. But once there, he’d been powerless to deny the question that had plagued him from the moment he’d met her: What would it be like to kiss her?
For a fleeting second, he’d thought she’d returned the kiss, that she’d welcomed it, but the truth had hit him when she pushed him away. She’d never care about someone like him. He didn’t belong in her world.
The rejection had been a cold slap in the face, but one he needed. He moved through the old house, staring at the large stained-glass window in the entryway, only partially aware of what he was looking at. He thought about Laura day and night. He couldn’t sleep anymore. Was this love? If so, he’d
never felt anything like it in his life. None of his relationships had ever produced this need to protect or the driving desire to know everything about her.
Love. What did he know about love? Laura was love personified. A woman like that needed someone who could love her the way she deserved to be loved. He was a cripple in that regard. He closed his eyes. What did he have to offer her?
A loud crash thundered through the stale air.
Upstairs. Laura.
Adam turned and ran for the stairs, taking them three at a time. “Laura!” He heard a low moan and hurried down the hall, searching two rooms before he found her in the back bedroom.
“In here!”
She sounded breathless. He stepped into the room and froze. For the first time in years, Adam Holbrook sincerely prayed. She was half sitting, half lying on the floor. Her right leg disappeared into the floorboards. Her violet eyes were wide with fear. Adam pushed aside his intense fear, unwilling to let her see his own terror. “Laura?” He started across the wood floor.
“Stop.” She shook her head. “The floor up here is rotten in spots. You could fall through, too.”
He stopped, visually inspecting the floorboards. There was a definite discoloration near Laura, but the wood in the rest of the room was a uniform color and appeared solid. “It’s okay. I think the only bad spot is where you are.” Slowly he started forward, testing the floor strength with each step. He stooped down beside her, holding her gaze and trying to stay calm. “Where are you hurt?”
Tears glistened in her eyes. “My arm. My leg.” She tried to pull it out of the floor but yelped in pain.
“Don’t move.” Slowly he shifted his position, sitting on the floor and scooting as close as he could without getting too close to the rotten flooring. His stomach clenched when he saw the blood on her arm and the angle at which her leg disappeared into the floor. He forced a smile. “How did you end up in this situation, Boo?” He brushed plaster dust from her hair and glanced upward. A chunk of the ceiling had fallen, the biggest piece missing her by only a few inches.
Restoring His Heart Page 13
