Hearts Under Construction

by Hunt, Diann

  She had lost count of her trips to the vending machine. Okay, she needed to face facts. One more candy bar, and she’d OD on chocolate. Once again, she was out of control. She blew out a sigh, turned off her computer, and grabbed her purse from the bottom drawer.

  “You doing okay?” Cole wanted to know.

  Why couldn’t he just leave her alone? One minute, he seemed to care as a real friend would. The next minute, he charged through her calm world like hot sauce on a burrito.

  “I’m doing fine.”

  “Come on, Ellie. Work with me here.”

  She jerked her head to look up at him, surprised by his words.

  “I know it’s been a tough day. These things aren’t easy. We’re all struggling, but we’ll get through it. You don’t have to pretend you’ve got it all under control, when you don’t. None of us do.”

  “I’m not pretending, first of all. And second, I never said I had it all under control, did I?” She wanted to be stubborn, and yet wanted to give in, all at the same time. This man made her crazy.

  He gave a tired sigh and shrugged. “I just didn’t want you to feel you were in this alone. That’s all.” He walked away.

  Okay, now she felt horrible. He was kind. She was a jerk. She was the Christian, he was—well, what was he? She didn’t even know. One thing she did know, she wasn’t representing the Lord very well. With the fire out of her, she picked up her purse and trudged toward her car.

  Opening the door, she settled into her seat and took a moment to think. Why did she struggle with change? Some people could just go with the flow, nothing seemed to ruffle them, but not her. When they took her favorite chocolate coffee flavor off the market, she walked around dazed from caffeine withdrawal. She just couldn’t make herself change to another flavor. Of course, her love for chocolate won out, and she finally did switch to a new chocolate brand, but not without a bad attitude.

  She didn’t want to be inflexible, but, well, that’s who she was. It wasn’t as if she could change herself. It would take counseling. Or, more likely an act of God.

  She wanted to relinquish the matter to God, but she was tired and just couldn’t think about it. They’d talk later.

  For now, she needed to get home and check out the Internet for more information on the egg diet on which Tim Owens’s wife had lost fifteen pounds. Ellie would find out what she could and then start it on Saturday. After all, she could handle it. She liked eggs. And besides, things just seemed to go better for her when she had at least something in her life under control….

  By Saturday evening, Ellie’s spirits were better. She decided to hold off on the egg diet until Monday. Why ruin a perfectly good weekend? She had planned to meet her friend, Cheryl, at the Tasty Grounds Coffee Shop, but Cheryl had a sore throat. Ellie decided to go anyway. She hadn’t downed a mocha in almost a week. It was time to get one before things turned ugly.

  Pulling her car into the parking space, Ellie locked her door and headed for the shop. The rich smell of coffee beans greeted her the moment she stepped inside. Coffee scents were her downfall. Once, she had spotted a mocha candle in a store and purchased it. Every time she burned it, she had to run out and buy a mocha to drink. That candle had cost her a fortune and at least five pounds. It ended up in the trash.

  She sucked in another breath. No, it’s better to leave the scents here and come visit once in a while.

  “May I help you?” the girl behind the counter asked, revealing a crooked smile behind her braces.

  Oh, please. The girl looked twelve. Ellie wondered why her town wasn’t enforcing the child-labor laws. “I’d like a decaf, skinny mocha.”

  “It’s called ‘what’s the point?’” the girl said dryly.

  Ellie didn’t understand.

  “What’s the point? You know, no calories, no caffeine, what’s the point?” she repeated. As in, “duh.”

  The little twerp. Ellie felt like an eighty-year-old on a restricted diet. “Add some whipped cream,” she snapped, showing a spark of rebellion.

  Brace Girl smirked and wrote something on a cup, handing it to the next worker in line.

  When she received her mocha, Ellie settled into her seat and allowed the rich drink to warm her insides. Though July in Indiana could get quite warm, the wind stirred up a good breeze tonight. The hot mocha tasted good. She gazed out the window. Dark clouds hovered in the distance. Ellie couldn’t tell if it was a threatening storm or nightfall on the horizon. Another drink of her mocha made her forget about the weather and nightfall. She just lingered in the moment.

  “Well, well, you just never know who you will run into.”

  Luckily, Ellie had just swallowed her sip of mocha before she heard Cole’s voice, or she might have spasmed into another choking fit. Trying to stay calm, she turned to him. “Hello, Cole.”

  Blinding smile. She couldn’t imagine how he could drink coffee and have such white teeth.

  “Okay if I sit down?” he asked, cup in hand.

  Like she had a choice. “Sure,” she said, pointing to the chair.

  “I thought I was destined to spend another boring night in Walker, Indiana, but I see my luck is improving.” He smiled and took a sip.

  Her estimation of him went up a few notches. “Thanks.”

  “So what are you doing here?”

  Ellie shrugged. “I was supposed to meet my friend—”

  “Oh,” he said wide-eyed, looking around. “He might get upset if he sees you here with me.”

  Ellie laughed. “No, my friend Cheryl Butler was supposed to meet me for coffee, but she wasn’t feeling well tonight. I decided to come anyway.”

  “Oh, good, I was afraid I had competition.” He stared at her.

  “Nope.” She laughed good-naturedly and grabbed her mocha.

  “No competition tonight or in general?” he pressed.

  She squinted her eyes. “What are you digging for?”

  He shrugged and leaned back in his chair. “Just curious, that’s all.”

  “These conversations always get us in trouble, you know. I’ve been warned that you’re a flirt.”

  He sat up, feigned shock, then made a face. “Jax ratted me out.”

  She laughed.

  Cole shrugged. “So, do you think I’m as charming as they say?” He wiggled his eyebrows.

  She nearly choked on her mocha—which would have been a real waste. Putting her cup down she stared at him, tilting her head this way and that to get a better look from all angles. He squirmed just a tad under her direct gaze. She picked up her cup again. “Well, you maybe have a smidgen of charm about you,” she said matter-of-factly.

  He sat perfectly still a moment, then seemingly satisfied with that, his lazy grin widened, and he settled back into his chair once again.

  She thought a moment. Jax and Alex were probably out together tonight. She hadn’t stopped to consider Cole really didn’t know many people in town. When Jax was unavailable, that most likely left Cole pretty much on his own.

  “So where do people go around here for fun?” His eyes held a teasing spark.

  Ellie shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know, there’s the neighbor’s backyard to watch the fireflies, throwing tin cans at bats and then in July we’ve got the annual cow-dropping contest.”

  His eyebrows lifted.

  “Yeah, it’s as good as it sounds. The winners are the ones with numbers closest to where the cow, um, delivers droppings in the field.” She laughed at the face he made.

  “You’re kidding.”

  “Cross my heart,” she said, drawing an X with her finger along her heart. She took a drink of mocha. “Then, of course, you have the usual standbys: movies, restaurants, bowling, shopping, just like most places, I suppose.”

  “Chicago has its own offerings of city life.”

  “Oh, Chicago,” she said with the air of a socialite, lifting her pinkie finger as she drank from her cup.

  “Now, hold on. It’s not a slam against Walker. After all, Chicag
o doesn’t have the annual cow-dropping contest, to my knowledge.” A smirk tinged the corners of his mouth. “It’s just that in Chicago there are plays, big-name stars that come to town, that kind of thing.” He took a drink.

  Ellie lifted herself up an inch. “Well, why didn’t you say so? Walker has a great civic theater. The finest names on the circuit show up at the Walker Civic.” She was teasing him now. “There’s Penelope Peppers and Petunia, her dancing potbellied pig.” She tapped her index finger against the side of her face for emphasis. “And then of course there’s Lettie Johnson’s juggling act. She’s a whiz with tin cans.”

  He smirked.

  “What?” she asked incredulously. “It’s a show not to be missed!”

  His palm smacked his forehead. “How could I not know that?”

  “It’s beyond me.”

  “Maybe you’d like to take me to what’s playing, say, next Saturday?”

  Uh-oh, now he was going too far. So much for keeping things on a professional level. Still, she couldn’t deny the compassion and, really that’s all it was, that tugged at her heart at his solitary state.

  “But, of course, if you’re ashamed—”

  Oh, smooth, she had to give him that. “I’m not ashamed, I just don’t know if it’s a good idea for us to be seen together, um, in that way.”

  “Two friends going to a show is wrong around here?”

  “Well, no, it’s not that—”

  “Okay, what is it then?” His eyes challenged her.

  Oh, she hated it when he trapped her like that. He hadn’t meant it as a date, of course, still it would look like a date. But then she couldn’t say that, because she would be “assuming,” and she’d already made that mistake in the past. “Nothing,” she said with defeat.

  “Great. Find out what time the show starts next week, and I’ll pick you up.”

  “You’re something else, you know that?”

  “Oh, you ain’t seen nothing yet,” he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

  Ellie couldn’t help but laugh. Before they knew it, they were knee-deep in talk of work and some of Cole’s past work experiences, which Ellie had to admit she found fascinating.

  “Hey, you two,” Brace Girl called.

  They looked up with a start.

  “Notice anything?” she asked, making a sweeping gesture of the room with her hand.

  “Oh dear, are you closed?” Ellie asked, glancing at her watch.

  “No, we’re not closed, but the place cleared out because there’s a tornado warning for this area.”

  “Tornado!” Ellie squeaked the word. “What are we going to do?”

  Brace Girl had nerves of steel. “My boss says we have to go in the bathroom till it blows over.”

  Ellie stared at her, willing herself to breathe.

  Cole grabbed Ellie’s arm. “No problem. Any chance we could get a couple of frappecinos while we wait?” he asked with a wink.

  “As a matter of fact, I just made two frappes and one latte. The two frappes were for customers who left before I finished making them. The latte is for me.” She flashed her braces.

  “Great,” he said, helping Ellie to her feet.

  “I’ll get the drinks. You grab the radio off the counter, and we’ll all meet in the ladies’ restroom,” Brace Girl said, practically breathless with excitement.

  Why were they acting as though they were going to a party? Didn’t they know how dangerous tornadoes in Indiana could be?

  Cole could feel Ellie’s arm trembling beneath his fingers as he escorted her to the ladies’ room. A reaction to the storm, no doubt. She must have a past history with tornadoes. Though she drove him crazy most days, he couldn’t help wanting to protect and calm her just now. They had that sort of push-pull relationship.

  “You okay?” he asked Ellie once he helped her sit on one of the chairs he brought into the room.

  Not looking at him, she nodded. He reached for her hand. “Ellie, everything will be okay.”

  “I know. I’m fine,” she said, lifting her head to look at him. Her voice and her eyes told him otherwise.

  “Here we go,” the employee said, bringing in a tray of drinks with all the grace of a perfect hostess. She passed them out, then scrunched down to turn on the radio.

  The trio listened, quietly sipping their drinks, while the announcer told of fallen trees, downed wiring, scattered debris.

  “Looks like we’ll have to stay put awhile,” the girl said. “By the way, I’m Amy,” she offered with a smile.

  “Hi, Amy. My name is Cole, this is Ellie.”

  Ellie raised her head and smiled. “I can’t believe we’re sipping frappes in the ladies’ room while a tornado hurls overhead. Kind of gives a whole new meaning to swirlies.” She smiled.

  Cole laughed. “You mean where bullies at school dunk your head in the toilet and flush?”

  She giggled and nodded.

  “Don’t tell me you ever had one?”

  “No. I was just hoping I don’t get one tonight.” She glanced over at the toilet and pointed toward the howling winds overhead.

  Cole threw back his head and laughed some more. “Leave it to you to think of that!”

  “I had a swirlie once,” Amy said. “I thought it was kind of cool.”

  Ellie and Cole exchanged a glance and laughed. Amy joined them.

  Just then Amy got a call on her cell phone. She went into the men’s restroom for privacy to talk.

  “So you want to tell me why you’re especially afraid of tornadoes?” Cole probed.

  “Oh, it’s nothing.”

  “Come on, Ellie. Something happened to you as a kid.” His voice was soft and kind, seeming to offer just the encouragement she needed.

  “We were at church. Dad was leading the music when someone ran into the church and screamed, ‘Tornado!’ I was about six at the time.”

  Cole nodded.

  “A loud sound, like a train, blared outside just before a huge wind pushed inside and forced my dad to the floor. In an instant, I screamed and Mom yanked me down under a pew with her. I closed my eyes, and held my hands hard against my ears. Mom held me tight while I wailed. I thought we were going to die.”

  Cole watched her relive the past. He wanted to reach over and pull her into his arms, shield her from the memory.

  “I don’t know how long we stayed there. I just remember when we finally got up, everything was deathly quiet. When Mom helped me from under the pew, I heard her gasp. Wallboard, plaster, debris everywhere. Fortunately, all the people had gathered under pews, so it didn’t look as though anyone was hurt. But then we looked on the platform where Dad had been standing. It was destroyed.” Ellie took a deep breath. Cole reached over and rubbed her hand.

  “It’s okay, Ellie, you don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to.”

  “No, it’s all right. I heard Mom scream his name. Everyone started searching and there he was at the end of the church, rolled up in the carpet! He later told us when the tornado hit, it uprooted the carpet, causing him to fall right into it. The carpet rolled down the aisle with Dad inside.” She laughed. “It’s funny now, but at the time, I was terrified.” She grew serious. “They told us the carpet saved his life.” Reaching over, she grabbed some tissue and wiped her eyes. “We knew God had spared him.”

  “Wow. That’s some story, Ellie.” Cole squeezed her hand. “No wonder tornadoes frighten you. I’m sorry.”

  She shrugged. “I can’t hear about tornadoes without thinking of that night. Truly, it turned out to be a night of thankfulness. Miraculously, no one was hurt. Of course, our church was ruined.”

  Amy stepped back into the room. “It was my mom checking on us. She said the tornado has moved on, so it looks like the worst is past. We just have to be careful going home. Don’t go near the power lines.”

  “Good advice, Amy. Thank you. Do you get to close shop now?”

  She nodded. “My boss said when the threat was over, I could clo
se the store.”

  “Is your mom picking you up?”

  “No, I drove.”

  Cole looked surprised.

  “I know, everyone thinks I’m twelve, but I’m really twenty-two.”

  Ellie coughed.

  “We’ll stick around till you get everything done, and see you out to your car.”

  “Thanks.”

  “What do we owe for these frappes?” Cole asked.

  “They’re on the house,” she called over her shoulder, already preparing things to leave.

  “You want me to follow you home, Ellie, just to make sure you get there safely?”

  “That’s not necessary, Cole.”

  He shrugged. Knowing how independent she was, he didn’t want to push the matter. They threw away the coffee cups, gathered their things and headed toward their cars.

  After saying goodbye, Cole climbed into his SUV and started the engine. Only after pulling into traffic did he realize he actually had a “date at the theater” with the elusive Ellie Williams.

  Chapter Seven

  Grabbing her Monday-morning coffee, Ellie headed for her desk.

  “I guess you heard the news?” Cole said with a bit of a bark to his voice.

  “Good morning to you, too, Cole.” Ellie tossed a half smile and settled into her chair. She thought the least he could have said was that he’d had a nice time at the coffee shop Saturday night.

  “Well?” He raised his hands, palms up.

  “Well, what?” she asked, only slightly paying attention as she glanced through a file.

  “Have you heard the news?”

  “No, Cole, what news?” She really didn’t feel like playing this game. And she definitely didn’t like the edge to his voice.

  “The tornado did extensive damage to the three homes in Woods Edge. Ripped roof sections off two of them, broke some windows, stripped off siding.”

  She closed the file and looked up with a start.