The Fall

by Kate Sherwood

  Readers Love Kate Sherwood

  Beneath the Surface

  “Overall another excellent story by Ms. Sherwood! I love that she writes different stories and doesn’t just stick to one theme.”

  —Mrs. Condit & Friends Read Books

  “Kate made me cry again! Not the blubbering kind, just a little. But, the woman got me again! This is a sweet romance…”

  —MM Good Book Reviews

  Dark Horse

  “This book really got to me… most of all, I loved these characters, a whole bunch of them, both men and women, working hard together. Lots of people from different walks of life and different ages too. They all seemed real.”

  —My Fiction Nook

  “… with Kate Sherwood I know that I’m going to get a story brimming with well-rounded characters and a journey that will touch my heart in all the good ways.”

  —Leontine’s Book Realm

  More Than Chemistry

  “What a wonderful story! Kate Sherwood was a new author for me but after reading this short story, I will be searching out more books from her.”

  —Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

  “I really liked this story and ended up loving the characters... Recommended for romantics (and it’s funny!)”

  —Hearts on Fire

  By KATE SHERWOOD

  NOVELS

  AGAINST THE ODDS

  The Pawn

  The Knight

  Dark Horse

  Out of the Darkness

  Of Dark and Bright

  Beneath the Surface

  The Fall

  Lost Treasure

  Shying Away

  NOVELLAS

  More Than Chemistry

  Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

  Copyright

  Published by

  Dreamspinner Press

  5032 Capital Circle SW

  Suite 2, PMB# 279

  Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886

  USA

  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  The Fall

  © 2013 Kate Sherwood.

  Cover Art

  © 2013 Leah Kaye Suttle.

  www.leahsuttle.com

  Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

  All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/.

  ISBN: 978-1-62798-390-7

  Digital ISBN: 978-1-62798-389-1

  Printed in the United States of America

  First Edition

  December 2013

  Chapter 1

  “IT’S NOT like I was expecting an adorable little café. I knew that even Starbucks might be pushing it.” Mackenzie tried to loosen his grip on his cell phone before saying, “But Kristen, there’s not even a Tim Hortons! There’s a donut shop. It’s called The Donut Shop. It sells donuts. No pastries, no soup, no sandwiches. Just donuts. And coffee.” In the interest of full disclosure, he added, “And bagels. I don’t know what’s with the bagels. But there isn’t even a drive-through!”

  “You were just complaining about having to drive everywhere up there,” Kristen replied. Mackenzie could hear the laughter in her voice, and it really didn’t help matters. “And you aren’t a big coffee drinker, anyway.”

  “It’s not for me,” Mackenzie said in exasperation. He pushed away from the stone wall he’d been leaning on. “It’s for the clientele. I mean, I need support services, right? People aren’t going to drive all the way up here for a wedding and not want to get something to eat or do a little shopping. I was excited when I saw that they have an antique store, but, honestly, it looks like my grandma’s basement. It’s not even kitsch—just crap.”

  Kristen sounded a little more serious as she asked, “What are you going to do about it? It’s not too late to come back, you know. Sell the damn church, get back down here to the land of cafés, and move on with your life.”

  “I am moving on.” Mackenzie had given this some serious thought, especially the night before as he’d tossed and turned in his low-thread-count sheets at the local motel. “This business was my idea, not Nathan’s. And it’s a good idea. If I come back now, I’ll just sit around and mope. I need to keep busy.”

  “If you come back now, you’ll be looking for work,” Kristen corrected. “You don’t have a sugar daddy anymore.”

  “I paid my own way,” Mackenzie protested. “I mean, I paid for the essentials. If Nathan chose to treat me to a few luxuries….”

  “You haven’t paid for rent, utilities, or groceries in almost six years. Stealing clothes from your shoots does not count as paying for the essentials.”

  “I paid for some of those clothes. And the rest were gifts, not stolen. I can’t help it if people want me to be seen wearing their designs.”

  “You finding much use for your wardrobe up there? Anyone appreciating your bold fashion choices?” Kristen was clearly back to laughing at him.

  “My people will continue to appreciate me. And soon, my people will be up here. They’ll be getting married in my beautiful church, celebrating in the lovely gardens—”

  “And picking up donuts in town. Without driving through.”

  “The town needs some work,” Mackenzie admitted. “Hard to believe that somewhere two hours from Canada’s biggest city could be this backward. But I’m not giving up. No way. I just need to figure a few things out.” He looked up at the stone wall he’d been standing next to, then stepped back far enough that he could see the whole front of the church. “It’s a beautiful building, Kristen. It’s going to be perfect when it’s all fixed up.”

  “A traditional venue to celebrate your nontraditional love,” she said. “Is that the one you’re going with?”

  “Or maybe ‘drive two hours out of the city to get married in a total shithole.’”

  “I vote for the first one. I’m coming up this weekend, okay? If you don’t have a place by then, I can stay at your motel. You’ve made it sound so appealing I can’t resist.”

  “You’ll bring Griffin?”

  “Of course. He’s pining without you.”

  “He’s not really, is he? He’s okay?”

  There was a pause, and Mackenzie could picture Kristen leaning down to fondle the goldendoodle’s silky ears. Or probably just leaning over, not down, because as soon as Kristen had heard the dog didn’t shed, she’d made him into her couch mate and cuddle partner. “He’s fine. He was sad for the first five minutes, just like he always is when you leave him. Then I gave him the new toy, and he got over it. But he’ll be happy to see his daddy.”

  “One of them, at least.”

  “He never loved Nathan like he loves you.”

  “Good thing.” There didn’t need to be two of them pining for Nathan. But Mackenzie didn’t want to think about that. Luckily, a distraction arr
ived in the form of a pickup truck with ladders and a variety of tools in the back, and two men in front. There was a Sutton Construction logo on the side. “I’ve got to go. The contractors are here.”

  “Have fun. Call me later.”

  He agreed and ended the call, then squinted at the men getting out of the truck. They were both tall and rangy with angular faces, wearing jeans and work shirts, the driver with a baseball cap and the passenger slipping on a cowboy hat without a trace of irony. Mackenzie kept staring at them. There was something strange going on….

  “Yeah, we’re twins,” the one from the driver’s side said with a friendly smile. “But I’m the good-looking one.” He held out his hand. “Will Sutton. We spoke on the phone.” He glanced over at his brother, who was staring at the church like he thought it might be about to crumble on their heads. “That’s Joe. Don’t mind him. He’s just here in case there’s heavy lifting.”

  “I’m Mackenzie.” He extended his hand and braced himself for a painful show of manly strength, but Will’s handshake was firm without being crushing. “Thanks for coming by. Do you want to look inside, or…?”

  “Outside first, if that’s okay. I did a quick look-around when you called me. There’s a few things you should have a look at.”

  “Okay,” Mackenzie said doubtfully. He knew nothing about construction.

  “It looks like it’s in pretty good shape,” Will said as he led the way around the building. “Couple broken windows in the basement, but the big windows look okay. You’re keeping the stained glass?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Will nodded. “Good. It adds a lot, I think. There’s a bit of work to be done here,” he said as he brushed at some loose mortar, “and we’ll have to take a good look inside to make sure water didn’t get in. Gutters need some work, there”—he pointed—“and we’ll have to go up and take a look at the roof to see what kind of shape it’s in.”

  “We won’t be doing that,” Mackenzie clarified. “There’s no way I’m going up there.”

  “Joe’ll do it,” Will said dismissively. “He likes heights.”

  Joe didn’t respond or even look in their direction. Mackenzie was beginning to find the man’s silence a little unsettling.

  Will continued to calmly point out deficiencies in the building as they toured around the perimeter, and Mackenzie struggled to maintain his positive attitude. “We had an inspection done,” he said defensively. “They said there were no major problems. And you just said it was in pretty good shape….”

  “It is,” Will responded in surprise. “Really good, considering. But it’s a hundred and forty years old, and it’s been empty for almost a decade. It needs some work.”

  “I’m on a fairly tight budget. Can you prioritize things? Like, tell me what needs to be done right away to keep the place from falling down, what needs to be done in a couple years, what would be nice to do someday? That’d be really helpful.”

  Will had given him a weird look as soon as he’d said he was on a tight budget, and that was just one more thing for Mackenzie to worry about. The contractors had been highly recommended as people who weren’t only good at their jobs but also scrupulously honest, and Mackenzie had really hoped he’d be able to just sit back and let them guide him through the necessary renovations. But if they were looking for someone who’d be able to throw endless cash into the project, he was in trouble. Two months ago, he’d have been happy to oblige, and he probably wouldn’t have looked too closely at the invoices, either. Now, though, he needed to be more careful.

  “We can figure it out,” Will finally said. “You want to go look inside, see what’s what in there?”

  Mackenzie absolutely did. The outside of the church was lovely, but it was the interior that had really captured his heart. He led the way through the carved wooden doors, through the gracious narthex with its spiral staircase, and into the sanctuary. He took a deep, satisfied breath as he entered. Yes. This room made it all worthwhile. The proportions of the walls and arched ceiling were perfect, the light through the stained glass divine. The wooden pews curved gracefully toward the altar, which was itself rounded and felt like a part of the larger circle. It was a setting that spoke of community and fellowship and belonging, and it was the perfect place to celebrate a wedding.

  But Will wasn’t soaking up the charm quite as deeply as Mackenzie always did. Instead, he was focusing on a collection of whitish-gray… something in the middle of the central aisle. He glanced toward his brother, who shrugged in laconic cowboy fashion.

  “Not a tragedy,” Will said as he turned back to Mackenzie. “But we need to get this taken care of. It’s a mess, but it’s also acidic. The floor beneath that spot is probably wrecked. We’ll have to try to match the hardwood for the repairs.”

  “What is it?” Mackenzie asked. “I mean, it looks like bird shit….”

  “Bat shit,” Will corrected.

  And for the first time, the cowboy spoke. “You’ve got bats in your belfry.” He pointed up, and Mackenzie followed his finger. The pile of droppings sat immediately beneath an octagonal hole in the ceiling, an opening Mackenzie had barely even noticed before.

  “Bats? And that’s my belfry?” He frowned. “What is a belfry?”

  “It’s where the bell goes.” Will was back in charge. “But I doubt they’ll let you ring a bell, anyway. It’s not like you’re a real church. Is there even a bell up there? We should check, to make sure it’s not going to fall on someone’s head.”

  “It’s over in Mossberg,” the cowboy told his brother. “In that schoolhouse.”

  “The converted one on the town line?”

  “Yeah. They moved it over a few years ago.”

  Will nodded, then turned to Mackenzie. “That’s Joe’s second skill. He likes heights, and he knows weird shit.” He grinned quickly and waggled his eyebrows almost suggestively. “I don’t know if you want to hear about his third skill!”

  “Enough,” the cowboy said, no humor in his tone, and there was a tense moment when it seemed like Will might push whatever he was doing just a little further. Finally, though, he shrugged as if disappointed in his brother’s decision, then turned around in a big circle, looking at the ceiling.

  “Probably best to just shut the belfry off entirely, but we’ll want to get the bats out too. Might need to hire an expert for that. You’ll need to check on their breeding season; they’ve probably got babies up there now, and you don’t want to separate a family.” Will glanced over to be sure Mackenzie wasn’t going to argue with that, then continued his inspection. “I don’t see any water damage from down here, but we’ll need to poke around up there to be sure. And we’ll want to check the basement, and the windows….”

  So the inspection continued without further interaction between the brothers. Mackenzie wondered why the cowboy was even there; he certainly didn’t seem too interested in any of the proceedings. Mackenzie had heard this was a family business, but it seemed pretty clear that Will was the brains of the operation. Whatever Joe’s mysterious skills were, they obviously didn’t involve customer service.

  “You want to go set up the ladders?” Will asked his brother when they’d finished poking through the choir loft. “We can check out the basement while you’re doing that.”

  Joe looked almost suspicious at the offered escape, but he nodded and headed outside while Will and Mackenzie made their way to the basement.

  “Joe’s a good guy,” Will said as he tested the stability of the railing on the stairs. “Just takes him a while to warm up to people.”

  “Okay.” It wasn’t like it was any of Mackenzie’s business. “Can you take a look at the ceiling? There’s a couple feet of space in there, and if we could find a way to open that up….”

  “They probably lowered it to save heat. You’ve got a big space here, and you’re going to want someone to come in and look at the furnace, wherever it is. It’ll probably be worth the expense of updating it as soon as you can. They�
�ve got natural gas running by here now, so you could hook up to that and get rid of the propane tanks.” He found a rickety chair and stepped up on it to peek into the ceiling. “He’s never been much of a talker,” he said, his voice muffled.

  It took Mackenzie a while to figure out that the man was back to his brother. “Well, that’s kind of nice sometimes,” he managed. “Gives more space for the rest of us to dominate the conversation.”

  “Exactly!” Will hopped off the chair and dusted his hands off on his jeans. “Yeah, I think we could raise that ceiling back up. You’ve got a lot of height down here. More than most old churches. Have you got plans for the space?”

  “I’m not sure. I was thinking we could use it for receptions if we had to. There doesn’t seem to be anywhere in town….”

  “Legion, community center, golf course,” Will said thoughtfully. “Or people’s backyards. That’s where most people have their receptions.”

  “The golf course?” That was an exciting possibility. Mackenzie didn’t golf himself, but many well-heeled people did.

  “Out on the highway. You would have driven past it on the way from the city.”

  Mackenzie searched his memory. “Can you see the clubhouse from the road?”

  “Yeah. It’s board and batten, kind of a faded green? One story, with the shop in front and a big garage door on the side.”

  “Huh.” Mackenzie couldn’t remember the exact building, but it wasn’t sounding too promising.

  “You want something fancy?” Will guessed. “That ain’t it. This isn’t a rich area. Industry is pretty much packed up and gone, and farming… it’s mostly going large-scale, now. The people who actually own the land are probably making good cash, but they live down in the city or maybe even farther away. The ones who live up here are just employees now, not real farmers.”

  Of course it wasn’t a wealthy area. That was why Mackenzie had been able to afford to buy the church. It was located in a picturesque hamlet a few miles outside a two-stoplight town, with quaint historic homes on either side of it and a forest-covered ravine in the back. The setting was beautiful, but remote. If it were located elsewhere, it would have been snapped up at three times the price and converted into a grand residence or weekend home. He sighed. “Let’s see if we can find the furnace. And one of the bathrooms has a pretty big shower in it. Does that make sense? Do people shower at church?”