Constructing the Soul

by Annabella Michaels

  My friend John, who was an engineer in Chicago, had been invaluable in helping me find new crew members and he said that he knew plenty of skilled people that would be eager to work for me as soon as I needed them. All I needed was the green light on the Agape House project and I’d be ready to move forward. I had confidence in my ability to do the best job, but you never knew how those things would go. I’d been on pins and needles for the last week and it was making me crazy, but there was nothing I could do but wait.

  I finished sanding down the table I was building and satisfied that it no longer had any rough edges, I began cleaning up the mess I’d made. I smiled as I moved around, sweeping the floors and putting things back where they belonged. The barn which had been used by the previous owner to store his antique cars was perfect for a woodworking shop. Wooden cabinets lined an entire wall and offered plenty of storage for all my odds and ends and I’d hung pegboard for my tools to hang from.

  There was also an old workbench that had been the man’s grandfather’s, but had no place in the Florida condo he was moving to so he’d sold it with the house. I liked to run my hands over it, feeling the smoothness that could only come from years of use and imagined his grandfather as a craftsman, much like my own grandfather had been. Some of my fondest memories were of spending time with my grandpa in his shop, watching him as he worked. Every night he would sit out on his front porch and whittle. He said it relaxed his mind after a busy day and he’d bought me my own knife on my tenth birthday so that I could whittle with him. I was never as good at it as he was, but it was because of my grandpa that I had developed my love of crafting things out of wood.

  I may have been moving my business to the city, but I was a country boy through and through. I knew that I wouldn’t enjoy living in a busy city so I’d asked the realtor to look for something on the outskirts of Chicago. My list of demands was fairly straight forward; I needed a place that I could use as a workshop and enough land that I wouldn’t feel like my neighbors were right on top of me. What she found was even better than I’d hoped for. A newly built log cabin, sitting on twelve acres, complete with woods, a pond, and, of course, the barn. It was my own little piece of paradise and I loved every square inch of it.

  When I’d finished cleaning up, I headed to the house to take a shower. I’d been so busy getting everything set up at my new place that I hadn’t had time to see my family, so when Landon had called that morning and asked if I could meet him for dinner, I’d jumped at the chance. I was disappointed that Micah wouldn’t be there because I was eager to get to know the man that had captured my cousin’s heart, but Landon had explained that Micah was working a case so he wouldn’t be there. I was looking forward to catching up with Landon though. We had always been very close and talked at least once or twice each week on the phone, but it wasn’t the same as actually being in the same room as each other, which was a big reason why I had decided to move there in the first place.

  I came from a huge family with loads of cousins, but somehow my parents had only ended up with me. I knew they’d tried to have more kids, but it just wasn’t possible. Mom always told me that I was her miracle baby and more than she could’ve ever wished for. I knew I was lucky to have the parents I had, but a part of me had always wished for a sister or brother that I could grow up with. Landon had filled that role for me, even though we didn’t live together. I couldn’t imagine any two brothers being closer than he and I were which was why it had been so scary when I thought I was going to lose him.

  I already knew that I had to get out of the town I grew up in, I just wasn’t sure where I was going to go. Hearing that Landon had come so close to death at the hands of a psychotic woman had been the deciding factor and I’d quickly called my realtor and set things in motion. I looked up at my new house as I climbed the steps and smiled; moving to Illinois had been the right choice. Being in a new place, surrounded by my crazy, loving family was just what I needed.

  My phone rang as I was washing my hands so I quickly dried them off and pulled my phone from my pocket. My heart thudded in my chest when I saw the name displayed on the screen. Akio Forrest.

  “Hello?” I said. I hoped my voice didn’t sound as nervous as I felt. Despite my cocky attitude when I’d met Akio, I was very anxious to hear what he had to say. I had no doubts that I could get plenty of other jobs in the city if that one didn’t pan out, but none of them would be as worthwhile as the Agape House project nor would they get my business name out there as quickly as that would.

  “Hi! Is this Morgan Greene?” Akio asked and just like that my stomach flipped for a completely different reason. An image of the man came to mind and I recalled how he’d stunned me the first time I’d laid eyes on him.

  I’d climbed out of my truck and approached the man sitting in the little blue Toyota Prius. I’d assumed, since he was the only one around, that he was the person I was there to meet. He didn’t move as I neared so I tapped on his window to get his attention. I couldn’t help but laugh at the startled expression on his face as he turned towards me and grabbed his chest. He’d obviously been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t heard me arrive.

  Before I knew what was happening, he swung the door open, climbed out of his car, and began yelling at me. I barely heard his words though or felt his finger poking into my chest as I stared down at the most breathtaking man I’d ever seen. He had black hair that even styled, still flopped down slightly over his forehead and the most adorable freckles that dotted his upturned nose. His brown eyes, which narrowed slightly at the corners, were framed by thick lashes. His bottom lip was fuller than the top, making it look like he was wearing a constant pout and I had the sudden urge to reach out and run my finger over his cheek to see if his skin was as smooth and silky as it appeared.

  “Hello? Are you still there?” I heard Akio say and I realized that I’d never answered his question.

  “Yes, I’m here. This is Morgan,” I said in a rush.

  “Oh, good. This is Akio Forrest. I’m the one that met with you about the Agape House project,” he supplied.

  “I remember who you are,” I answered, as if I could ever forget. There was a slight pause on his end and then I heard him clear his throat.

  “So, I met with the rest of the group today to go over the bids from each of the candidates for the job and then I showed the ideas to Matt, the owner of Agape House, to get his final approval and we’ve come to a unanimous decision. We were very impressed with your design ideas as well as the timeframe you set up in order to complete the project and we would like to offer you the job, if you are still interested.”

  “That’s terrific, thank you very much.” I let out the breath I’d been holding and answered as calmly as possible while pumping my fist in the air. Akio chuckled and I wondered if I hadn’t sounded as calm as I’d intended.

  “Good. How much time will you need to get everything set up? We’d like to get moving on this as soon as possible,” he explained.

  “I understand,” I said, nodding my head as if he could see the movement through the phone. “I already have several crew members on standby, I just need to make a few phone calls and I should be good to go.”

  “Perfect. Are you available on Monday? I’d like to do a walk through with Matt there so we can make sure that everyone’s on the same page before we begin,” he suggested.

  “That’s a good idea. I’m available all day,” I told him.

  “In that case, maybe we could go afterwards to get you set up at the local builder’s supply warehouse. Lachlan set up a line of credit so you’ll be able to order new supplies whenever you need without having to wait on him. I’ll need to go with you to add you to the approved list of people allowed to use the line of credit,” Akio explained. “If there’s anything else you need from me, don’t hesitate to ask. This is the best number to reach me because I almost always have my phone on me.”

  “Sounds good. Thank you, Akio. I’m looking forward to working with yo
u,” I said.

  “I’m looking forward to it too,” he answered.

  It wasn’t until we’d hung up that I realized how late it had gotten. I was going to have to hurry if I didn’t want to be late meeting Landon. I smiled as I started the water for my shower. Everything in my life seemed to be falling into place: a beautiful home, new job, and a sexy man that I was going to get to work with. It seemed like we would have a lot to celebrate that night.

  The parking lot was full outside of the sports bar and grill that Landon had chosen to meet at and I wondered if there was a big game going on or if the place always drew such a big crowd. I waited patiently as the driver of an SUV vacated his spot before I pulled in and parked my truck. I locked up and made my way to the front door, smiling when I saw Landon waiting outside. He was looking down at his phone and wearing a goofy grin on his face and I would’ve bet money that he was texting Micah. I cleared my throat as I got nearer and his head jerked up in surprise, his smile spreading when he realized it was me.

  “Morgan!” he exclaimed, throwing his arms around me and engulfing me in a warm hug. I hugged him back, not caring who might be watching. That was one thing all of us Greenes had in common; we were very affectionate people and we had no problem showing it.

  “It’s good to see you,” I said as we took a step back so we could look each other over. He looked better than I’d seen him in a long time. The tense set of his jaw was gone, replaced by a relaxed smile. Landon was obviously very happy and I was thrilled for him. My cousins were all amazing people and I was so happy that they’d each found their soulmates.

  “It’s good to see you too. I was beginning to wonder if it was ever going to happen though,” he teased.

  “I’m sorry. I’ve been trying to get everything set up with my new house before I started working again, but I promise, I’m going to have all of you out soon to see the place.”

  “I understand, we’ve all been busy too getting everything ready for the new tour. I just like to give you a hard time,” Landon said with a cheeky grin. I gave him a playful punch to the arm and we laughed as I followed him inside.

  It was loud inside as fans drank their beers and cheered on their favorite teams. There were large screen TVs mounted all around the place, allowing every person to partake in whichever sport they chose to watch. Nearly every table was taken, but we were able to find a spot near the back of the restaurant which was fine with me because it got us away from some of the noise so we’d be able to talk.

  “Sorry, I didn’t realize when I chose this place that the Bulls were playing tonight,” Landon said as he slid into the booth and glanced around. “Or that there was a huge pay-per-view fight going on apparently,” he continued with a laugh. “Would you rather go somewhere else?” he offered.

  “Do they have good food here?” I asked. Landon answered with a nod. “Beer?” He nodded again with a smirk. “Then this is perfect,” I stated. We placed an order of wings and beer with the waitress and then smiled at each other.

  “You look happier than I’ve seen in a long time. I take it being engaged agrees with you?” I said with a smirk.

  A wide grin split his face as he answered. “Being engaged to Micah agrees with me,” he corrected then shook his head. “I never thought I’d meet someone who was so perfect for me, but Micah is everything I’ve ever wanted. He knows what I need before I do sometimes and there’s nothing I can’t say to him. He really is my best friend and I can’t wait to marry him.” My smile grew as he continued telling me about his fiancé.

  “I’m so happy for you, Landon. Micah sounds like an incredible person and I can’t wait to get to know him,” I said sincerely.

  “I want that too. Although, I’m sure Micah feels like he already knows you with as much as I talk about you.”

  “I hope you’ve only told him the good parts,” I joked and Landon laughed.

  “Don’t worry, good things are all I can remember with you.” Warmth filled my chest when he said that. My favorite childhood memories were of my times spent with my cousins and I was so glad that I had made the move to be closer to them, giving us an opportunity to get to know each other better as adults. The waitress brought our food then and we were quiet as we both dug in.

  “So, tell me about you. How are you doing and what made you finally decide to move to Chicago? Mom told me it was because there wasn’t enough work for you back there, but I know better. It seemed like every time we talked on the phone, you were just getting home from work,” Landon said after a few moments.

  “It was just time for a change and I wanted to be closer to you guys, you know that,” I responded casually. Landon tilted his head and studied me without saying anything. I took a long pull from my beer and then set it back down with a sigh. “What do you want to know?” I knew my cousin well enough to know that he wasn’t going to give up until he got to the truth.

  Landon folded his arms and placed them on the table as he leaned towards me. “None of it makes sense. Why would you leave a lucrative business behind just to try and start it up somewhere else and why did you come alone? Where’s David?” I waited for the pain to come at the sound of his name, but as usual there was nothing but regret and a hint of anger, both at David and myself. I pushed my basket of food away, no longer hungry.

  “David and I aren’t together anymore. I found out he’d been cheating on me,” I told him.

  “What the hell? That motherfucker!” Landon said, sitting up straight in his seat.

  “It wasn’t all his fault.” Landon gave me an incredulous look and opened his mouth, but I held my hand up to stop him. “Trust me, I was plenty pissed when I found out about his affair and I still think it was a shitty thing to do, but once I got over the initial shock, I started to really think about it and I realized some things about our relationship and about myself.”

  “Like what?” Landon asked gently.

  “Like the fact that we should’ve never tried to turn our friendship into something more. We’d known each other since high school and we got along great. We liked the same movies and we laughed at the same jokes. We both liked being outdoors and doing things like exploring caves and bungee jumping, but there was nothing else there, no spark, no connection. We were just friends with mutual interests.” I stared down at the bottle I held between my hands and traced the moisture running down the side with my thumb.

  “David knew something was missing and he tried to tell me. I didn’t realize it at the time, I thought he was just nagging me, but after I found out about him and that guy, I realized he’d been trying to tell me for a long time in his own way.” I looked up at Landon, catching his sympathetic gaze.

  “I hear the way you talk about Micah and the way your face lights up at just the mention of his name and I realized that I never felt any of that with David. Hell, I’ve never felt that with any of the guys I’ve been with. Maybe I just don’t feel things the same way other people do. I mean, I walked in and found David with another man in our shower and all I felt was anger that he would go behind my back like that. I waited to be hit with a crippling pain that should come with something like that, but it never did and it scared the shit out of me.” I shook my head, frustrated with myself.

  “We ended things that day and David ended up moving in with the guy. I heard through the small-town grapevine that they were planning on getting married. That was when I decided it was time for a change. I just couldn’t stay there and be reminded of my failures.”

  “You didn’t fail. It’s never wrong to give love a chance,” Landon said. “And there’s nothing wrong with you,” he stated, holding my gaze intently. “I know you, Morgan, I’ve known you my whole life and I know what a loving and wonderful man you are. The fact that you weren’t devastated by what David did doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong with you, it just means that David wasn’t the one. If he had been, you’d have felt like your heart had been put through a shredder when you found out he’d been cheating. You hav
e so much love to give and when you find that special person, your soulmate, then you’ll be flooded with feelings for them. You’ll see.”

  “I don’t think I have a soulmate out there, but either way, I think I’m happy just having fun for now,” I told him, picking up my beer and taking a drink.

  “Fair enough. You have your fun, but when you meet the man who grabs your heart and won’t let go, I’m going to be there to say I told you so,” Landon said with a smug grin.

  “Whatever,” I laughed. “Enough with the heavy shit, I have good news I wanted to share with you.”

  “What could it possibly be?” Landon’s smug grin grew wider.

  “You already know, don’t you?” I rolled my eyes, making Landon laugh.

  “I was there when the group chose your bid. All we were waiting on was Matt’s approval and I knew there was no way he wouldn’t love the plans you came up with. Congratulations, you’re the perfect man for the job.”

  “Thanks, Landon. I’m really excited to get started.”

  “Your designs were incredible and the use of space was brilliant. I already knew how good you were at your job so I wasn’t surprised when Akio recommended you. I could tell you made a huge impression on him. He couldn’t stop asking questions about you.” My heart thudded at Landon’s words.

  “Really? What all did he want to know?” The waitress brought another round of beers for each of us and I took a drink of mine, trying to appear casual. Landon didn’t need to know that I thought his best friend was sexy as hell.

  “He just asked if we were close and if I knew why you’d moved here. That kind of thing.”