Small-Town Dad

by Jean C. Gordon

  He sat in one of the pastel-colored vinyl upholstered chairs and leaned his elbow on the wooden armrest with his cell phone to his ear. It rang through to his parents’ house.

  “Hi, Mom.”

  “Neal. What’s up?”

  “I’m at the medical center with Emily.”

  “The baby.” She squealed. “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, the nurse is getting her settled in a room. Kelly isn’t here yet.”

  “Have you talked with Drew?”

  “Em did. He was about forty minutes behind us, near Warrensburg.”

  “How long have you been there?”

  Neal checked his watch. “About twenty minutes.”

  “We must have gotten back to the house just after you left. We were at the grocery store.”

  If he’d only known. They could have waited and Mom could have come as Emily’s backup coach. He looked at his watch again. Drew wouldn’t be here for another twenty minutes.

  “Hon?” his mother said into the silence. “Shouldn’t you go be with your sister until Drew gets there?”

  Did he have a choice? “Yeah, I’d better.”

  “Your dad and I will be there in about an hour. Give Emily a hug and tell her we’re praying for her and the baby.”

  “Sure thing.” He almost asked her to pray for him, too, if Drew didn’t get here in time.

  Neal returned to the nurses’ station. “You’ll need to wait a minute to go in,” Jenn said. “Her water broke. Liz is getting her into a clean gown. She’s further along in her labor than we thought.”

  “Yeah, she was trying to ignore the contractions until her husband got back from a business trip to New York.”

  The nurse laughed. “Looks like she did a pretty good job of it.”

  Neal swallowed hard. “She’s not going to have the baby right away, is she? Has her midwife gotten here yet?”

  “Probably not, and no, Kelly is still on her way.”

  “So is my brother-in-law.” I hope. He has to be. “I shouldn’t be so spooked. It’s not like I haven’t done this before.”

  “Oh, how old is your baby?”

  “Nineteen. She’s a nursing student at North Country Community College.”

  Jenn went on without batting an eyelash. “That’s where I went. I graduated last spring.”

  Neal felt old. He’d expected at least a little surprise that he had a daughter that old.

  “What’s her name? I probably know her.”

  “Autumn Hazard.”

  “Tiny blonde?”

  “That’s her.”

  “Neal.” The other nurse came up beside him. “Emily’s asking for you.”

  “She’s okay, right?”

  “She’s fine. Her contractions are steady. She’s eight centimeters dialated. It’ll probably be a couple hours.”

  “Good. Her husband should be here anytime now.”

  The corners of Liz’s mouth twitched as she obviously suppressed a smile. He needed to stop saying that.

  Neal walked the few steps to Emily’s room and pushed the door open. She was standing at the window. “Looking for Drew?”

  “Yes.”

  “He’ll be here soon. Want to watch some television?”

  “Saturday afternoon TV? I don’t think so. Let’s take a walk.”

  “Sure.” Whatever she wanted to do to kill the time until Drew got here.

  “We could go look at the babies, but from what Liz said, I don’t think there are any.”

  He followed Emily into the hall.

  “Drew,” she shouted to a figure coming up the hall and took off at a fast waddle.

  “Her husband,” Neal said to the grinning nurses.

  “We guessed,” the older one said. “That gets you off the hook.”

  “You’ve got that right. If they’re looking for me, I’m going to the cafeteria to get some coffee.”

  Jenn pointed down the hall in the opposite direction of Drew and Emily. “Go past the nursery. The stairs to the right will take you directly down. Or you can take the elevator to the lobby and follow the signs.”

  “Thanks.” He took off in the direction of the stairs. A woman stood in the empty hall in front of the nursery window looking in. He slowed his pace. The delicate profile, her perfect posture. She looked a lot like Anne. But what would Anne be doing in Labor and Delivery? He needed coffee more than he’d thought.

  She turned and her eyes widened in surprise. “Neal.”

  He shot off a prayer. Lord, forgive me for my behavior at the mixer and give me the wisdom to come up with the right words to apologize to Anne for any hurt I’ve caused her.

  If only she could be half as forgiving as he knew his Holy Father was.

  “Hi. You’re still talking to me,” he blurted. Not the best start. “I’m so sorry about last night. I really did want to dance with you.”

  “Let’s forget it.” Her expression remained neutral, but her eyes clouded.

  Regret pierced his heart. He deserved it. Her dismissal was for the best. It wasn’t like he was looking for his apology to do any more than put them back on an acceptable business/social footing. At least that was all the rational, adult side of him was looking for.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked, attempting to close the growing chasm of silence between them.

  She didn’t seem to notice that his words came out as a demand rather than the conversational question he meant. Her features softened. “Harry asked me if I wanted to ride along with him to visit Edna Donnelly. Not that he isn’t perfectly capable of driving up here himself. His words.”

  “Of course. Is Mrs. Donnelly all right?”

  “She had pacemaker surgery this morning. Harry said she expects to be released tomorrow. But they have a standing Saturday night date, and he felt he had to keep it.”

  “Good man.”

  “They’re cute together. I wanted to give them some time alone to visit so I took a walk and thought I’d take a peek at the new babies.” Her cheeks pinked as if the admission embarrassed her. “I guess all of them except that little guy are with their mothers.”

  Neal looked through the glass at the infant swaddled in a blue blanket. “No, I think he’s it. And baby Stacey, when she arrives. The nurses said they haven’t had any babies in the past couple days.”

  Her eyes lit. “Emily’s having her baby! It’s a girl?”

  “Yes and no. They don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl. Emily and Drew decided they’d rather be surprised. I automatically said she because the only babies I’ve had experience with are Emily and Autumn. I’m eight years older than Emily. So, I think she when I think of babies.”

  “Are your parents here, too? I haven’t had a chance to talk with them since I moved back. I’d like to say hi.”

  “Not yet. Only me, and Drew now. He was still on his way home from New York when Emily went into labor. Mom and Dad weren’t around, so I drove her. Drew arrived just in time to save me from getting dragged into being her substitute labor coach.”

  “Oh, but think of the experience.” Her voice held a touch of awe.

  “Not for me. Not again. Been there, done that.”

  Instead of the smile he expected, his words garnered a frown.

  “You wouldn’t have left her alone until Drew got here?”

  “Of course not!” How could she even ask that? Emily was his little sister.

  “I’m sorry. You sounded so adamant.”

  “No harm.” He’d been joking around, although he couldn’t say he wasn’t majorly relieved when Drew showed up. If yesterday and today were any indication, Anne Howard no longer had Annie O’Connor’s sense of humor. Somehow that saddened him.

  “I’m going down
to the cafeteria to get coffee. Would you like to join me?”

  “No. Thanks. I’m going to go back to Edna’s room.” She paused, lips parted as if she was going to say more.

  “You’re sure?” Why was he pushing? The lady had already shot him down. The only answer he could come up with was that he missed the easy camaraderie they’d once shared as teens.

  “No.” She shook her head. “No coffee. I just wanted to tell you to check in with Professor Lawler on Monday. We’ve worked out an independent study program for you.”

  Neal stopped the crisp “Yes, ma’am” that was on the tip of his tongue. “Sure thing.” He searched her eyes for any glimmer of personal interest, and his spirits plummeted when he saw none. “See you around.”

  As he descended the stairway, he resolved that when he talked to Jeff Lawler on Monday about the work study, he’d also ask him if he would be his advisor. The sooner he put some distance between him and Dr. Howard, the sooner he’d rid himself of his latent crush on Annie O’Connor.

  Chapter Five

  Neal wanted to switch academic advisors.

  Anne reread the email Jeff Lawler had sent her late Monday. Her temper rose. This was the thanks she got after all she’d gone through to set up a work study assignment for him that would give him some meaningful engineering experience? Despite the juvenile stunt he’d pulled on her Friday?

  Except Neal had no idea that she’d used her position as owner of Green Spaces Environmental Engineering, LLC to convince the birthing center project engineer to add Neal to his staff. Or that she’d said she’d supervise Neal, so the project engineer wouldn’t be saddled with extra work. Her anger faded, leaving a hollow spot inside her. If Neal didn’t want her as his academic advisor, how was he going to feel about spending ten hours a week working with her at the birthing center site?

  She closed the email without responding and stared at her computer desktop.

  Lord, what have I done? Didn’t You put me here at NCCC to help older students like Neal and other disadvantaged students? To right some of the wrong Michael did when he embezzled from the scholarship fund the Green Spaces Engineering board of directors had set up?

  Anne sat perfectly still, eyes shut, waiting for an answer that didn’t come. She reached for the phone to call her friend Reenie. Reenie had introduced her to Jesus Christ when she was a lost college freshman, and had become Anne’s refuge from the ping-pong relationship her feuding parents called a family. And she’d been there again for Anne after Michael had died, helping her find her way back to Him. She touched the phone and stopped. Reenie would be in class with her kindergarteners now.

  She’d talk to her tonight. Besides, Anne knew what Reenie would say even without calling. That she was trying too hard. That all she needed to do was focus on the inner, and God would take care of the outer. As she rose and gathered her things for her Tuesday afternoon lecture, Anne said a small prayer of thanks that Reenie was always there to help her and vowed to do something in return.

  * * *

  The morning sun glinted off the metal construction office trailer that seemed to be standard issue for every commercial building site Neal had ever been to. He opened the door and stepped inside. “Hi, I’m Neal Hazard. I’m starting work here today.”

  The man seated at the desk frowned at Neal from behind his laptop computer.

  “Jeff Lawler sent me. I have an orientation for my work study with Green Spaces at nine.”

  The other man stood, crossed the room and offered his hand. “I’m Gary Speer, the project manager. I was expecting someone...” He paused.

  “Younger?” Neal asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “I got a later start on college.”

  Gary cracked a half smile. “Take a seat. The engineer you’ll be working with should be here anytime.” He went back to his work.

  Neal sat in the molded plastic chair Gary had pointed to. The fact that neither Jeff Lawler nor the project manager had mentioned the name of the engineer he’d be working with struck him as strange. But, since the project manager had more or less dismissed him, Neal refrained from interrupting the man’s work to ask. He picked up a solar power company marketing brochure from the table next to the chair and read it, tapping his foot as the minutes clicked by on the wall clock.

  Neal had hoped to get his orientation over in time to finish some electrical work at the campground that he hadn’t gotten to Saturday. He’d been at the hospital most of the day. With his classes and other work, today looked like the best shot for getting the job done.

  The door opened.

  “Hi, sorry I’m late. I got caught behind a school bus.”

  Annie! Neal swallowed his surprise. Dressed as he hadn’t seen her dressed since high school. She’d traded her usual tailored business wear for well-fitted jeans, a T-shirt, hooded sweatshirt and work boots.

  What was she doing here? He’d talked with Jeff about changing advisors and had thought everything was cool. Maybe she was here as program director, even though she wasn’t dressed the part.

  “I’ll clear out so that you can use the office,” Gary said. “And I’ll have those revised cost estimates to headquarters by the end of the week.”

  “Great. Everything else going smoothly?” Anne asked.

  “As smooth as any job goes.” Gary closed the laptop.

  A sinking sensation started in Neal’s chest and quickly dropped to his stomach. What was going on?

  “Pull the chair up to the desk,” she said as Gary left, “and we’ll get started.”

  “You’re the engineer I’ll be working with?” His stomach knotted.

  Her facial muscles tensed.

  “I mean, I thought I’d be working with one of the Green Spaces engineers.”

  “You are.”

  The knot in his stomach loosened. “He’ll be here soon?”

  “You don’t know?” Her voice trailed off.

  “Know what?” Lately, he didn’t seem to know much of anything. “Wait. You’re doing consulting work with Green Spaces.”

  Heading up the environmental studies program at the college wasn’t enough to keep her busy? He was having a hard enough time handling his relatively light class load and keeping his business going part-time.

  “Sort of.” She pressed her lips together as if debating what to say next. “I own Green Spaces.”

  * * *

  Neal leaned forward, his eyes stormy. “You...own...Green Spaces Engineering?”

  She backed up in her chair, buffeted by the heat radiating from him. “My husband, Michael, and I were partners.” In business, at least. “I inherited his half when he died. I thought everyone knew.”

  “No, not everyone.”

  She wasn’t sure why it mattered that she owned Green Spaces. But the challenge in his eyes, reminiscent of their Science Olympiad mental sparring, said it did.

  “What does my position matter?”

  His mouth opened and snapped shut.

  She lifted her hand to reach over and touch his arm, as she’d so often done with Michael when he closed himself off because some action of hers had angered him.

  “I guess it doesn’t,” he said in a strained voice.

  She dropped her hand to her lap. “If you don’t want to work with me, I could have Gary do it. I offered to take over the testing for the project so your work study wouldn’t add to his workload. He’s only scheduled to be here a couple weeks to get the permits set and the impact tests going. That’s what you’re going to be doing, helping me with the environmental impact tests. Construction will start in the spring.”

  As soon as the words had left her mouth, she knew she was being unfair. As much as it seemed that Neal didn’t want to team up with her, unless he’d changed radically over the years, she knew he w
ouldn’t want to impose on Gary. And, for reasons she didn’t care to articulate even to herself, she wanted to personally introduce Neal to the hands-on work of environmental engineering, as Michael had introduced her. Although her late husband had failed her in other ways, he’d been a good mentor for her career.

  Indecision shaded Neal’s eyes. Maybe her memory wasn’t serving her right. Maybe she didn’t know Neal as well as she thought she did.

  “Let’s get started, then. I have a job scheduled for this afternoon.”

  Touché. He’d seen through her ploy, but hopefully no deeper to her inexplicable compulsion to see him excel in his college career.

  “Come on. I’ll show you around the site.” She led him outside. “We’re halfway between the Glen Falls Hospital and the Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac.”

  He quirked one side of his mouth up and jerked his head to the side in a gesture that said, “Tell me something I don’t know.”

  She rushed on. “The site has five acres with a thousand feet of frontage on the road. It used to be part of a dairy farm.” She bit her tongue. He probably knew that, too. “You can see where Gary and his crew have the building and parking lot marked off.”

  Neal nodded.

  They walked around the perimeter of the future building.

  “We’ll be determining the impact of the construction and the operation of the facility on the local environment and community.”

  “Are you considering conservation measures to reduce the energy costs to heat and cool the building?” Neal asked.

  “We’re building it to LEED standards with maximum insulation and triple pane thermal windows.” She paused to gauge whether he was familiar with LEED, then plunged ahead with an explanation anyway. What was one more potentially duh statement? “LEED, that’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, an internationally recognized green building certification system.”

  “I’m familiar with it.” The timbre of his voice changed. “Have you given any thought to solar voltaic power? Your project manager had some literature in the office.”