Hometown Series Box Set

by Kirsten Fullmer

  He stood. “Not at all. Breakfast is delicious, thank you.”

  “Okay then…” she mumbled, turning to head for the stairs.

  Justin turned back to his friend and ran his fingers through his hair, standing it on end. “She’s a wreck.”

  Settling back into his seat, Elliot scooted up to the table and reloaded his fork. “Is she okay? I don’t know her all that well, but she seems to be feeling under the weather.”

  Justin sighed and dropped into his chair, where he propped his elbows on his knees and put his head into his hands, his fingers threaded through his hair. Finally, he looked up and his expression set Elliot on edge.

  He put his fork back on his plate. “What is it?”

  Leaning back and crossing one foot over his knee, Justin blew out a long breath. “I think I know what’s wrong with her, but I’m not sure.”

  “What?” Elliot asked, his concern growing.

  “I don’t have any experience with this stuff, but… she’s been throwing up at weird times and crying over everything, which, believe me, is not the norm for her.”

  Elliot grimaced.

  “She’ll look at me and just collapse into tears and want me to hold her.” He shook his head. “Normally she’d run or smack me if she’s upset.”

  Leaning back in his chair, Elliot waited for his friend to continue.

  “Don’t say anything to anybody, but— I counted, and I think she’s late.”

  Elliot was confused for a moment; then his eyebrows flew up and his mouth fell open. “Wow…you mean…”

  Justin shrugged. “I don’t know for sure, I don’t know if she even knows it yet, but I’m thinking so.”

  “Well— how do you feel about…” Elliot’s question hung in space.

  “I’m—” Justin stood and paced to the French doors, staring across the deck for a long moment. “Well, if that’s what this is, then…” He turned back to his friend. “I’m terrified. Thrilled. Freaked. You name it. I’m just not sure how she feels about it.” His face was filled with concern. “You know? Maybe she doesn’t want kids right now or…”

  “This is big.” Elliot said, his expression one of astonishment. “If this could happen to you, then—”

  “Hey!” Justin laughed. “Come on, focus here, this is about me.”

  “Right,” Elliot shook his head. “Sorry, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do. This seems crazy. I’m barely used to you being married.”

  “Seems crazy to me too.” Justin replied. “Just think about it, a tiny little Tara…”

  Elliot laughed.

  A huge grin broke across Justin’s. “She’d be a holy terror, wouldn’t she?”

  Elliot grinned. “She’d be beautiful.”

  With the appearance of a man in a fog, Justin wandered back toward the table. Then, shaking off his dream state, he turned to Elliot. “Along the family to support line of thought, I need to get moving on some new projects. Have you given some thought to our chat the other night?”

  “I loved your ideas,” Elliot said, readjusting his chair and returning his attention to his breakfast. “Where did you come up with it?” He paused. What would his father think of Justin’s ideas?

  Excited to finally get a few minutes uninterrupted to about talk business, Justin poured out his thoughts and plans.

  * * *

  Birdsong and a rooster crowing in the distance woke Lizzie slowly, awareness quietly sneaking under her skin. She felt the smooth cool sheets against her bare legs, the chill of the room on her exposed arm. She tugged the blanket up over her shoulder and turned to the other side. With her eyes still closed, she sniffed and licked her lips, then settled back to sleep.

  Thoughts crept into her mind, one at a time: the day ahead, the bathroom calling, Elliot kissing her in the barn. Her eyes popped open. Scanning the bed almost in panic, she was afraid she’d find the man smiling at her. Closing her eyes in relief, or disappointment, she wasn’t sure which, Lizzie sighed and reached up to rub her eyes. “What’s gotten into me?” she muttered.

  She tossed onto her back to stare at the ceiling, the covers up to her chin, and contemplated her day off. She’d not had much time to relax since arriving in town, what with moving and the spa, so a day to do as she pleased felt decadent. Maybe her loom would arrive today.

  She turned to the nightstand, snatched up her cell phone, unplugged the cord, then opened the email with tracking info. While she waited for the page to load, Elliot crept back into her thoughts. Resolutely, she pushed away the man and his charm to focus on her phone, then sprang up in bed, her eyes wide.

  “It’s out for delivery!” she exclaimed, tossing back the covers to vault out of bed. “Oh my gosh, I can’t wait to see it!” She hurried across the cold floor to rummage through drawers for something to wear, her eyes bright with prospects.

  Expecting a day that started out chilly but heated up in the afternoon, Lizzie chose her favorite soft, frayed jeans, paired with a plain scoop-neck T-shirt under a fringed Indian blanket poncho. Hopping on one foot, she tugged on socks, knowing she’d want to wear her fancy hand-tooled boots. Before dashing out the door, she braided her hair and slipped a leather wrap bracelet onto her wrist, the one with turquoise paint over a stamped Western motif. Without much thought she poked in earrings with dangling feathers and beads that nearly brushed her shoulders.

  At the bottom of the steps, she opened the front door and peeked out, making sure a package wasn’t already sitting in the yard. She scoffed at her own excitement, knowing full well that no one would deliver a package that large and expensive without her knowing about it.

  While humming happily to herself, she put coffee on to perk and imagined the intricate loom. The machine’s wooden posts and beams and various parts would click rhythmically as she created fabric from Ingrid and Lily’s handspun yarn. It didn’t seem possible that her dreams would finally be coming true.

  Cream swirled in her coffee mug as she stirred her coffee, deepening her dream-induced trance. Her cell phone rang, interrupting her pondering, and she glanced at it, not recognizing the number.

  “Hello?”

  “Hello, is this Lizzie Norquest?” a man’s voice asked.

  “Yes, how can I help you?”

  “This is Chad, I know we met the other night, but I’m calling for Smithville Delivery. Well, I have a very large parcel here for you.”

  “It’s my loom!” she cried.

  The voice on the other end of the line chuckled. “When would be a good time to bring it by?”

  “Soon. Now.”

  “Well…” Chad drawled, “It’s a heavy thing and unless you want it left outside your front door, you’re probably going to need some help moving it.”

  Lizzie grimaced. “I didn’t think of that.”

  “Me and Bobby can help you out, that’s not a problem, but if there are stairs, we may need another hand. I’m sure we could get Justin to come lend a hand. Want me to call him?”

  “You don’t think he’d mind?”

  Chad laughed. “I don’t think Tara will let him rest until this thing is in the room of your choice.”

  “Okay then, if you think it’s all right. I can’t wait to see it.”

  “I’ll give him a call and let you know when to expect us.”

  “Sounds wonderful, thank you,” she said, nearly dancing in her chair.

  An hour later Lizzie glanced up from her manure shovel to see dust rising over the hill. Turning to Ingrid, she planted the sharp end of the shovel in the mud and patted the alpaca’s neck. “Here it comes!” she whispered to her pet. “Together, you and me and Lily will make beautiful things.”

  Ingrid snorted and tossed her head in agreement.

  Lizzie quickly put away the shovel, left the barn, and tromped across the yard and up the back steps, already peeling off her coveralls. Inside, she kicked off her muddy boots and stepped into her best cowboy boots, tugged her poncho back over her head, and tucked a loose curl behind her
ear.

  Crossing through to the living room, anticipation pumping through her system, she stopped to wait inside the front screen door. A large box truck appeared over the crest of the hill, followed by Tara’s old white pickup truck. As Lizzie stepped onto the porch, her hand shading her eyes, Elliot’s shiny black car crested the hill, causing her pulse to quicken another notch. The delivery truck maneuvered around to back toward the porch as Tara and Justin climbed from their truck and headed for the porch.

  “Hi!” Tara called with a wave.

  Lizzie raised a hand in return, trying not to follow Elliot’s car with her gaze.

  Tara climbed the sloping steps, excitement bright in her eyes. “I can’t wait to see this thing, it looks huge.”

  Gripping her hands in front of her to stop them from shaking, Lizzie nodded. “Me too!”

  As Justin motioned for Chad to back the truck up, indicating to go to the left or right, Elliot stepped from his car, and Julia climbed from the passenger seat.

  Tara motioned toward them. “Julia and Elliot wanted to see all the excitement, I hope that’s okay with you.”

  “Sure,” Lizzie said, her gaze flitting between the truck nearing her porch steps and Elliot.

  Amused at her friend’s obvious interest in Elliot, Tara grinned. “So, I hear Elliot helped feed the alpacas…”

  Lizzie’s head jerked back toward Tara. Quickly she covered her shock with a smile and found her voice. “He did. It was the most hilarious thing. You should have seen him.”

  Tara laughed. “I’ll need the whole story as soon as the commotion dies down. I hope you got pictures.”

  Interrupted by Julia and Elliot nearing the porch, Lizzie stepped forward to greet her guests.

  Tara smiled knowingly, more than happy to back away and let Lizzie greet Elliot.

  Julia waved shyly, then turned to watch Chad inch the truck up to the porch steps. Elliot rocked back on his heels, his hands in his trouser pockets, surveying the scene. He glanced Lizzie’s way, nodded a greeting, then returned his attention to the truck.

  Lizzie tried not to stare, but Elliot was wearing a red polo shirt that fit him to a T, exposing his arms for the first time. She noted that his shirt must have cost well over a hundred dollars. Being into fabric and yarn, she knew merino wool when she saw it. He looked good enough to eat, making her forget that they belonged in different worlds. Forcing her attention back on the truck, she reminded herself that if she got involved with him, her mother would win. She had to keep her distance.

  “What type of loom is this?” Tara asked as the truck rolled to a stop, the bed even with the porch floorboards.

  Chad and Bobby jumped from the truck and joined the group on the porch.

  Lizzie craned her neck, dancing from one foot to the other to see around Chad as he unlatched the back door of the truck. “It’s a countermarch loom,” she answered, momentarily tearing her eyes from the truck to answer Tara’s question. She wanted to help Chad unhook the handle and force the door to open instantly so bad that her fingers twitched.

  Finally, the door rolled up, clanking and rattling to expose a box the size of an upright piano in the back of the truck. Unable to contain her excitement, Lizzie jumped into the truck to run her hand along the box. As she circled it, moving nimbly over and around the tie downs securing it to the truck floor, she noticed that one corner of the box was slightly crushed. Inspecting it more closely, she decided the damage was not enough to harm the loom. She glanced back at her new friends and motioned for them to come help her move the box.

  “Whoa there,” Chad laughed, climbing up into the truck. “Give Bobby and me a chance to get it off the truck, then you can open it if you’d like.”

  Embarrassed at her own enthusiasm, Lizzie moved back to allow a small, wiry man to step past her.

  “Ma’am,” he said as he passed, bobbing his head in greeting as he tugged on leather work gloves.

  “Hi Bobby, nice to meet you,” she stammered, belatedly realizing she’d been rude. Self-conscious that she was in the way, Lizzie hurried out of the back of the truck and jumped onto the grass to stand next to Elliot and Julia. Justin tugged out a ramp from above the bumper of the truck and secured it to the porch floor.

  One end of the box appeared through the back door of the truck, with Justin laboring to adjust a dolly under the box.

  “My goodness, it’s huge!” Julia exclaimed.

  The box lurched slightly to one side and Lizzie jumped forward, as if to catch it. Elliot grabbed her elbow, keeping her well back and out of danger. She glanced up at him, contrite, only to melt slightly under his penetrating gaze. He quickly dropped her arm, not wanting to embarrass her further but placed his hand on her back to offer support, as well as a reminder not to jump in the way.

  Lizzie took a moment to hold his gaze, his hand feeling warm and large on her back, scattering her thoughts in all directions. Quickly collecting herself, she turned back to the truck to watch the men roll the massive box across the ramp and onto the porch.

  “Do you think this porch will hold the weight?” Justin asked, with the back wheels of the dolly still on the ramp.

  Halting the progress of the box, Justin glanced across the porch, his expression concerned. “Maybe not...”

  “I’ve got some plywood in the back of my truck…” Tara offered.

  All heads swiveled to Tara.

  Chad agreed and they pushed the loom box back into the truck. “Tara to the rescue,” he laughed, motioning to Bobby. “Come on, let’s grab it.”

  Tara led the way and the group headed toward the old white pickup. As they passed Lizzie and Elliot, Justin noticed his friend’s hand on Lizzie’s back and his eyebrows shot up in question.

  Tara saw her husband’s surprise. Before he could utter a word, she crouched and rammed her shoulder into his back, nearly causing him to faceplant into the grass.

  “What the…” Justin sputtered, staggering ahead.

  “Sorry babe, I tripped,” Tara apologized, offering Justin a hand and tossing a wink at Lizzie over her shoulder.

  Blushing madly, Lizzie glanced up at Elliot, who could barely contain a laugh.

  Julia smiled behind her hand and pretended not to see the entire exchange.

  Once the sheets of plywood had been toted across the grass and situated on the porch floor, the moving of the loom could commence. Groans and muted curses followed as Chad and Bobby worked to turn, tip, and maneuver the large box through the front door and into the living room. Soon, the group was in the house, gathered around the box, and all eyes were on Lizzie as she circled the thing, tenderly running her hand along its sides, looking for the best place to cut the packaging.

  Tara tilted her head from side to side. “It looks heavy. Are you going to open it down here?”

  Lizzie nodded eagerly as she tugged on the tape, but it didn’t budge.

  Elliot retrieved a Swiss army knife from his trouser pocket. Lizzie reached for it and he pulled it back. “You can use this if I can have a cup of coffee.”

  She grinned. “Go ahead, the pot’s on the stove.”

  He handed her the knife, taking care to caress her fingers through his, then headed toward the kitchen, whistling.

  Lizzie turned to attack the box and within minutes the cardboard wrapping dropped away. The group stood staring at a stack of crated wood and metal tightly wrapped in a cocoon of plastic wrap.

  Elliot returned to lean against the doorjamb, a steaming mug cradled in his hands. “Looks more like a loom mummy.”

  Justin laughed and Tara dove in to help Lizzie cut through the wrapping.

  Julia stepped up to collect the growing pile of plastic and drag it out onto the porch. Elliot tipped his head to one side, trying to envision a loom in the pile of parts. “Are you sure that’s a loom?” he asked, his expression dubious as he sipped from the mug.

  Busy rifling through the contents, carefully setting aside pieces and parts, some as big as her leg, Lizzie ignored the q
uestion. She found a box in the mix, containing multiple small gears and mechanisms, as well as the setup instructions and she excitedly leafed through the book.

  Justin scratched his head, then held up an arched piece of wood. “This is going to be a project, Lizzie…”

  Glancing up from the book, Lizzie had to agree. “Definitely. It will take me a few weeks to get it all put together and threaded, I’m sure. Could you guys just help me get all this upstairs?”

  The group nodded in unison and conversation sputtered to life as each of Lizzie’s new friends bent to collect parts and head up the stairs. Lizzie pointed and issued directions and Tara joined in, creating confusion and good-natured chaos. Elliot balanced loom parts against one hip, careful not to spill his coffee as he moved up the stairs.

  Before long the group had all the parts of the loom in Lizzie’s spare room.

  Tara brushed her hands together in triumph. “There you go! Now I’m thirsty and hungry.”

  “Me too,” Justin agreed.

  Julia moved to the window for better light to pull a sliver from her thumb. Elliot sat on the edge of the guest bed, slurping hot coffee with relish.

  Lizzie, too busy sorting and stacking loom parts to pay attention, didn’t comment.

  “Let’s go on a picnic!” Tara announced, catching everyone by surprise. “I’ve got cold cuts and buns, and sweet tea brewed.” She turned to Justin, her eyes bright with excitement. “We could go to the river, we haven’t been there for ages!”

  “Sounds good to me,” Justin agreed. “Elliot, you game for a country picnic?”

  Not completely sure what he was agreeing to, but willing, Elliot grinned. “Sure, what do I need to do?”

  Placing the last piece of loom on the carefully stacked pile, Lizzie stood and tucked a few curls behind her ear. Glancing from person to person, her gaze settled on Elliot. “You don’t have to do anything, it’ll be fun.”

  Tara grabbed Justin’s arm to steer him toward the door. “Let’s get home and get everything packed. Everyone meet at our place in thirty minutes, deal?”

  “Fine with me,” Chad said, glancing toward Julia, who smiled and shrugged in agreement.