“Anthony, what are you doing?”
He barely glanced up. “Looking for her phone number. She said to call if I had questions. I have lots of them. I need to talk to her before I can make a decision.”
Marty sucked in a short, hopeful breath. “So you’re considering it?”
He finally fixed his full attention on her. His expression turned tender—a sweet look she’d yearned to see for months but thought was gone forever. “I want to find out the details. I need to think through whether I—we—could be away from here for that long. There’s a lot to consider, Marty, but…yes, I want to explore the possibility.”
A giggle escaped her throat. She pawed through the papers until she located Brooke’s business card clipped to the top of some sort of materials list. “Here it is. Call. And put your phone on speaker, okay?”
He grinned at her. A grin so reminiscent of the grins he used to give her in their early years of marriage that tears stung her eyes. He pulled his cell phone from his shirt pocket, tapped in Brooke’s number, then punched the speaker button. He placed the black phone on the table between them, and Marty listened for the buzzes that meant Brooke’s phone was ringing. After only two buzzes, there was a click, and then a voice Marty hadn’t heard since she was a young teenager came through the little speaker.
“Well, hello, Anthony Hirschler. Marty must have given you my letter.”
Anthony drew back, his brows high. “How did you know it was me?”
Brooke’s throaty chuckle rumbled, deeper now than it had been when she was a girl but just as recognizable. “I searched out your information online and put your number in my contacts about a month ago when I knew this project had the financial backing it needed and would take place. I’ve come close to calling you a time or two, but I held off. I wanted you and Marty to discuss the Spalding Resort before I launched the idea at you. By the way, is Marty close by? I’d love to say hi to her.”
Marty’s breath came in little spurts. She hadn’t realized how much she missed her friend until she heard Brooke’s voice. “I’m here, Brooke. How are you? Feeling better?”
Another chuckle rolled, but it didn’t sound as carefree as the first one. “Oh, you know me, Marty. I’m like a cat. I always land on my feet.” Something clinked—ice in a glass, maybe? “But let’s save our catching up for when we’re face to face, huh? I’m assuming, since you called, you’re interested in the project and there’s the possibility we’ll all be face to face before long. Am I assuming correctly?”
Anthony cleared his throat and rubbed the end of his nose with his knuckle. “Your letter said if I had questions, I should call. Well, I have questions.”
“Then shoot them at me. I’m ready with answers.”
Marty couldn’t hold back a grin. Brooke’s confidence carried across the miles. At times she’d suspected her friend’s boldness was a mask to hide insecurity, but she heard no hint of uncertainty in her tone this evening. Apparently her successful years in the corporate real estate business had chased the childhood insecurities far away.
While Anthony quizzed Brooke about housing issues, access to materials, the size of his crew, and other things pertaining to business, Marty boiled tea bags with a scoop of sugar in a pint of water to make a pitcher of sweet tea. By the time the tea was ready to pour over ice, she’d learned even more about her friend’s organizational and business skills. Four trailer houses were already on-site for temporary housing, and the list of materials she’d sent in the packet were ordered and would be delivered as soon as the workers took up residence on the property. She requested a crew of six workers, and she suggested they use the summer and fall months to stabilize the buildings’ foundations and exteriors so the winter months could be spent remodeling the interiors.
Marty placed a full sweaty glass in front of Anthony and slipped into her chair. She sipped the sweet, strong tea while Brooke continued.
“I don’t expect your crew to do the interior designing. No offense, but given your spartan lifestyle, I doubt you have the ability to create what I envision.” She laughed lightly, taking the edge off what could have been construed as an insult. “But creating the floor plans indicated on the blueprints I sent, putting primer on the walls, and framing out the windows and doors will get the buildings ready for the final touches. Now…what else?”
Anthony took a long draw of his tea, swiped his mouth, and bent over the phone again. “This isn’t a question. It’s more of a concern.”
“What’s that?” Although she sounded interested, she also sounded tired. Marty glanced at the clock. It wasn’t even seven o’clock in Kansas. Brooke might not be feeling well. Marty hoped they weren’t overtaxing her.
“The thing is, if I agree to rebuild your ghost town, I’ll be away from here for a pretty long time. I’m a little worried about my business.” He flicked a scowl in Marty’s direction. “That people will get used to using other construction companies and forget all about me. Besides that, I’m not sure my whole crew of men would want to pack up and leave Pine Hill for more than a year. Their homes and families are here.”
“Okay, I understand your concerns. Now, let me ask some questions.”
Anthony raised one eyebrow and aimed a smirk at Marty. He mouthed, She’s very take charge. Marty nodded, grinning. He said, “Go ahead.”
“How many men do you have on your crew?”
“Six.”
“Are all of them married, like you?”
“Four of them are, two of them aren’t. Three of the ones who are married have kids, too.” He glanced at Marty, his brow creasing as if in silent apology. “So I don’t think they’d want to be away for so long, and I doubt they’d want to uproot their whole families.”
Marty lifted her glass and took a drink, attempting to wash away the warm flush of envy his words inspired. It didn’t help. She focused on Brooke’s voice as a distraction.
“Assuming the four who are married would want to stay behind, could they operate your business in your absence?”
Anthony cupped the tea glass between his palms and frowned at the phone. “Well…”
“Do you trust them?”
“Sure I do.” His tone reflected defensiveness. “They’ve been with me for years and are dependable, hard workers. But I’ve always done the subcontracting—you know, hiring outside workers to take care of the things I couldn’t.”
“I know what subcontracting means.” A hint of humor colored her tone. “I suspect if you left a list of reputable businesses with your crew members, they would be able to make the contacts. If there’s one man who stands out—who’s been with you the longest or has the strongest leadership abilities—you could name him as foreman and give him the responsibility.”
Anthony pinched his chin, his forehead puckering. “That would be Steve Kanagy. He’s what I guess you’d call my unofficial foreman.”
“There you go. So that solves the issue of your company crumbling while you’re away. I might also add with two separate crews operating, you stand to bring in even more revenue than you are now with one crew.”
Marty examined her husband’s face. He’d never expressed a hunger for riches—not the way Brooke had when she and Marty discussed the future—but something flickered in his eyes that made her wonder if he harbored a secret desire. “Yeah…” He drawled out the word. “Yeah, I could see how that might happen.”
“As for your remaining two, do you suppose they’d object to being gone for more than a year?”
“I won’t speak for them. I don’t know.”
Marty closed her eyes for a moment, picturing the men in Anthony’s crew. Would they be willing to leave Pine Hill for such a long time? She’d left her small Kansas hometown when she was eighteen and had gone back only for brief visits. Maybe the single men would find wives and choose to stay in Kansas. Anything was possible.
/> “If you prefer, I could easily hire local construction workers and put them under your leadership,” Brooke was saying, her tone crisp. “There are always men looking for work. I’ve spoken with several businessmen here in KC, and they agree a team of six to seven men will be needed to complete the reconstruction, which would be your focus. No need to worry about wiring or plumbing. I’ve established relationships with electricians and plumbers from previous projects, and I’ll subcontract those services.”
Anthony blew out a soft sigh. “That’s good. I’m not certified for electrical or plumbing.”
“Talk to your crew, find out for sure if they’re interested or not. If they’re not, maybe you could hire some new workers, men you already know and trust. Whatever transpires—whether you decide to bring a whole team, a partial team, come on your own, or not come at all—let me know as quickly as possible. It’s already close to the end of June. I need to finalize the details if this project is to proceed on the timeline I’ve set.”
Marty tipped her mouth near the phone. “I’ll invite Anthony’s crew to our house tomorrow evening for a snack, and Anthony can talk to them all at once. Then he can let you know on Sunday what they want to do.”
Anthony gawked at her as if she’d sprouted green feathers from the top of her head, but she didn’t care. Brooke didn’t want delays, and Marty needed time away. If hosting a gathering—something she hadn’t done in years—would speed up the process, she’d swallow her misgivings and call them all herself.
Anthony cleared his throat. “I will more likely call you on Monday. The men will need a little time to think about their answers, and I don’t do business on Sunday. It’s the Lord’s day.” A hint of rebuke showed in his narrowed gaze. “But I promise we’ll talk and not let you wait too long for an answer.”
“Please don’t. As I said, the clock is ticking. I don’t have months to spare.”
Although nothing changed in Brooke’s tone, Marty experienced a chill. Before she could explore its source, Anthony picked up the phone and held it under his chin.
“We’ll say goodbye for now, Miss Spalding. Thank you for the opportunity.”
“You’re welcome for the opportunity, but if you call me Miss Spalding, we aren’t going to get along very well.” The familiar chuckle rolled. “In this particular case, I don’t mind mixing business with friendship, so Brooke is fine. I’ll be waiting for your call, Anthony. Bye now, Marty. I hope to talk in person soon.” The connection ended.
Anthony closed the phone and dropped it into his shirt pocket. He gave Marty a look that somehow reflected both eagerness and nervousness. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
Marty nodded hard. “I’m ready. I’d pack and leave tomorrow if you were ready.”
“I’ve gotta gather a team first. I guess we’ll know if I have one after I talk to my crew tomorrow evening. That is, if you’re still wanting to host—”
“I am.” She gestured to the wall phone. “Do you want me to call each of them, or do you want to?”
“I’ll do it. They’re my men.”
“All right. Tell them seven o’clock. The wives and I will”—she gulped, gathering courage—“keep the children entertained while you men talk.” She put her hand on Anthony’s taut arm. “Then I’ll pack the day after and be ready to go whenever you say the word.”
He sighed, and his gaze drifted somewhere beyond her shoulder. “The day after tomorrow’s Sunday. No packing then. Besides, no matter what my team says, I gotta talk to the deacons after worship service—get their opinion about what we should do.”
Marty chewed her lip. “What if they advise against it?”
He didn’t answer right away. He didn’t look at her, either. Finally he sighed. “I don’t know, Marty. We’ll have to wait and see.”
11
Anthony
Anthony sat forward on a hard metal folding chair with his elbows on his knees, hands linked to hide their tremble, while he explained everything Miss Spalding—Brooke—had told him about the project in Kansas. He’d given his employees the comfortable seats in the living room. Even though they could lounge on the soft sofa, love seat, and chair, they perched on the edges of the cushions like sparrows on a wire, their attentive gazes pinned on his face.
He reached the end of the information and sat up straight, holding his hands wide. “So…that’s what I know. What do you think?”
Steve Kanagy blew out a breath and whisked a glance left and right at the others. “It’s sure different from anything we’ve done before. Sounds like it’d be a good business decision for Hirschler Construction with the expected high profit margin.”
The others murmured and nodded at each other.
“But…”
Bursts of laughter carried through the open windows—the kids having a water balloon fight in the backyard. Marty’s idea. Anthony hoped she was having fun, too, but he expected she’d end up quiet and sad for the next few days, the way she usually did after an extended time with children. He pushed aside the gloomy thought and bobbed his head at Steve. “But what? Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“It’s pretty far away. I know we sometimes are gone for a week on a job, but over a year? I couldn’t leave my family for that long.”
Myron, the youngest of the group, wriggled in place. “Take ’em along.”
Steve made a face. “For a year and a half? I can’t see me packing up my wife and kids and hauling them to Kansas with me. I mean, Julie could teach the kids so they wouldn’t miss out on lessons, but they’re eight, ten, and thirteen already. Too big for all of us to live in a little trailer. Not for that long.”
Pat Gingerich sent an apologetic grimace to Anthony. “I’m with Steve. Michelle’s whole family lives here. She’s all wrapped up in the women’s quilting group and Bible study and…well, everything you can think of in the fellowship. She wouldn’t want to leave for so long. And I’m wondering about the jobs you’ve committed to around here. If we all head off to Kansas, what happens to the people who’ve hired us? Do we not honor our word?”
Anthony held up both palms as if under arrest. “Let’s stop for a minute. Steve and Pat are out, but what about the rest of you? Nate, Myron, Todd, Porter…are any of you interested in going?” If his whole team resisted, he’d have to say no to Brooke. Even if she could hire men to work under his instruction, he couldn’t break in a whole new crew and get the town rebuilt in a year and a half. He held his breath, waiting for each of the men to speak.
Todd shrugged. “I don’t have a family or anything holding me back. Sounds like a good adventure to me. I’ll go, if you end up going.”
Myron grinned. “I’ve never been away from Pine Hill my whole life. I’d like to see the ghost town, have a hand in bringing it to life again. Count me in.”
Two in and two out. Anthony let his breath release slowly through his parted lips and turned to Porter and Nate, who shared the love seat. “What about you two?”
The pair exchanged a look. Porter hung his head. “I think I’m gonna have to say no, Anthony, for the same reasons as Steve and Pat. I don’t wanna haul my wife and kids away from their home.”
That meant three of his men unwilling to go. Anthony waited in silence for Nate’s answer. Nate was still young, just a little older than Myron and Todd, but he had a new wife. They’d all attended Nate and Charlotte’s wedding last February. Anthony braced himself for another no. Newlyweds wouldn’t want to leave the little house they’d settled into only a few months ago.
Nate pulled in a big breath and planted his hands on his knees. “Lemme talk to Charlotte. We don’t have kids yet, so maybe this’d be a chance for us to do something interesting—just the two of us—before we have a family tying us down.”
Myron punched the air. “So you mean you wanna go?”
A sheepish grin crept across the young man’
s face. “Yeah. I kinda do. But I can’t say yes unless Charlotte’s okay with it.”
So maybe three. Anthony rose and folded his arms over his chest. “All right. I’ll talk to the deacons tomorrow after service, see if they are opposed to us going. If they are, then we’ll stay here and keep working as usual.” Although he didn’t know how he’d keep the whole team busy the entire summer unless some bigger projects came his way. “If they give their blessing, I’ll need to talk to you three”—he nodded toward Steve, Porter, and Pat—“about keeping Hirschler Construction operating while I’m in Kansas.”
Pat scratched his chin. “Anthony, I just thought…My nephews Lucas and Justin—you know, my sister Evelyn’s twins—helped us at the Wengerdts’ place. They did real good, and Lucas especially liked the work. The boys are eighteen and don’t have jobs other than helping at their granddad’s dairy and their dad’s farm. Maybe Lucas would want to go. That is, if the deacons say yes and if you’d want to hire him.”
Anthony’s heart gave a little jump. If he could take four reliable workers with him, he’d have a better chance of finishing up even with one or two unknown men hired by Brooke. He nodded. “I like the idea, Pat. Would you check with Lucas and his folks—see if they’d okay it if he’s interested? Remind him we’ll be heading out pretty quick if the deacons say yes.”
“I’ll call his folks tonight.”
The men stood around for a few more minutes, talking about the possible changes, and then Steve silenced them with a gruff “Fellas?” His expression turned serious. “Before we gather our families and go home, I think we should pray together. We want to be sure this job in Kansas is God’s will for Hirschler Construction and for all of us.”
“That’s a good idea, Steve.” Anthony gestured, drawing the team into a circle around the coffee table. They joined hands and bowed their heads.
Steve offered a prayer for guidance and discernment, for God to speak clearly to each of them, and for Him to bless the work of their hands whether they labored in Indiana or in the Kansas ghost town. “We will follow You where You lead, our dear Lord and Savior.”
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