Heart of Love

by Shanna Hatfield

  Everywhere he looked, he found another disgusting mess. Remorseful he hadn’t paid more attention to his renters, he should have driven out on occasion to check on the place. As long as they sent a rent payment, he assumed all was fine. It was a hard-learned lesson he’d not repeat.

  In mid-August, his permits received approval and the materials for a new roof arrived along with all new windows and doors, gallons of paint, stacks of lumber, and piles of sheetrock.

  He’d contacted a local company to install central heat and air and had plans drawn up to add a master suite at the back of the house.

  Overwhelmed by the amount of work that needed to be accomplished, he did what he could in his spare time.

  Family and friends surprised him on a Saturday in late August when he arrived early at the house to discover his parents, his aunt and uncle, Clay, Callan, Josh, and Jenna standing on the porch, ready to work.

  He didn’t have the heart to tell them the rotten boards might collapse beneath their feet. Before he had a chance to say anything, pickups started rolling in the driveway. Clay invited what seemed like half the county to come help and by the time they finished that first workday, Jake couldn’t believe the transformation.

  The “dung heap,” as he’d taken to calling the place, sported all new windows and exterior doors. The old porch boards and rotten steps were replaced with new solid wood. The hardwood floors had been stripped down to bare wood and were ready to finish. Walls were repaired, holes patched, and the new master bedroom addition began to take shape.

  Everyone promised to return for another workday and today was that day.

  Jake’s chest tightened with appreciation and excitement as he watched the trucks roll down the driveway a week after Sam and Lisa’s wedding. He couldn’t believe how blessed he was by friends and family.

  His roommates were among those lending a hand and Jake was truly grateful for their help. Mark was a licensed contractor and made getting supplies a simple process, not to mention all the knowledgeable help he provided. Paul, a certified electrician, brought in a crew and completely rewired the house and outbuildings. He planned to finish wiring the master suite before the day was through. Those offering a hand included a professional roofer, a plumber, and several painters who took charge and made things happen.

  The end of the day saw an amazing makeover in the place. The house, barn, and all the outbuildings sported new coats of paint along with new roofs. Weeds no longer threatened to choke out everything and the master suite was ready for a final inspection. The wrap-around porch looked inviting, with a new portion completed outside the master suite.

  Jake still needed to paint every room in the house, stain and seal the floors, and wait for kitchen cabinets and counters he ordered to arrive, but those were all things he could work on in the winter months. By spring, he planned to have the yard landscaped and everything move-in ready for Anna, if she would agree to be his bride.

  He sat outside on a folding chair next to his mom after everyone had left, unable to believe all the people who gave up another Saturday to help him.

  “Mom, I can’t get over everyone being so generous with their time and talents. How will I ever thank them or repay them?” Jake was humbled by the kindness of the people who had labored so hard on his behalf.

  Maggie glanced at her only child, no longer a boy but a grown man. She leaned over and patted his cheek with a proud smile. “Oh, Jake. How many times have you done the very thing all these good people did for you today? How many friends have you helped? How many times have you dropped what you were doing to lend a hand? What goes around comes around, honey. Now it’s your turn. Accept the gift and be thankful.”

  Jake kissed his mother’s cheek then sat back in his chair. “Thanks, Mom. I still can’t believe how much work we got done today.” Disturbed by a sudden thought, he bolted to his feet. “No one will tell Anna, will they? I still want it to be a surprise.”

  “Everyone knows this is supposed to be hush-hush. Don’t worry, honey. Anna will love it. Are you sure you don’t want to include her in the plans? She might like to be involved, you know.”

  “She is involved, in a round-about way.” Jake explained the game he’d been playing with Anna.

  Although he hadn’t said a word to anyone, the general assumption was that at some point in the near future, Jake planned to ask Anna to marry him. He hadn’t denied or confirmed the rumor despite being asked multiple times.

  “So when are you going to get around to asking her to marry you, Jake? Don’t you think you could be getting the cart before the horse?” Maggie asked, with a twinkle in her eye. She had no doubt that Anna would say yes if Jake worked up the courage to ask.

  “All in due time, Mom.”

  Jake called the Zimmerman house, hoping Anna would still be at work. Sue answered on the second ring.

  “Hi Sue, this is Jake. I was wondering if you and Ken were busy this evening?” Jake tried to sound casual, swallowing down his nervousness.

  “No, Jake, we’re just here at home. Did you need something?”

  “Not exactly. Anna’s not home yet, is she?”

  “No. She’s working until closing tonight, so I don’t expect her for a couple of hours.” Sue wondered what Jake had planned. She never could tell what was going through that handsome head of his.

  “Would it be okay if I ran out to talk to you and Ken for a minute? I promise it won’t take long.”

  “That would be just fine, Jake. You can take all the time you need. Is everything okay?”

  “Yes, ma’am, it is. I’ll see you soon.”

  It had never taken so long to get out to the Zimmerman farm as it did that evening. Jake sweat bullets the entire drive. By the time he pulled up at the house, his stomach hurt so bad, he thought he might be physically ill.

  After knocking on the kitchen door, he held his hat in his hand and tried not to let his extreme case of nerves show.

  Sue answered the door and welcomed him inside. “So, Jake, what can we do for you?”

  Jake turned and shook Ken’s hand as he stood from his seat at the kitchen table, then waited for Sue to sit down before he joined them.

  He took a deep breath, but wasn’t exactly sure what to say. He rehearsed a speech in his head a dozen times, yet now, sitting at the Zimmerman’s table, he was tongue-tied and scared.

  Buck up, ol’ boy. You can do this.

  “I’m sure you both know that I care a great deal for Anna. More than a great deal, actually. I … I’m in love with her and I’d like to ask her to marry me. I wanted to get your permission first. May I please marry your daughter?”

  Ken and Sue smiled at each other, hoping this was what Jake wanted when he called earlier. He’d already become like a son to them and nothing would please them more than to have him marry their baby girl.

  However, that didn’t stop Ken from teasing him.

  “Well, I don’t know if that would be such a good idea.” Ken ignored the crestfallen look that swept across Jake’s face. Sue pinched his leg under the table, but he was enjoying himself too much to stop now. “How do you plan to support our daughter?”

  “Well … um… the truth is, sir, I already have a house on eighty acres I’ve been remodeling. It belonged to my grandmother. I’m paying as I go for the work on the house and my pickup is paid for, so I wouldn’t bring Anna into a situation that involved any debt. I’m a good manager of my money and I’m gainfully employed. My insurance and benefits would extend to Anna. She could work in town or at home or do whatever she wanted to. I fully support her choices,” Jake rattled on, suddenly feeling like he was on a job interview.

  Sweat trickled down his back and his throat was so dry, it felt like he’d swallowed sawdust. It was all he could do not to squirm like a second-grader in the principal’s office as Ken studied him. Jake tugged at his collar in the unreasonably warm kitchen.

  “I see,” Ken said. He hadn’t had this much fun in years, although he’d have a b
ruise where Sue kept pinching him. It was worth it, though, to see the look on Jake’s face. “What about your personal habits? How do I know you’ll set a good example for Anna as the head of your home?”

  “I don’t gamble, smoke, or do anything illegal. I quit running around with the party crowd and drinking months ago. My life has changed so much since I met your daughter. As you know, I’ve been attending church nearly every Sunday with Anna. Most folks would tell you I’m an honorable guy. I try to do the right thing and lend a helping hand when I can.”

  “And you think all this makes you deserving of our daughter’s hand?” Ken asked, sounding stern and judgmental. He didn’t realize he could be such a good actor.

  The conversation was nothing like Jake had envisioned. He assumed Ken and Sue would be thrilled, tell him yes, and he’d be out the door. Instead, he’d been thoroughly interrogated and found quite lacking.

  “Well, sir, I don’t think there is anything I can have or do to make me deserving of Anna. She’s too good for me and I’ll tell you that straight up. Anna is sweet and innocent, honest and kind, funny and wonderful. She’s a hard worker, stubborn, independent, and just about all-around perfect for me. I love her with my whole heart and the best I can offer is that I’d try every day to make her feel loved and appreciated. Try to be a man deserving of her love.”

  Sue sniffled and dabbed at her tears before reaching over to smack Ken on his arm. “That’s enough of this nonsense, Ken.”

  Ken rubbed his arm before turning to Jake. “I’m just funning with you, son. You have our blessing. You’ve had it all along. Did you really think I didn’t know what kind of soil we’ve got up in the northeast corner?”

  Jake’s head whipped up. He wasn’t sure he heard Ken correctly, but when both Anna’s parents started laughing, he joined in. “I’d never have pegged you for a matchmaker, Ken.”

  They chatted for a while and Sue gave Jake a hug as he prepared to leave. Ken shook his hand and slapped him on the back. “I know you’ll take great care of our baby girl, Jake. We’re proud to welcome you into the family.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Jake felt like a half-ton weight lifted off his chest. “I do have two favors to ask, though. First, I want the house to be a surprise for Anna. Please don’t say anything to her about it. I have a bit more work to do before I’m ready to show it to her.”

  “We can keep it a secret,” Ken said, looking at Sue for her agreement. When she nodded, he turned back to Jake. “What’s the second favor?”

  “Please don’t tell her I came this evening. I want her to be surprised when I propose.”

  “Oh, Jake.” Sue’s eyes lit with joy and enthusiasm. “I can promise you she will be completely surprised.”

  When Jake left, Sue turned to Ken and popped him again on the arm for good measure. “What were you trying to do, you ninny? Scare him off? Anna would never forgive us!”

  “This is the only time in my life I’m going to have some young buck beg for my daughter’s hand in marriage and I wanted to enjoy it. And I did.” Ken laughed then grew thoughtful. “He sure didn’t have to come ask us or tell us all the things he did. Just makes me like him even better. That had to be intimidating and he faced it head on. I knew I picked just the right fellow for Sugar.”

  Sue laughed at his comment. “You picked him yourself, did you? Don’t you think Anna may have had something to do with it?”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Anna, can you make time to see me tonight?” Jake leaned against the library collection box on a warm afternoon in early October.

  “Jake, I don’t see how…” Anna hurriedly gathered books and placed them on the cart.

  “Please?” The pleading look in his eyes said more than the one word he spoke as he helped her dig out the remaining books.

  “Okay, but just for a while, and no funny business, fancy boy.” Anna had been working long hours since one of the regular librarians was on vacation. She’d also been busy on the farm, helping Sam and her dad. Exhausted as she might be, she couldn’t pass up an opportunity to spend time with Jake.

  He grinned. “Can you come out to Mom and Dad’s after dinner?”

  “Sure,” Anna agreed. When he smiled at her like that, she had a hard time denying him anything.

  Jake pushed the cart up to the library door and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. “Wear your boots, Sugar, and bring a jacket.”

  Hours later, Anna drove down the road to Maggie and Tom Chandler’s place. Their farm was small, more of a hobby, as Tom liked to call it, but boasted a beautiful modern home that was warm and inviting. Anna had been there a few times with Jake and liked the way the house sat an angle, greeting visitors as they arrived.

  As she parked near the end of the walk, it looked like every light in the house glowed softly. Jake sat at the kitchen table with his parents, laughing over something. The sight made her smile. She sat and watched them a moment before walking to the door.

  After ringing the bell, she didn’t have long to wait before Jake welcomed her inside into the warmth of his embrace.

  “Hey, Sugar,” he spoke into her good ear. “Thanks for coming.”

  Anna entered the kitchen and hugged Maggie. They sat and visited for a few minutes before Jake got antsy and said they needed to get going.

  It was getting dark as they headed toward the horse barn. The evening was still warm, but a hint of cooler temperatures hung in the air. Anna was glad she remembered to grab a warm flannel-lined denim jacket on her way out the door. Jake told her to wear boots, so Anna came dressed in jeans, a long-sleeved chamois shirt, and the purple cowboy boots she usually wore around the farm.

  When they entered the barn, Anna saw Jake already had his favorite riding horse, Duke, and his mom’s mare, Queenie, saddled and ready to go. They led the horses out of the barn and Jake waited until Anna sat in the saddle to adjust her stirrups. Mounting Duke, he turned toward the pasture and they rode across the field to an irrigation road, following it to where it crested a steep hill.

  Jake stopped at the top of the hill and waited for Anna to ride alongside him. As she did, a full harvest moon loomed overhead and Anna caught her breath. The moon was one of the loveliest things she had ever seen, bright orange and colossal. From their vantage point on the hill, Anna felt like if she stretched her fingers far enough, she could almost touch it.

  “Wow, Jake. Is this why you wanted me to come out tonight?” Anna asked. Her face glowed in the amber light.

  “Yep.” Jake couldn’t take his eyes off her. He ached for her in ways beyond his ability to comprehend. For tonight, though, it was enough to watch her wonder at a harvest moon, to admire the way she looked in the saddle, to see that mass of tempting hair bounce and sway in the moonlight.

  He would behave tonight if it killed him. If he didn’t, his mother would personally see to his demise.

  As he grinned over that last thought, Jake observed Anna as she watched the moon move across the sky until the air took on a deeper chill. Slowly turning Duke around, he drew as near to her as he could and gave her a long, slow kiss.

  When he pulled back, he brushed his thumb across her cheek and felt dampness there. He lifted her chin in his hand and looked into her face, illuminated in the moon glow.

  “Anna? What’s wrong, baby?” he asked, troubled by her tears.

  She didn’t answer right away. Instead, her chin quivered in his hand and she took a deep breath, then another.

  “I love you, Jake. I just miss being with you so much.” She grasped his hand as if it was a lifeline, holding it to her chest. “It seems like we never have enough time to spend together.”

  “Anna,” he said, wiping at her tears with his free hand. “Don’t cry. It’ll be okay. Things will slow down soon and then we’ll have all the time in the world together. I promise.” Jake didn’t want just one moonlit night under the stars with Anna. He wanted a thousand of them. Anna had twined her way around his heart and he wanted her wrapped completely ar
ound his life forever.

  A sigh worked its way up from his chest. He leaned over and pulled her onto his lap, looping Queenie’s reins around his saddle horn. As he held Anna close, he could smell her wonderful floral scent, see the moon’s vibrant orb reflected in her huge violet eyes, and feel her love as an almost physical thing that floated between them.

  This wasn’t exactly how he had planned the evening, but it felt right, especially with Anna held close in his arms.

  “Anna,” he began, clearing his throat. “Since I met you, my life has taken a whole new direction and purpose. You make me laugh, you bring me more happiness than I ever thought possible, and you’ve become my best friend. I love you, with all my heart. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?”

  Jake dug into his shirt pocket, pulled out a jeweler’s box, and handed it to Anna. When she opened the top, a single, perfect diamond glistened in the moonlight.

  “Oh, Jake,” Anna said softly. “Yes. I’ll marry you.”

  Jake lifted the ring out of the box and slipped it on Anna’s finger then gave her a kiss that nearly unseated them. The horses whinnied and tossed their heads. Jake didn’t know if it was in approval or in a warning not to get carried away.

  Laughing, he hugged Anna tightly to his chest. “I love you. I’ll spend my whole life showing you just how much.”

  “Jake, I love you. I’ll do my best to be a good wife to you and make you happy.” Anna swiped at the tears trickling down her cheeks. “You are the most wonderful man in the world and I’m honored to be loved by you.”

  “Sugar,” Jake moaned, giving her one more passionate kiss before pulling Queenie next to his leg and setting Anna back in the saddle.

  When they returned to the house, the lights were all still on, so Jake and Anna walked inside. His mother sat at the kitchen table fairly dancing in her chair, waiting for them to deliver the news she so longed to hear.

  “So, how was your ride?” Maggie asked, failing miserably in her efforts to appear nonchalant.