She’d had such dreams of having a large family.
Releasing a long breath, Kim headed into the house to finish cleaning the rooms they lived in upstairs.
* * *
“Dad, I’m home,” Zane called out as he entered his house later that day after securing the supplies and a couple of guys to help him Monday with Kim’s roof.
“I’m in here.”
Zane followed the sound of his dad’s voice over the noise from the TV in the den. He found him out on the back deck, sitting in a lounge chair, smoking a cigarette in the dim light streaming from the bay window in the kitchen. Zane leaned against the wooden railing away from the drifting smoke. “How did your day go?”
“I finished working on the guest bathroom. Everything is back to the way it was before the hurricane.”
“I appreciate it. I haven’t had time to do anything on my own house.”
His dad took a final puff on the cigarette and ground it into the coffee can he had on the deck. “I’m going to quit one day. Nasty habit.”
“Dad, one step at a time. How was your AA meeting this afternoon?”
“Today is six months. As you said, one step at a time.”
“I could use someone to help me with the Sommerfield house. Do you think you can for the next couple of days?”
His father shot forward in the chair, all relaxation gone. “How can you work for that man?”
“I’m not. I’m working for Kim. She asked me to help her.”
Both of his eyebrows rose. “She did? I’m sure her dad didn’t send her.”
“Nope.”
“And you’re going to work at his house?”
“Yup. When I left Hope years ago, I didn’t do it the right way. I should have told Kim I was leaving. I owe her.”
His dad bolted to his feet. “You don’t owe that family nothing. Keith Sommerfield always felt he was better than everyone else.”
“Dad, that’s in the past.”
“Is it?” He rotated toward the back door. “I have a feeling he didn’t open his arms and welcome you to the family.”
“Kim and I are in the past.”
Going inside, his father muttered, “Are you?”
“Yes,” Zane answered above the sound of the slamming door. Gripping the railing, he dropped his head and closed his eyes. The noise of a dog barking cut through the usual quiet on his piece of land outside of town in the middle of a pine forest, the scent of the trees wafting to him, carrying not one clue his home was only a few miles from the Gulf of Mexico.
In the past three months, he hadn’t been at his house much except to sleep, making a mockery of why he lived on the outskirts of Hope. When he’d bought this acreage not long after he decided to stay in his hometown, he’d needed a place to escape from his memories of growing up in Hope. It hadn’t been much of a haven lately.
He shoved away from the railing and covered the distance to the back door. In the kitchen, his dad was sticking a frozen dinner into the microwave.
“Want me to put one in for you?”
“No, I had dinner already. I thought you would have eaten by now.”
“Wasn’t hungry, but I’ve got to eat. You would think I’d throw myself into gaining weight. Food just doesn’t interest me.”
“There are a lot of people who would love to have that problem.” His father’s lanky body had taken a lot of abuse over the years he’d been drinking, to the point that it had begun to fail him. Going to his first AA meeting had been his dad’s desperate attempt to do something about his health. “Do you want some company?”
“Only if you’ll promise me, you’ll be careful at your new job. The Sommerfields treated you lousy years ago. Don’t let them use you now.”
When he’d returned home after being gone for a year, Zane had heard from his father nothing but how bad Keith Sommerfield, and for that matter Kim, had been to him. He’d stayed not quite a day, and most of the time he’d spent fighting with his dad. Maybe it was better his father didn’t help at the Sommerfield home. “On second thought I’m tired, and I have to get up early. See you tomorrow. I’ll be gone before you get up and probably won’t come back until late.”
Zane moved toward the hallway, but his dad stepped into his path before leaving the kitchen. “Son, you have been here for me when I needed someone to force me to get sober. I want you to know I’m here for you. Protect yourself.”
“Sure.” Zane skirted around him and quickened his pace out of the room.
Now his father was trying to be a parent—now when he didn’t need him to be. He knew the turnaround was because his dad wasn’t drinking. He’d finally sought help when the doctor told him he would die in under a year if he didn’t do something about his lifestyle. Too much alcohol and unhealthy eating had taken their toll on his father’s thin, frail body.
The man he’d finally persuaded to live with him six months ago had been a shell of a man. At least lately he was beginning to put some meat on his bones and regain his strength and stamina.
But that didn’t change the fact Zane was waiting for his father to slip and dive back into a bottle, leaving him to pick up the pieces…again.
* * *
“He’s here.”
Anna’s declaration wrenched Kim from a deep sleep, and she bolted up in bed. She spied Anna by the window overlooking the front of the house, dressed as though she’d been up for hours. Kim glanced at the clock on the bedside table.
7:00 a.m.!
“I set the alarm for six. What happened?”
“You slept through it. We didn’t wake you ’cuz Maggie thought you should get some more rest.” Anna turned from the window with her hand on her waist. “Maggie’s right. You haven’t been sleeping well lately.”
Her mind still fuzzy with sleep, Kim threw back the covers and climbed out of bed. She needed at least two or three cups of coffee before she faced Zane or for that matter dealt with her daughter, who had decided to switch roles and try her hand at parenting. “I’m fine. I got nine hours of sleep last night.”
“Exactly. I’ll let Maggie know you’re up. She’s making cinnamon rolls before I go over to Polly’s.” At the door, Anna peered over her shoulder. “I think I should stay and help you this morning.”
“I saw you eyeing that ladder Saturday. You are not getting up on that roof or the ladder. I’ll save the mess for you and Brady to clean up later. How about that?”
“Mom, you’re always thinking of me.”
“Young lady, sarcasm isn’t becoming on you.” But Anna was gone. Kim let out a huff and closed the door.
Several male voices drifted to her from the game room. Who else did Zane get to help? Her cousin hadn’t been able to come today because he’d left to pick up a boat yesterday in Florida and bring it back to Hope.
Kim moved to the front window and peeked out at a Jeep, Zane’s black truck and a white pickup. She hurried and dressed, pausing a moment in front of the mirror to look at her wild curls. Searching through her dresser, she finally found a ponytail holder to bring some kind of order to the mess. High humidity always did this to her hair. She wouldn’t be surprised if it rained tomorrow instead of Wednesday as they predicted.
Then she made the mistake of looking down at her attire and winced. She’d dressed as if she was going to work as a teacher at school, forgetting that this Monday school wasn’t in session. She quickly changed her nice slacks for jeans and donned tennis shoes instead of flats. Why was the prospect of spending the whole day with Zane muddling her brain?
Opening the door into the hallway, she inhaled a composing breath. She had to get used to the fact he would be in her life at least for a while. But the mere thought of that caused her heart to flutter, and all the composure she’d mustered vanished.
Until she entered the game room and saw Tom Davidson, Zane’s father, standing next to his son. The memory of pleading with the man to tell her where Zane was the day after prom flashed before her. It kept her rooted in the ent
rance to the room.
Zane saw her and smiled a greeting. “Maggie insisted we come in for some breakfast and coffee. I couldn’t say no after I got a whiff of the cinnamon rolls she baked.”
The scent of them saturated the air, enticing people to forget their diet and taste one of them. “I keep telling her to quit her job for the mayor and open a bakery.”
Maggie removed the baking sheet from the oven. “How about a bakery and a nursery? People could come for some goodies and buy a plant at the same time.”
“That sounds like a plan. I’ll be there.” Zane picked up a mug, filled it and passed it to his dad. Then he repeated it until Gideon and Ian had theirs. His gaze skimmed to her. “Do you want any?”
The question she should have been asking everyone forced from her mind the surprise of seeing Zane’s dad in her home. “Yes, please.” She crossed to the counter to help Maggie set the rest of the food out—slices of pineapple, melon and oranges, as well as bagels with cream cheese.
Zane slid the mug toward Kim. “Here. We can’t stay long. We have a lot to do today. I want to replace all the rotten plywood and put the roofing felt down. Then tomorrow and the next day I can get the shingles on before the storm hits Wednesday night. And who knows, it might not happen.”
“You’re going to shingle by yourself?”
“Dad is gonna help me. He used to work as a roofer.”
Kim stepped closer and lowered her voice. “I’m surprised he’s here.”
“Frankly, I am, too. When I first said something, he told me no, but this morning he was up before me, ready to come help. Lots of stuff has been happening with him since he started AA.” He cocked a grin. “I’m afraid to say too much about it. I don’t want to jinx it.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” she murmured, trying to mean that. But she was still bothered by the fact that he had known where Zane was all those years ago and lied to her.
“I’m hoping this works out. I’ve been thinking lately about getting my dad involved in my business. Give him something to do. He lost his job at the fishery when the hurricane hit and destroyed the place. He’s been helping some of his friends with their houses and businesses, but he needs something steady and permanent to keep him…” Zane peered over his shoulder.
Kim leaned toward him. “Sober?”
Zane nodded.
“Hey, you two, we’re starved and you’re standing in front of the food,” Gideon said behind Kim and Zane.
Kim spun toward Gideon, who was holding a plate in his hand, tapping his foot with a huge grin on his face. “Where’s Kathleen? Did she finally come to her senses and flee Hope before the big day?”
“Funny, I keep wondering that myself. But she and her mother are gonna be over later.”
“They are?”
“Yes, they’re bringing lunch for all of us.” Gideon snatched a cinnamon roll and put it on his plate.
“They don’t have to do that. Maggie and I were going to make some sandwiches.”
“They wanted to help, but I forbade Kathleen getting up on the roof to help. She’s afraid of heights and had a tough time shutting the second-story shutters when the hurricane hit.”
“I know the feeling.” Kim sidled down the counter to give everyone room to get to the dishes.
“O’Brien, move along before you hog all the food.” Ian McShane, the local police chief, edged his way in beside Gideon. “I require a lot of carbs to work.”
Kim stepped toward Maggie while the men filled their plates. “Where’s Brady and Anna?”
“Gone to Polly’s. They grabbed a bagel and rushed out of here. I’m glad they’re going over there. Too many people underfoot might be too much for your dad.”
“Yeah, I wish he’d come out, but I couldn’t talk him into it, just like you couldn’t yesterday for church. He’ll probably stay in his room all day. I don’t like that, but it would be better than him in the middle of everything.”
“Your dad hasn’t gone to church since your mom died.” Maggie turned her back on the men and ushered Kim a few feet away. “For that matter, your attendance has dropped off, especially since the hurricane. You used to be so involved. What’s going on?”
“Do I really have to tell you that? What has been going right lately? Nothing. I’m worried about Dad. I’m worried about our house. I’m worried about money and—”
“Kim, give your worry to the Lord. He can handle it. Worry pulls us down until we become ineffective.”
“How do you stop worrying when everything is literally falling apart around us?”
“Other than giving you added stress, what do you get from worrying? Has it taken care of the problem? Does all this worrying make you feel better?”
“That’s easy for you to say but a whole lot different for me to stop. I’ve spent my life worrying.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s an ingrained habit that is disrupting your sleep until you’re so exhausted that you don’t hear an alarm going off right next to you.”
“About that. You should have awakened me.”
“You needed the sleep.” Maggie would have continued her lecture, Kim knew, but Zane’s dad called to her from the table where the men were eating.
“This is delicious. I think you should forget about the nursery and focus on the bakery.”
Maggie smiled. “Thank you. A cook can never get too many compliments.”
Kim went to the counter to get something to eat while silence fell over the room as the men ate. Maggie’s advice still rang in her mind. Her logical side told her Maggie was right, but she didn’t know how to stop from worrying.
Kim turned toward the table and halted. Her dad stood in the entrance, thunder on his face. He opened his mouth to say something, glared at her and snapped it close, then pivoted and left. She closed her eyes and wondered if anything would ever change. For sure he would now spend the rest of the day in his room, which at the moment might be for the best.
When she glanced toward the table, she caught Zane’s gaze directed at her, a softness in his eyes that she hadn’t ever seen. It connected with her, spoke to her. No, she would not fall for him again. He broke her heart once. She should never have married Scott and wouldn’t have if Zane hadn’t left town. He abandoned her. She had to remember that.
She wrenched her attention from him and took the chair at the other end of the table from him, fisting her hands in her lap until they stopped trembling, much like her father often did.
“Kim, I’ve contacted the communities around here about Henderson, as well as the state police,” Ian told her. “I’m hoping we can get the money back that he stole from y’all plus what it takes to repair correctly the other houses he did.” He downed the rest of his coffee then got up to bring the carafe to the table.
“Thanks, I appreciate any help in getting our money back.”
“I found out yesterday he skipped out on the Collins family, too, leaving the work half done. I hope you’ll be able to help them, too, Zane.” Ian refilled his mug.
“Yeah, when we finish with the school. What’s the problem for them? Anything urgent?”
“No, just interior rooms. Nothing like the roof here, thankfully.”
“Good. Then just have Will Collins contact me.”
“The problem is that he lost some of his money to Henderson like Kim. He didn’t have too much to begin with and now this.” He took a sip of his coffee.
Zane’s gaze pinned Kim’s. “I’ll work something out with him. When disaster hits an area, it hurts everyone, but especially the people who can’t afford to rebuild.”
“You’re doing what you can for the town. I know Kathleen’s neighbor, Miss Alice, was grateful for the help.” Gideon rose and took his dishes to the sink. “I’m heading outside to unload my tools and the supplies you put in the back of my Jeep.”
“We’re coming, too.” Ian grabbed Zane’s dad’s plate and stacked it on his, then carried both to the counter.
“I’ll take Uncle Keith s
omething to eat,” Maggie told Kim. “You’d better stay here and give him time to cool off.” She loaded food onto a dish and hurried out of the kitchen.
Her stomach clenched, Kim studied her half-eaten roll, dreading what Zane would say after Maggie’s reference to her father.
“I thought your dad was going to be all right about me being here.”
She gripped her fork and stabbed a piece of pineapple. “He said he would be.” She lifted her head. “He doesn’t have a say in this. I’ll try and keep him away.”
“That’s fine. After my father’s reaction the other night, I understand. Maybe we should leave them in a room to duke it out, since they both have problems with us even talking with each other.”
With her hands cupped around the warm mug, she raised it to her lips and sipped the coffee, its aroma mingling with the cinnamon. “Neither one has changed much in fifteen years. When I talked with him after you left, Dad made it clear that he was glad you left to avoid marrying me. He said we weren’t meant to be together.”
“He was right.” Zane came to his feet, brought his dishes to the sink and started for the outside door to the upstairs gallery. “I have to go. I can’t stay in here and talk about why it didn’t work for us when I’m the one who asked the guys to come help me. I need to be out there doing my share.”
“I’ll be coming—”
The sound of the door shutting cut off the rest of her words. Friday night she’d felt they had taken a step forward. Just now they’d taken two steps back. And she realized she didn’t want it that way. Once, they had shared a friendship, as well as love. She wanted that friendship back, but she didn’t think Zane felt the same way.
Chapter Five
“It looks like they’re making good progress,” Kathleen Hart said as she climbed from her car in front of Kim’s family home.
“They’re about halfway done with the plywood and roofing felt.” Kim followed Kathleen, Gideon’s fiancée, to the trunk of her vehicle. “You didn’t have to do this. We’d planned to feed everyone.”
Love Runs Deep (New Beginnings Book 7) Page 5