“I’m not denying Anna. She goes with you or Polly. And I’ve been a few times.” It was always to the service that she knew Zane didn’t attend.
“But you’re denying yourself. Your faith was an important part of your life at one time.”
She wanted to say it still was, but she couldn’t. She would be lying. Kim rose. She didn’t want to get into this conversation with Maggie after the long day at work. “I’ll think about it.”
“Good and we need to get Uncle Keith back to church. He needs to get out and get involved with the community again.”
“I agree with that. He was very active before Mom died, before the business failed.”
“Self-pity is destroying him. It’s time we turn his focus onto others.” Maggie made her way toward the refrigerator. “We’ll work on persuading him to go Sunday.”
Kim shook her head. She should have realized that when her cousin got something in her head she went after it like a pit bull. But what Maggie had said made sense. She needed to work out this mess her life had become and maybe the Lord could help her. She certainly hadn’t done a good job by herself lately.
* * *
Kim stood to the side to let Cody Weston and Zane into the game room. “I’m glad you came tonight—” she glanced over her shoulder at her father nearby “—to help with Ruth’s campaign for mayor.” She held out her hand. “I’m Kim Walters.”
Cody shook it. “Nice to meet you. I couldn’t turn down Zane’s invitation.” The counselor surveyed the room. “You’ve got a nice crowd.”
“Yes, let me introduce you to my father, Keith Sommerfield. Dad, this is Cody Weston with the Christian Assistance Coalition.” After her father and Cody exchanged greetings, Kim asked, “How much longer are you going to be in Hope?”
“Until I’m not needed,” Cody said with a smile, his eyes gleaming. “I’ll be the last of the group to leave.”
“Dad, can you introduce him to everyone here?”
Her father’s forehead wrinkled. “Sure.” The word came out slowly as he studied Kim’s expression.
She hoped her intentions weren’t written on her face, but she had never been a very good actress. If her dad thought this meeting with Cody was planned, he would escape to his room. He’d told her on numerous occasions he didn’t want anyone messing with his head. He was perfectly fine the way he was.
“Do you think this will work?” she asked Zane after the two men moved farther into the game room.
“If anyone can help your dad without him realizing, it’ll be Cody.”
“I’ve been reading up on post-traumatic stress disorder, and I think my dad is suffering from that.”
“That makes sense. He almost lost his home on top of losing his business these past few years. Hopefully Cody will be able to help with that. He served several tours of duty in the Middle East before he started working for the Christian Assistance Coalition.” Zane scanned the people in the room. “Anyone else coming?”
“No, this is it. I’m glad. I don’t think we could have fit anyone else in here, and this is a big room. How’s the school coming along?”
“Behind schedule a little, but I’m determined it will be ready to open when I said it would. I know a lot of people are ready to move back in.”
“You’re looking at one here.”
Zane touched her arm and pulled her away from the people around them. “When I’m through with the school project, I can spend more time on the rest of your home. Can you wait until then? Is there anything else that needs to be repaired right away?”
“No. We’ll be fine until then now that the roof isn’t leaking like a sieve. I can even start looking at the other rooms upstairs. As you know, we did what we could after the trees were removed, but the rooms weren’t livable until now. Well, they will be when we finish some of the repairs in them. It’ll be nice having my old bedroom back. Can you imagine three females sharing one small bedroom? Not a pretty sight at times.”
Zane chuckled. “I think I can spare a couple of evenings to help you with those rooms. How’s the wiring?”
“We have the electricity turned off in that part of the house.”
“I can come tomorrow night and check it.”
“You’re an electrician?”
“That’s what I learned first in this business before I branched out.”
“Are you sure you can spare that time?”
“Yes. I don’t want you doing anything until I look at it.”
“Fine, on one condition.”
One eyebrow rose. “You’re giving conditions?”
“Yes. I want to help you with the school since you’re running on a tight schedule. Think of something I can do.”
“We’ve been through this. Most is stuff you wouldn’t know how to do.” He studied her face. “You aren’t going to let this go?”
“No, I believe one good deed deserves another.”
His chest rose and fell with a deep sigh. “Fine. About all I can think of is painting the rooms.”
“Done. You’ve got yourself a worker in the evenings and on the weekends when you start that.”
Zane inched closer and lowered his voice. “Why are you having a hard time accepting my help without needing to do something for me?”
“I don’t like being in anyone’s debt.”
“I’m not expecting anything from you except money for the supplies.”
After Scott’s treatment of her and what happened when the family business went under, she had become suspicious of something that looked too good to be true. “Why?”
“Because you’re in need. Is that so hard to understand?”
What is your angle? Scott always had one. “Yes, after what happened between us.”
“Fine. That last week before the grand opening on Friday I’ll use you to paint. Is that what you want?”
“Yes, was that so hard?”
“Kind of.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be difficult.”
“Everyone, can I have your attention?” Maggie called out from the other end of the long room.
Zane leaned close to her ear and said with a laugh, “Yes, you do.”
The tickle of his breath sent goose bumps down her body. “Shh. We’re going to get our instruction. As a teacher, I know the importance of listening to the directions.”
“We need some people to assemble material into campaign packets. Others to organize our neighborhood sweeps. And lastly, some to put yard signs together. After a few words from our next mayor, let me know where you want to work.” Maggie stepped to the side to allow Ruth Coleman to speak.
As Ruth greeted the helpers and offered her thanks, Zane whispered, “Which one are you gonna do?”
Kim slanted a glance at him, mischief dancing in his eyes. “How about you?”
“I asked first.”
“Neighborhood sweeps.”
“Oh, okay.”
She faced him and put her hands on her waist. “Zane Davidson, where are you going to be?”
Miss Alice, an older lady who lived next door to Ruth, turned around a few feet in front of them and put her finger on her mouth. “Shh.”
Zane clamped his lips together and shrugged his shoulders at Kim, then became quite intent on what Ruth was saying to her campaign workers.
“When I decided to run for mayor, I knew the only way I could do it was a grassroots campaign. I appreciate each one of you helping me to win this election. After what Hope has gone through—still is—I want to help rebuild the town and make it even better than it was. I want people to see how wonderful it is to live in a town like Hope. We help our own. We band together and make sure no one is wanting.”
Cheers erupted from the group gathered.
“Okay, y’all, we’ve got a lot of work to do tonight,” Maggie shouted over the din as people began talking to each other.
Zane put two fingers into his mouth and blew a loud whistle. The sound rang in Kim’s ears, but every person i
n the room rotated toward Zane. Kim flashed a nice shade of red. She was sure of it because her cheeks felt on fire.
“You’ve got the floor, Maggie.” Zane waved his arm toward her cousin.
The crowd swung back toward Maggie. “Who’s working on the packets?”
A flurry of hands shot up in the air, including her father and Cody standing next to him. Kim thought of changing to that group then decided that would put a damper on anything Cody was trying to establish with her dad.
Five minutes later, the neighborhood sweeps group with Gideon and Zane in charge decided to meet on the staircase. The committee members filed out of the game room to find a place to sit on the steps.
At the back of the group, Kim waited for Zane. “Why didn’t you tell me you were in charge of this group?” she said in a low voice.
“My choice shouldn’t affect your choice. Does it?”
“Well, no.”
“Good because when I knew you before I never thought you were a chicken.”
Kim’s mouth dropped. “I’m not now.”
“That’s even better. When Gideon asked me to help him earlier, I immediately thought about you being an area coordinator.”
“Which area?”
“Around your school. Who better to serve those neighbors.”
“I like that. It’ll give me a chance to visit the homes of my students. That’s always good for a teacher.”
“I figured that. You might be able to recruit some of the teachers at your school to go door to door, too.” Zane passed her near the bottom of the stairs and took his place on the ground floor, facing the fifteen people assembled there.
As Zane started outlining what the object of the neighborhood sweeps would be, Kim tried to listen. But her mind drifted to what her father was doing. Had Cody been successful with him?
* * *
Two hours later, most of the workers had left except Ruth, Kathleen, Miss Alice, Gideon, Zane and Cody. They stayed to help put the game room back to the way it was before the onslaught of people had arrived at Bienville. Although Kim was tired, excitement grew in her. She’d never been a political person, but the prospects of affecting the mayoral race was invigorating.
“What do y’all think? Was it a successful planning meeting?” Ruth asked when the tables and chairs were returned to their right places and the paper coffee cups were tossed into the trash.
“Ruth, you’ll make a good mayor. We need someone like you after the past few trying months.” Kim’s dad took a seat on the couch, others following suit. “Are you worried about something?”
“The opponent is spending a lot of money on flashy ads and spots on TV and radio.”
“I like your grassroots campaign. You want to personally touch as many of the townspeople as you can. That’s what we need right now. Our town needs hope.”
Ruth gave Keith a smile, her gaze linked to his. “I appreciate your help. I could use someone who has dabbled in politics to help me. Will you?”
Surprise lit Kim’s father’s face; his eyebrows hiked up as far as they could go. “I—I’ll help you anyway I can.” His usually strong voice came out in a raspy rush. He clenched his trembling hands in his lap. His surprise evolved into a blush that reddened his cheeks, especially the longer he stared at Ruth.
Her smile broadened. “That means a lot to me. You’ve been a councilman, and your expertise will be welcomed.”
“That was years ago.”
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t have an official campaign manager. Would you consider doing that?”
Her father flexed his hands then curled them again. “Me?” he choked out. “I don’t know how to be one.”
“Neither do any of us,” Kathleen said, sweeping her arm around the room to indicate the others. “None of us have even worked on a campaign. You have. We can do the work if you can give us the guidance.”
Kim moved to the side of the sofa and sat near her father. “It’s only a couple of months. It’ll be good for you.”
Everyone offered him encouragement.
Her dad’s regard swung from one person to the next. When it landed on Cody, it stayed.
“I agree with the others. It’s a way to help the town if you believe Mrs. Coleman is the right candidate for the job,” Cody said. “Tonight you were telling me how important this town is to you. How you’re worried about it recovering. Do something about it.”
The counselor threw down a challenge, and Kim barely managed to keep a grin from her expression. In a short amount of time, the man had read her father. He already knew Keith Sommerfield did not turn away from a challenge.
“I don’t know…” Her father’s words faded into silence as Ruth closed the distance between them and settled on the couch beside him.
She placed her hand on his arm. “Please, Keith. I don’t like to lose. I know you don’t, either. You’re what I need.”
Kim hadn’t thought it possible, but his blush deepened. He stared down at his clasped hands, his knuckles white. As he opened his mouth, Kim held her breath.
“I’ll try it,” he finally murmured too low for the people across the room to hear.
But Ruth did. She threw her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you. This means a lot to me.”
After the congratulations, Miss Alice pushed herself to her feet. “I don’t know about y’all, but this is way past my bedtime.”
Ruth chuckled. “Mine, too. We’d better leave.” After she rose, she faced Kim’s father. “I’ll come by tomorrow, and we’ll talk more. Is ten o’clock okay?”
As though stunned by the events of the past few minutes, her dad nodded his head slowly.
After Gideon, Kathleen, Ruth and Miss Alice filed out of the game room, Maggie left to get ready for bed and to make sure Anna and Brady were settling down for the night.
Her dad stood, still looking shell-shocked. “I’d better get a good night’s sleep or no telling what Ruth will talk me into tomorrow.”
Cody stepped forward and shook her dad’s hand. “It was a pleasure getting to know you tonight. I hope you’ll come down and see the Christian Assistance Coalition. You might be interested in some of the things we’re doing for Hope. I can tell you really care about the town.”
“Thanks for listening to an old man talk about how Hope used to be.” He continued toward the hallway.
Kim waited until she heard his bedroom door close before saying, “I don’t think my dad would have agreed if you hadn’t given him a challenge. Thank you, Cody.”
“I hope he’ll come down and see me at the office. I’d like to talk with him in private about what’s going on.” Cody removed a card from his wallet. “My cell number is on this. Just call me.” He glanced from her to Zane. “You and I will talk more about your idea, but right now I’d better go, too.”
Kim walked Cody to the door, half expecting Zane to follow. But when he didn’t, she went back into the main part of the room, part of her glad he’d stayed, the other leery. Each day she was around him, her feelings toward him became more tangled and confused, and she certainly didn’t need to add any more bewilderment to her life.
“What did he mean about your idea?” she asked to keep the conversation centered on a neutral topic that didn’t involve feelings.
“I proposed an idea about going into areas where catastrophes have occurred and assisting the people in rebuilding their homes.”
“How?”
“By starting a foundation tied with the Christian Assistance Coalition. They already help by providing food, clothing, even some temporary shelters, as well as counseling for victims. I want to take it a step further. Cody is interested and wants me to write up a proposal to present to the organization’s board.”
“How would it work?” The Zane she’d known as a teenager wouldn’t have considered doing something like that. Or would he have? How well did she really know that Zane? There were few similarities from the boy she’d fallen in love with once and the man he�
�d grown up to be. At least from what she was seeing now. Could a person change that much, or had he been like that all along?
“The foundation would donate the supplies and experts to rebuild the houses and work with local contractors. They would do the work, as well as train people. It would deepen what the Christian Assistance Coalition is already doing.”
“That sounds like a big undertaking.”
“It will be, but there’s a need in so many places in the United States and worldwide.”
As Zane talked about his dream for the foundation, Kim experienced his excitement in the tone of his voice and the look on his face. Definitely this person before her was not the same boy she fell in love with years ago. The realization shook her. He had a handle on what he wanted to do whereas she was floundering, struggling to piece her life back together since Scott’s betrayal, losing the family business and the hurricane.
Zane clasped her hand and drew her closer. “I’ll see you tomorrow night, and we’ll discuss what needs to be done upstairs.”
“Come to dinner. I know you’ll be working late at the school, but we can hold dinner until you can get here.” The desire to melt against him blanketed her in needs she thought she would never experience again. She forced herself to keep several inches between them but not far enough apart, however, because her heartbeat raced and her breath shortened.
“Call me when you get home from school. By then I should know if I can and what time.”
“Great. Maggie’s cooking, so you’ll be in for a treat.”
He breached the space between them and wound his arms around her. “You aren’t as bad as you think. I loved your spaghetti. Better than anything I’d throw together. Just ask my dad.”
“How’s he doing?”
“Okay. Ian came over last night and had a long talk with him. Dad was pretty upbeat after Ian left.”
“Good,” Kim said, trying to stifle a yawn that had welled up in her. She didn’t succeed.
“I’d better leave before you fall asleep on me.”
Love Runs Deep (New Beginnings Book 7) Page 9