by Ross, Mia
“Seth seems like a good guy,” Matt commented in his usual offhand way.
“The way you were glaring daggers at him, no one would ever guess you liked him.”
“Just testing, baby doll. You know that.”
“I really wish you’d quit calling me that,” she huffed. “I’m grown-up now.”
Laughing as if that was a wonderful joke, he hugged her around the shoulders. “I’ll try. So what do you know about our foreman?”
“Not much.” She relayed what Ruthy had told her, adding, “I get the feeling he’s searching for something, but I’m not sure what.”
“You’ll figure it out,” Matt assured her as they joined the assembling volunteers. “You always do.”
Maybe rebuilding the church would help, she mused. It was a huge responsibility, but Pastor Charles seemed totally comfortable with Seth leading the project. Seth had certainly shown enough nerve to lead a construction crew made up of farmers, contractors and construction workers who basically knew what they were doing.
At least, she hoped so. He was so insecure around people, she hated to consider what a blow it would be to his confidence if he failed at this.
* * *
His heart in his throat, Seth waited while Pastor Charles climbed a set of temporary stairs and turned to face the crowd. There had to be over a hundred people there, but when he held up his arms for quiet, you could have heard a pin drop in that parking lot.
Man, this guy was good.
“First, I want to thank the group who came in here yesterday to tarp our open roof and make things safe for us to start our repairs.” After winging a broad smile around, he continued. “Second, as unlikely as it might seem, we will celebrate Christmas Eve in this church. We may be wearing coats and gloves, but there will be a roof over our heads. More than that, I can’t promise, but I’ll be here. I hope you’ll all be here with me.”
A cheer went up, punctuated by whistles and rebel yells that seemed strangely perfect for this ragged crew. Some of them were obviously pros, but most were parishioners offering their time and energy to help rebuild their church. Even to a battered heart like Seth’s, it was a touching sight.
When they settled down, the preacher went on. “For those of you who live in caves, I’d like to introduce the remarkable young man who came to my rescue when I needed him most. He has a great deal of experience rehabbing old buildings, and he’s graciously agreed to head up this project for me. Seth Hansen.”
The shouts of approval that welled up from the crowd were unnerving for someone so accustomed to doing his job and slipping away unnoticed. As he acknowledged their welcoming gesture, Seth admired how the pastor had cleverly sidestepped any protests about his choice of foreman. By making it a personal favor to himself, he’d ensured that no one would resent a stranger being in charge.
The man really knows how to talk to people, Seth thought. It was a handy skill for the leader of a church. Or a foreman. Diplomacy wasn’t his strong point, but he’d committed to the job and he’d do everything he could to make things run smoothly.
Fortunately, the pastor didn’t force Seth to go up on the platform and address the crowd. Instead, he reached behind him and took something from someone near the steps.
“Just one more thing, and then I’m done.” Turning to Seth, he handed him a bright blue hard hat with “Hansen”
stenciled on the front and back in bold black letters. “Welcome to the crew.”
The crowd lifted their own hard hats, fishing caps and ball caps in response, and everyone cheered again. Up front, he noticed the Sawyers and smiled when John gave him a thumbs-up. Sandwiched between her towering brothers, Lisa beamed at Seth as if he’d just won the NASCAR championship.
Her encouragement melted a little more of the ice that had formed inside him over the past few years. She’d done so much for him in the short time he’d known her, and it felt good to repay some of her kindness by helping to repair the church she loved. If heading up this hodgepodge construction crew made her happy, Seth figured any trouble it caused him would be well worth it.
* * *
“Oh, come on, Seth.” Leaning over the lunch counter, Lisa gave him a brilliant smile. “My family always gets together for Friday-night supper. Southern barbecue, corn bread and lots of Sawyers for company. After the long day you had, you can’t do better than that.”
“I do fine on my own.” Hoping to avoid her gaze, he looked down to arrange his tools in their box and close the lid. She didn’t say anything, but he could feel her watching him. Despite his best efforts, he couldn’t resist glancing up.
Folding her arms, she nailed him with a knowing look. “You have plans?”
“No.”
Her baffled expression told him she couldn’t understand why it was so hard for him to mingle with other people. Her offer to include him in their family supper was sweet, just like she was. He was beat, but he hated to admit to her that the day of organizing the job site and getting to know his crew had stretched him far past his endurance for socializing.
“My family won’t ask you about what happened the other day,” she promised. “We’d just like to have you out for a meal.”
“My truck’s in the shop.” The look she gave him clearly said she considered that the lamest excuse she’d ever heard. “Really, it is. You can call and find out for yourself.”
“I’m done here at five. Just meet me out front and I’ll drive us to the farm.”
Since the day he met her, she’d been nudging, pushing, pulling and downright bullying him into doing things he’d never planned on. Nicely, of course, but the cute smile didn’t mask the determination in her eyes. Why she’d made a project of him, he couldn’t say. The fact that she believed he was worth all this effort made him feel something he hadn’t been in a long, long time.
Happy.
“You’re sure it’s okay?” he asked.
“Absolutely.”
She sounded confident enough, so Seth finally relented. “Okay. Thanks for the invitation,” he added when he realized he’d almost forgotten.
“You’re welcome.” Giving him another amazing smile, she headed into the kitchen.
Suddenly, he remembered he didn’t have anything to wear that didn’t look as though it had been painted, torn or run over by a bulldozer. Since he was more or less done for the day, he poked his head into the storeroom.
“Need anything else today, Aunt Ruth?”
“Not a thing,” she said, waving him out. “Go on and get outta here.”
Her response made him suspicious, and he narrowed his eyes. “Eavesdropping again?”
“My nephew, my restaurant. I prefer to call it a vested interest.”
Shaking his head, he pulled back from the doorway. When she called his name, he glanced over his shoulder.
“Do you have a jacket?” she asked. “It’s supposed to get chilly tonight.”
“Yeah, I heard something about that. I’m not six, y’know.”
His aunt laughed. “I’ll try to remember that. Have fun, Sethy.”
He cocked his head at her, and she laughed again. “Sorry.”
“You’re just like Mom,” he told her. “Always worrying.”
That comment blew the smile right off her face, and she put down her clipboard before coming forward to meet him in the doorway. “We adore you, honey, and we know you’re still hurting. It makes us overprotective sometimes, but we do it out of love.”
“I know.” Smiling to ease her frown, he kissed the top of her head. “But I think I’m finally doing better.”
Her blue eyes twinkled with a knowing look. “Our Lisa does have that effect on people.”
Seth groaned. “I’m not ready for anything like what you’re thinking.”
She gave him a long, ste
ady look. “Katrina was a long time ago, and she wasn’t strong enough to deal with your past. Lisa is.”
“There are days even I can’t face up to it, and I’d never ask a woman to take that on. It wouldn’t be fair.”
Before she could continue their pointless argument, he pulled back and headed for the door.
* * *
After opening the driver’s door of Lisa’s tiny yellow hatchback for her, Seth carefully folded himself into the passenger seat.
“Sorry,” she apologized as she started the engine. “It’s a little snug.”
“No problem.” He slid the seat back to the max and reclined it to give his legs some more space. Once she searched around and settled on a radio station, they drove up Main Street and out to the highway.
Seth hadn’t been in Harland long enough to do any exploring, so he hadn’t been outside the town limits yet. A couple of miles beyond the immaculate old houses and yards decorated for Christmas, there was a lot of nothing. Well, not nothing exactly, he corrected himself.
Fields plowed under for the winter rolled out like dark brown carpets, and he noticed several deer nibbling at a few remaining cornstalks. A fox spotted Lisa’s car, and Seth thought it was actually racing along the road to see if it could beat them to wherever they were going. After about half a mile, it veered off and loped into a nearby stand of trees.
The air had a nip to it, but after breathing in joint compound and construction dust all day, it felt crisp and fresh to him. The muted colors of trees all around added to the picture, and he couldn’t remember when he’d seen anything more perfect.
Lisa pulled into a dirt lane marked with a sign that read Sawyer Farm. The driveway wound between two lines of weathered wood fences shaded by massive oak trees that must have been around since before the Civil War. At the other end stood a sprawling white house bordered by generous porches twined with climbing roses and ivy. On the back landing was a black Lab who lifted its head from its paws as they approached.
“That’s Tucker,” she explained. “He’s our welcoming committee.”
Apparently, he recognized Lisa’s car. The dog went bonkers, barking his head off while he galloped out to meet them. He ran a couple of laps around the parked car, then spun in circles before settling on his haunches. Even though he was in one place, his tail thumped the ground with barely contained excitement.
“He’s real glad to see you,” Seth commented.
“Tucker wears his heart on his collar. That’s what I love most about him.”
“Does Cleo know you’re a dog person?” he teased.
“No, and don’t you dare tell her. She’d be crushed.”
Lisa opened her door, and the Lab ducked under it to greet her. Cooing and gushing, she ruffled the fur under the star-spangled bandanna he wore around his neck, then flopped his ears back and forth playfully. Seth could only describe the dog’s expression as a big boy-am-I-glad-you-came smile.
“I forgot to ask,” Lisa said hesitantly. “Are you good with dogs?”
Seth cringed at what should have been a completely unnecessary question. Then again, considering his odd behavior at times, he couldn’t blame her for asking. So he deflected the awkwardness he suddenly felt with a grin. “Long as they’re good with me.”
“Tucker’s our character barometer,” she told him as they got out of the car. “If he likes somebody, we know they’re okay.”
“Labs are pretty friendly as a rule. Who doesn’t he like?” Seth asked as he hunkered down to let the dog get a good whiff of him. Apparently satisfied, Tucker flopped onto his back in a shameless demand for a belly rub.
“Marianne’s ex. The nasty FedEx guy. The punk who used to throw rocks at the neighbor kids while they waited for the school bus. I’m not exactly sure what happened, but his mom drives him to school now.”
Looking at the tongue hanging out of Tucker’s mouth, it was hard to believe he could put a bully on the run. Of course, you couldn’t always judge a hound’s demeanor by its slobber. Seth’s sister and brother-in-law had four Labs, and they were intelligent, protective creatures, especially around the kids. He wouldn’t mess with one of them if he had a choice.
Standing, he admired the rolling acres that surrounded the farmhouse. They seemed to go on forever, and he could only imagine what it took to maintain it all. “This place is amazing. I didn’t think family farms like this existed anymore.”
“It’s not easy.” She pointed into the distance where two tractors with headlights on were plowing under cornstalks. “My brothers and brother-in-law work like crazy, and it’s still barely enough to keep us in the black. We all pitch in where we can.”
“After putting in six hours at the church, they came home for more?”
“Trust me, all those people did the same. There’s no slackers in this town.”
“That’s what it takes,” Seth agreed, following her toward the back door. “A good team can accomplish a lot if they set their minds to it.”
“I don’t know if you’re looking for more work, but we can always use help here in the spring.”
“And the summer, fall and winter?”
She laughed, and he drank in the sound. Bright and fresh, it made him think of daisies. The uncharacteristically poetic impression rattled him, and he tried to shake it off. “Thanks for the offer. I’ll think about it.”
“You already passed Matt’s intimidation test. After that, it’s cake.”
The smell of the promised barbecue wafted through the screen, getting thicker as Seth pulled the door open. As they stepped into the Sawyers’ kitchen, he admired the workmanship on the cabinets that were obviously original to the house. Done in shades of cream and sage, the large room was ringed with windows and dominated by a rough-hewn table that had been worn smooth over the years. With a bench on one side and chairs around the others, it was set for a family supper.
Even though he wasn’t a Sawyer, they’d made a place for him at their table, and Seth felt pleased to be included. As he was admiring the intricate carving on the crown molding, their furry escort zoomed past him and made a beeline for the huge pot bubbling on the stove.
“Tucker, down!”
As if he were a little kid caught with a handful of forbidden candy, the dog dropped to the floor, getting as low as physically possible. Through the archway walked a slender woman dressed in khakis and a flowery blouse.
When she saw Seth, she smiled and came forward with her hand out. “You must be Seth.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Really, don’t do that,” she chided with a laugh. “I’m Marianne Collins, and if you call me Mrs. anything, I’ll sic Tucker on you.”
“Yes, ma’am. Marianne,” he amended quickly. “Thanks so much for having me.”
Some very inventive shouting was coming from the barn closest to the house, and she sighed. “Just ignore that. My husband, Ridge, is working on a tractor that should’ve gone to the Smithsonian years ago.”
“I’m pretty good with stuff like that. Maybe I can give him a hand.”
“Please.”
She motioned him toward the door, and Seth gladly took the out. Lisa was great, and her sister seemed nice enough, but his small-talk skills left a lot to be desired. Helping a guy fix something, though. That he could handle.
* * *
“Like someone knitted his shoulder back together,” Lisa finished with a shudder. “How could anyone survive an injury like that?”
Marianne set two cups of tea on the table next to a plate of her famous raspberry bars. “People can do a lot of things when they have to.”
“That reminds me,” Lisa said. “How are you feeling these days?”
“Sick as a dog.” Looking a little green, Marianne pushed her tea away. “Nothing helps.”
“That’s
what you get for letting Ridge talk you into that vacation in the Caymans.”
“It sure was fun, though.” Marianne added the kind of smile they hadn’t seen much until she met the fun-loving pilot who’d managed to steal her well-guarded heart. “Just the two of us on the beach, watching those incredible sunsets.”
“It’s good to enjoy that kind of stuff while you can.”
“Tell me about it.” Marianne’s complexion paled, and her voice took on an uncharacteristic whine. “It’s not fair. Caty’s sailing along like it’s nothing. She’ll probably have another four months of maternal glow, the world’s quickest labor and be back in her law office the next day, carrying their baby in a sling.”
“You never know, I guess. That’s why I have Cleo. She cleans herself and I don’t have to send her to college.”
Despite the complaints, Marianne smiled, resting her hand on her still-flat stomach. “I know, but I wouldn’t give up Kyle and Emily for all the cats on earth. They can’t wait to meet our new little Collins. If the four of us can just agree on a name, we’ll be all set.”
“What are the ideas?”
“Kyle likes Payton, as in Walter Payton the football player.”
“Of course he does,” Lisa commented, rolling her eyes. The male species was so predictable. Sports and cars. Even if you could coax them to the theater, they fell asleep before the first act was over. “What about Emily?”
“She likes Jasmine and Belle.”
“Disney princesses, that figures. What about Ridge?”
“He likes the solid, old-fashioned names. Michael, Andrew. Ethan,” she added with a little smile.
“For Dad.” When Marianne nodded, Lisa said, “They never met, but he knows it would mean a lot to you. That’s one great guy you found, Mare.”
“There’s still a few of them out there, you know,” she advised in her big-sister tone. “You just have to keep an open mind.”
“My mind is completely open. It’s the selection that’s closing up.”
Marianne clucked at her. “That’s our little Lisa. Waiting for her knight in shining armor to ride up and carry her off to his castle.”