Barely around the block, he called himself an idiot and circled back, disappointed to see that she wasn’t still standing in her doorway. What had he expected? Annie was the one who’d said she didn’t want any romantic entanglements. He needed to give her time, let his message sink in.
Chapter Twelve
ANNIE HALF THOUGHT she’d walk out the door in the morning and Sky would be sitting in his car. He wasn’t. Nor did he come down the street from his house to the Culver work site. She expected him at noon for sure. But lunchtime came and went without his appearing or even calling. So much for his big speech about wanting them to “get tangled.” But wow, his kiss! Annie’s mind stalled every time she thought about it.
She had to learn from Sadie that the Louisville cops had apprehended their drive-by shooter. “Can you believe the idiot kept the gun rather than disposing of it?” Sadie said when she stopped by to give Annie her diagrams for the teen center. “Koot’s covering Sky’s shifts, because he’s at the Louisville station, sitting in on the interrogations. The two guys in custody are believed to be pretty high up in the Stingers command.”
“You make them sound like paramilitary instead of garden-variety thugs,” Annie said.
“That’s how they operate, according to Koot. I assume Sky told you Heywood got off with a promise to stay in school and do community service. Roy Dell had a prior run-in with the law, so the judge gave him a year’s probation and ordered him to go to a local community college to take GED classes. Sky said you suggested that. Roy Dell also has to do community service. They’re on my recruitment list for the center.”
“Sky didn’t tell me any of that last night.” Annie frowned.
Davena Culver had joined them. “It must’ve slipped the chief’s mind. He was probably preoccupied with his son. Chantal heard about Heywood and Roy Dell. She likes Heywood, and was disgusted that he let Roy Dell rope him in. She hopes this was a lesson for him. By the way, Chantal and some of her girlfriends can paint or do whatever needs to be done at the teen center after school lets out next week.”
Annie, who’d reviewed Sadie’s plans, rolled them up again. “You’re moving so fast, I’d better have a heart-to-heart with the city manager today.”
“Does that mean I shouldn’t order the prefab room dividers or talk to Roger and Charlie about installing them yet?” Sadie raised an eyebrow at Annie.
“No, go ahead. I’ll make myself presentable and pay Mr. Loomis a visit. I have more than the teen center to discuss with him. So, if you see fireworks exploding from his office, send the SWAT team to rescue me.”
Sadie laughed. “No SWAT teams in Briar Run. We’re down to four overworked cops.”
The women split up and Annie went home to shower and rehearse her half of the conversation she needed to have with Aaron Loomis.
* * *
THE CITY MANAGER’S office—the former mayor’s office—was next door to the police station. Annie looked for Sky’s car, but apparently he wasn’t back yet. In Briar Run’s municipal offices, Aaron Loomis and a lone secretary sat at their respective desks. Annie gave her name to the secretary. “I’d like a word with Mr. Loomis if I may,” she said.
The woman got up and spoke to the balding man ensconced behind a glass enclosure. Annie saw him don black-rimmed glasses, gaze at her and nod curtly.
“He can spare ten minutes, Ms. Emerson,” the secretary said.
Annie picked up her briefcase and swept into an office stacked with books, folders and piles of paper. She was glad she’d worn her most professional suit. Annie extended her hand and Loomis shook it. “Hello, I’m Annie Emerson. I don’t know if you recall, but we’ve spoken before.”
The man rocked back in his chair. “Yes...I keep track of newcomers,” he said dryly. “Especially troublemakers.”
“Ouch.” It didn’t slip past Annie that Loomis didn’t offer her a seat. “I guess that means you’re aware of how busy I’ve been with residential revitalization.”
He grunted. “So far it looks okay,” he said grudgingly.
“Glad it meets with your approval. I’ve taken time out from painting homes to bring you the deed for a new teen center I’m donating to the city.” Annie opened her briefcase, took out a folder and set it in the center of his messy desk.
He snapped forward in his creaky chair. “Ms. Emerson, you can’t give the city a teen center.”
“I already did.” Annie tapped the folder. “The building is free and clear. I’m exploring grants I hope will ultimately cover operating expenses. Until that’s firm, I plan to cover the costs. If you’re agreeable, I’d like to name it the Ida Vance Teen Center after my late grandmother. She was one of Briar Run’s earliest residents.”
Aaron Loomis slicked both hands over his head several times. Annie wondered if that was why he was going bald at an early age.
“This is exceedingly unusual.” He opened the folder. “Did the county clerk say this was legal? Who donates property to a city? Is it even wise? A center for teens? I know you understand that we have gang activity. Will this strain our already strained police force?”
Annie waited for him to wind down. But he continued to scowl at her. “There’s more,” she said in her most dulcet tones. “This may be trickier, and I’ll need your assistance. Do you mind if I clear off a chair and pull it up to your desk?”
“I have a feeling it won’t do any good to say no.”
Removing piles of paper from a chair, Annie dragged it over. She took another folder from her briefcase. “If this idea works, it’ll mean considerable business revenue for the city.”
That got his attention as nothing had so far. Annie unfolded a plat map and put her finger on the defunct factory. She rushed through her plan to reopen the plant, her description almost identical to the way she’d explained it to Sky the previous day. Unlike Sky, Loomis had the benefit of her charts and graphs. He scanned one after the other.
“The corporation pulled the plug on the glove factory the day after I started this job,” he said. “The demise of the city’s largest employer hit city revenues hard. The result has been cutbacks in all services.” He glanced up, engaged now. “What makes you think there are enough former employees around who’ll be amenable to your plan? More important—exports to Argentina? That’s global trade. If they’re in the market for gloves, aren’t they buying them now?”
Annie handed a sheaf of magazine and newspaper articles she’d printed out. “Their vast cattle companies and agricultural industries import a staggering number of cotton and leather gloves. These articles don’t name their current supplier, but all the reports indicate displeasure with inferior products. Our first step would be to send samples to the people named in these articles. But to answer your first question... From casual conversations I’ve had with former employees who held major positions, I know there’s interest. I gather tooling up would take weeks, not months. Of course, someone needs to find a source for raw material.” She pulled out another paper. “I did some calculations. So, say we even had to import leather from Argentina and ship back the finished gloves, there’s still a fair profit.”
He studied her material a while longer. His secretary came to the door. “I’m going on break. You said ten minutes.” She tapped the face of her watch.
Loomis waved her away. “I’m fine, Myrna. Ms. Emerson is almost finished. She’s leaving me with a lot to think about.” He rose, and Annie knew she was being dismissed. She got up and shut her briefcase.
“Thank you for your time. We’re painting on Dusty Rose Street and will be there for several days. Or I may be at the teen center. I’ll give you my cell number, since I think we should move on this ASAP,” she said, jotting her number down.
She was almost out the door when Loomis called, “Somebody told me you’re a social worker.”
“I used to be. I’m
more of a general contractor now.”
“My older sister is a social worker. She’s a know-it-all busybody, too.” He smiled and his voice softened. “Our parents died when she was sixteen, and I was twelve. Her ability to juggle a lot of balls in the air at one time was what got me raised. I’ll delve further into this idea of yours and be in touch.”
At least he hadn’t thrown her out, Annie told herself as she put on sunglasses. Again she checked for Sky’s cruiser; it still wasn’t in the lot. More disappointed than she cared to admit, she headed home to change back into her painting clothes. On the way she decided that since she was dressed professionally, this would be a good time to seek potential staff for the teen center. She’d come prepared with information and with applications she’d created the night before.
As it turned out, Sadie was at the center so Annie went in. “Sadie,” she called into the cavernous room, “can I twist your arm to go to the schools with me? I want to have a word with the teachers, counselors and coaches about maybe working here.”
“Hey, I’m your gal. I didn’t see fireworks from the municipal building. I take it you won Aaron over? Oh, no wonder! You look like a million bucks.”
Annie grimaced. “I don’t know about ‘won over.’ He’s concerned the center will add to an already heavy police workload. Is there a way we can keep a lid on who comes and goes?”
“If we post a one-time-infraction-and-you’re-out rule and stick to it, yes.”
At the school they found more interest from teachers than Annie had dared hope. Later, returning to the pickup, Sadie reached over and patted Annie’s back. “It wouldn’t have occurred to me to bring applications tailored to each position we need to fill. How do you manage to do everything you do, Annie?”
“I don’t sleep,” she quipped, except it was more true than not.
“It helps that you don’t have a man demanding your time and attention. Although having a man in your life isn’t all bad.” Sadie winked.
The memory of Sky’s kiss left Annie silent, and also wondering about his prolonged absence. “Do you worry a lot about the dangers associated with Koot’s job?”
“Honey, he’s been a cop all our married life. But who was the first in our family to get shot? Me! Hey, you sound like a woman who needs to know. Are you and Sky finally, uh, seeing each other?”
“The short answer is not really. Let’s say there’s interest, but he runs hot and cold, probably due to his past experience.”
“What about you?” Sadie paused before exiting Annie’s pickup.
“Yeah, me, too. I’m pretty independent.”
“Do you like Sky’s son?”
Annie’s smile was quick and genuine. “He’s darling. And smart. I feel bad for Sky that he doesn’t have Zachary more.”
“That’s a good answer from someone who sounds as if she’s contemplating a romance with a divorced dad.”
“Contemplating isn’t committed, Sadie.”
“Give it time. Well, I can’t do any more here today, so I think I’ll go home. I ordered the walls, which is step one. Tomorrow’s Saturday and Davena’s bringing over a carload of teens. I’ll get them to scrub floors. Oh, I almost forgot. Here’s a list of the paint I need. If you can get it to me by Sunday, I’ll be ready next week when the prefab stuff comes to put Roger and Charlie to work.”
Annie took the list. “Sadie, I’ve decided to set up a bank account strictly for the center. I’ll give you a debit card. That’ll save us both time. I’ll pay the salaries, yours included, out of a different account.”
“You don’t need to pay me! This project is keeping me from having a midlife crisis.”
They both laughed, and Annie waited until Sadie got into her car before she left. Annie wondered whether it would be smart to install security alarms like the ones she saw at the schools, or whether arranging for an on-site security person might be better. She placed that on her list of questions to run past Sky. Maybe she should call him. No! What would he think?
She didn’t see him that day or all weekend. Her paint crew doubled on Saturday. They finished Davena’s house and were able to start on two adjacent homes, bringing them ever closer to Sky’s.
Annie divided her time between painting and the teen center, always on the lookout for Sky’s cruiser. By the end of Tuesday, with the two smaller homes done, she’d begun to think he was having second thoughts about his late-night visit to her home―or that it hadn’t happened and she’d dreamed the whole thing. She had to admit she was baffled. Her list of things to discuss with him kept growing.
Wednesday, to her shock, he showed up at the painting project, which was two houses from his, acting as if he hadn’t been away for five days. He had Zachary in tow. Annie was filled with so many doubts she didn’t go to greet him; instead, she let him find her. Which he did by knocking on the aluminum ladder she stood on, painting an upper story.
“Hey, up there. My helper and I have a few hours. What can we do?”
Annie gazed down on a pair of upturned smiles so alike and so endearing her breath caught somewhere between her lungs and her throat. “Paint, uh, you can paint. The sanders are all in use by guys at the back of the house.” She wanted to shout, Where have you been? In deference to Zack’s excited hello, Annie calmly climbed down and acted as if Sky hadn’t been MIA for five days.
“I wanted to paint Daddy’s house today,” Zack said, sounding disappointed.
“I’m sorry. I haven’t bought his paint yet,” Annie said. “He hasn’t called to tell me what colors to get.” She aimed small daggers at Sky, who seemed oblivious. “But, Zack, I bought a couple of things for you. They’re in my pickup. Wait here, I’ll get them.” She climbed down and handed her dripping brush to Sky.
“You got something for me?” Zack skipped alongside her.
“I did.” Annie opened her pickup and removed a sack. “First, I have a kid’s version of what’s called a carpenter apron. It ties in back and is made of plastic-covered fabric so paint can’t soak through and ruin your shirt and pants.” Annie helped him into the apron that hung a little past his knees. The pattern was masculine with pictures of pliers, wrenches and paint cans. “At the hardware store where I buy our paint, they had premade wooden birdhouses. You remember how you couldn’t decide what colors you liked for your dad’s house? Well, I bought three birdhouses, a packet of small brushes and sample cans of the paints you and your dad were debating. I’ll put the birdhouses on newspapers under that tree. You can try different colors on each house and then you and your dad can go buy the ones you like best.”
The boy flung his arms around Annie, who had bent to his level. He almost bowled her over—would have if Sky hadn’t come up in time to catch her. “Whoa, Zack, don’t knock Annie over. What have you got there? Hey, guy, that cover-up is neat. I hope you thanked Annie.”
“I was thanking her, but I almost hugged her over.”
Sky and Annie laughed, and Sky ruffled his son’s sun-bleached hair. Slightly self-conscious now because Sky seemed so focused on her, Annie went through her explanation again about how Zack could paint the birdhouses.
“It was kind of you to think of him in the middle of everything you’re doing. Aaron Loomis called me on Friday. You have him all worked up over the teen center. He asked if I thought my force could control unsavory interest in a place that caters to teens.”
“What did you tell him? I’m almost ready to hire staff.”
“I was honest. I said we’d see. Have you missed me?” He gave his sideways smile and ran his forefinger down her nose when she rose from spreading newspapers for Zack’s paint project. “I think we may be close to cracking the upper echelons of the Stingers,” he said excitedly. “That should make you happy.”
“Close only counts in horseshoes.” She opened a pack of brushes, gave Zack one and opened two sma
ll cans of paint. “Try this color on the bottom part of one birdhouse, and this color on the roof. Then you can see what it would look like if we painted your dad’s house with these colors.”
Sky arched an eyebrow at her before he knelt down. “Take your time, Zachary. We’re not in a big rush today.”
The boy nodded and sat cross-legged in front of the birdhouse.
Annie stepped a few feet away as Sky stood up; he seemed too close. “Uh, Sadie said the police in Louisville arrested the man they believe shot her. Frankly it surprised me not to hear the news from you.”
“Yeah, well, I wanted them signed, sealed and headed to the big house before I said anything. That’s taking time. The Louisville detectives invited me to sit in while they grilled those two, hoping to get to the higher-ups in the Stingers. For the past few days I left early and got home late. Koot and Teddy covered my shifts. Plus I was buried under a backlog of paperwork. Anyway...back to Loomis. Antsy as you made him over the teen center, you got him super worked up about the prospect of reopening the glove factory.”
“Shh,” Annie pressed a finger to his lips and cast a glance around to see who was nearby. “He hasn’t agreed to let me go ahead with that yet. No one else knows.”
“I didn’t let on that I knew anything about that grand scheme of yours.”
“Are you making fun of me, calling it a grand scheme?”
“Daddy, stop hurting Annie’s feelings,” Zack said, raising his voice. The adults whirled around and saw that Zack had paused in his painting and was frowning at them.
“We’re just discussing something,” Sky told Zack. To Annie, he murmured, “We’ll catch up on this later.”
She nodded. “By the way, Chantal filled Davena in on what a judge ordered for Heywood and Roy Dell. Our teen center will run smoothly if we can get other former gang members on similar paths. I know we can beat this gang, Sky. If you nab the leaders, I’ll redirect the kids.”
Annie's Neighborhood (Harlequin Heartwarming) Page 20