Restorations (Book One Oregon In Love)

by Bonnie Blythe

  “Um, okay. Just name the time.”

  “Wednesday at nine, so we can get an early start? It’s an all day thing.”

  “That sounds fine.”

  “See you then.” Brian started for the door, then stopped and turned partially around, his brows quirked. “Are you sure I don’t deserve some kind of reward?”

  Sara walked over and put her hands on his back, propelling him through the door. After she was certain he went back to his cottage, she went to her room, and searched for what to wear on Wednesday.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Sara regarded her reflection in the full-length mirror in her bedroom two days later. The day had shaped up to be sunny and warm, so she chose a sleeveless, tea length rayon dress the color of sea washed glass. The color of Brian’s eyes. She grimaced at the syrupy thought and slid her feet into a pair of brown leather sandals. Sara debated whether to wear her hair up or down. Not that it mattered of course. He wasn’t likely to notice anyway.

  She hadn’t seen him since their little confrontation. Sara assumed his absence was work related. She missed him more than she thought possible. That was the problem. One minute she hoped he ignored her, the next, she felt hurt when he did.

  Sara had spent time the previous night praying about the state of her heart. She knew her feelings for Brian became stronger every day, and somehow, it made her worry she was failing God. Brian must’ve reappeared into her life as some kind of test. What if she was walking right into the same trap?

  Sara closed her eyes and once more asked God to take away this deepening attraction for her contractor—before she went insane. At the moment, she felt faint with hope and longing at the thought of spending a whole day with him. She rolled her gaze to the ceiling in a beseeching gesture. Please!

  She blew out an impatient breath and looked at her hair. After arranging it different ways, she decided to wear it up in a French twist, leaving a few tendrils loose. Hoping her outfit was appropriate for such an event as a trade show, she went into the dining room to wait for Brian. At the last minute she remembered to grab a notebook and pen, stuffing them into her purse.

  Brian’s crew and another crew of roofers were already on site to tear off the old roof and replace it with new sheeting and cedar shakes. They made a tremendous amount of noise stomping around up on the roof. At any moment Sara expected them to fall clean through the ceiling and land at her feet in a cloud of plaster dust.

  When she saw Brian from the front window, she went out to meet him, wanting to avoid the formality of him coming to the door for her. He wore jeans and a black V-neck sweater over a white shirt, and looked more handsome than ever. After a few last words to the workers, he waved her toward his pickup.

  “We can take my truck,” Sara offered.

  He looked at the old Ford, which seemed to creak and settle under his scrutiny. He grinned and shook his head. “No thanks.”

  Sara followed Brian to his truck and climbed up into the passenger seat while he held the door open for her. She put her purse at her feet and folded her hands in her lap as he slid in behind the wheel.

  “Ready?”

  She nodded as he fired up the engine. Brian turned on the radio and listened to a local weather report. He smiled as the announcer confirmed that the day would be balmy…with only a ten percent chance of rain.

  His smile disappeared. “They didn’t say anything about rain last night!” Then his face cleared. “Just look, Sara, there’s not a cloud in the sky. We have nothing to worry about.” His gaze rested on her for a moment before turning his attention back to the road.

  The trip passed amicably enough on the surface, but Sara felt nervous and conversed with him in what she hoped was a normal way. An hour later, the ten-fold increase in traffic heralded their arrival into the outskirts of Portland, the largest city in Oregon. While Brian concentrated on maneuvering through the press of vehicles, Sara watched him discreetly from under her lashes. Why was he back in her life? It still made no sense.

  After parking, they walked through the vast parking lot and went into a mammoth exposition center. A myriad of booths lined the walls, snaking throughout the space. A log-built house appeared to have sprung up from the middle of the building floor. Sara’s eyes widened at the dizzying array of products. She found countertops came in more than just tile, marble, granite, and Formica. Flooring came in every kind of wood and synthetic product imaginable. She saw fixtures, appliances, hardware selections, and even home loans available for the choosing. Hundreds of people slowly milled about them, and occasionally, Sara was jostled against Brian’s side. She wondered crossly if he felt as affected by her touch as she was by his.

  They spent three hours perusing the booths. Brian proved extremely knowledgeable and helpful in informing her of the pros and cons of the items that interested her, and in her enthusiasm, she forgot to worry about her dubious relationship with him. Her purse was soon overflowing with pamphlets and product information from all the dealers and salespeople. Her notebook came in handy as well as she scribbled down things she wanted to remember later.

  It was after one o’clock when they finally made a complete loop through the building. From there, they drove to an Italian restaurant for lunch. Without the distraction of the home show, Sara once again felt strung up and edgy in Brian’s presence. She scarcely knew what she ordered and toyed with her napkin, wondering why she felt so uncomfortable again.

  Brian watched Sara with a guarded expression and felt disappointed that she seemed so ill at ease in his company. She sat stiffly opposite him, with a high flush mantling her cheeks. Brian suddenly wanted nothing more than to drag her across the tabletop into his lap and kiss her senseless. With some reluctance, he restrained himself.

  When their food arrived, he took her hand in his and gave thanks. After the prayer he continued to hold her hand, loathe to let go. He leaned forward to bring it to his lips, but a sudden mirth in Sara’s eyes gave him pause.

  She gave a half snort, half giggle. “Your elbow is in your fettuccine Alfredo,” she whispered.

  Brian jerked his elbow off his plate and stared at it with a stunned expression as if finding someone else’s body part in his food. He scrubbed off his elbow with a napkin and grinned ruefully at her. He could tell she was trying to control a fit of the giggles. “I guess I wasn’t using my noodle just then.”

  Sara groaned and erupted into laughter. As a result, she visibly relaxed, and they ended up sharing a pleasant meal together.

  Afterward, he took her to several downtown antique shops specializing in decor from the Arts and Crafts period. Sara found an autumn leaf rug with the pattern designed by William Morris that she had to have. More purchases included muslin pillow covers embroidered with ginkgo leaves, and a small, sinuous vase finished with a bluish-green glaze.

  The stores where they shopped were relatively dim inside so when they walked outside from the last shop, Brian was shocked to see the sky dark with clouds releasing a deluge of rain. They retreated back into the store and waited for the downpour to pass. He attempted to call the roofing crew but realized his cell phone battery was dead. After another fifteen minutes, the rain stopped as abruptly as it started and a ray of sun pierced through the clouds.

  Brian took Sara’s arm and grimly led her from the store. They dodged puddles on the long walk back to the truck while his mind fretted over the untimely rain. Sara’s house had been completely opened up as the roofers prepared to put down the new plywood sheeting. He could only guess at the damage done by the rain.

  Aware of the deepening tension coming from Brian, Sara couldn’t think of any way to dispel the gloom. When they arrived at his truck, she found she’d forgotten to roll her window all the way up and the passenger side of the bench seat was drenched.

  Unable to find anything to place over the seat, Brian patted the middle space. “You’ll have to sit here.” After putting her shopping bags on the floor of the passenger side, he ushered her around to the driver
’s side of the cab.

  Sara got in and scooted to the middle, glad her rug would be delivered later to the house by the store. Brian got in beside her and when they were both belted, he started the engine. She shivered in her sleeveless dress as the temperature had fallen considerably.

  Brian reached over to turn on the heater. “It will take a minute to warm up.” He stretched his arm along the back of the seat. “Move closer and I’ll keep you warm until the heater kicks in.”

  The matter-of-fact way in which he spoke robbed his words of any double meaning, but Sara needed no further encouragement. She slid over until she sat hip to hip with him, biting back an anxious smile as his arm came to rest around her shoulders.

  They drove back to Buell Creek in silence. Sara peeked up at his harsh expression, knowing that he was worried about the roof. She didn’t know how to reassure him. By the time they arrived back at the house, she blinked drowsily, realizing she’d fallen asleep. Brian eased his arm away and helped her out of the cab.

  “Let’s see how bad it is,” she heard him say as he made his way toward the house. Sara rushed to keep up with his long strides.

  The foreman of the roofing crew came out to meet him. He put up his hands in a calming gesture. “We managed to get the house covered with tarps before the worst part of the rain. Luckily there wasn’t much wind, so the damage, if any, should be minimal.”

  Sara left them as they discussed the details and went into the house. When she walked into the kitchen, stepping carefully around the construction debris, she noticed the floor appeared wet. The crew members shook their heads when they saw her.

  “Talk about bad timing, man,” said Jeff. “Brian’s gonna be furious.”

  Offering them a weak smile, Sara proceeded through the kitchen and on up the staircase. She braced herself for what she might find as she mounted the steps. After going through all four bedrooms, she already saw brownish stains, evidence of water damage on the ceilings.

  Hearing a noise behind her, she turned to find Brian looking up at the stains with disgust. She approached him and laid a tentative hand on his arm. “It can be fixed and I’m not upset, okay?”

  He smiled at her in a distracted way but said nothing.

  “Thank you for the trip today. It was very helpful.”

  “I’m glad.”

  Sara gave up. It seemed as if she didn’t exist. She gave a little shrug and made her way downstairs, leaving him to worry in peace. She could only wonder if this house—which brought them together—would end up keeping them apart.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The following Sunday dawned quiet in the absence of construction. The new shake roof was on and the water damage, repaired. Apparently all should’ve been well with her contractor, but that wasn’t the case. Preparing for church, Sara let out a tired sigh.

  After the day they spent together in the city, he acted aloof again, leaving her feeling hurt and bewildered, but not that surprised. She tried to be mature and accepting of this fact, but felt keenly disappointed all the same. She had to admit just because she now wanted to be with him, didn’t mean she could.

  Sara frowned as she pulled the front of her hair back with a clip. If Brian didn’t have any interest in her, well, fine. She was determined not to wear her heart on her sleeve. No more straying eyes and heartfelt sighs.

  As if in mockery to her thoughts, another heavy sigh escaped her while she finished her hair. Now, what to wear? Not really caring at this point, she settled on the first thing she came to in her closet, a brushed silk red dress she hadn’t worn for a while. She'd bought it some time ago when in one of her more fanciful moods. It had a square neckline and an empire waist. The sleeves were long and fitted and the skirt fell to just above her ankles.

  After it was on, she scrutinized herself in the mirror. The deep red emphasized the whiteness of her skin and once again she wished she possessed the kind of complexion that could handle a little sun. She turned a lobster pink when exposed to UV rays. Naturally, she had to be the pale-as-pasteurized-milk type when she knew Brian preferred the deeply tanned beach bunny look.

  Deciding to quit worrying about her appearance, Sara applied a bit of make-up, grabbed her purse, and headed out to the Ford. A warm, violent wind tore the black clouds to rags and blew her hair into her face. She wrenched open the door of the pickup and as she tossed in her purse, wondered if she should go back for her coat in case it rained later. But she was used to the vagaries of Oregon weather and so decided against it. A glance at her watch showed she was already late for church.

  Just as Sara stepped up into the cab, she heard her name being called. She turned and saw Brian walking up the drive toward her. Schooling her expression to be nonchalant but friendly, she stepped back down and smiled at his approach. “Good morning.”

  Brian stopped and leaned against the hood of the truck, gazing down at her in a way that made her earlier admonitions melt away.

  “Are you going to Hattie’s after church?”

  Holding her blowing hair out of her face, she nodded. “I don’t see her as much as I’d like, so I try to spend my Sunday afternoons with her.”

  Brian looked down. “If you were planning on coming back here after church, I thought we could ride together.”

  What a sensible suggestion. He probably just wanted to save on gas consumption. “You’re welcome to come to Hattie’s with me. You don’t need an official invitation.”

  Brian shook his head. “I need to come back here and do some paperwork later.”

  Sara smiled thinly. “Then I’ll see you at church?”

  He nodded and went back to his own vehicle.

  Once inside the cab, Sara started the reluctant engine and wondered why being Miss Manners made her feel so dismal.

  Brian arrived at church several minutes late and noticed the pew where Sara and Hattie sat was full. He’d sat with her before, but wasn’t sure if he should make a habit of it. It would start people speculating on the nature of their relationship. Maybe she wanted other single men in the church to know she was available and wouldn’t appreciate him assuming such a proprietary role.

  Brian sent a dark look around the congregation and wondered if any male present had designs on her. But everyone seemed to be enjoying the worship too much to notice one disgruntled attendee. Feeling ashamed of himself, Brian closed his eyes and let the words of a hymn wash over him.

  Later, during the sermon, he became easily distracted. One minute he listened intently to the message and in the next, his gaze slid to where Sara sat across the aisle. He remembered how her eyes reflected the dark clouds earlier this morning. And the way the wind whipped her dress against her figure while her hair blew around her face. She appeared to be a part of the advancing storm—volatile and unpredictable.

  Brian smiled at his whimsical turn of mind. At one time, he used poetry and flowery words to woo her, and some of that exposure must’ve really soaked into his brain. But he didn't need to be a poet to figure out what ailed him.

  Love. He loved her and he didn’t know what to do about it. He was afraid if he made a misstep with her, he might lose any chance to win her over. Brian bowed his head and released the situation to the Lord, along with the desire in his heart, his uncertainty. All of it. If Sara were truly for him, God would make a way. Of that he could be certain.

  When the service ended, Sara and Hattie stood and chatted with other members of the congregation as people filed out the main door. Instinctively, Sara’s gaze sought out Brian’s figure. When she located him, she saw him talking with two pretty young ladies, obviously enjoying himself. A wave of jealousy washed over her so suddenly she gripped the back of the pew to steady herself. For the first time, she realized the church positively teemed with single, nubile females. Any one of them could steal him away with a bat of an eye.

  The experience was reminiscent of when she and Brian dated in college. Even as his bona fide girlfriend, she never felt quite secure in his affections. He
'd had a habit of letting his eyes trail after any girl within sight, making her wonder if he’d casually cast her off when a better opportunity came along.

  Sara forced herself to take a breath. That was then, this was now. But how could she be sure Brian was different? The tiny seed of doubt began to grow and burgeon within her. If they somehow managed to get together again, how could she be sure he wouldn’t always be on the lookout for a better thing? Had he really changed all that much? Sara wanted to believe so, but a residual fear lurked in the corners of her heart—fear of the way he could hurt her again.

  With great effort, Sara brought herself back to the conversation at hand. It seemed everyone was talking about the weather change from summer heat to sudden rain. As Hattie made ready to leave, Sara followed behind her with her eyes lowered, determined not to look in Brian’s direction as she left. When she emerged from the church, she took a deep breath of the moist, tepid air.

  A thin drizzle began and people shrugged into raincoats before braving the walk through the parking lot. Sara thought ruefully of the coat she left behind. She looked up into the sky. Great thunderclouds boiled up against the horizon, scudding straight for her.

  “I’ll see you at your place in a few minutes,” she said to Hattie before making the dash to her truck.

  She made it into the cab before the downpour while a foreboding rumble of thunder sounded overhead. Once safely ensconced inside, she dug through her purse, looking for her keys. By the time she found them at the bottom, the parking lot had all but emptied of cars. Brian’s pickup was one of the few vehicles remaining. Sara quickly put the key in the ignition to start the engine. She didn’t want to be around when he came strolling out of the church with a beauty on each arm.