“Praying it passes over quickly,” Steve added. “With all the men coming on Saturday to start working on the new theater, we’ll need clear skies.”
“Yep.” Charlie nodded but kept his gaze on the road. “I’ve already checked the weather report for Saturday. It’s supposed to be clear with temperatures in the seventies. Should be perfect for a project like this.”
“I don’t imagine we’ll get a lot done that first day,” Steve said. “But I think we can get a start on the seating area first.”
Charlie’s words interrupted Steve’s thoughts. “Did that daughter of mine tell you what she’s thinking?”
“As far as the layout of the new theater?” Steve nodded. “Yes. She wants to take advantage of the hill behind the Civic Center. She apparently wants to pattern the design after some theater you took her to as a kid—in Texas.”
“Palo Duro Canyon.” Charlie braked as he approached a stop sign. “The amphitheater was cut out of the slope of a canyon, so there was basically no construction except the stone for the stage and some wood for seating. It was a clever idea. Very creative and very little cost involved.” He turned on his right signal and eased his way out onto the road.
“Right.” Steve nodded, giving the idea further thought. Made perfect sense to him. “I like the idea of using stone. It’s perfect for an outdoor environment. And with the Civic Center being right there, we won’t have to worry about bathrooms for the patrons. We’ve already got those.”
“Right.” Charlie nodded. “I think she wants us to build on some sort of awning behind the Civic Center, though. That way we could have a covered area where people could purchase sodas and snacks.”
“Good idea. Great way to bring in some extra money.”
“That’s my girl, filled with great ideas.” Charlie laughed and slapped his hand against the steering wheel. “Well, maybe not all of them are great, but you have to admit, they’re creative.”
“She is definitely creative,” Steve said. “I have to give her that. I just hope the people at the county office will go along with her plans. My gut says they’re going to have a couple of issues with what I sent them.”
“Hope not.” Charlie sighed. “That poor girl’s been through so much in her life already. If she has to jump one more hurdle…” He paused and shook his head. “Well, I suppose she’ll jump it, but I hate to see her struggle so much. Seems like nothing comes easy for her. Ever since her mother died…” Charlie grew silent, his gaze focused on the road.
“I understand,” Steve said. “And my heart goes out to her. That’s one of the reasons I usually go along with her ideas, even when they sound a little…”
“Far-fetched?”
“Yeah.” Steve chuckled. “I love that she’s always thinking out of the box. Wish I could be more like that sometimes. I’m also pretty impressed that she’s always interested in putting others first. Seems that way, anyway.”
“Oh, she’s in the habit of putting others first.” Charlie sighed. “She’s definitely like her mother in that respect. But we’ll have to keep an eye on her, Steve. You know how she is. If we’re not careful, this project is going to swallow her whole. We can’t let that happen.”
“Right.” Steve nodded. “I plan to keep an eye on her. And since I’m acting as the production director, I can always step in and help, if she needs it.”
“Thank you for that.” A pause followed, and then Charlie’s tone grew more serious. “I want to thank you for doing all this for my girl, Steve. It means the world to her.”
“For your girl?” Steve’s curiosity piqued. “What do you mean? I’m doing it for the whole town, not just Amy.”
“Aw, c’mon, now. I know you’re not really keen on building a theater or putting on a play. You’re doing this to humor her. And I think I know why. I’ve got eyes, you know.” He gave Steve a knowing look.
“O–oh?”
“You’re sweet on her.” Charlie nodded. “And she’s sweet on you. A person would have to be blind not to see it.”
“Ah.” Steve forced back the grin that threatened to erupt. “So, you’ve figured us out, eh?”
“Yep. I’m just glad you two finally figured it out.”
“Took us awhile.”
“True, but it’s worth the wait. I’m a firm believer in love,” Charlie said. “I married my best friend thirty years ago, and I never regretted it. Not one day.”
“Well, you know how things ended for my parents,” Steve said. The pause that followed left him feeling a little weighted down.
“Yeah.” Charlie patted him on the arm. “I used to feel really bad about the fact that your dad didn’t stick around. But your mom did a great job of handling things on her own. And she found love in her later years, so all’s well that end’s well, right?”
“True.” Steve swallowed hard, as if he could somehow force away the negative images his father had left behind. “But I have to admit that watching the way my parents’ relationship played out has definitely kept me from being able to express myself. I guess that’s why it took me so long to finally let Amy know how I felt.”
“Oh, you’ve told her, have you?” Charlie grinned. “I was wondering why she’s been beaming for the past few days. Must have something to do with that.”
“Yes, well…” Steve thought about his response. He hadn’t exactly opened up and shared his heart with Amy, not in full. Sure, he’d told her that she had star quality. That she was center stage in his thoughts. And he’d kissed her. They were off to a good start. But getting to the crux of things—telling her that he’d fallen so hard he couldn’t think straight when she was around—well, he hadn’t done that yet. Hopefully soon.
“Don’t feel bad about the fact that you’re a little gun-shy,” Charlie said. “That’s nothing new in Camelot. The real king Arthur found it hard to express his feelings too. He hid out in the woods before marrying Guinevere, you know.”
“Yes, I was just telling Amy that story.” Steve paused, reflecting on Charlie’s words. “It’s funny, listening to you talk about Arthur like he was real. You don’t really think he existed, do you?”
“Of course I do. And just for the record, I think he needed to be a little more assertive with the woman he loved. That’s why he lost her to Lancelot, you know. Lack of assertiveness. A man needs to be ready to lay down his life for the woman he loves. But first he’s got to let her know that she’s adored.”
“The woman he loves?” Steve smiled as he contemplated the possibilities of that statement. “I do wonder sometimes what it would be like to marry a girl like Amy. Only problem is, we’re so different. Can you even imagine how chaotic it would be?”
“Nothing wrong with a little chaos.” Charlie grinned. “And just so you know, God made people different on purpose. The greater the contrast, the more brilliant the painting. I’d say there’s a lot of contrast between you and Amy. She sees it too. I’m sure of it. But I’m pretty sure she likes what she sees.”
“I know I do.” Steve did his best not to grin. Still, he did like what he saw when he looked at Amy—and all the more as time went on.
Charlie navigated a bend in the road, nearly veering off into a ravine as he paused to point to the east. “Speaking of liking what you see…” He went off into a story about the contrast of colors in Tennessee’s landscape and how great it was to live in Tennessee. “Either your heart connects with the beauty of Tennessee or it doesn’t,” Charlie said. “But I’ll tell you, it does something to this old heart of mine.”
“Amy’s the same way,” Steve said. “She’s always had a fascination with the changing of the seasons. Guess she got that from you.”
“Seasons.” Charlie sighed. “Been through a few of those in my own life.” He paused and appeared to be deep in thought. “You know, if you visit Tennessee just before the changing of the leaves, you feel cheated. Being there in the middle of it is like a gift—a second chance at life. A reprieve from the doctor after a bad diagnosi
s.” He slowed the vehicle as they approached a fork in the road. “If the seasons of my life have to change—and I know they do—I’d rather experience it here in Tennessee than anywhere else on earth.”
“Amen to that,” Steve said. “Amen to that.”
The ringing of the office phone startled Amy awake. Had she really fallen asleep at her desk again? That made the second time this morning. Still, who could blame her? She’d stayed up half the night coming up with additional plans for the build-out of the new amphitheater behind the Civic Center. She could hardly wait to share them with Steve later this afternoon. Then again, he might not be thrilled with her tweaks to his original plan. He and Dad were already on their way to town to get the supplies, after all. Well, she could always spring it on them later.
Lost in her thoughts, she almost missed the second ring of the phone. And the third. Amy yawned then answered, trying to sound as awake as possible as she spoke. “Yes, Eula Mae?”
“You have a call from a fellow who says he works for Knox County,” Eula Mae’s voice sounded strained. Quiet.
“Why are we whispering?”
“I don’t want him to hear us. You can never trust a government official.”
Amy stifled a laugh. “I work for the city, Eula Mae. Wouldn’t that make me a government official? And Steve too, for that matter. He’s the mayor, you know.”
“Still…”
“Put the call through.” When the phone rang, she answered with her most cheerful, “Hello?”
“Amy Hart?” The man’s voice had a stern tone, which put Amy on her guard right away.
“Y–yes?”
“Ms. Hart, this is Fred Platt, Knox County Commissioner. I understand you’re the driving force behind this outdoor theater idea?”
“Oh, well, yes.” She nodded as if he could see her.
“The folks in our zoning commission heard from your mayor a couple of days back with details about your plan. Seems like a nice enough guy, but this plan of yours is riddled with flaws. We’ve got a lot to discuss before you can move forward.”
“Riddled with flaws? How so?”
He spent the next ten minutes telling her. Something about zoning laws. Something about food permits. Something about county parks. Something about noise pollution.
Really? Noise pollution?
By about the ninth minute, Amy was ready to give up on the idea altogether. Still, she could hardly get a word in edgewise. The fellow simply wouldn’t stop talking long enough.
“So here’s what we’re going to have to do, Ms. Hart,” he said, his tone abrupt. “Someone from my department will be out to take a look at the area where you’re building. At that point, we’ll decide whether or not to allow you to continue.”
“But—”
“And once our decision is made, you can choose to appeal, if necessary.”
Sounds like you’re already saying no.
By the time they ended the call Amy felt completely defeated. If the people in the county office had their way, there would be no outdoor theater in Camelot. Not now, not ever. Then what? Once again, she would have let her friends and loved ones down.
“Just another dumb idea by Amy Lyn Hart,” she muttered.
“What’s another dumb idea by Amy Lyn Hart?”
Amy looked up as she heard the familiar voice. “Oh, hey, Eula Mae. We’ve just run into some problems with the county commissioner regarding the new building.”
“Told you those government officials were no good.”
“I wouldn’t go that far, but I will say it’s complicated.” Amy tried her best to explain what she’d learned, but none of it really made sense even after the fellow’s very thorough explanation. “Something about parking. And zoning laws. And noise pollution.”
“That noise pollution thing is a crock,” Eula Mae said. “The theater isn’t going to be built in a residential area, so why should it matter?”
“Right.” Amy nodded. “But he brought it up.”
“Here’s what you have to know, Amy.” Eula Mae’s eyes narrowed into slits and her voice became more exaggerated. “The sole purpose of government is checks and balances. Keeping everything in order. That’s it. If they ever go too far, well then, they’ve gone too far.” She trailed off on a tangent about her political views, sharing some rather outlandish thoughts.
“What is it with you and the government?” Amy said when Eula Mae finally paused for air. “I work for the government. Steve works for the government. We’re paid with tax dollars. Sometimes I think people forget that. We’re not bad people.” She paused and gave Eula Mae a pensive look. “And by the way, you get paid with tax money too, right?”
“Yeah.” Eula Mae groaned. “I’m such a hypocrite, working for the enemy. But the way I look at it, I’m like an internal spy. I’m here to keep things in order and flesh out any bad guys.”
“We’re all bad guys, Eula Mae, sinners in need of God’s mercy and grace.”
“Sorry, but I’m not gonna offer government officials mercy.” Eula Mae pursed her lips, the fine wrinkles around them becoming more pronounced. “Nope. Won’t do it.”
Amy chuckled then leaned back in her chair. “I suppose this news from the commissioner’s office shouldn’t be a big surprise. I should have seen it coming. Just goes to show you I wasn’t paying attention.”
“I’ll bet Steve was,” Eula Mae said. “He’s on top of this, Amy. I guarantee you. So, take a deep breath. Trust him to run the show.”
“Run the show. That’s funny.” She chuckled. “But you’re right. I can trust him.” She felt her stresses lift as the words were spoken. With Steve running the town, they all felt safe, even in moments like this.
Suddenly Amy realized what the people of Camelot must have felt like with Arthur at the helm. Surely they felt safe. Secure. Protected.
She turned her gaze to the window as Eula Mae left the room. “Silly girl,” she whispered. “Camelot wasn’t even a real place. It’s just a story.”
Only now it didn’t feel like a story. Somewhere along the way—perhaps due to her father’s tall tales about the elusive kingdom—she’d actually started to believe that Arthur, Guinevere, and the others existed in this fairy-tale-like place known as Camelot.
Hmm. Not a bad idea, slipping off to a pretend place. Certainly a lot more appealing than hiding in the bathroom. And now with the county on her tail, she felt the urge to hide more than ever.
Steve and Charlie left Home Depot just before noon. After loading up the back of the truck, they climbed inside the cab and pointed the vehicle back in the direction of Camelot. Just a few yards out of the parking lot, Steve’s phone rang. He turned to Charlie with a smile. “It’s Amy.”
Her first words caught him off guard. “Steve, we have a problem.”
“Woody has smashed up the window of the Sack ’n Save again?”
“No.”
“Fiona got loose in City Hall?”
“No.”
“I give up. What is it?”
Amy shared an emotional tale of a call she’d received from the county commissioner regarding the building of the theater. Steve listened intently, his fists growing tighter as she talked. So, things were going to be even more complicated than he’d feared. Now what? He ended the call, whispering a hushed, “It’s gonna be okay. I promise,” before clicking off.
Charlie turned his gaze from the road for a second. “So what’s up with my girl? Everything okay?”
Steve paused a moment before responding. He needed to collect his thoughts. “Not really,” he finally said. “She just took a call from a guy who works for the county. Looks like they’re going to be hovering over us while we build this theater, so we’re definitely going to have to make sure everything is up to code. No slipups.”
“You need a plan, Steve—for all of this.”
“What sort of plan?”
“Are you asking for my advice?”
Steve paused and shrugged. “Sure. If you don’t
mind giving it.”
“Okay, well, hear me out. I promise this will help. I’ve learned a lot from reading Arthur’s story. The way he got people to go along with him was to invite them into his inner circle.”
“The round table, you mean?”
“Yes. When you invite others into your circle, they learn to trust you. That’s what you’ve got to do with these county officials and anyone else who wants to oppose you. It might not be easy, but in the end you’ll have a win-win situation if you can make them feel included from the onset. That’s only done if you agree to work peaceably with them.”
“Wow. Great advice.” Steve rested his elbow against the truck door and thought about Charlie’s words. “I’ll invite them to come to one of our rehearsals so they can see the plan in action. Then we’ll work hand in hand to get the job done. By the time we’re ready for our first curtain call, the county commissioner will be sitting front and center in the audience as our special guest.” He hoped so, anyway.
“That a boy.” Charlie grinned. “Now you’re thinking. Invite their families and you’ll really win them over.”
“I can’t wait to tell Amy the plan. She’s going to think we’re brilliant.”
“What’s this ‘we’ business?” Charlie said. “You tell her this was your idea. She’ll see you as a hero.”
Steve chuckled. “No, she’ll know better. Besides, I don’t think I need to play the hero role in her life. She doesn’t need saving.”
“Only from some of her nutty ideas.” Charlie paused. “Remember that crazy lemonade-stand idea she came up with last summer—how she claimed it would raise money for the town? We’ve still got at least a dozen bags of sugar in our pantry left over from that flop.” He laughed. “But that’s my girl.”
“Yep. She’s loaded with ideas.” Steve’s thoughts shifted back to the county officials and the kinks they were throwing into the plan. Hopefully he really could cut them off at the pass and keep the peace. Otherwise, this whole plan was liable to go up in smoke.
Chapter Nine
Love at Center Stage: Three Theatrical Love Stories Page 40