“I know. I explained all that to them, and they’re still not happy. They plan on confronting you personally about this.”
Would the problems ever stop coming? “Can you tell me who they are?”
Dick mentioned four names that Tori recognized. The street was lined with some of the oldest homes in Dover, families who had been there for generations, and she knew three of the women through her church and various community projects. The fourth was new to the neighborhood, having moved into one of the old homes shortly after Tori bought Camellia Hall. She had children a few years older than Lily. They’d only met once, but she’d seemed nice.
“Thank you, Dick. I’ll be ready when they come by.” She couldn’t imagine why the women had suddenly banded together to complain. She knew some neighbors had been upset that the construction had gone on too long, and the trucks parked in the street had been an eyesore. But there’d been no complaints lately. Why the sudden change of heart?
She wanted to cry. She wanted to talk to Reid. He always had a solution for her problems. There she went again, looking to someone else for help. She would handle this on her own.
So why did that thought make her feel so sad?
* * *
Reid pulled the truck into the driveway and applied the brakes. His heart softened as he looked at the ornate old home that was Camellia Hall. When a sense of coming home settled around his shoulders, he quickly shook it off. This wasn’t his home and never would be, but for the time being he would allow himself to enjoy the warmth and welcome.
He parked at the garage and hopped out of the truck, the anticipation at seeing Tori and Lily quickening his blood. He’d been tempted to call her, especially on the day of the inspection, but he’d decided against it. Time apart might be the best course of action right now. They both had deep, emotional reasons to hold their ground. He prayed somehow the Lord would move them to a place where they could agree and Eddie would get to see his little girl.
Stepping through the back gate, he looked around for Buster, who usually launched himself at him the moment he arrived. A pinch of fear touched his mind. Had Tori taken the opportunity of his absence during the past few days to get rid of the dog?
He tapped on the back door before entering, then called for Tori, uncertain of the kind of reception he’d receive. “Anybody here?” Buster rounded the corner with a loud bark and charged toward him. He knelt down to give the lovable mutt some scratches behind his floppy ears. “What are you doing inside, fella? You’re not allowed in here. You’re going to be in big trouble.”
“Not anymore.”
Reid looked up into Tori’s blue eyes, and the sparkle in them landed inside his heart. He stood, struggling to find his breath. How was it possible that she became more beautiful each time he saw her? “You changed your mind?”
She grinned and shrugged her shoulders. “I had no choice. He saved Lily’s life. He deserves to live in the house now.”
“What? Is Lily okay? What happened?”
“He threw himself in front of her to keep her from running into the path of an oncoming car.”
Reid’s heart stopped beating. The thought of little Lily in that situation chilled his blood. He ran a hand down his jaw. “Thank God.”
“I figured he needed a second chance. He is a hero after all.”
Her words pierced him. “So does that apply to everyone?”
“What do you mean?”
“Buster proved his worth. What about Eddie? Doesn’t he deserve a second chance, too?”
Tori’s smile vanished. “We agreed not to discuss that.”
Her posture told him not to pursue the issue, but he wasn’t giving up.
She raised her chin, her blue eyes shaded. “How is your brother?”
“Stabilized. But the doctors said it could be something else tomorrow. His body is slowly shutting down.”
“I’m sorry. I know what it’s like to see someone you love slowly slip away.”
“Yes, you do.” Reid saw a small glimmer of hope. Maybe if Tori could recall her feelings as Judy faded away, she could find some compassion in her heart for Eddie. “How did the inspection go? I wish I could’ve been here.”
She shrugged. “Okay, I guess. He didn’t say a word, just wandered all over the house with a tablet making notes. He said I should have a report in a few days. I’m hoping it’ll come tomorrow. I really need those funds.”
Maybe now was the time to present Eddie’s request. “I may have an answer for you that could help, especially if the funds are delayed.”
She met his eyes, and his hope rose. He’d like nothing more than to ease her anxiety and let her finish her dream. He took a moment to organize his words. “When our parents died, the estate was left to us, but after our grandfather passed I became the executor. Eddie never touched his inheritance, and he told me he’d like to leave it to Lily. It’s a considerable sum, Tori, enough for her college and to finish the B and B.”
Tori’s eyes darkened to navy blue. Her mouth set in a hard line. “Now he wants to bribe me into bringing Lily to see him? He thinks giving me money will absolve him of his guilt? There’s not enough money in the world to make up for what he did to Judy. He doesn’t deserve to see her. Ever.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I should have expected something like this. Well, I can’t be bought, and neither can Lily, so you can go back to your no-account brother and tell him no thank you.”
“What happened to second chances, Tori? You’ll give me and the dog a new chance, but not my brother, who’s dying?”
“If it were up to me I might consider it, but it’s not. It’s what Judy wanted, and I intend to honor her dying wish.”
“And I’m equally committed to granting my brother’s dying wish. So we’re not very different in our intent, are we?”
“It’s not the same thing at all. I can’t let her down. I’ve let too many people down in my life, and this time I’m standing my ground.”
Reid sat on a kitchen stool, clasping his hands together on the granite countertop. He doubted his next words would make any difference, but he felt compelled to say them. “It’s my fault Eddie is dying.”
“What do you mean?”
“He came to me for money right after I became executor of the estate. I was in the service and Eddie was still at home. Gramps had told me he’d gotten in with a bad crowd and was doing drugs. I told Eddie I wasn’t going to release any of his inheritance until he got clean. I knew he’d just blow it all on drugs and booze. He was furious. I figured Eddie would get his life together and call me.”
“He didn’t?”
“I don’t know. We didn’t speak for the next six years.”
“Why?”
“I was focused on getting justice. At least that’s what I told myself. I wanted to take down as many drug dealers as I could. I didn’t think about my brother much.” He sighed and set his jaw. “The point is, I promised my mom I’d look after him. He was a sweet kid and he’d looked up to me. But when he needed me I turned away. If I’d thought about him more from the beginning, I might have been able to keep him clear of that lifestyle. But I wasn’t there. I was out chasing my own goals.”
“Don’t you mean demons?”
“Maybe.”
Tori slid onto the stool beside him. A light, sweet fragrance curled around him.
“I know a little about that. When my dad died suddenly, the family was thrown into chaos. We each had to deal with it in our own way. My way was to run. Being around the house, not having him there, not talking to him every day was so hard. Sometimes I couldn’t breathe, the loss was so painful. The only way I could cope was to leave town. That’s when I went to stay with Judy. It wasn’t long after that that she was diagnosed, and helping her and Lily became my focus. Dad always told me I was destined to do something wonderful. He believed in me. But I n
ever could find the one thing I was good at or loved. My brothers and sister always knew what they wanted to be. I always felt like I’d failed to live up to his expectations. I hated letting him down.”
“I don’t think you have. Deciding to raise Lily is a wonderful thing. I think it’s pretty awesome.”
“Thank you, but what if I mess it up? What if I get tired of being her mom the way I did with my other projects?”
“You already know the answer to that, I think.” He resisted the impulse to take her hand.
“I suppose. She’s so incredible. Each day she changes.”
“I can remember my mom telling us when she was frustrated with something we’d done that she was making it up as she went along. She wished she’d had a guidebook.”
“My sisters tell me the same thing. They keep saying I’m worrying too much.”
“I guess we’re both struggling with guilt.”
She smiled and nodded. “So what do we do?”
“Remind each other to go easy on ourselves.”
“And each other?”
“I’d like that.”
“I’ll try but I can’t promise anything. Yet.”
Reid watched her leave, a swell of encouragement settling in his mind.
Yet. One little word that held a universe of hope.
* * *
“And thank You, Jesus, for bringing Mr. Reid back to our house. I love him. Amen.”
Tori pulled the covers over her daughter and kissed her forehead. “Sleep tight. I love you.”
“I love you more. Aren’t you glad Mr. Reid is back? He’s really good at fixin’ things, isn’t he?”
“Yes, he is. Why do you like him so much?”
Lily’s eyes brightened, and she sat up. “’Cause he’s big and strong and he reads good and he makes me feel all fuzzy inside.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s like when I hug my teddy bear. I get all squishy ’cause he’s so warm and soft and cuddly.”
Cuddly wasn’t a word she would ever use to describe Reid. He was all muscle and strength and hard edges. Though she couldn’t argue with the strong and good reader parts.
Curled up on the sofa later, she hugged a pillow to her chest and tried to sort out her thoughts. She and Reid had reached a point of common ground today. They both felt guilty about failures in their pasts. She’d never thought of Reid carrying a load of guilt. He’d always behaved like he could handle anything. Strangely enough, knowing he felt regret made him more attractive. More human. And that was not good. She was already attracted to him. She didn’t need any more sterling qualities to draw her closer. Then she’d have to seriously consider his request, which meant being disloyal to her friend.
If only Reid had stayed the mysterious, detached man who had appeared in her sunroom and rescued her from her own stupidity. But he wasn’t. Every day he burrowed deeper into their lives and the community. He did so much for others, and he’d become more involved in the flood home project. Last week he and Jimmy Ray had rented a moving van and gone around town gathering the donated furniture and taking them to one of the warehouses at Montgomery Electrical. Her brothers had offered the space as a collection point for all the items that would eventually occupy the flood houses. He’d hauled off most of the things in her attic.
A warm spot of compassion had formed in her chest after she and Reid had confessed their failures and guilt. His desire to grant his brother’s dying wish went deeper than family obligation. He was trying to make up for the past, the same way she was.
A noise on the front porch sent a jolt of adrenaline through her veins. The mailman. According to her calculations, the report from the inspection should arrive today. The box beside the front door was stuffed full as she gathered up the envelopes. She needed to get a post-office box for all her business mail. Another item on her list she hadn’t gotten around to yet. She sorted through the mail, inhaling a sharp breath at the return address on the largest one. Mississippi State Preservation Commission.
The envelope opened easily and she scanned the enclosed report, her heart racing, only to stop beating at the last paragraph. Everything looked good, but there was one thing the inspector hadn’t seen, which forced him to fail the inspection. No handicap ramp leading up to the porch.
“No. That’s wrong.” There had to be a mistake. She’d been told she didn’t need a ramp. She had the papers to prove it somewhere. She sank onto the old settee in the hallway, fighting tears. She needed her reimbursement funds released so she could open on time.
Maybe it was time to face reality? Had she bitten off more than she could chew? Was her family right—was running a bed-and-breakfast alone too big a job? Should she call the whole thing off, sell out and get a regular job? Her mind rejected the notion, but the obstacles felt insurmountable.
She stood and took the main staircase to the attic, then the few steps leading to the windowed tower. Leaning against the frame, she stared out at the sprawling landscape. She could see downtown from here, the church steeple, the courthouse dome. It had become her favorite spot for thinking and sorting out her roller-coaster emotions during the project.
The small lookout symbolically lifted her above the fray and the problems downstairs, and gave her a fresh perspective and a quiet place to pray. At the moment, even praying was too hard.
With her head against the windowpane, she closed her eyes as the tears began to fall.
Chapter Eight
Reid spotted Tori up in the tower as he turned into the driveway. In the short time he’d been working for her, he’d learned it was her go-to place when she needed to sort out things. He could only imagine the amount of stress on her slender shoulders as she worked to get this business running. But today there was something odd about her presence in the tower. It looked like she had her forehead against the glass, as if she were defeated. Not good. He’d made it his goal to make sure nothing got her down.
He saw the stack of mail on the settee as he walked past. One envelope had been opened, and the letter lay unfolded beside it. From the return address, he knew it must be the inspection report. He was tempted to read it but decided not to. She would tell him if she wanted to, though the fact that she had taken to the tower didn’t bode well.
He made his way as quietly as possible to the attic and the tower. Her shoulders were shaking and he could hear muffled sobs. “Tori.”
She stiffened and wiped her face, keeping her back to him. Trying to hide her emotions, it seemed.
“I saw the envelope from the commission.”
“Did you read the letter?”
“No.”
“I failed.” She wiped her eyes before facing him. “He said I didn’t have a handicap ramp, but I’m not required to. If you only have five guest rooms then you don’t need one. This is a historic home, one of only six Steamboat Gothics in the country. Putting a ramp on this house would destroy the historic integrity. That’s not me saying that, it’s the National Register, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the local preservation society. It was all settled when I bought the house. But now this local guy is insisting I have one put in before he’ll agree to release my funds. I can’t afford to do that, and it’ll take too much time.”
She ran her a palm over her cheek as fresh tears rolled down, and it was all he could do to keep from pulling her into his arms.
“And now the neighbors are in an uproar about my opening a bed-and-breakfast in the neighborhood. But that was settled, too. I’m not breaking any zoning laws.”
Her blue eyes were sad and pleading as she looked at him. “What am I going to do?”
Her vulnerability was too much to handle. He’d never been good at dealing with emotions, but seeing Tori like this compelled him to reach out and pull her into his embrace. She didn’t resist. He held her, marveling at how right she felt in his ar
ms, cradled against his heart.
“We’ll work it out. Have you called your attorney?”
She shook her head, releasing a waft of strawberry scent from her hair. “But I intend to. I’m going to call everyone in the entire state if I have to.”
He smiled and held her a bit closer. “That’s my girl.” Tori wouldn’t simply accept this setback. “Get your people working on this, and we’ll get back to work making the place shine.”
“But I can’t stand around and do nothing.”
She looked up at him with her tearstained cheeks and blue eyes filled with worry, and he knew he had to do something to ease her distress. “How about this? Let me do some research and take some measurements and see what I can come up with to build a ramp.”
“But the cost—”
“Shh. Add it to my tab. We’ll settle up later.”
“I don’t know. There’s still the matter of the time involved. And getting approval. Even if we build a ramp, we can’t start on it until it’s OK’d and we get a permit.”
“Tell your people what we’re doing and see if they can grease the wheels. In the meantime, I’ll look into the construction end.”
She nodded, then looked up at him.
The air between them crackled. The bond that had sparked between them the first day flared to life. He knew she felt it, too. Her gaze lingered on his mouth, and he wanted nothing more at this moment than to pull her closer and kiss those lips that had tempted him from the first moment he’d seen her.
Common sense arrived. This was not the time to cross any barriers, and kissing her now would be taking advantage of her emotional state. They’d reached common ground, and he didn’t want to mess that up. He placed a light kiss on her forehead and stepped back. “Come on. Let’s get busy. Maybe we can avert this before it gets too far down the pike.”
She preceded him out and into the vast attic. “Maybe I can talk to the neighbors and ease some of their fears. Reach out to them first.”
Her Handyman Hero Page 10