Restoring His Heart

by Lorraine Beatty

  *

  Adam was savoring his second cup of coffee in the Durrants’ cozy kitchen when he heard the back door open. He saw Laura walking in. She was dressed in a dark blue business suit; the narrow skirt ended at her knees revealing her shapely legs. The jacket skimmed her curves and highlighted the golden color of her hair. He’d seen her dressed up for church, but she’d worn casual things then. This was a different picture. She looked tiny and delicate. He stood and walked over to her. “What’s this? I don’t think we’ll get much work done with you dressed like that. I’ll be distracted all day.”

  She blushed and tucked her long hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry to spring this on you at the last minute, but Mom and I have a meeting with the Mississippi Heritage Trust committee first thing this morning.”

  “Sounds important.” Adam smiled, his gaze traveling upward to her hair again, wondering if it felt as silky as it looked.

  “It is. This is my last chance to save the Keller building from auction, so I have to take advantage of it.”

  “So we’ll work this afternoon, then?”

  She shook her head, a look of regret clouding her features. “No. In fact we won’t be working for a couple of days.”

  “Days?” A wave of disappointment sent his mood plummeting.

  “I’m leaving for Arkansas right after the meeting. I finally tracked down the wood I need for the gazebo posts at a reclamation company in Mountain Home. It’s exactly the right age and they have more than I need. I think I’ll take it all. I can always use it other places. I’d given up hope on finding oak that old. I couldn’t believe it when my contact called last night.”

  She tugged at her hair again. Was she uncomfortable around him now? Was she thinking of him with Gail? Had his lapse in judgment ruined their relationship? “So what will I be doing in the meantime?”

  “Oh, you’ll be working with Dad. He has a big Handy Works project he’s been needing help with.”

  “Good morning, Adam. Boo.” Tom entered the kitchen, making a beeline for his daughter. He gave her a hug and turned to Adam. “Did she tell you the news? You and I are going to tackle a big project together.”

  “She did. I’m looking forward to it. No more taking orders from a girl.” He smiled and winked, relieved to see Laura respond to his teasing with a small grin.

  “Oh, good, you’re here.” Angie breezed into the kitchen dressed for business, as well. Adam noticed again how much the women resembled one another. He couldn’t blame Tom for being protective.

  The women gathered up their things and headed for the door. Adam stepped forward and touched Laura’s arm to draw her attention. “Be careful today. I want you back safely. I really don’t mind taking orders from a girl.” Her violet eyes widened, then she nodded, holding his gaze a moment before following her mother outside.

  *

  Adam followed Tom Durrant up the back steps to the house. He’d worked harder today with Tom than he had with his daughter. Now he knew where she got her energy. They’d replaced the roof on a small house from plywood to shingles. Adam had a whole new level of respect for men who did that type of job for a living.

  Tom slapped him on the shoulder as they walked into the kitchen. “A few more days like this and you can apply for a contractor’s license.”

  “A few more days like this and I won’t be able to move.”

  Angie Durrant met them with a warm smile and a kiss for her husband. “How did it go today?”

  “Thanks to Adam we got the roof done on the Taylor house today.”

  “Good.” She looked around the room. “What’s that I smell?”

  Tom grinned and placed the small box he’d been carrying on the table. “In grateful appreciation for our hard work, Ida Taylor sent us home with one of her meat pies.”

  “Oh, wonderful, because I’ve been gone all day and you were looking at leftovers.” Angie took the pie out of the box, the aroma filling the room. “Y’all can take this for lunch tomorrow, too.”

  “How did the heritage committee meeting go?”

  Angie’s expression turned regretful. “Not so good. We tried everything we could to find a way to save the Keller building. Now the auction is in a few days. I just feel so bad for Laura.” Angie sighed deeply. “I’ll fix a salad with the meat pie and we’ll eat as soon as you boys clean up.”

  Tom turned and left the room, and Adam moved into the family room where his cell phone was plugged in. He’d only made one personal call since he’d arrived here. One he’d come to regret. This call was different. The idea had been forming in his mind for a while now, but he’d been uncertain how to proceed. Now he knew exactly what he wanted to do.

  *

  The bell on the microwave in the small break room of Durrant’s Hardware signaled the cooking time was complete. Adam pulled his reheated meat pie out and sat down at the table. Tom walked in and smiled, pointing to the plate.

  “It’ll taste just as good this morning as it did last night.” He moved to the fridge and removed his piece, sliding it into the oven.

  Adam swallowed his first bite, nodding agreement. He’d spent his second day apart from Laura helping out at the store, unpacking shipments and stocking shelves. He liked the work, and enjoyed learning about the different kinds of merchandise Tom offered his customers.

  “No customers at the moment?” The store had seen a steady stream most of the morning.

  “No, but just wait until I take the first bite of my lunch and that door will buzz.” Tom opened his can of soda and took a sip. “Truth is, it’s getting harder to keep up with the competition. A big-box home-improvement store opened over near Sawyers Bend last year and I’ve seen a steady drop in business. I might move up my retirement if things keep going the way they are.”

  Adam didn’t like to think of Tom’s giving up the store. It hadn’t taken long to realize that the hardware store and all the small businesses in Dover were woven into the fabric of the town. Losing Durrant’s would be a blow. “Isn’t there anything you can do to keep business coming in?”

  “I’m going to start looking into some things. I’m a bit out of my element in that regard. I’ve never had to attract customers. But times are changing.”

  “Would you mind if I used your computer? I could do a bit of online research in the evenings, maybe come up with some ideas.”

  “I’d appreciate the help.”

  The buzzer on the front door of the store sounded, announcing a customer had walked in. Tom smiled and took one last bite of his lunch. “See? Never fails.”

  Adam liked the idea of helping Tom find a solution to his problem. Perhaps he could repay him in a small way for his kindness. The internet might help him with another matter he was working on, as well. A surge of excitement raced through him when he thought about what he hoped to accomplish. The thrill was familiar, but it had nothing to do with danger and everything to do with helping someone else.

  *

  Adam propped his feet up on the dashboard of Laura’s truck, enjoying the familiar routine. She’d been home for a few days now and they’d settled back into their usual pattern. Up early, a quick breakfast with the Durrants, then ride with Laura to the job. They’d work until five, either on the gazebo or Handy Works projects. Then it was home, shower and supper with the Durrants. He found the predictability strangely comforting. Tom and Angie Durrant were always there, always together and always including him.

  Somewhere along the way his skepticism had died, his edginess had disappeared and he’d come to look forward to the peaceful, welcoming tone of the Durrants’ home. He started to feel comfortable around the couple. Almost like a member of the family. He didn’t want to think about the end of his sentence. Once he left, he’d never see them again. He was simply a person passing through their lives. That thought bothered him. He wanted to be more important to them than that. He wanted to be important to Laura, as well.

  The streets flying by the truck were unfamiliar to him as he rode with
Laura later that morning. New directions usually meant new adventures, or more Handy Works projects. “Road trip?”

  “I need to pick up some supplies from my house first. I forgot to load them this morning.”

  Her house? The idea made him smile. This might prove interesting. He’d wondered about her personal life. He’d almost come to the conclusion that Laura Durrant was all work and no play. All tool belt and chalk line. With her take-charge attitude, she probably lived in one of those renovated loft-type places in an old factory. Clean, sleek and no-nonsense. Everything practical and useful. No fluff for her.

  He glanced out the window, surprised to see an idyllic tree-lined street. This was a part of the town he’d never seen. A quick flash of apprehension raced down his spine. “We aren’t going outside of my monitor range, are we?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  Adam swallowed. “Well, I’m going to let you explain that to the cops when the alarm is triggered and they swarm the truck.”

  Laura slowed the truck and pulled into the driveway. Adam studied the one-story pale blue Victorian. Intricate gingerbread dripped from every angle of the porch and the gable. The broad wraparound front porch held planters filled with ferns and colorful flowers. The entire place was picture-postcard perfection.

  “This is your place?”

  “Yes.”

  He followed her toward the detached garage at the end of the drive, puzzled by this new glimpse of Laura’s life. It took a few minutes to load up the boards and tie them down securely. Laura locked the garage and started back to the truck. Adam followed along, enjoying the way her chin tilted upward aggressively as she moved. He had to admit she was extremely good at her job. And extremely cute while doing it.

  “Oh, no.” Laura stopped in her tracks.

  “What?”

  “I forgot my tablet.”

  Adam held up his hands and leaned against the truck. “Go ahead. I’ll wait right here.”

  She chewed her lip thoughtfully for a moment. “No. We don’t know how close to the limit we are with your monitor. You’d better come inside with me.”

  “You have my word I won’t go anywhere.”

  “But if something should happen and the police show up and you’re not in my sight.” She shook her head. “No, come in.”

  Laura led the way up the curved walk and across the porch to the front door. Adam took a quick inventory of the cozy decor. Wicker chairs with flowered cushions and old metal glider painted bright aqua formed an inviting seating area at one end. Lush plants and a swing lured you to the other. It was cozy, but at odds with his impression of her.

  A small bundle of fur greeted them at the door, tail wagging like a flag. “Who’s this?”

  “That’s Drywall. Wally for short.”

  “Friendly little guy.” Adam gently scratched the animal’s neck.

  Laura sifted through the stack of items on a desk across the room, mumbling under her breath before turning her search to a pile of paper on the coffee table.

  Adam glanced around the room, his ideas about Laura Durrant taking another hit. No sleek loft style here. Her home was a charming mix of traditional furniture and antiques, muted colors and lush fabrics, but all of it was very definitely feminine.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  He nodded, hooking his thumbs into the ridge of his pockets. Laura disappeared down a hallway and he took the opportunity to take a closer look at her home. A part of him knew a moment of guilt for prying into her private world, but a bigger part of him needed to satisfy his curiosity about his lovely boss.

  Her home was warm and welcoming. That fit. He’d seen her display that side of herself to others. He moved farther into the room. A flat-screen television took up one wall. He wondered if she liked sports, given she had two older brothers. Dog toys were scattered around the floor, a rose-colored throw lay over one arm of the sofa. He took a step forward to see what was peeking out from under the edge. A romance novel. He smiled. So, she wasn’t all drill bits and tape measures after all.

  The phone rang and Adam peered around the corner into the kitchen. It rang again. “You want me to get that?”

  “No.”

  He shrugged and moved into the kitchen. It was bright and cheery with top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances, but with a decidedly cozy, feminine appeal. A glimpse outside revealed a sunroom and just beyond a well-kept yard. Laura definitely had a domestic side.

  Footsteps sounded in the hall. He turned and walked back to the foyer, arriving in time to see Laura emerge from the back of the house. She looked relieved. “Good news?”

  She glanced over at him as if she’d forgotten he was there. “Yes. That was my mother on the phone. She just talked with my brother Ty in Dallas.”

  “How’s he doing?”

  “Better physically, but emotionally he’s struggling. But he might be coming home in a few weeks.”

  “That’s good to hear. I know your parents will be happy.”

  She nodded, wiping tears from her cheeks. “We were so scared. At first we thought he might…” She turned away.

  He started toward her, eager to offer her comfort or let her cry out her worries on his shoulder. But after the other day’s near kiss, she might not welcome such an intimate gesture from him. “If he’s anything like the rest of the Durrants, he’ll come through in good shape.”

  “That’s what I’m praying for.”

  He searched for something to say to give her time to regroup. “I like what you’ve done with the place. Did you restore this house?”

  Laura nodded. “It didn’t need much. The previous owners took good care of it.” She turned and faced him, her composure once again in place. “We’d better go. We need to get those rafters replaced so we can get the roof under way.”

  She walked toward him and he reached over to open the door. He misjudged her movement, however, and she bumped into him. Every nerve in his body went on high alert. He remembered holding her the other day, the way she’d felt in his arms. He shoved the memory aside and stared into her warm, welcoming violet eyes. “I didn’t expect you to have a home like this.”

  “Why?” She stood still as a statue, shifting her gaze downward, refusing to look him in the eyes again.

  “I pictured you in some ultrachic loft. I hadn’t taken into account your feminine side.” He lifted his hand to touch the soft tendril of honey-colored hair that had escaped from her cap, but thought better of it and lowered his arm. Instead he leaned a fraction closer, inhaling her sweet tangy scent. “Don’t you know what a lovely woman you are?”

  She stepped back and moved past him out onto the porch.

  Adam followed close behind, his mind kicking himself for getting too close again. But he couldn’t seem to help himself when she was near. In fact, the only time he felt truly alive was when they were working side by side. The feeling was nothing like the adrenaline rush from one of his extreme sports. This was deeper, richer and he didn’t understand it at all.

  *

  Laura snapped her cell phone closed and slipped it into her pocket. There were problems at the Conrad site. The last thing she needed was another crisis. They were popping up like weeds. This was the fourth phone call this afternoon. She was beginning to wonder if there was a conspiracy afoot to keep her from having a relaxing evening at home.

  Thankfully, Shaw had everything under control, but she was the boss and the buck stopped with her. While her trip to Arkansas had been successful, it had put a strain on her budget. She didn’t want to lay off any of her crew. There were a couple of prospective jobs in the works, but nothing definite yet.

  Walking out into the kitchen, she glanced at Wally’s empty dish. “Aw, poor little guy. You must be starved.” She filled his dish and scratched lovingly behind his ears. She’d been so distracted lately, she had to resort to a daily to-do list to make sure she didn’t forget anything.

  Pouring a glass of tea, she carried it into the living room. Her heartb
eat quickened when she looked at her front door. The memory of Adam standing there filled her mind. She’d made a huge mistake in allowing him to come into the house today. Unfortunately, she hadn’t anticipated the repercussions his presence might cause. Her home had always been her sanctuary, her cozy retreat from the pressures of her job. Within these rooms she was safe to be herself, a woman instead of one of the guys. Her little Victorian house was her insulation from the world. But now, Adam had breached her private walls and seen into her heart.

  She closed her eyes, rubbing them with her fingertips, attempting to erase the sight of him filling her doorway. He’d dominated the room. All that male strength in the middle of her frilly decor had been a startling and compelling contrast. She hated even more the sense of security she’d felt at his presence. He’d stood like a protector between her soft private world and the hard, real world outside. Adam’s presence in her house had pointed out the one gaping hole in her life. One she wanted filled but was afraid to pursue. A husband and family.

  Wally barked, jarring her from her thoughts. “It’s okay, boy.” She bent down and stroked his soft fur. “I’m tired and behaving like a fool.”

  Picking up her tablet, she managed a whole five minutes of work before she thought about Adam again. Like a video projection, his tall frame appeared in her mind’s eyes. The broad shoulders, the nonchalant way he’d leaned against the door frame. The keen interest in his green eyes as he’d scanned her living room. The way he’d smiled and reached down to pet Wally with great gentleness had both surprised and touched her. She tugged Wally into her lap for a warm hug. “The way to a woman’s heart is through her pet.”