He heard footsteps inside and took a deep breath, wiped his brow.
Dallas’s mother-in-law opened the door. “Hi Drew. Come on in. Grant is waiting for you.”
He went through the high-ceilinged entryway, taking in his surroundings with surprise. “Wow, it looks really different in here.”
“Oh? How so?”
“I guess when I’ve been here before it wasn’t so . . . quiet.”
Audrey threw back her head and laughed. “It can get a little wild when everybody’s here, that’s for sure.”
Just then, Grant came in from the direction of the kitchen. “Hey, Drew. Glad you could come. Why don’t we go on outside so you can see where we’re building.”
“Sure.” He gave a little wave to Audrey and followed Grant out to the deck, then down across the meadow. It was a beautiful piece of property with the meadow slanting pleasantly down to a wooded creek. He hated to think of ruining the view by building on it. But of course, he wouldn’t say that.
When they got halfway across the meadow, he could see that the gentle slope had hidden a foundation—just a cement slab right now—that had already been poured for the cottage.
“As you can see, it’ll be a pretty small house. No basement, and just one bedroom, with a loft in a half-story above it. An open concept floor plan and a wrap-around porch, but not elevated. We’re trying to keep everything at ground level so my mother can live here as long as possible.” He put his hands at the small of his back and stretched. “And then I suppose Audrey and I will move in here someday when we’re old and decrepit.”
While Drew was still trying to think how he should respond to that, Grant saved him the trouble.
“Dallas said you don’t have a lot of construction experience.”
He grimaced. “Almost none. I did take tech ed classes in high school. I’ve used a band saw, and I’m pretty decent with a hammer and nails. But that’s about it.”
“It’s your youth I’m interested in.” Grant gave him a quick punch in the bicep. “And those muscles. That’s what I’m hiring you for—the muscles.”
Drew grinned, feeling like a teenager on his first summer job interview. “Well, I do work out. I’ll try to keep the muscles if you hire me.”
“Oh, I’m hiring you all right. There was never any question about that. Your brother vouched for you.”
Drew grinned. “Well, that’s good to hear.”
“So how soon could you start?”
“I could start right now if you need me. I’ve got work clothes in the car.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder toward his Honda in the drive.
Grant socked his fist into his palm. “All right. Let’s get to it then!”
Drew looked at the ground. “The only thing I probably should let you know is that . . . Well, I need to find a real job. Not that this isn’t real. What I mean is, I assume this is temporary . . . just until the house is done. I may need to take time off to go to job interviews. I really need something long-term.”
“Of course. I understand. As long as you let me know as far ahead of time as possible, we can work around that.”
“Sure. That shouldn’t be a problem. I . . . I really appreciate you giving me the work.”
“Dallas told you what I’m paying?”
“No. He never said.”
“Does twenty-five dollars an hour sound fair?”
“Sure. More than fair.” It was more than he’d averaged at his sales job unless you counted the rare years they made bonus. If he could sock the severance checks away and live on what he made here for these few months, he’d feel better about things.
“All right then. Let’s get to work.”
Grant started back up the hill toward the inn and Drew traipsed after him, praying.
Jesus, you were a carpenter. Please teach me what I need to know to do this job.
13
Bree helped CeeCee out of the Taurus and went around to get the dessert out of the back seat. “This looks yummy, CeeCee. What did you say it was called?”
“Blueberry Delight. I’m surprised you haven’t tasted it before. Audrey used to make it all the time. Especially back when they had their own blueberry patch.”
“That must have been before I came along. I remember Tim talking about picking blueberries, but I know I would have remembered this dessert. I can’t wait to taste it.” She carefully stacked the two pans that held the cool, creamy dessert and waited until CeeCee was safely on the porch before following her up the steps.
Audrey met them at the door and took one of the pans from Bree. “Cecelia, you ought to have Link take you out to the meadow before it gets too dark. They’ve got a good start on your cottage already. Grant and Drew are still out there working. They’ve been at it since eight-thirty this morning. Barely stopped for lunch.”
“Drew? Dallas’s brother?”
“Yes. Danae didn’t tell you? Grant needed help, and Drew needed work. It’s perfect. You should see what they’ve already accomplished.” She pointed out the window. “You can see a little of the framework from here.”
Bree followed her line of sight through the great room windows. A vague outline—like an Amish barn-raising—peeked over the sloped plain of the meadow. “Wow, they already have rafters up?”
“Some of them. I think Grant was hoping to be done before it got dark, but they won’t quite make it.”
“I can’t believe how fast it all went up.” Only three weeks ago they’d sat in this house and talked CeeCee into building this cottage. Lord please help her to change her mind about moving.
“It goes pretty fast when you don’t have to dig a basement. Oh, here they come now!” Audrey’s voice rose. “Link? Come and take CeeCee out now or you’re going to miss Dad.”
“I’m coming. I’m coming.”
Link’s head appeared over the railing to the basement steps. “Hey, CeeCee. Hey, everybody.”
The doorbell rang and Bree pointed at Link. “If you’ll get that,” she said, “I’ll take CeeCee down to see her house.”
“Deal.” Tim’s brother jogged through the hallway.
“I’ll go too,” Audrey said, drying her hands quickly on a dish towel.
As Bree and Audrey led CeeCee out the back door that led down to the meadow, they heard the sounds of grandkids converging on the Chicory Inn. Bree was overcome with longing. She wanted this to be her “history.” She wanted to bring her own children here every Tuesday night. To have the anchor that the inn was for this family to be hers too.
And yet, it wasn’t fair to expect Aaron to embrace Tim’s family the way she did. Who knew? Maybe Grant and Audrey wouldn’t even welcome her here once she was dating someone else. The thought unsettled her.
CeeCee trundled over the rough grassy hill with determination. Bree wondered if Tim’s grandmother would reveal her decision not to move once she saw the house.
Movement caught her eye as the building site came into view and she saw Grant and another man working. “I can’t believe how much they have finished on it! Look at that, CeeCee. You’re going to have the best views!”
The older woman grunted and started to say something when Grant came up the hill toward them, his hired help—Dallas’s brother, Drew—trudging behind him.
Grant took off his cap revealing a band of dirt—more like mud—around his white forehead. Beaming at them, he greeted Audrey with a kiss, before turning to CeeCee. “So what do you think, Mother? Can you imagine yourself living here?”
“Well, not until you get some walls up, I can’t.”
Drew hung back, but gave a brief wave, quickly removing his own cap when he saw CeeCee.
Grant put a hand on his shoulder. “You all remember Drew?”
“Of course,” CeeCee said. “Don’t let him work you too hard, young man.”
Drew grinned. “He took it pretty easy on me today.”
“Yeah, well . . .” Grant gave him a sidewise glance. “Tomorrow we’re kicking it into high gear.”<
br />
Bree looked between them. “It looks like you’ve been in high gear all day. It’s going up so fast!”
Grant laughed. “This is just a skeleton. There’s still a lot left to do. But you can kind of get a vision for it now. What do you think, Mother?” he asked again.
“I think I smell a roast that’s waiting to be eaten up at the house.”
Grant and Audrey exchanged worrisome looks, then shrugged in unison. CeeCee wasn’t going to make this easy for anyone.
Drew hung back, as if waiting for a lull in the conversation, then stepped forward. “Same time tomorrow, Grant?”
“If it’s not raining. But you’re staying for supper, of course.”
“Oh, no. Thanks, but—” He looked down at his dusty, sweat-stained jeans and T-shirt. “I’m in no shape to—”
“Nonsense,” Audrey said. “You can change back into the clothes you came in. There’s a shower in the basement you can use. We insist.”
“You don’t want to turn down this woman’s pot roast,” Grant said, looping an arm around Audrey’s shoulder.
“That’s true.” CeeCee looked considerably more agreeable than she had a moment ago. “Audrey knows how to do a good roast justice.”
“That’s because you taught me everything I know when it comes to cooking, Cecelia.”
“Well, I’ll take credit where credit’s due.”
Laughing, they started back up toward the house with CeeCee leaning harder on Bree going uphill. The old woman stopped to rest and Drew—who’d been trailing Grant and Audrey—came around to CeeCee’s other side. “Would you like another arm, ma’am?”
She turned to eye him. “You’re Dallas’s brother.”
Bree didn’t think it was a question.
But Drew answered nevertheless. “Yes, ma’am. I’m his little brother.”
“You both look like big lugs to me.”
Drew’s laughter had an infectious quality. And for the first time, she noticed his eyes—more on the green side of hazel than brown—and it was impossible to miss the mischievous twinkle they held.
Back inside, they got CeeCee settled at the table, and Bree went to help Audrey in the kitchen. The rest of the gang was here now except for Dallas, who was running late after a meeting at work.
The usual chaos that Bree loved so much kicked into high gear. By the time Drew came back up, freshly showered, damp hair curling around his temples, they’d all filled their plates and were finding seats around tables in the kitchen and great room. It was too hot to eat outside, so even the kids were indoors tonight—all but Jesse and Corinne’s oldest girls plugged in around the kids’ table in the middle of the kitchen.
Drew approached the table, looking uncomfortable. Since Danae was juggling little Tyler on one knee, and Audrey was helping the other kids get settled at their table, Bree jumped up to show him the ropes. “Remember, it’s every man for himself around here.” She led the way to the plates and silverware, then waited in the background while he dished up his food.
Except for Audrey’s empty place, the only spot left at the table was Dallas’s seat beside Danae. She patted the seat. “Right here, bro. Dallas can kick you out when he gets here.”
“We’ll see about that.” Drew set his food on the table and went back for the iced tea Bree had poured.
She handed him the glass, and he reached for it with his left hand, of which his thumb was wrapped in enough gauze to make it three times the size of his other thumb.
Bree cringed. “What happened?”
“Oh, this?” He held up the appendage. “No biggie. My thumb just got in the path of a hammer.”
“Ouch! I bet that hurts.”
“It hurt pretty bad the first time, but then that kind of numbed it so the second and third blows weren’t so bad.”
She winced again, trying not to laugh. “Sorry.” She looked away.
“Go ahead. Laugh. I know you want to.”
She couldn’t help it. A snicker slipped out.
He rolled his eyes, but she saw the grin he was trying to hide.
Audrey came back to the table and did her habitual inspection to be sure everyone had what they needed.
“We’re good,” Bree assured her. “Please sit down and enjoy your meal.”
The dinner contained the usual mix of lively chatter, breaking up fights at the kids’ table, and a running report from Grant about how CeeCee’s house was coming along. She watched Tim’s grandmother closely as Grant expounded on the building project, but her face gave away nothing.
“Drew here caught on quick as lightning.”
Drew dipped his head. “I don’t know about that. You’ll probably be driving over nails ten years from now from that bucket I spilled.”
“Don’t worry about it. Beginner’s luck.”
He held up the bandaged thumb. “Yeah, this too. Beginner’s luck.” He repeated the story he’d told Bree, and the whole table laughed.
Except CeeCee. She listened to their conversation, then wiped her mouth, and lay her napkin primly across her plate. “And when do you expect this house to be move-in ready?”
She addressed the question to Drew, but Grant fielded it. “A lot will depend on how long the subcontractors take, Mother—”
“And how much rain we get this fall,” Audrey added.
“And how many nails I spill,” Drew said, looking as if he wasn’t sure whether he should have jumped into the fray or not.
But it got a laugh, and Bree could tell CeeCee was warming to Dallas’s brother.
Dallas arrived in time for dessert, and after the dishes were finished and Grant and Audrey had the kids involved in a craft project in the basement, Link ran out to his car and came back in with a new board game. The shrink-wrap was still on the box, but he held it up so they could see the name: Battle of the Sexes.
Dallas groaned. “This isn’t like that newlywed game we played last winter, is it?”
Link shot him a look. “Think about it, man. Would I be orchestrating the newlywed game?”
“Good point,” Dallas conceded. “Okay, what’s the object of the game?”
“You’ll like it, I promise.” Link ripped off the shrink wrap. “We played this at that Fourth of July party I went to, and it was a hoot.”
“Okay, let’s give it a try.” Dallas started clearing iced tea glasses and crumpled napkins from the table.
“Mom, are you and Dad in?” Danae wiped the table off behind him while Link opened the box.
Audrey shook her head. “No, we called kid duty. That’s our favorite game. Dad’s rounding them up now.”
Bree looked around the room, praying they didn’t have to split into teams of two. Whenever that was the case, she and Link usually paired up, but Drew would make an odd number and she didn’t want him put in the position of being odd man out. She knew too well how that felt.
Thankfully the game turned out to be a boys-against-girls deal, which meant the Whitman crew was in hog heaven. The game tested the girls on their knowledge of auto mechanics, sports, and construction, and the guys had to answer questions about makeup, fashion, and culinary arts. The results were hilarious and had them all shouting and laughing so hard that Audrey came upstairs to see what was going on.
“You should have heard your son,” Corinne said, jabbing a finger at Link. “He thought a bustier was something to boost babies up in their car seats!”
They all roared again while Link tried to defend his wrong answer. “Hey, you ought to be counting your blessings that I don’t know what a bustier is.”
“Well, you do now!” Jesse crowed.
Audrey feigned a frown. “I’m not sure this game is appropriate for my children.”
“That’s nothing, Mom.” Link winked. “Danae couldn’t even tell a carburetor from a radiator.”
Audrey turned to her middle daughter, clucking her tongue. “For shame, Danae Whitman. Your dad taught you better than that!”
“Hey, it’s Brooks, not Whitman
,” Dallas reminded his mother-in-law. “Although after that fiasco, I may have to disown my own wife.”
Danae propped her hands on her hips. “At least I know what part of the body to apply mascara to.”
That started another wave of laughter.
“Let’s play another round!” Bree rubbed her hands together.
Link looked around the circle at the table. “Everybody game?”
“I’m in,” Drew said. “Come on, guys. We’ve got to up our game. We can’t let a bunch of girls beat us twice.”
“Best two out of three,” Dallas said.
“Ha! We won’t need three!” Looking smug, Landyn punched her husband across the table.
“Ow!” Chase rubbed his arm and grimaced in his wife’s direction.
“What’s wrong? Did she give you a contusion?” Drew said, referencing an answer Chase had missed in the game.
They all razzed Chase mercilessly, and Drew got high fives around the table.
After the first round, Bree had quit worrying about him feeling uncomfortable. Of course, Drew had his brother there to pave the way. She could tell Dallas enjoyed having his little brother here.
While CeeCee napped in the recliner, they played round after round of the game, breaking every few minutes so the young parents could check on their sleeping kids and later to have second servings of CeeCee’s Blueberry Delight.
Bree’s elation carried her through the evening—until she turned out of the driveway at ten p.m. How many more nights like this would she have with the Whitmans, with Tim’s family that had become like her own?
Tonight, she’d felt more than ever like she belonged.
Was she willing to give this up for Aaron’s sake? And what did it say that she even had to ask that question?
14
Don’t ask me again, you crazy woman. We’re almost there.” The excitement in Aaron’s voice made Bree wonder where on earth he was taking her. He’d been planning and talking about this surprise date all week.
“I’m not sure I like surprises.” She watched the late summer scenery through the passenger side window and tried to guess what he had up his sleeve. It scared her a little bit that he was going to propose or something. She’d hinted that he’d better not be doing anything “rash.”
Close to Home Page 10