Best Laid Plans

by Martha Rogers

  Until this week, he hadn’t been in the tearoom for several years. It hadn’t changed much at all since Caroline converted the old house into an inn right after Selena went off to college. Clint had done the construction work, and it looked as solid as anything he’d ever done. Hal sighed and unfolded his napkin as Susie set a glass of sweet tea before him. He smiled his thanks and added a bit of lemon.

  If Velma hadn’t been so insistent on Hal taking on her brother as partner, Clint would have made an excellent one. They’d conjured up so many ideas and plans as young men, but none of them turned out like they had hoped. Now this business with the Founder’s Cottage had widened the gulf that already existed between Caroline and him.

  Susie set the pot pie before him and his mouth began to water at the sight of the crispy browned crust with steam coming through the little vented designs in the top. For the next few minutes, he planned to enjoy his meal and forget about the problems with City Hall.

  Twenty minutes later, he swiped the last bit of his roll around the edge of the casserole dish and popped it into his mouth.

  “I see you still enjoy our pot pie.”

  Hal swallowed the last bite and stood. “Lida Mae is as good as she’s always been.” He nodded toward the chair across from him. “Do you have time to sit a spell and listen to my side of the story?” He gazed into the pretty face he remembered so well from their teen years. Except for the few lines at the corner of her eyes and the gray streaks in her hair, she looked so much the same, his heart pounded.

  “Yes, that’s why I came over.” She sat down and folded her hands on the table. “Libby tells me you didn’t know anything about the reason Woody wanted you to come to Bloomfield.”

  “That’s right. He told me he had a project he was working on and needed my input. I figured he might be planning to remodel his house after all these years.” It could use a few upgrades after all, but Woody had resisted Hal’s suggestions up to this point.

  “That’ll be the day. That’s why I’m so surprised he wants to improve the courthouse and expand City Hall. He’s never been much for changes.”

  “When he showed me what he had in mind, I almost lost it in front of him. I still have the Bloomfield Gazette mailed to me and I had read where the city was planning to make Founder’s Cottage a historical landmark. From what I gathered when I was at his office, the application was never sent.”

  “I don’t know what happened. I think Woody took it upon himself to stall the designation until after he did what he wants done.”

  Hal opened his computer bag. “I agree. Woody did give me a copy of his ideas. I’ve gone over them, and I think we can come up with an alternate plan that won’t hurt the Miller cottage at all. I still have some work to do on them, but it shouldn’t take long to design something new.” He pulled up a drawing on his computer for Caroline to inspect. “This is his original idea.”

  Caroline gasped. “This goes right over the land where the house is and right through the gardens. It’ll ruin everything.” She sat back with her arms crossed over her chest. “How can he even think of doing such a thing?”

  Before Hal could answer, Winnie Simpson stormed toward the table. If steam could actually spew from somebody’s ears, it’d be doing it right now. He’d never seen such a storm cloud on a face. She wasted no time in letting him know her thoughts.

  “Hal McKenzie, I can’t believe you’re sitting here talking to Caroline like nothing has happened and you’re not a part of Woody’s plot.” She stopped with her hands on her hips, her huge purse dangling from one wrist.

  Caroline put her hand on Winnie’s arm. “Calm down. It’s not what you think. Hal wants to help us. He actually wants to come up with an alternate design that won’t affect the cottage.”

  Winnie narrowed her eyes, clamped her mouth shut in a pucker, and crossed her arms over her ample chest. Sour lemons had nothing on those lips today. He waited while she pondered Caroline’s words. No sense in saying anything to get her riled up even more.

  Finally her body relaxed. “Are you really willing to help or are you just saying it so’s Caroline will still speak to you?”

  “I’m doing it because Woody is wrong, or at least the way he’s going about it is wrong. He didn’t think before he acted, and that’s always been a failing of his.”

  Winnie nudged Caroline over and sat down. “Well, now, sounds to me like you haven’t forgotten everything since you’ve been gone. I also hear that you’re fixing up your house so you can live there a while. It’s about time. Your parents’ place is one of the prettiest in all of Bloomfield, least ways it was before you started renting it out.”

  “It will be again soon.” He closed up the computer and placed it back in his bag. “I’ll get to work on some ideas this afternoon and tonight. I won’t show anyone what I’ve done until I run it by you first.”

  “I suppose that will be okay. At least I won’t have any more surprises. When the garden club meets, I’m sure they’ll have a few things to say, too, especially since they’ve spent so many hours of hard work keeping those gardens looking as pretty as they do.”

  Hal closed up his computer bag. That’s all he could ask for now, but he’d spend every minute he could spare—and then some—to make sure he came up with suitable ideas that would make Caroline happy.

  Chapter 7

  After the meeting with Hal the day before, Caroline’s hopes rose about changing Woody’s mind. As soon as the lunch crowd cleared out, she made a call to Lake Bliss and arranged to see Homer once again. This time she’d go alone, but not without an offering. She selected peach cobbler, another one of his favorites from his days of dining at the Pink Geranium.

  Selena entered the kitchen while Caroline boxed up the peach cobbler. “Is that another gift for Homer Tatum?”

  “Yes, and I want to get his opinion about Hal’s coming up with a new plan for the expansion of City Hall. He’ll tell me the truth, and I trust his judgment.”

  “Even as old as he is as well as deaf and nearly blind?”

  Caroline laughed and tucked in the flap on the box. “Don’t be fooled by that. He may be old, but he sees and hears a whole lot more than most people give him credit for. He won’t tell you anything he doesn’t think you need to know, but if it’s important, he’ll have all kinds of advice.”

  “Need to know, huh? That sounds like something from a TV show with FBI agents.”

  “Maybe so, but he may have some ideas of his own. Anyway, it’s worth a trip.” She reached for her purse and hooked it over her shoulder. “I’ll be back before dinner. You know Homer isn’t going to miss his, and I won’t miss ours. We’ll have the rest of that quiche and salad from the lunch menu.”

  “All right. That’ll give me plenty of time to get the orders in for the weekend. Ashley has the rooms ready for guests, so as soon as I get the food orders in, we’ll be set.”

  Caroline waved and headed for her car, thankful once again for Selena and her business sense. Without Clint, running the inn had proved to be much more than Caroline had anticipated. Her only regret was the amount of time helping with the inn took away from Selena’s social life. Church and a few outings with her girlfriends was about all she had done since she’d come home last year.

  Once again, as she drove into the parking area for Lake Bliss, the beauty of the grounds appealed to her. As much as she’d hate to give up her own garden, living here in one of the cottages sounded better every year she grew older. She parked and walked around the fountain toward the back building that housed the assisted living residents. She glanced at the pond thinking maybe the old bullfrog would make an appearance, but it was most likely way too early for him.

  Josie opened the door and welcomed Caroline. “Come on in. He’s watching Jeopardy, but it’s about over.”

  The music waiting for the final answer to be
revealed blared from the small flat-screen TV in the corner of the room where Homer sat hunched over, peering at the set. Caroline said nothing, but stood back to wait for the end of the program.

  When the reigning champion went down in defeat, Homer pumped his fist and whirled around in his wheelchair. “What are you waiting for, missy? Come on over and sit down.” He punched the remote to silence the TV and nodded toward the chair by the window.

  “Thank you.” How did he even know she was in the room with the noise from the show as loud as it was? Again he proved that not much escaped his attention.

  “I’ve been thinking about this here idea of Woody’s, and I don’t like it at all. He’s stepping way beyond his boundaries as mayor in deciding to move a town landmark. What does Hal McKenzie have to say?”

  He leaned on his elbows and peered at her through those clouded eyes of his.

  “He wants to help me save the house and gardens. He’s working on a plan that will do that, but I haven’t heard from him since yesterday when he came into the tearoom for lunch.”

  “Then he’s not in cahoots with Woody. He has more sense than I gave him credit for, and he’s a good architect. If he says he’ll come up with a plan, he will. The problem will be getting Woody to go along with it.”

  That was longest speech she’d heard from Homer in a long time, but he was right. Once Woody made up his mind, it was practically a done deal, and he wouldn’t take kindly to their ideas after Tuesday night. “Do you have any suggestions along those lines?”

  “Hmm, maybe I do and maybe I don’t, but one thing I will tell you. Winnie is the key. If she’ll come down off her high horse and be nice to Woody, it might go a long way in helping to change his mind. One thing keeps nudging me, though. For the life of me, I can’t understand why Woody is doing such a thing. It’s not like him at all. He’s always wanted what’s best for the town, and this sure isn’t it.”

  “I’ve sort of wondered the same thing myself, but it’s in the works, so we have to make sure it doesn’t happen. Getting Winnie to be nice will be easier said than done at this point, but I’ll speak to her about it.” If only he’d reveal a little more of the secret he’d hinted at earlier in the week, she’d be more relieved, and it might give her more leverage with Winnie.

  He reached over and grasped her wrist, and Caroline noticed the blue veins and brown age spots standing out on the back of his hand. “Missy, don’t you worry about it. If Hal is on your side, I think you have a better than even chance of coming out ahead. If he doesn’t come out to see me, I’ll have Josie call him and invite him to come.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Tatum. I do appreciate your concern and any suggestions you have to help us.” The rattle of the food cart reminded Caroline that the visit would have to end.

  She hugged Homer. “I hear your supper coming, so I’ll say good-bye. Maybe Josie can round up some ice cream for the cobbler I brought you. Thank you for your advice and your concern. I’ll check in with you soon.”

  He reached up for her hands and squeezed them between his own, displaying a strength his outward appearance belied. “Keep praying and seeking answers. They’ll come. And thank you for the cobbler. I’m gonna eat good tonight.”

  Caroline laughed and headed for the door as the attendant entered with Homer’s evening meal. Like she’d told Selena, Homer may be old and almost deaf and blind, but he still had a brain that functioned at a high level, and he had more strength than other men his age. Having him as an ally would go a long way in preserving Bloomfield history.

  She made her way to her car and beeped her remote. A few minutes later, she merged onto the road leading back to town. With full capacity this first weekend of the summer, she and her staff would be too busy to think about much else. Add to that the Bible study group coming tonight, and her time would be even more limited. However, knowing her lady friends like she did, the main topic of conversation during fellowship time would revolve around the mayor and his ideas for the town. As the leader, Libby would have her hands full.

  Hal finally tracked down Woody at Bert’s Barbecue. When he entered, Jolene glared at him and jerked her head toward the back. “Your cohort is back there eating his fill of ribs. I’d like to fill him with something else, but it’d be illegal.” Her thin, wrinkled face wore a frown that said even more than her words.

  Heat rose in Hal’s face, but he managed a brief smile before the waitress spun around and headed for the kitchen. Hal sauntered back to where Woody sat in a corner booth. He raised his eyebrows at Hal’s approach.

  “Heard you wanted to see me, but I’ve been busy all day. Have a seat and tell me what’s on your mind, although I don’t think I really want to hear it.”

  “No, you probably don’t.” Hal eased into the booth and shook his head when a younger waitress appeared at the table with a menu. “I’ll have a sliced beef sandwich with potato salad and slaw, and some unsweetened tea.”

  The girl nodded. “I’ll be right back.” She glanced at the mayor’s plate. “Anything else I can get you, Mayor Hansen?”

  “Not a thing. I’m good.” Woody waited until the girl left before he peered across at Hal. “Didn’t you like the plans I gave you the other day?”

  “No, I didn’t. What in the world possessed you to decide to move Founder’s Cottage?”

  “It’s just an old eyesore. Nobody cares about it anyway . . . or at least I didn’t think they did until the meeting.”

  “Yes, and you were wrong to let the news get out the way it did. That place has a lot of memories, and too many citizens of Bloomfield have loaned things to get a museum set up there. It was the first house ever built on Bloomfield land, and the Bloomfield Garden Club has done an excellent job with the gardens.”

  Woody narrowed his eyes and glared at Hal. “Have you turned against me, too, old friend?”

  Hal inhaled deeply and let it out before responding. “Yes and no. I concede the courthouse needs repairs as does City Hall and they both could stand a little more room, but not at the expense of losing the cottage.”

  Woody sipped his tea and toyed with his fork in a mound of potato salad. Finally, he brought his gaze back to Hal.

  Before he could voice his comment, the waitress set Hal’s meal before him. “If you need anything, just wave at me, and I’ll be right over.”

  As she left, Woody puckered his mouth. “At least she’s nicer than Jolene tonight. That woman was downright rude when I walked in.”

  Typical Jolene. When things didn’t suit her, she didn’t mind letting people know it. “She’s not the only one a tad upset about what happened at the council meeting.”

  “If that stubborn, pig-headed Winnie Simpson had kept her mouth shut, things wouldn’t have turned out like they did.” He stabbed at a piece of meat and jammed it into his mouth.

  Hal bit back a chuckle. He couldn’t count the number of times Woody had used those same words about Winnie when they were in high school. No wonder she chose Earl Simpson over Woody.

  “It was a little premature to bring it up before discussing it with the other members first. And telling that reporter anything at all was just plain dumb, if you ask me.”

  “Well, I didn’t, so you can keep your opinions to yourself.” Woody wadded his napkin and laid it on the table. “Look, you know as well as I do these improvements need to be made. Maybe I did jump the gun, but somebody has to take charge, and that’s my job as mayor. Besides, you’ll come up with something to keep everyone satisfied.”

  “Tell me why you never filed the application for the cottage and land to be a historical landmark. I understand all the paperwork was done and ready to be sent.”

  Woody pressed his lips together and leaned back with his arms across his chest. Hal bit into his sandwich and waited for the mayor’s explanation, excuse, or whatever he chose to call it. Whatever, it had to be
a good reason before Hal would accept it.

  A bony finger tapped on the table. “I don’t think that’s one bit of your business. You left this town for better opportunities and that takes away your right to know all the business here. Besides, I won’t really harm the cottage. I can just move it to another location unless you come up with a better idea.”

  “Your plan is not acceptable, Woody. The house and land were donated and the stipulations were that it was to be used as a history center for Bloomfield.” He may have been a youngster when the land was donated, but he remembered how proud the Shorts were to be able to give such a prize piece of property to the city.

  “But we need the improvements. We’re getting closer and closer to having ten thousand in population, and we need facilities to take care of the town’s governing body.”

  “Maybe so, but I think there’s a better way to do it.”

  “So, have you come up with something?”

  “I’m not sure yet, but I’m working on some ideas to show you. May take a few weeks to get it all done, so I’m asking you to delay any plans or discussion until then.” If Woody didn’t go along with this idea, he’d have more than those folks who were at the first council meeting storming his door. He had to have sense enough to know that.

  “I’ll give you three weeks. If you don’t come up with a good alternate plan that incorporates all we need to do, then it’ll be back to the original.”

  Hal released the breath he’d been holding. At least it was a start, and three weeks should be plenty of time to work with Caroline and come up with an idea of what to do. He stretched his hand across the table until Woody shook it.

  “It’s a deal, and a little free advice on the side. I know you’re angry with Winnie, but do you know what I think? You still care about her after all these years. Why not be a little nicer to her and listen to what she has to say? You lost her to Earl all those years ago with that stubborn streak of yours, so why not ease up now?”