Her shoulders drooped in utter disbelief. Not Jake again? As if on cue, he turned, meeting her stricken gaze with his own contrite one, the ever-so-charming grin that infuriated her these days. She forced her attention to the elder presiding over the meeting. Her dad had told her he was thankful he wasn’t chosen for the position. Instead Megan’s dad had received the honor. “Hi Mr. Weaver.”
“Hi Katy.” He stepped into the aisle and took her hand, but when he saw the large Band-Aid, he treated it with care. “What happened?”
“A few blisters from the fire. But it’s healing.”
“I’m sorry. We miss seeing you since Megan’s away at school.”
“I miss you guys, too.” Trying hard to ignore Jake’s presence, she asked, “Got any midnight blues in the works?”
He held a finger to his lips, pretending nobody else knew that his favorite pastime of restoring cars and painting them midnight blue, but everybody knew.
She took stock of the seating arrangement, and Jake’s eyes dared her to sit beside him, but she opted for the painter’s pew. Still, Jake’s presence beckoned her. He certainly didn’t look repentant, coming to church with shaggy hair and wearing a T-shirt. She struggled harder to disregard him, giving her full attention to observing the other committee members.
Besides the blues man, the group included representatives from the finance committee, the grounds committee, and the church council, as well as a layperson who was a painter by trade, Katy as a stand-in for the hostess committee, and obviously Jake as construction advisor. That made seven. To Katy, there were only two people in the room, and that made her want to flee, but she couldn’t do that. She’d have to endure the torture of putting in her time at the meeting.
It started with the groundskeeper reporting on the scheduled cleanup and answering questions on easements.
“What if the congregation doesn’t want to spend the money for the additional Sunday school rooms?” the painter asked.
“The finance committee will head up the bids, and we’ll have all that information before we take it to the congregation for a vote,” Mr. Weaver explained.
“What if they think we’re trying to push it through by getting on this so quickly?”
Katy hadn’t known the painter was such a pessimist.
“There are always a few rumbles, no matter what direction leadership takes. We’ll deal with the problems as they arise. We’re not trying to trick anybody, just get all our facts together at this point.”
As the meeting progressed, Katy’s neck stiffened from being held in one position so long to avoid Jake’s gaze. Hearing the low rumble of his Dutch accent—his mother’s family came from an Amish background—was trying enough, for it brought back yearnings she’d hoped to have stifled by now. Putting a hand to her neck, she twisted to ease the tension. Of course her traitorous eyes sought the most desirable man in the room.
And he knew the moment she looked at him. His brown eyes caressed her, and she found it hard to turn away. Then those sensuous lips of his gave her a private smile, and she remembered how she used to always make him smile. He had once delighted in her, in their relationship. He had that look now, that darkened gaze that clung to her every breath. He probably only wanted her now because she was unobtainable. The thought was enough that she was able to break their visual contact.
She made a show of rubbing her neck and focused once more on the agenda. She gleaned that she needed to speak to the present hostess committee and collect their input on an updated kitchen and get the information to Jake as soon as possible. He needed the details before their next meeting. He was in charge of getting a blueprint drawn, collecting bids for the congregation’s approval, and submitting the plans to Plain City’s Planning and Zoning Commission.
Now she knew why her dad sometimes returned from elders’ meetings looking frayed and worried. Bill Weaver prayed and dismissed them, and finally she could flee. She lurched to her feet and hastened down the aisle, confident that as the only woman present, no one would detain her. She planned to escape before Jake got the opportunity to engage that lethal gaze of his again, the one that made her heart revolt against her will. But she’d not even reached the double doors before a touch sent a shock through her shoulder.
With a frustrated sigh, she stopped. Turned.
“I need to get your ideas before I draw up the kitchen.”
So he didn’t have anything personal to say to her. Good. That was the way she wanted it, too. “I need to talk to Lil first. I’m sure the hostess committee has ideas.”
He raised a brow. Perhaps he hadn’t realized Lil was asked first and would be giving her input. “As far as the blueprints go, the plans for the new kitchen are major. Think we could get together sometime soon to discuss it?”
Were those ulterior motives or was he only taking care of business? She troubled her lip. “To be honest, I didn’t know I’d be working with you. Otherwise I wouldn’t even have accepted this position. I’ll have to resign if it includes private meetings with the likes of you.”
“That’s right. You don’t want me. I get that, but if you back out of this committee now, it will just delay the preliminary process. For the congregation’s sake, we can surely put our personal feelings aside long enough to get this job done.” He gave her a crooked, albeit contrite smile. “Think of all the little Sunday school kids. How would you like to listen to adult sermons without getting any David and Goliath stories afterward to make up for it? And think of all the starving bachelors who count on the church potlucks. And think of—”
“Okay. I get it.” She bit her lip to keep from smiling and raised a brow. “What about the doddy house?”
He squinted those intimidating brows. “You’re afraid of me, aren’t you?” He lifted his arms to show he wore no weapon. “Come on, Katy. I’m just a harmless Dutchman. Totally defenseless.”
She ignored his comment and rephrased her question in a voice she might use with Tyler. “Is your work for the church going to slow down your progress at the doddy house? This is a major project.”
She saw his eyes darken; anger and lust with him looked so similar, she couldn’t tell what was going through his thick, tousle-haired skull. “I’ll work overtime, if that’s what it takes. I’m not a slacker. I need both jobs to get references for the construction business I plan to start.” The painter walked by, giving them a once-over.
“They want to lock up,” Katy observed.
“Let me walk you to your car,” Jake whispered in reply.
She started to put her coat on and resented the way Jake helped her shrug into it. She moved toward the door. “Regarding the new kitchen, what kind of information do you need?”
He gave her the quick version, one that fit into the distance between the church and her car, and she realized he could be precise and intelligent when he chose to be. He wasn’t a boy any longer. He was a stubborn, irrepressible man. When they reached her car, she had a vivid flashback of the incident. It shook her. She only wanted to get rid of him. “I’ll make some calls. Talk to Lil and the rest of the committee. Maybe I can stop by sometime at the doddy house and go over it with you.” She reached for her car door handle.
“Wait. Do you have paper and a pencil? I should give you my cell phone number so you can call before you come.” She frowned and slid into her seat. As if she’d ever call him. But he continued to explain. “I’m usually there, but sometimes I have to run after materials. Sometimes I have to sit with Grandma, too.”
Her emotions flickered with instant sympathy, remembering his grandma who now had Alzheimer’s. Minnie had been her favorite Sunday school teacher, a vibrant part of their congregation, but now the elderly woman fell asleep the moment her skirt hit the pew, her snores embarrassing everyone within hearing. He must have misread her expression, because he quickly added, “I can always stay late, if I have to do that. But it’s one of the reasons I moved back home. To give Mom some support. Sis is staying at a dorm at OSU.” He ramm
ed his hands in his jeans.
Trying to tamp down the sympathy she felt for him, she started rifling through her purse. Her bandage caught, and she jerked it free. “I’m sorry about your grandma.”
“Thanks.”
She handed him paper and pen. “I don’t mean to sound like a slave driver. I’m sure you’ll do a great job. I just have a problem with you.”
He shed off her insult and scribbled seven digits on the paper. Then he started rambling about something totally off the subject, and Katy struggled to follow.
He was saying something about God dividing time into days? “Every morning is a new start. He gave us a new birth, too. There’s not much without the hope of new beginnings, Katy.”
Getting his drift, she snatched the paper away. “There’s always endings.”
He stepped back and stuffed his hands in his jean pockets again.
She shut her window.
He turned his back to her and walked toward his truck, and rats if she didn’t feel sorry for him.
CHAPTER 11
Parked outside Addison’s dance studio, Katy sat in her car and sulked. Tammy Brooks was one stubborn woman who wouldn’t get her red-painted claws out of Katy’s usually well-ordered life. Surely she wasn’t becoming a pushover? Why was everyone interfering with her plans? She had her own ideas of how things should go and didn’t like the obstacles she’d been encountering at every turn. She’d had it at home with her dad’s matchmaking, in her personal life with Lil hiring Jake, and now at work. She banged her head back against the padded headrest. She was definitely becoming a pushover.
Bored and restless, she opened the glove compartment and withdrew a small testament she kept there, opening the Bible and leafing through it at random. Just as her luck would have it, every verse her gaze fell upon had something to do with newness, reminding her of Jake’s oratory in the parking lot. She frowned at God’s sense of humor. In the book of Lamentations, she read God’s compassions are new every morning. She read passages about new spirits, new hearts, a new commandment—the commandment to love one another—new creatures, and in Revelation how God makes all things new.
Newness? Why couldn’t things remain the same? What was wrong with old and boring?
She felt confirmation in her heart that Jake had received God’s newness, but that didn’t mean she had to let him worm his way back into her affections. More restless than ever, she snapped the testament shut and returned it to the glove box. She glanced in the rearview mirror, involuntarily straightening her covering while she scanned the parking lot. Addison should be out any minute. Not wanting to argue with God about Jake, her fury transferred to Tammy again, who had insisted that Katy try babysitting just two days a week and wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Tapping on the steering wheel, she prayed, “Lord, I feel like nothing gets resolved. Like I’m losing control of my life. I need Your help.” I need to be more assertive. Okay, and loving. She accepted the thoughts that came into her mind as inspiration.
Tap, tap. She jerked her gaze to the passenger’s window and saw Addison’s bubbly smile. Her small palms were pressed against the window. Her blond hair was piled on top of her head, and sweaty tendrils stuck to her cheeks in spite of the cold temperature outside. Her purple coat was open, revealing a pink tutu beneath it. Feeling a flash of fondness for the little girl, Katy quickly unlocked the doors and allowed her young charge to climb into the backseat.
“We’re going to the ballet!” Addison chirped, hopping into the car.
“That’s nice,” Katy said. “Fasten your seat belt, sweetie.” She heard the click and then the shuffling sounds of Addison’s dance bag, probably because the girl was retrieving her new, pink iPod.
They swung by Tyler’s friend’s house to pick him up and then drove to the children’s home. Katy had a garage door opener of her own now, and she pulled into an empty stall. The children sprang out and ran inside for their snack. By the time Katy got inside, they were fighting over the last can of soda pop. Tyler snapped it open, and fizz spilled over his hand and onto the freshly mopped floor.
Addison planted her tiny hands on her tutu hips and did a little dance move, posing and gloating over Tyler’s sticky mishap.
He burped, grinned, and headed for the stairway.
“Pick up your backpack,” Katy called after him.
“I know. I know.”
Katy smiled inwardly that he didn’t seem quite so resentful, hadn’t called her a pilgrim. She gave Addison a faint smile. “How about some orange juice?”
“Okay.” The little girl ditched her pose and climbed onto the bar stool, propping pink-clad elbows on the bar, adult-style. “I’m excited about the ballet. It’s Cinderella.”
A brief wave of nostalgia hit Katy, for she’d loved that fairy tale when she was a little girl. But that’s all it was. A fairy tale. Pouring the juice, Katy said, “That’s nice.” Then she wet a paper towel to clean up after Tyler. She was glad it was Thursday. She wouldn’t have to come back to the Brooks’ until next Tuesday. The coldhearted thought zipped harsh in her own mind, especially after agreeing with God in the car that she needed to be more loving. She slid into the stool beside Addison. “I have some time if you want to play that tea-party board game you have.”
“Okay!” Instantly, she abandoned her drink, bounding off the stool and running up to her room.
“Better change first,” Katy called after her, wondering if she should follow her up and check on Tyler. When she’d decided to do just that, she’d gotten partway up the stairway when she heard footsteps. She whirled. Sean Brooks was home.
“Oh hi. You’re early,” she said, retracing her steps so that she could speak to him.
“Tammy told me you needed a break.”
“She did?” Katy glanced up the stairway and back with hesitance. “Tyler’s in his room. I was about to check on him. And Addison’s changing out of her dance costume. We were just going to play a board game. I’m afraid she’s going to be disappointed.”
“I’ll do that with her.” Sean started toward the kitchen.
Katy waited with hesitance. To her relief, he didn’t grab a beer but returned with an envelope in his hand. She had cleaned around it earlier that day. “Tammy wanted me to give this to you.”
It hit Katy that Tammy must have sensed her frustration. She’d misjudged her employer after all. The envelope probably contained a token of apology. She felt a tinge of guilt over her ugly thoughts earlier in the car. The envelope felt like it might hold a gift card. They still needed many things for the doddy house. “Thanks.” She took her coat off the bar stool and shrugged into it. “Tell Tammy I really appreciate it.”
“No problem. Our treat. Just enjoy.”
Nodding, Katy replied, “Tell the children ’bye for me. I’ll see them on Tuesday. Thanks again.” In the garage, she got into her car and started the engine. But her curiosity couldn’t be ignored, and she ripped open the envelope. Inside were two tickets. Not what she’d expected. Furling her brow, she pulled them out far enough to read the print. Tickets to the Cinderella ballet! She lay her head against the headrest, pinched her eyes closed, and rapped her forearms against the steering wheel. The horn honked.
By smooth maneuvering on Katy’s part, Lil was joining her at the doddy house to talk with Jake about the new church kitchen. Katy refused to meet him alone.
Still, as she approached the front porch, her nerves bristled. Inside the tiny house, Jake turned and gave her one of his crooked grins. She drew in a deep breath at his dark good looks and willed herself to stir up some of those Christian attitudes God had impressed upon her in her recent car devotional…. She needed to act lovingly. No, that was just too strong for this circumstance. Arguing inwardly, she substituted the word sisterly.
“Hi.” For a Christian attitude, it left her feeling a bit breathless. “See you’ve got a whole crew here today. Where’s Lil?”
“In the bathroom, talking to the plumber. The electrician
is installing lights. But the rest of the house is ready to start painting.”
“Awesome.” Now she was talking like Tyler.
Jake caught her slip of tongue. “Somebody’s in a good mood.”
Maybe being nice wasn’t such a good idea. Looking at him wasn’t, either. He definitely wore his jeans too tight for a Conservative boy. It made her wonder how much he’d changed or if she even knew him anymore. She sucked in a breath when he looked down at the buckle on his low-slung tool belt, worked the clasp, and dropped it on the ground beside him. Breathe, she told herself, pull up your gaze. The view wasn’t much safer there. His logo-free T worked to his advantage, the black material emphasizing the black, wavy hair that fringed his baseball cap.
“I don’t suppose that means you’ve decided to tolerate me?”
Of all the nerve, after she’d specifically told him she didn’t want him and that he bothered her. Truth was, he probably sensed how well she tolerated him—desired him. But trying to act nonchalant, she replied, “Actually, I have.” Unconsciously, she fiddled with the shoulder strap of her purse. “I thought about what you said about new beginnings. I’m sure God wants that for you. I want that for you.”
His deep-hooded brows relaxed and his brown eyes lit with more enthusiasm than they should have as he bounded toward her, his voice thicker than ever with his Dutch accent. “I won’t let you down, Katy. I—”
Throwing both palms in the air, she quickly interjected, “Don’t”—and he stopped—“misunderstand. This has nothing to do with us.”
His expression wilted, making him seem boyishly vulnerable. He hooked his thumbs in his slim jeans and studied her with tilted head. “You saying you want to be friends?”
She rolled the question distastefully around in her mouth. “More like what you said at first. I’m just trying to tolerate you. It’s the decent thing to do. Sisterly.”
Plain City Bridesmaids Page 11