Kristi crossed her arms. “I know Joel pretty well, Mom, and besides, this is a silly discussion.” She reached for the check. “Lunch is on me, and when we leave here, I want to go on a buggy ride.”
Mom’s forehead wrinkled. “I thought we were going to do some more shopping. Didn’t you say you wanted to check out a few of the Amish-owned businesses in the area?”
“Yes, I do, but we can do it after the buggy ride.”
“You go ahead if you want to. I’m not interested in going for a ride. I’ll sit on the bench in front of the hotel and wait for you.”
“Never mind. If you’re not going to do it, then neither am I.” Kristi pushed away from the table. “Let’s head for Charm. I hear there’s a cheese shop there. I may pick some up to take home.”
“Good idea. I’ll buy some cheese, too. Your dad would be happy if I came home with a brick of Colby.”
As Kristi made her way to the front of the restaurant, a vision of Joel flashed across her mind. I wonder if he’d like to make a trip to Holmes County with me sometime. When I see him next week, I’ll ask.
CHAPTER 2
Akron
Stretching his arms behind his back to massage the knots, Joel ambled into the kitchen. He’d spent all weekend joy-riding in his new Corvette and had gone to bed late last night. Joel had been with Tom most of Saturday. On Sunday, he’d gone to Cleveland to see an old friend. When he returned home, he was tired and hadn’t taken the time to check his voice mail. He’d had his cell phone with him all weekend, of course, but didn’t want to be disturbed with any work-related calls, so he’d kept it muted.
Joel picked up his phone from the kitchen counter, where he’d plugged it in to charge before going to bed. Guess I’d better see if I have any messages. Kristi may have called.
Scrolling through his phone with his index finger, Joel saw that Kristi had called. He typed in the password and pressed the phone against his ear to hear the message she’d left on his voicemail. Apparently, she had tried calling him when she got home last evening and couldn’t wait to tell him about the fun she’d had in Amish country.
Joel grimaced. The last time he’d paid a visit to Holmes County, he’d come away appreciating his truck and mid-sized car. Now Joel had another vehicle to brag about. He hoped the Corvette would be the first of many classic cars he’d own. Of course, he’d have to make a lot more money for his dream to become reality.
Joel had prepared for getting more cars by building a spacious five-car garage. The added space at the back of his shop would also be utilized when his collection grew. Since Joel owned two acres of land, he had the option of building another garage or additional shop, if and when it became necessary. His dream was to keep some cars for show and to ride around in, but some he would fix up and sell for a tidy profit. He planned to keep the Corvette, however, since he had dreamed for a long time of owning one.
Joel’s passion for cars began when he was a teenager. After he’d gotten his first job and saved enough money, he’d bought a classy-looking red convertible. His family hadn’t approved, but it had turned many other heads. Eventually, he’d been forced to sell it. That was another story, but Joel didn’t want to dwell on the details. He had better things to do today, starting with checking the rest of his messages.
He found a few work-related calls—some from subcontractors with questions about a small job he was supposed to do later this week. Another was from Carl and Mary Blankenship, an elderly couple who wanted Joel to give them a bid on a partial bathroom remodel. The things the Blankenships wanted done wouldn’t take long, nor bring in much money, so Joel would handle the job himself. He hoped to hear something soon about the bigger job he’d bid on. Once he got the go-ahead, he’d get his subcontractors started on it right away.
One thing was for sure; he wouldn’t tell Kristi about the car. She might think he was never going to buy her a ring and would probably say he’d been foolish for spending so much money on a car he would drive occasionally. Good thing she never had any reason to snoop around in his shop, and he’d make sure she never did. At least not until they were married.
Joel glanced at the clock above his refrigerator. Kristi had probably left for work already, so he would wait and call her back sometime this evening. Right now, he needed to eat breakfast and head out the door.
As Joel drove his pickup toward the Blankenships’, he decided to take a side road. It wouldn’t hurt to check out the jobsite he figured he would be starting soon. His bid had been reasonable, and Joel felt sure he’d been chosen to do the job. He saw right away that the land had been fenced, in readiness for the project to begin. If by some chance the owner was there, Joel could ask when he wanted him to begin the building process. Once everything had been finalized, he would request half the money now and the rest when the job was complete. Even the first half would be a nice chunk, allowing Joel to pay all his subcontractors what he owed from the last job he’d done, with some left over for expenses and Kristi’s ring.
When Joel approached the jobsite, already cleared and excavated, he drew in a sharp breath, unable to believe his eyes. Tacked to the fence closest to the road was another general contractor’s construction sign.
“This better not mean what it looks like,” Joel muttered. He pulled over and grabbed his cell phone, hurriedly making the call. “Hey, Andy, it’s Joel Byler. I’m sitting in front of the property you bought for your new business and am wondering why another contractor’s sign is tacked to the fence.”
“Didn’t my secretary call you, Joel?”
“No, she did not. What was she supposed to tell me?”
“I gave the job to Martin’s Construction. He came in with a lower bid and is able to start working on the project right away.”
Joel clenched his teeth so hard he felt it all the way to his head. “But you promised me the job, and I’m able to start on it now, too.”
“I made no promises, Joel. Only said it sounded like a fair bid and I’d get back to you.”
Joel’s hand shook as he switched his cell phone to the other ear. He couldn’t lose this job; he had too much at stake. “Listen, Andy, why don’t you let me refigure things a bit; I’m sure I can knock some off my original figures.”
“Sorry, but I’ve already accepted Jim Martin’s bid. The contract is signed, and he’ll be starting the job tomorrow morning.”
“Are you sure? I mean—”
“I have to go now, Joel. Another call’s coming in.” The phone clicked off before Joel could say another word.
Pounding his fist on the truck’s dash, Joel shouted, “What am I gonna do now? All I have scheduled are a few small jobs. Those won’t earn enough money to pay even half what I owe. How am I going to get any of my subs to work for me if I can’t pay ’em what they’ve got coming?”
Joel would have to figure out a solution to this problem soon, or he’d really be in a pickle. The only sensible thing would be to sell the new car, but it might take a while to find someone willing to pay what it was worth. Besides, Joel didn’t want to part with the Vette. No, there had to be some other way.
Kristi smiled as she put her grocery items away, reliving the past weekend with her mother. Shopping was something she and Mom had always enjoyed doing together. Even when Kristi was a child, she’d liked to shop. Every time Mom put on her coat, Kristi would ask, “Are we going shopping, Mom?”
Chuckling, Kristi checked her phone messages. She’d been running late this morning and, in her haste, had left her cell phone on the kitchen table.
Yesterday evening, when she’d returned from Holmes County, Kristi had called Joel and left a message, so she was eager to see if he had responded.
Disappointment flooded over her when she saw no message. Hadn’t he checked his voice mail since last night? If he had, surely he would have returned her call. This wasn’t like Joel at all.
Kristi punched in Joel’s number, feeling relief when he answered.
“Hey, Joel, it’s m
e. Did you get my message from last night?”
“Uh… yeah, I did. Sorry for not responding. I’ve… uh… been kinda busy.”
“That’s okay. I was wondering if you were free to have supper with me tonight. On my way home, I picked up a couple of steaks and some baking potatoes; so, instead of going out, I thought we could eat here.”
“Not tonight, Kristi. I’ve got a bunch of paperwork I need to get done.”
“Paperwork? I thought you were going to work on it over the weekend.” She couldn’t hide her disappointment. Joel had previously said they would get together one night this week, and she was anxious to tell him about her trip to Holmes County.
“I… umm… had a lot to go over, but unfortunately, I didn’t get it all done.”
“How about tomorrow night? The steaks will keep till then.”
Silence on the other end.
“Joel, are you still there? Did you hear what I said?”
“Yeah, I’m thinking is all.”
Kristi reached up and released her hair from the ponytail she’d worn to work today. “Are you thinking about whether you want to come for supper?” She couldn’t imagine he wouldn’t. Joel always seemed to enjoy her home-cooked meals.
“No… uh… I have a few other things on my mind right now.”
“Want to talk about it?” Kristi felt concern. It wasn’t like Joel to be so distant or evasive. She wondered if he was irritated because she’d spent the weekend with her mother instead of him. She was about to ask when he spoke again.
“There’s nothing to talk about, Kristi. I had a rough day, but I’ll be okay.” Joel cleared his throat. “Tomorrow evening for supper is fine with me. What time do you want me to come over?”
“Is five thirty too early, or would you rather make it six?”
“Let’s shoot for six. Is there anything I can bring?”
“A hearty appetite. I bought some whoopie pies at the bakery outside of Berlin, so we’ll have those for dessert.”
“Okay. See you then.” Joel hung up before Kristi had the chance to say goodbye. Something was definitely wrong, but if Joel didn’t want to talk about it, there wasn’t much she could do. Kristi felt hurt because Joel hadn’t even said he loved her, which he usually did before they hung up. Could the thrill of their romance be fading? Maybe I’m overly sensitive today.
“I hope Joel’s willing to talk about this when he comes here tomorrow night,” Kristi murmured. She didn’t want to make any assumptions that may not even be true.
Feeling uptight, Kristi decided to go for a run. Physical activity usually helped whenever she was stressed. She quickly changed into her jogging clothes, put her hair back in a ponytail, and headed out the door.
Kristi had only run a few blocks when she saw her friend Sandy Clemons running in the opposite direction. Sandy was into fitness even more than Kristi, and they sometimes ran together. When the young woman drew closer, they both stopped running and stood on the corner to talk.
“How’s it going?” Sandy asked, pushing a strand of her chin-length, naturally blond hair behind her ear. “I missed seeing you in church yesterday.”
“I went shopping in Holmes County with my mom on Saturday. After spending the night in Walnut Creek, we attended a Mennonite church near our hotel.”
“Sounds like a fun outing.”
Kristi nodded. “We had such a good time. I’m anxious to go there again—maybe next time with Joel.”
“Where was Joel yesterday? I didn’t see him at church.”
Kristi bent her knee back to rub the calf of her leg, where a muscle had begun to spasm. The cramp was her fault. The weather had turned a lot warmer from the past weekend, and she was sorry she’d left her condo in a rush, forgetting her water bottle. “Are you sure Joel wasn’t there, Sandy? When I told him I was going away for the weekend, he said he wouldn’t skip church.”
“If he was there, I didn’t see him. But even though I’m up front leading the worship team, I don’t always notice everyone in the congregation. When I get into a worshipful mood, I focus on God, not on the crowd.”
“That’s where it should be, alright.” Kristi didn’t voice her concerns, but she had a feeling Joel hadn’t gone to church. When they’d talked on the phone, he’d said he had done paperwork, so there was a good chance he’d spent Saturday and Sunday working on it. Of course, it was no excuse. Kristi had been brought up to believe in the importance of going to church. Unless she was sick or something unexpected came up, she made an effort to be there.
“Guess I’d better finish my jogging session so I can go home and start supper before my hubby gets home from work.” Sandy gave Kristi a hug and started running again.
As Kristi continued her run, she made a decision. Tomorrow night when Joel came for supper, she would ask if he’d gone to church. Surely he would tell her the truth.
CHAPTER 3
Kristi glanced at the clock and frowned. It was six thirty. Joel was supposed to be here thirty minutes ago. The yummy smell of baked potatoes coming from the oven made her stomach growl. She was eager to eat. The potatoes would stay warm in the oven. Fortunately, she hadn’t put the steaks on the grill yet, thinking it would be best to wait until Joel arrived.
Kristi left the kitchen and peeked out the living-room window. No sign of Joel’s car or work truck in her condo driveway. She looked at her wristwatch and groaned. I hope he didn’t forget. Wonder if I should call him.
She reached for her cell phone and was about to make the call when Joel pulled in. She hurried to the deck at the back of her condo and turned on the gas grill, which would give it time to warm up before Joel came in.
“Sorry I’m late,” Joel apologized when she let him inside. “I had to make a few phone calls after work and time got away from me.” He leaned down and gave her a kiss.
“It’s okay.” She smiled up at him, reminded once again what an attractive man he was. His thick, dark hair with eyebrows to match and those expressive chocolate-brown eyes were enough to turn any woman’s head. Of course, his good looks weren’t the only reason Kristi had fallen in love with Joel. He was intelligent, a hard worker, had a good business head, and his attentiveness made her feel good about herself. Joel also enjoyed jogging, which was one of Kristi’s passions. She’d always believed in being physically fit—ate healthy foods and exercised regularly. The day she’d first met Joel at a fitness center in Akron, Kristi wanted to get to know him better. After a few more visits, Joel had asked her out.
“Umm… guess I’d better put the steaks on the grill.” Pushing her dreamy thoughts aside, Kristi headed for the kitchen, and Joel followed.
“If there’s something else you need to do, I can put the steaks on for you,” he offered.
Kristi smiled. “You can if you want to, but the salad is in the refrigerator, the potatoes are in the oven, and the table’s set, so I don’t have anything else to do. Why don’t we both go on the deck and watch the steaks? It’ll give us a chance to visit while they’re cooking. In fact, I’ll get some iced tea to drink while we’re sitting outside.”
“Sounds good to me.” Joel took the steaks out to the deck, and when Kristi showed up with their drinks a few minutes later, the meat was sizzling on the grill. She placed their glasses on the small table then took a seat in one of the wicker chairs she’d recently purchased.
Shielding her eyes from the setting sun, Kristi smiled at Joel. “I’m anxious to tell you about my weekend and hear about yours.”
Holding his glass against his flushed face, Joel sat in the chair beside her. “There’s not much to tell about my weekend. It was basically pretty boring.”
“What about church? Did you go there Sunday morning?” Kristi already suspected the answer, but wanted to give him a chance to explain.
Joel shook his head.
“How come?” Feeling the heat and humidity of the summer evening, Kristie fanned her face with her hand.
“I had planned to go, but I had too much
paperwork.”
“I realize your work is important, but couldn’t you have taken an hour out to attend church? You promised you would go, remember?” Despite her irritation, Kristi appreciated the fact that Joel hadn’t lied about not going. If there was one thing she wouldn’t tolerate, it was someone lying to her.
Frowning, his tone quickly sharpened. “Don’t start nagging me, Kristi. I get enough of it from my customers.” He stood abruptly and went over to the grill to check the meat.
She flinched. Joel had never talked to her so harshly before. It took her by surprise.
After he added some seasoning to the steaks, Joel stood quietly, looking out behind her place. Kristi wondered what thoughts were rolling around in his head. Even after he took a seat beside her again, he said nothing.
“I–I’m sorry, Joel.” She placed her hand gently on his arm. “I didn’t mean to sound bossy.”
“No problem.”
Kristi got up to flip the steaks, and as the flames shot upward, a piece of hot gristle popped out. “Ouch!” She jumped back when a tiny piece landed on her arm.
“Are you okay?” Joel bolted out of his chair.
“I’m alright—just startled is all.” Kristi felt reassured, seeing the depth of worry in his expression and knowing he really cared. This was the Joel she’d come to know and love.
“I’ll be right back.” Joel rushed inside and returned with an ice cube wrapped in a napkin. “Here, sit down and put this on the red mark. I’ll tend to the steaks.” His face softened. “I’m sorry I barked at you before. Guess I’m kinda testy tonight.”
“Bad day at work?”
He gave a nod. “Thought I’d landed a pretty big job, but another contractor came in with a lower bid.”
“I suppose it happens sometimes. Do you have other jobs lined up?”
“A few, but nothing big.” The worry lines on his forehead returned, causing Kristi concern.
“Let’s pray about this, should we?” she asked.
The English Son Page 2