by Jacki Kelly
Up ahead, he spotted Asa walking to the park entrance with that reporter from the local network. He watched her gesture to the crowd and point to the huge banner draped across the entrance to the park. Asa laughed at something, her face lit up with a radiant smile. It was time to confront this situation, head on.
After a final smack of the steering wheel, he barreled out of the car. Without taking his eyes off Asa he crossed the court. There was no way to know how this would end, but her betrayal carved a hole in his heart. Anger and disappointment guided his steps. Forget the new parcel of land. Everything would go back to the original plan. Nothing could stand in his way of taking down that block now. The city needed the planned community and senior center and he intended to make sure he gave them what they needed.
“Asa, I need to talk to you,” Simeon’s voice boomed across the park. She jumped. Activity stopped.
She frowned but signaled for him to wait while she continued to talk with the reporter. He shifted his weight and scratched his forehead. His heart roared in his chest, threatening to force its way out. Several deep breaths did nothing to calm him. He shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at Asa.
She ignored his gesture and took her time.
Simeon folded his arms across his chest. One long breath. Another long one and he felt his Hulk-like demeanor diminish. There was no sense making a scene, so he allowed her a moment. Waiting was one of his virtues; most of his adult life had been spent waiting. He walked away from the crowd.
After the camera crew packed up their equipment and drove off in the news van, Asa stomped toward him.
“Can you tell me why you’re yelling at me?” She stood in front of him with her hands planted on her hips. Her eyes blazed like hot coals.
“What is this?” He swung his arms wide to encompass the park. “Is this supposed to make me change my mind? Do you think a block party will make me change my mind? You’ve been gone years, now all of a sudden you’re back and everybody is supposed to redirect their life because you said so?” His didn’t try to stop the rage from entering his voice.
“Why do you think all these people are here? They’re here because they care about this community. They care about their homes. If you weren’t so arrogant you’d see that.”
“What I see is deception. Were you planning this all along?”
“No, but you left me no choice. I had to do something.”
“What do you expect to accomplish? Am I supposed to change my mind now?”
She scowled at him but didn’t respond.
“I stayed behind, Asa. Everything I’ve done has been for the benefit of this community. The strip mall will give the people a place to shop without having to drive or catch a bus to the other side of town. Do you have any idea where the closest grocery store is?”
Asa averted her eyes, then he continued. “Do you know that some of these people, your neighbors, go weeks without fresh fruit or vegetables because they have no transportation across town? So don’t think you’re so high and mighty because you pulled together a little block party.” He lowered his voice, but the rage remained.
“It’s not a party, it’s a rally. A rally to let you and everyone know we love this neighborhood and we don’t want you to tear it down.” There was an edge in her voice. “We don’t want to be pushed out of our homes.”
The slow hum of a chant rose from the crowd. “Save Golden Leaf. Save Golden Leaf.” The chant crescendoed, rolling across the park like thunder. Some participants threw their fists into the air. He shoved his hands in his pocket until the rebellion slowed to a soft rumble by a few diehards. A group of older women glared motherly disapproval at him. The same kind he’d seen in his mother’s eyes when he was being difficult.
Simeon grabbed her hand to turn their backs to the crowd. “Th—this—” he snapped his fingers. “We can make this work out.” He lowered his voice.
The determined look in her eyes smoldered with defiance. Beneath her stare was a hint of pain, her sparkle was gone. Her bottom lip trembled for a second before she grabbed it with her teeth. An urge to pull her into his arms rushed over him. There had to be a way to make this work for everybody. Her fiery temper gave him no room to think.
“Look, Asa, I’m not trying to hurt you.” He rubbed the goosebumps on her arms, his tone softer now.
“Well, what are you trying to do? You charged into the park like a snorting bull. You must have wanted to accomplish something. Were you trying to intimidate me? Do you want me to go running back to Atlanta? Or would you prefer I get out of your life in general?”
Her brown eyes pierced his. The chanting stopped. He turned around to survey the thick crowd. A few people continued to stare at them. He wanted to share his news with her, but this wasn’t the setting. “Can we talk later? I’ll come by your house.”
Simeon looked up to see his brother striding toward him.
“Simeon, are you okay?”
“Brian-- What...what are you doing here?”
“Asa invited me and the guys from the mission.”
Simeon looked from his brother back to Asa. His stomach dropped. Brian held up his hands. “Whoa, Simeon, it’s not like that.”
He faced his brother. “Explain it to me then.”
“I asked him not to tell you.” Asa stepped closer to Simeon. “I didn’t want you to interfere with the plans.”
“I see.
“I just go where I’m needed and help where I can. You know that, brother.”
“What I know is my brother betrayed me.” He turned to Asa. “And you asked him to.”
That woman is so infuriating and I let her under my skin.
Chapter Eighteen
Dakota turned off the car. “Are you sure you want to do this?” She nodded to the front door of the mission where a man and woman reclined against the stucco building smoking a cigarette.
“I promised Brian I’d do this, and I will.” Asa shifted toward her sister. “Thank you for agreeing to come with me. I get the impression they can always use an extra pair of hands.”
Dakota turned her gaze back to the mission door. “Have you heard from Simeon yet? He looked pretty angry when he stalked away from the rally last week.”
“No. I’m sure he thinks I’m the devil reincarnated. He thinks I turned his brother against him.”
Dakota squeezed her hand and held on, not letting go. “What’s next after this?” She nodded to the mission door again. “Does it mean you’re giving up...on saving the house, I mean?”
“I remember when you used to be the savior of lost causes. I always wondered why you didn’t give up. Now, I understand. I never cared about anything so much until now. This is home. It’s the place where Mom and I weren’t at odds with each other. Until moving back I felt like a failure.”
“It takes two to make a marriage work,” said Dakota.
“I’m not just talking about my marriage. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to come back here and get involved with Simeon either. What was I thinking?”
“Stop beating yourself up. Curiosity gets the best of all of us, sometimes. And as good looking as he is, I can see why you crumbled.”
“But you’ll be pleased to know, I asked my realtor to find me a condo near the studio.” Asa looked off, into the distance. “He called last night and he has something for me to look at.”
“Give it a little time. You’ll be okay. When your designs make it to Bryant Park, you won’t have time for that big old house anyway. You’ll be too busy jet-setting around.”
“Yeah, I need to focus on the show and opening the shop.”
Asa released her sister’s hand. “We better get inside. A line is starting to form.”
The activity level in the mission dining room mirrored organized chaos. Asa motioned for her sister to follow as she weaved through the maze of tables.
“Excuse me, we’re here to volunteer. Can you tell me who I need to see?” Asa asked a man blocking the aisle.
“
See Miss Kitty, she’s over there. The one in the apron.” He stepped aside and allowed her and Dakota to pass.
Asa made the introductions over the clanking of plates in the kitchen. Miss Kitty stood five feet tall but looked strong enough to manage the huge pots. Her blonde hair hung to her waist but her vivid blue eyes were what caught Asa’s attention.
“You two don’t look as big as one of our platters, but we’re glad to have you. Follow me and I’ll get you set up. She led them down a hall to a side door. “Have either of you ever worked here before?”
“I’ve helped out before, but it’s been a few years,” Dakota responded.
“This is my first time,” Asa replied.
“It doesn’t matter. Here are your aprons. Wash your hands over there. When you’re ready, go through that door. It leads back to the staging area. We’ll put you right to work. There are a lot of hungry people to feed tonight.” Miss Kitty walked out of the room.
In the staging area a man with large hands pointed to a counter containing five cakes.
“Cut these cakes then place them on those plates. You should get ten slices from each one. If you don’t you’re cutting them too big.” He pointed to an empty counter. “There’s space for you over there. You two look alike. Are you twins?”
“No, we’re not twins.” Dakota picked up the knife.
He grunted. “Well, do you think you can handle this?”
Asa moved to the quiet table, relieved her assignment wasn’t more complicated. Absent-minded activity suited her fine. A weight settled on her shoulders when she asked the agent to find her a condo. But facing reality had kindled new energy into her. Last night her sketches had been more fluid and carefree. Hopefully, Dakota was right and she would be able to move on.
One day, maybe Simeon would be able to forgive her for the stunt at the park. The irritation in his eyes still haunted her. He had a right to be angry. In the dim light of the mission kitchen guilt rose in her throat and threatened her air flow. But hurting Simeon in the process was never a part of the plan. She sighed as she pressed the knife through the dense cake.
The smell of fried chicken filled the air. Her mouth watered. Maybe her appetite had finally decided to return.
In the corner, a woman wearing a hairnet mixed a large bowl of instant mashed potatoes. Everyone in the kitchen moved with efficiency. They were experienced, not volunteers right off the street like her, but she felt welcome.
Keeping her hands busy left little opportunity to dwell on unhappy thoughts. Work on the design studio ended a week ago. The results were better than expected. The grand opening was scheduled for early September. Several of her customers were flying in for the event. Her designs for Fashion Week were ready for the final model fitting. The silk organza for the finale only needed beading then it would be complete. At least something was going right. Life was almost as good as it was when she was seventeen. Almost.
Exhaustion nipped at her heels. Stopping or slowing down invited hours to think about Simeon, which proved to be futile. Dreaming was a waste. Trying to save the house had soaked up too much precious time already.
“Well, you kept your promise.” Brian strolled across the dining room. He kissed her on the cheek. Her heart clenched. His smile reminded her so much of Simeon that she wanted to touch his face.
She averted her eyes. “You didn’t doubt me, did you?”
“Well, I did a little. After that blow-up in the park I thought you might want to stay away from the Harper family.”
She tried to smile. “I want to be here. Really.” She turned to her sister. “Do you know my sister Dakota?”
“You own the book store don’t you?”
“Yes.” Dakota shook his hand. “Oh, by the way, Simeon is stopping by tonight. He’s started speaking to me again.”
Asa looked around the crowded dining room, half expecting to see Simeon’s cold stare in the crowd. “I’m sorry if I caused you any trouble—”
“It’s no big deal. Simeon is just misunderstood. Our childhood was a little disjointed and he’s still trying to deal with—” He gestured with his hands. “He’s trying to deal with the dysfunction and the imaginary black-eye on the family name.”
Asa nodded. “Simeon must think I’m some spoiled little girl. I’ve taken my childhood for granted. It was so easy, growing up in the shadow of love from both my parents and grandparents.” She clasped her hands. “His childhood left him scarred and mine left me naïve.” His need to tear down the houses in Golden Leaf must have been festering like a wound for years.
She tried to expel the vision he must have of her. Was there any way they both could be happy? The sweet road home for her had been idyllic. But her return had to be less than ideal for him.
“He won’t get here until well after the dinner hour. He comes in after he leaves the office so it will be very late. You should be long gone by then.”
“Thanks, Brian. I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to run into him. It seems like we always find something to bicker about and...and I don’t want to spar with him today.”
“Fair enough. It was nice to see you again, Dakota.” He eyed Dakota quickly before leaving the dining room.
“What was that all about?” Asa asked her sister.
“What?”
“You can’t fool me, Dakota.”
“I’m not trying to fool you.”
“Did I pick up on something going on between you two?”
“No. So leave it alone.”
§ § §
Simeon closed the file folder on his desk. His eyes stung. Reading contracts all day was grueling. He’d rather visit a work site than sit behind a desk. But renegotiating contracts required diligence. He stifled a yawn. The traffic lights outside his window caught his eye. It was too cloudy to see the skyline so he leaned against the windowsill and stared down at the snarled traffic below. The light changed several times before he pulled his attention away.
He moved back to his desk and lifted the receiver on the phone. He wanted to talk to Asa. With the phone suspended in mid-air, he hesitated. What could he say? He dropped it back in the cradle. The last time he saw her, she was spitting fire and even that enticed him. He closed his eyes and massaged his temples.
He snatched the phone off the hook when it rang, hoping it was Asa. He sighed seeing Brad’s name on the caller ID.
“Simeon, Brad Stevens here. I just wanted you to know that we’re set. The cranes and wrecking crews have been rescheduled and we’re still on target at the Philadelphia site.”
“Good, Brad. Any word yet on the results of that final survey for the strip mall?”
“Not yet. I should know in a few days, but I don’t foresee any issues. ”
Simeon hung up the phone and glanced out the window. His breathing was uneven. In the last few days all of his time had been spent on saving the Conroy house. He shook his head. Why bother? It wouldn’t change anything between them. Life was fine until Asa Conroy moved back to Bristol. He used to control his world. He knew what was going to happen and when.
He grabbed his briefcase and headed out the door. The huge office felt tight and stuffy. He needed fresh air.
“Catherine, I’m leaving for the night.”
She glanced at the clock. “Good. Your restlessness is driving me crazy. If you opened that file cabinet one more time I was going to put you in it,” she chuckled.
“That bad, huh?”
“Worse. The last few weeks you seemed distracted. I thought you would be happy with the turn of events.”
“Umph. If you need me, you know how to reach me.”
§ § §
He picked up a bottle of wine before heading to the shelter. Tonight he needed to celebrate the progress of his project with the only person that understood how much it meant to him.
Simeon pulled into the parking lot behind the mission. A line of people waited to get inside. One young boy stood next to his mother, his vacant eyes cast on the pavement.
That was him. Those were his eyes, his hunger. Simeon went inside.
“You’re as bad as me, working all day,” Simeon said as he entered his brother’s office.
Brian shot out of his seat and embraced him. Simeon saw his eyes dart toward the dining room. “You’re early Sim, I didn’t expect you until much later.”
“I had to get out of the office.” Simeon took the chair in front of the desk. “The walls were closing in on me. I brought a bottle of wine. I was hoping you’d celebrate with me.” Simeon pulled the bottle from the bag. “I know this is the last thing the men out there need to see.” Simeon nodded to the dining room.
“Sim, you know I don’t drink,” Brian shook his head.
“I know. But business is good. Philadelphia construction starts in a few days. I wanted to celebrate with someone who understands my dream.”
“You deserve to toast your success. But Dad did enough drinking to last me a lifetime. I’ve got some soda here.” He pulled a bottle of ginger ale from the refrigerator. “This is bubbly enough for me.”
Simeon nodded. “Dad had a lasting impact on us, huh?”
“I guess so.” Brian popped the lid. “Dad’s the reason I do this work. The reason you do what you do. And the reason our sister hasn’t stepped foot in Bristol since she was eighteen. If I can help one of these men, it makes me feel better. Dad needed a place like this.”
“Do you think he would have gone?”
“No. No way.”
Brian returned to the desk with two glasses. “Sorry I don’t have champagne flutes, but these should work.”
They sipped in silence for a moment.
“Since you’ve finally calmed down from last week, I think it’s only fair—”
“Look Brian, you caught me off guard. It was nothing, man. I know you have my back and you were just doing what you do best. Helping.”