Restoring His Heart

Upstairs, Tom Durrant led him to a room at the far end of the hall. Adam stepped inside, his attention falling on the items on the bed. “My bags.” He walked to the bed, quickly sliding open the zipper on the small case. The sight of his personal items filled him with a rush of comfort.

“They sent your things over this morning. I knew you’d need some different clothes to work in. Carpentry is dirty work.” He walked across the room and opened another door, flipping on the switch to reveal a private bathroom. “I think you’ll find everything you need. If not, just ask and we’ll see what we can do.” He smiled again. “Within reason of course.”

A sudden lump of gratitude rose in Adam’s chest. While he still harbored serious doubts about this arrangement, at least he’d have a place to retreat to each night, a place to be alone. And alone was where he was most comfortable. “Thanks. This will be fine.”

“Daddy!”

Adam turned at the sound of the female voice.

“Up here, Boo.”

Adam waited as the sound of pounding footsteps rumbled on the steps and along the hall. From the noise being made, he expected someone large and sturdy to appear in the doorway. He wasn’t prepared for the woman who stepped into the room.

“Hey, Daddy.”

She was short, five foot four tops. At first glance he thought she was a teenager, but on closer inspection he realized she was probably not much younger than himself. Perhaps thirty-one or thirty-two.

“You’re putting him in Matt’s room? I thought you’d put him in the spare room over the garage.”

Tom Durrant shook his head. “Too isolated up there. I thought it would be better if he was close by.”

Adam didn’t like the sound of that. Was Mr. Durrant going to monitor him every moment?

“Mr. Holbrook, this is my daughter, Laura Durrant.”

She made no move to shake his hand, so he merely nodded. From the scowl on her face, he had a feeling she was not going to be one of his fans. She turned to look at her father and Adam felt a small skip in his heartbeat when her features suddenly changed from disapproving to near worshipful. The love in her eyes for her father gave her a glow.

“We need to get going. How soon will he be ready?”

“Ask him.”

She turned and glared, the loveliness on her face gone. “I assume you have something else to wear other than a tuxedo? We’ll be doing real work today, Mr. Holbrook. This won’t be a party.”

Her attitude irked him. He started to say something smart, but remembered Mr. Durrant’s request for respect. Something she’d said suddenly clicked into place. “We?”

Laura Durrant placed her hands on her hips and took a step toward him. “We. You’ll be under my supervision for the duration of your sentence. I’ll be showing you how to rebuild what you destroyed, and I want to get started today if that’s all right with you.”

Adam looked over her head to her father. There was a knowing and sympathetic smile on his face. He shrugged.

“My daughter is a skilled carpenter and contractor. Trust me, she knows her stuff.” He took his daughter’s arm and tugged her along with him out of the room. “We’ll leave you alone to get ready. Don’t take too long. She gets cranky when she has to wait.”

“Dad.”

The door shut behind them, but not before Adam heard Tom Durrant gently scold “Boo” for her attitude.

Adam dragged a hand across his face. Surely this had to be some kind of bizarre parallel universe. No way could he take orders from that little slip of a thing. He had to find a way out of this mess. And fast.

* * *

Laura followed her father downstairs to the kitchen. “He’d better not take all day primping. I want to get started on that gazebo today. I’ve got too many other things I need to take care of.” Her dad pointed to a kitchen chair.

“Sit. I’m sure he’ll be down directly. How’s the Mobile situation?”

Laura sat down, resting her head dejectedly on one palm. Her last restoration project had been in Mobile, Alabama, on a historic downtown building. Unfortunately, the owner had suddenly declared bankruptcy and everything was on hold. Including her pay. “Awful. The lawyers are going to draw this thing out as long as possible so they don’t have to pay up.”

“What does your attorney say?”

“He’s doing all he can, but you know the court system works like molasses.” She exhaled and leaned back in her chair. “I never would have taken that job if I’d known the company would go belly-up a week after I completed the work.”

Her dad chuckled. “We all wish we had a crystal ball to see into the future, but that’s not how the good Lord set things up. We’re supposed to rely on Him, not ourselves. You upheld your part of the deal. That’s all you can do.”

“I know, but in the meantime, I have payroll to meet. That job was going to give me enough financial security to breathe easy for the next year. And then there’s the Keller building.” She looked over at her father, wishing he could make it all better the way he had when she was small. But at thirty-two, her troubles were her own to battle.

Her dad laid his hand on top of hers. “I wish I could help you somehow. Your mom and I have been talking to everyone we know looking for people who would be interested in stepping up to save the old place, but no luck.”

“I know. Money is tight everywhere. I don’t blame anyone, but it’s so frustrating. If I could only have convinced Mr. Keller to sell me the building or get it listed on the Historic Registry before he died. Now it’s going up for auction in a few weeks and I’ve run out of options. Buying it myself was the only one left and now that’s off the table, too. Without the profits from the Mobile job I can’t afford to even bid on it.”

The old three-story building at the corner of Main and Peace streets downtown would make a perfect senior center once it was restored. Something she’d wanted to do for a long time. The center would provide a safe place for seniors to meet and do their crafts. It would also be a place where they could teach others the numerous skills they possessed. Crocheting. Knitting. Tole painting. Sewing. Quilting. She hated seeing the old building falling apart when it could be brought to life again and made useful. It was structurally sound and perfectly located. All it needed was some work. Okay, a lot of work, but work she was more than willing to do.

Laura stood and walked to the door leading to the hallway. “What’s taking him so long?”

“Give him time, Boo. He’ll be down soon enough.”

“And that’s another thing. I’ve got the Conrad job going on. My foreman keeps running into problems every time we open a wall or rip up a floorboard. I don’t have time to spend repairing what this poor little rich boy did. And there’s only a few weeks to restore the gazebo in time for the Founder’s Day Festival. That doesn’t give me much leeway for finding materials. Dealing with him will double the time needed to make repairs. Not to mention the mistakes that will have to be undone and the wasted lumber from incorrect measurements.”

“I can speak to your uncle Hank. He could find someone else to restore the gazebo,” her father said.

Laura whirled around. “No, I want to do it. I just wish I had someone competent to help me. Not an amateur.” She puffed out her irritation and paced the room.

“Maybe he’ll surprise you and be a quick study, or maybe he already has a few skills that will be helpful.” Her dad came and gave her a hug. “It’ll all work out, Boo. Have a little faith.”

Laura smiled at her dad. She hoped he was right this time. “So, what do you think of him?”

“Hard to say. I’ve only spoken to him briefly. I think he’s unhappy with his situation, but that’s understandable. He reminds me of your brother Ty. As I recall, you had no trouble keeping him in line.”

She smiled. “So you’re saying I can take him?”

“No doubt, but don’t get carried away. Something tells me this man has a thick wall of protection around him. With Ty you always knew where he stood. He didn’t keep his feelings hidden. I suspect Adam has kept his feelings buried most of his life. Don’t be too hard on him.” He turned and picked up his cell phone and slipped it in his pocket. “Time to get to the store. Your mother will be wondering where I am.”

“You’re leaving me here alone with this stranger?”

“I don’t think you’re in any danger. That’s one of the reasons your mom and I agreed to let him stay here. I wanted to make sure he understood that you’re my baby girl and he’d better watch his p’s and q’s.” He chuckled and started for the door. “Maybe I should have warned him about you. You’re tougher than both your brothers put together.”

Laura waved goodbye to her dad, then checked her watch again. She’d lost nearly half an hour waiting for Mr. Rich Adventurer. If he wasn’t down in ten minutes, she’d go in and drag his spoiled self out by the scruff of his neck.

She had to admit, she’d been surprised at her first glimpse of him. She tried to ignore the way his startling green eyes had made a swift but thorough assessment of her. Doubtful she could compare with the kind of women he was used to. And she felt sure he was used to taking his pick of leggy beauties.

She couldn’t blame her fellow females for falling for this guy. He had all the right stuff on the outside. His six-foot frame and thick light brown hair made him boyishly handsome.