Hearts Under Construction (5 page)

And he wasn’t smiling.

“I’m sorry?”

“You seem to be having a difficult morning, Ellie. Are you okay?”

Adrenaline pushed her pulse to full speed. “I’m fine. I—I just didn’t hear what you said.”

“Well, maybe we’ll let someone who was listening help us out.” Without wasting another breath, Cole moved on.

Ellie felt her knuckles had been sufficiently rapped by that statement. She had been daydreaming. So sue her. His reprimand was all part of his little plan to undermine her authority in the office.

“Which brings me to the most important item on this agenda, and the reason I called the meeting,” Cole said.

Uh-oh, here it comes. She braced herself. Cole proceeded to tell the staff Jax had purchased a new computer system. He raved about all the bells and whistles while Ellie felt herself being sucked into a psychedelic black hole, a place where walls spun out of control and the floor rolled and swayed beneath her feet.

Change, change, change.

At the meeting’s end, the air snapped with excitement. The room buzzed with comments and laughter at all that the new system could and would do for their company. Ellie didn’t want to be a spoilsport, but what was wrong with their current system? It worked for them, didn’t it? Why did they have to have bigger and better, as long as they were getting the job done?

She gathered her things from the table and with a heavy heart, headed toward her desk. Her stomach didn’t feel so good.

“Hey, Ellie, are you okay?” Jax wanted to know.

She turned. “Oh, I’m fine.” She rubbed her temple. “I’ve just had a rough morning.”

“So I’ve heard,” he said with a smirk.

She didn’t feel like being the brunt of a joke just now. Throwing him a weak smile, she continued on. He followed.

“I tried to get together with you and tell you about the computer system, but every time I set up a meeting, something came up, remember?”

She nodded. “It’s all right.” She didn’t have the strength to argue. Her stomach rumbled like Mount St. Helens. A queasy feeling followed. Really queasy. “I’m sorry, Jax, I don’t feel so good.” She dropped her things at her desk and made her way to the bathroom.

Just in time.

C
ole sat down in front of Jax’s desk. “Have you heard from Ellie?” he asked before taking a drink from his coffee mug.

Jax rubbed his jaw. “Yeah, she thinks she’ll make it back in on Monday. Her stomach seems finally to be settling down.”

Cole shook his head. “She’s really had this flu thing bad. I hate that she’s had to miss the first week’s training on the new computer system.”

Jax winced. “I know. This will not be easy for her.”

“Because she’s hard to train or because she’s resistant to change?”

Jax looked up with a start. A knowing smile lit his face and he shrugged. “Both.”

“What’s up with that?” Cole asked, stretching back into a comfortable position in his chair.

“I don’t know. Ellie’s always struggled with change. She just likes to keep things on an even keel. When they’re not, it throws her into a real spin.”

“That’s too bad. Life’s full of changes.”

Jax looked at him a moment.

“What?”

“Oh, just thinking about how you’ve had to deal with change over your life. Your mom and dad’s divorce. Your dad’s death. I know it hasn’t been easy.”

Cole shrugged. “You, too. I mean, with your parents’ accident and all.”

Jax merely nodded.

Cole thought it best to change the subject. “Hey, did I tell you I rode a dirt bike this past weekend? Now that’s a lot of fun. You need to go with me sometime.”

Jax shook his head. “You’re more adventurous than I am. Parasailing one weekend, dirt-biking, what’s next?”

Cole laughed. “I’ll think of something.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Just then Alex knocked at the door and poked her head through. “Ellie’s on the phone and wants to know if someone could drop off the new system tutorial this evening?”

“Sure, I’ll do it,” Cole said, without skipping a beat.

Jax looked at him in surprise. “You don’t mind?”

“Not at all. I’ll enjoy watching her squirm when I hand her the information.”

“You’re sad, you know that?”

“Aren’t I, though?” He wiggled his eyebrows.

“You want me to tell her you’ll stop by after work then, Cole?” Alex asked.

“Yeah, tell her I’ll be there.” Truth be told, he looked forward to seeing her. The office wasn’t the same without her….

Cole pulled in to Ellie’s driveway. Cutting the engine, he glanced around the neighborhood. The subdivision was nice and spacious. He hated it when houses stumbled on top of one another. Each lot here had plenty of stretching space. Lots of trees. That was something else he liked. He’d always wanted to live in a house like that, but with his dad’s drinking habit and sales jobs, it had seemed they never had enough money. They went from one apartment to the next.

A garage door opened two houses away from Ellie’s. A couple of kids stepped through the front door as the father backed the family van out of the garage. An energetic boy bounced a basketball on the driveway, making his way to the car. A little girl with blond, springy pigtails followed, holding on to a pair of skates. The mother appeared with a picnic basket in hand. She yanked the front door of the house to a close, turned to the waiting family, and smiled.

Cole sat transfixed. He wondered if those kids had any idea how lucky they were. What he wouldn’t have given for a real family.

How could a mother leave her children, anyway? His eyes glazed over as the image of that long-ago night plagued him once again.

He and his twin brother were doing homework at the kitchen table. Scraps of bologna sandwiches were shoved on the counter with dirty dishes. Cold chicken noodle soup still lined the bowls. His mom stepped into the kitchen with a suitcase in one hand, her face hard as stone. His dad rounded the corner after her, his eyes red and swollen. They were shouting at one another. She stopped when she saw Cole and Caed. His brother had tears streaming down his face, but said nothing. Funny how the images were still so fresh in Cole’s memory.

“Where you going?” Cole asked.

“Caed, I can’t talk about it now.”

“I’m Cole,” he corrected her, frustrated that she couldn’t get it right. People often confused them since they were identical twins, but he thought their own mother should know better.

Cole jumped from the table and ran to her. He threw his arms around her waist and begged her not to go. She looked at him with a flicker of indecision. He thought he just might change her mind. She scrunched down in front of him and whispered, “Coleman, you take good care of Daddy and your brother, you hear me? You’re the strong one.” She smoothed his hair from his forehead. “I’ll be back and get you one of these days.” She kissed his cheek.

He felt as if he’d been punched, the pain spreading all the way through him to his fingertips. He screamed at her, “Mom, don’t go!” Ignoring him, she turned and walked out the door to some man who sat waiting in a truck. Cole pushed through the door and ran after her. “Mom! Please, don’t leave us! Don’t leave us, Mom! I’ll be good. I promise I’ll be good.” He wiped his face with his arm. “Mom! Don’t go!” Why wouldn’t she look at him? She got in the truck. The man stared at Cole without expression, pulled the truck into gear, and backed away. Cole’s mother never looked up once.

Cole remembered stumbling in the grass and falling to his knees. With the fight nearly gone from him, he had cried out one last time, “Please, Mom, don’t go.” Tears had blurred his vision as he watched the black truck roll down the street away from him. His body had gone numb. His legs refused to move. How long he had sat there, he didn’t know. Finally, he had wiped his face once more on his arm and sucked back further tears, telling himself she’d be back. After all, she had promised.

But Cole never saw her again.

It was after that time that his father started drinking and their lives changed for the worse once again.

Cole’s glazed eyes refocused. He wiped the perspiration from his forehead. Taking a deep breath, he picked up the tutorial from his car seat, and headed for Ellie’s house.

A plump lady of about fifty opened Ellie’s door. “Cole Preston?” she asked, a pleasant smile on her face.

“Yes.”

“I’m Debbie Williams, Ellie’s mother.” She wiped her hands on her apron and extended her hand. He shook it. “Please, come in,” she said, stepping aside. “Ellie will be right in. Make yourself comfortable.” She pointed to the tan sofa perched in the living room. “Can I get you something to drink: tea, coffee, pop?”

“I’ll take some iced tea if you have it.”

“Good. Iced tea coming up.”

He imagined she was the kind of woman who felt happiest working in the kitchen. She disappeared into another room while he waited for Ellie. The smell of cooking chicken scented the living room. He looked around. The home had a certain coziness about it. Plump pillows lined the sofa. Pots stuffed with flowers stood near the patio doors. Sensible furnishings adorned the room. Some things looked a little worn. He imagined she struggled to part with anything. Probably had a favorite blanket as a baby. No doubt she still had it tucked away somewhere. He smirked. He hadn’t a clue where any of his baby things were, if they still existed.

“Thanks for coming over, Cole.”

He turned to see Ellie standing before him in a pair of jeans, a college sweatshirt and socks. She looked as though she had lost a few pounds. Her chin-length blond hair was parted in the middle, framing her angular face. Her green eyes sparkled, but with a little less luster. She looked cute and perky, like a college student.

“You’re welcome. How’re you feeling?”

“Much better,” she said, sliding into the oversize chair across from him. “I haven’t had flu like that since I was a kid.”

“Here we go,” Mrs. Williams said as she placed the iced tea on the coaster on the coffee table in front of him.

“Thanks.”

“You want anything to drink, Ellie?” her mom asked.

“No, thanks.”

“Would you care to stay for dinner, Mr. Preston? We’re having chicken and noodles, peas, applesauce, pumpkin pie. Nothing fancy, but I’m trying to add a few pounds to Ellie’s bones.”

He looked at Ellie who blushed at her mother’s remarks. “Sure, why not?”

Ellie looked at him with a start.

“Do you mind?” He looked at Ellie then glanced at Mrs. Williams who threw her daughter a you’d-better-be-polite look. He turned back to Ellie who appeared flustered.

“Why, no, we’d love to have you,” she all but choked out.

Mrs. Williams snapped her head with approval. “Wonderful, I’ll throw in a few more noodles,” she said, before disappearing once again into the kitchen. Instantly, he decided he liked Ellie’s mother.

He turned back to Ellie. Her weight loss and pink cheeks gave her a sort of vulnerable appeal. He almost wanted to reach over and scoop her into his arms. Almost. Until he followed her gaze to the tutorial. Then another look entirely shadowed her face….

Great. The tutorial looked huge. Just what she wanted, to spend the entire weekend poring over a dull computer book. She felt the urge to run to her bedroom, jump in the bed, and pull the covers over her. Better still, why not grab the chocolate bar in her nightstand and then pull the covers over her?

“Ellie?”

“Oh, sorry.”

“I know it looks, well, a little overwhelming—”

She threw him a whatever-are-you-talking-about look.

He pointed. “The tutorial and all.”

“Ah.”

“It’s not so bad. You can call me if you have any questions. I could even come over.”

She lifted her chin. “I don’t think that’s necessary. I’m sure I can handle it.”

“I’m sure you can handle a good many things,” he said, his eyes glinting with humor.

She wondered what he meant by that. This man could rile her more than anyone she had ever met. Didn’t matter
what
he said. It was in the
way
he said it. Oh, she didn’t know. She only knew he constantly challenged her Christian walk. She decided to change the subject. “So, how did it go this week at the office?”

Cole swallowed some tea, then put it back on the stand. “Pretty good. I mean, there was the usual groaning and grumbling over learning something new—”

Ouch. He didn’t have to say that. Ellie knew that was directed at her. “Well, new computer programs aren’t all that easy to learn,” she said with a slight snarl to her voice.

“Hold on. No need to get your nose out of joint. I’m just saying—”

“My nose is not out of joint, Cole.” Oh, could he ever call out her temper.

He held up his hand. “Look, Ellie, I don’t want to upset you.” His voice was gentle which calmed her a little. Still, she held up her guard. “I know it’s hard to learn a new program. I don’t especially enjoy it myself, but I know it will be worth it in the end.”

He was right, of course, but she couldn’t bring herself to say so. She merely nodded. Sometimes, her own stubbornness frustrated her. Why couldn’t she just say he was right? Instead, she fought change with every breath in her.

She felt his gaze upon her, and she didn’t like it. He probably thought she was an old spinster, set in her ways. Oh, goodness, she hadn’t thought of that before. Was it true?

Just then her mother stepped into the living room interrupting Ellie’s train of thought. “I forgot to tell you, your dad called while you were asleep. He’ll be here in—” she glanced at her watch “—another fifteen minutes.” Before Ellie could comment, her mother disappeared back into the kitchen.

“I like your mom. She’s nice.”

Ellie smiled. “Thanks.” She looked at him a moment. “You know, I don’t know anything about your family. Do your parents live in Chicago?” Uh-oh, something in his expression told her she’d struck a nerve. Maybe he preferred to keep his personal life private.

“No. My dad is dead and Mom is, well, I don’t know about Mom. I haven’t seen her since I was eight.”

Shame washed over her. She’d been so caught up in her own stubborn pride at this man getting
her
job, she had never thought about him carrying his own bag of pain. “Oh, I’m sorry, Cole. I didn’t know.”

He shrugged. “How would you know? Besides, it happened a long time ago. No big deal.” He took another drink of iced tea.

“It’s a huge deal. Something no kid should have to endure.”

“Hey, could I use your telephone? I need to check on something.”

His abrupt manner caught her off guard. “Oh, sure.” She pointed to the phone on the stand.

He looked embarrassed for a moment. “Could I take this somewhere more, uh, private?”

Now she was embarrassed. “Certainly. The family room is around the corner. Mom’s working right next to it in the kitchen, but I can call her out here.”

“Thank you. I’d appreciate that.”

“No problem.”

Cole got up, grabbed the phone, and walked into the next room. Ellie called her mom into the living room. Never had Ellie given thought to the idea that perhaps Cole had a special someone in his life. For some reason, that bothered her a little. Not in a jealous kind of way, of course, but more like a pair of shoes that pinched her toes. It just didn’t feel quite right….

Cole stepped into the dark night and made his way to the car. He looked back at Ellie’s house and saw her standing in the doorway. She waved. He waved back, climbed into his car, started the engine, and pulled onto the street.

He couldn’t deny he’d had a good time with Ellie and her parents. At first, he had felt a little uncomfortable, especially when Ellie had started asking him about his family. At least she didn’t have Caller ID, so she wouldn’t find out he had escaped her questions by calling Time and Temperature. He smiled.

Still, they were a real nice family. Boy, could they sing! After dinner, they had gathered around the piano and sung together. He’d actually found himself joining in a couple of the old choruses his grandmother had taught him.

Grandma Preston had watched him and Caed when their dad was gone on business trips. He cherished those times with her. Funny, he hadn’t thought about that in a very long time. She was the one person in this world he’d felt had really cared about him and his brother. Then she’d died when they were sixteen, and they were pretty much left to fend for themselves.