Hearts Under Construction (8 page)

Cheryl raised an eyebrow. “My, we
are
a little touchy.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. The man drives me nuts, and he’s not my lover boy!”

Cheryl shrugged. “Whatever you say.”

Ellie looked at her in disbelief. “How can you say that, Cheryl? You know he’s practically fingernails on a chalkboard.”

“Precisely my point.”

Ellie stared, saying nothing.

“Look, Ellie, Mr. Right isn’t going to be perfect. You’re always looking for someone without any flaws. If he was out there, Hollywood would have a reality show about him.”

“What got us into Mr. Right? We’re talking about Cole Preston making me crazy.”

“Exactly.”

Ellie was not enjoying this conversation.

“I’m sorry, Ellie. It just seems so clear to me that you’re attracted to him and that’s why he drives you crazy.”

“You can’t mean that.”

“Think about it. I know his little quirks bother you, but those same things about him make you dig deeper into yourself. It’s like he’s exposing you to yourself, do you know what I mean?”

Ellie rolled her eyes. “You take one class in psychology and you’ve been analyzing ever since. I need a friend here, Cheryl, not a shrink.” Normally, Ellie could handle Cheryl playing Dr. Phil, but not tonight.

Cheryl shrugged and took a drink of her latte.

Ellie leaned into the table. “Look, Cheryl, I’m sorry. I just want to know how to work with the guy without losing my mind. Can you help me with that?”

Cheryl noticeably softened and nodded. “Just promise me I’ll be a bridesmaid.”

Ellie groaned.

T
he next couple of weeks passed in a blur. Ellie kept busy with new clients, and Cole got the house repairs underway so they would be back on schedule soon. They had apologized to one another over their latest tiff, though they still kept their distance in the office. Ellie finally got a break from Cole’s upheavals and yet she felt strange about it all. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

Maybe Cheryl had been right. Oh, not the attraction part, but maybe Ellie liked the fire that sparked between her and Cole, the challenges he hurled her way. She couldn’t imagine what would make her think such a thing. She hated changes. And
change
was Coleman Preston’s middle name.

“You coming, Ellie?” Her mom and dad stood at the church doors, holding them open for Ellie as she lagged behind. She quickened her pace.

“Sorry, Mom.”

Her parents smiled at her, then they walked into the church foyer. They greeted their church family and when Ellie turned to her right, her heart seemed to stop midbeat.

“Hi, Ellie,” Cole said, standing a short distance away. He fingered his collar and adjusted his tie as she walked toward him.

“Cole,” she said, ignoring the continuing leap in her pulse. “Nice to have you join us this morning.” She surprised herself by meaning it.

“Thanks.” He flashed her the blinding grin. “Jax made me come.”

They both turned to Jax who had just finished talking with someone and turned back to them. “Hey, Ellie. Guess you see who I forced to come this morning,” he said, giving Cole a manly pat on the shoulder.

“See what I mean,” he said to Ellie. Turning to Jax, he said, “Come on, I’m not that bad. I’ve been to church before.”

Jax and Ellie stared at him, both of them grinning. “Well, I have. Grandma used to take me and my brother all the time.”

They laughed out loud. “We believe you, Cole,” Ellie said, feeling kinder toward her supervisor than she had in weeks. The worship team started singing, and Ellie turned to walk with her parents. “Hey, Ellie, why don’t you sit with us?” Cole asked, surprising her.

“Well—”

“Come on, sis,” Jax chimed in, using the nickname he used only when away from the office.

Cole looked at him. “I didn’t know you were related.”

Jax shrugged. “Well, technically, we’re not. But I’ve taken it upon myself to take care of her. So you’d better behave yourself. Big brother is watching.”

Cole threw a mock salute toward Jax and the three made their way into the sanctuary. They settled into their seats with Ellie sitting in the middle.

The first service was more of a contemporary nature, with lively, upbeat music. Jax and Ellie clapped their hands in beat and sang along heartily. Cole shifted uncomfortably from leg to leg, looked around, and shifted some more. Ellie pretended not to notice. She wanted to make him feel comfortable, but he didn’t know the songs, and she didn’t know what to do. After a little while, she saw him mouth the words on the overhead screen and attempt to join the rest.

Following the morning greeting where people sitting nearby extended a welcome, the congregation sat down and prepared for the message. Ellie prayed a silent prayer for Cole. She had not been a good example of Christ to him and guilt plagued her for that. She didn’t want to be the reason someone else stumbled in their relationship to Christ.

The pastor spoke about control. How we need to give our lives over to the Lord, allowing Him full control of our lives, our dreams, our future. She wondered if that was a little heavy for Cole, but figured the Lord knew what He was doing.

The Scripture reading was from Proverbs 3:5-6, talking about trusting in the Lord and leaning not on our own understanding. Ellie was quite familiar with that verse; it was one of her favorites. She shifted into a more comfortable position in her seat, preparing herself for a good message. But as time lingered on, she noticed her back was getting sore. Her left leg went to sleep. She could feel a headache coming on. To be honest, she didn’t like where the pastor was headed with his sermon. She had relinquished control of her life to God, so why did she feel uncomfortable? She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, and quickly shoved it aside. Besides, she needed to pray for Cole. As far as she knew, he didn’t know the Lord. This was about him. Not her.

Cole listened intently to what the pastor had to say. Did people really do that, surrender their lives, their wills, to someone unseen? He couldn’t do that. Oh, sure, he believed in God. After all, Someone had to create everything, but this yielding control business bothered him. Seemed more like a crutch to depend on Someone other than himself in everyday life. He figured it was enough to visit God on Sundays and maybe have a slight conversation throughout the week. But the business of building your world around Him, that didn’t set well with Cole.

He stole a sideways glance at Ellie. Then Jax. They seemed engrossed in the message. He appreciated his friends and felt sorry he couldn’t share their beliefs. But this was a free country, and a day of tolerance. They could each believe their own way without affecting the other.

After church, Ellie’s mom walked over to them. “Jax, how about you and Cole joining us for lunch?”

“Oh, I wish I could,” Jax said, glancing at his watch, “but I’m supposed to pick Alex up in a half hour. We’re going on an afternoon picnic.”

Cole was surprised to hear that. Jax had said things were getting strained between him and Alex.

Mrs. Williams frowned then turned to Cole. “How about you, do you have plans for the afternoon?”

Cole had no idea how to get out of this, and Jax looked as though he enjoyed watching Cole squirm. “No plans, ma’am.”

“Good.” She glanced over at Ellie and smiled. Ellie’s face had turned a pasty white. He wasn’t sure if he liked having that effect on her. Not that he cared one way or another how Ellie felt about him.

Oh, he liked her as a person, as far as that went, but anything beyond that, he wouldn’t begin to entertain the thought. She was too stiff for his tastes. Didn’t like adventure or change. That spelled boring in his dictionary. Looking at her once more, he couldn’t deny she was pretty, present paleness notwithstanding. At first glance, he would definitely be attracted to her, and come to think of it, he had been. In the beginning. Before their obvious differences sent up red flags.

Okay, so he was still attracted to her. But he wouldn’t allow his emotions to overcome his good sense.

“Cole?” Jax tugged at Cole’s arm.

“Oh, sorry,” Cole said, embarrassed he had been caught daydreaming.

“I said I’ll see you later. Try to get along with Ellie for the sake of her family, okay?” Jax’s eyes held a teasing glint.

“How could you think otherwise?” Cole acted offended.

“I’ll just let that one go by. See you later, buddy,” Jax called over his shoulder.

“You want to follow me to my parents’?” Ellie asked.

“Sure.”

“It’s only a couple of miles down the road.”

“Don’t you have to come past here to go back to your house?” he asked.

She nodded.

“Well, why don’t you leave your car here and ride with me? I’ll drop you off on our way back.”

He noted her hesitation. No doubt she felt as nervous as he did about this whole thing, but still it seemed the logical thing to do. What’s a couple of miles in the car together?

“Okay, that will be fine, I guess.”

“I won’t bite, I promise.”

“So you’ve told me,” she answered dryly.

“And?”

“And what?”

“Have I kept my word?” He rather enjoyed the bantering.

She waited, squinted her eyes and looked toward the ceiling. Finally, she looked at him. “So far, so good.”

His head snapped in an I-told-you-so fashion. “Let’s go.”

“Great meal, Mrs. Williams. Thank you for saving me from a lunch of canned ravioli.”

Ellie’s mom laughed, her slightly plump middle shaking a tad. “Glad you could join us, Cole. You’re welcome to come over any time.”

Ellie winced. She could tell her mother was on a mission, and Ellie didn’t like it. They’d talk later.

“Excuse me, where’s the bathroom?” Cole asked.

“Down the hall to the right,” Ellie said, pointing.

Cole nodded and left the room.

“Mom, please, don’t encourage him,” Ellie whispered, emphasizing each word. “He’s my boss, and I don’t want to pal around with him.” She helped her mother clear the dishes from the dining room table.

“Now, Ellie, I’m merely extending a Christian welcome to the young man. ‘Whenever you do it unto the least of these,’ remember?” Arms full, they carried the dishes into the kitchen for washing.

Ellie groaned. “Do you have to bring God into everything, Mom?”

Mom shrugged. “He is in charge of my life. Controls every aspect.” Ellie could almost see her mother in a spy suit, peering over the rim of her dark glasses, eyes boring into the secret places of Ellie’s heart.

Ellie squirmed. “And that’s another thing. Why do you always try to apply the pastor’s message right after service? I’m not five anymore, Mom. I get it, okay?” Ellie tried not to show her frustration, but for crying out loud, her mother had been applying the morning message right after church for as long as Ellie could remember. Her mother used to say, “If you apply it right away, it will stick in your memory longer.”

“Just trying to be a blessing, dear,” her mother teased.

Ellie wasn’t amused. In fact, her mood was growing downright bitter. Cole’s presence made her uncomfortable. Mom’s mission made her nervous, and for reasons she couldn’t explain, she didn’t like the pastor’s message. “Where’s your chocolate stash?”

“Oh dear, I’ve upset you,” her mother said, reaching for a candy bar.

Ellie sighed. “I’m sorry, Mom. I’m just a little on edge.” She unwrapped the chocolate bar and took a bite.

“Why?”

“Different reasons. Cole’s requiring more documentation of our client interaction and—”

“Hey, nice pictures in the hallway,” Cole interrupted when he came into the kitchen.

Ellie jumped. “Thanks.”

“A lot of them have you holding a book or something. What’s that about?” He directed the question to Ellie, but her mother dove in with the response.

“Oh, Ellie struggled each time her dad moved to a new church, so she found comfort in her journals. She’s kept every journal she’s ever written since she was seven,” her mother said, puffing up with pride.

Cole looked impressed.

Ellie inwardly groaned, took another bite of her candy bar, and headed for the living room. Her mom stayed behind to finish up in the kitchen. Her father had had to go back to the church and find some music.

“What was that about?” Cole asked when they sat down on the couch.

Words bunched in her throat. “In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t like to talk about me,” she said when she finally found her voice.

“I’ve noticed. So what was that about?” he repeated with a grin.

She made a face.

“Must have been hard.”

“What?”

“Moving all those times when you were a kid. Adjusting to new schools, new friends. Some kids do okay with that, some kids don’t. It’s a personality thing.”

Ellie nodded and kept chewing. She wished everyone would leave her alone so she could enjoy her candy bar.

“I didn’t move a lot, but Dad was always gone on business trips.”

Ellie stopped chewing and looked at him. He rarely talked about his personal life, and when he did, she listened.

“We had Grandma, and I loved her, but it wasn’t the same as having Dad around. Sales work was all he knew, and he had to put food on the table.” Cole shrugged and paused a moment. “Dad was good at it, too, until the booze took over.”

Her pulse gave an unexpected blip, taking her breath away for a moment. She couldn’t believe it. They were actually having a serious conversation, looking into each other’s hearts. Well, she was peeking into his anyway. For some reason, that made her very uncomfortable, and yet, on the other hand, she felt strangely warmed by it all. The strains of “Kumbayah” returned in a faint whisper, startling her.

He straightened himself and stared once again into the distance. “Dad sure knew how to have fun. The adventurous type, you know?”

She nodded. “Like father, like son?” she asked with a smile.

“Yeah, I guess so,” he agreed. “Dad, my brother and I, we did all the manly things. Fishing, hunting, scuba diving, you name it.” He stopped again. “Until he started drinking.”

“I’m sorry, Cole.”

He shrugged. “You know, he hardly ever drank until Mom left.” He shook his head and turned to her. “Good grief, I’m telling you my life story. Sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

“Let’s talk about you.”

“Let’s not.”

He ignored her. “I can understand why you struggle with change. You want to avoid it because it makes you uncomfortable, makes you think of your childhood days of upheaval.”

For crying out loud, first Cheryl, now Cole. She was surrounded by amateur therapists. “Don’t tell me you just happened to bring the ink blot test?”

He held up his hands. “Okay, okay, you win. I’m out of line here. But if you ever want to talk, I’m here for you,” he said with a wink.

She finished her candy bar.

Cole’s cell phone rang. “Hello? Yeah, uh-huh. When?”

Ellie could tell something was wrong by the frown on Cole’s face.

“I’ll be right there.” He folded his cell phone. “I’ve gotta go,” he said, rising to his feet.

“What’s wrong?”

“Vandalism at the Shady Acres job site.”

She groaned.

“We can’t afford this right now,” he said, walking toward the door. “We’re going to have to make some changes.” He stopped at the door. “Can your mom drive you back to your car?”

Ellie nodded.

“Sorry to do this.” He blew out a sigh. “Tell your mom I said thanks for dinner.” Cole turned and walked out the door.

Ellie watched him. “Great. More changes.” She sighed, then looked at the candy wrapper in her hand and wadded it up. Time to start a new diet….