Page 6 of Rival
“Well, the church is sponsoring just a little ol’ barn raising. Nothing complicated and shouldn’t take more than a few weeks. But, by law, we ought to have a contractor on site. If you stop over tomorrow after service, I could give you all the details.”
My knee started bouncing the moment she started speaking, and by the time she’s done, I’m shoving my palm into my eye to ease some of the tension building. “Ruth… Mrs. Danielson. Ican’t promise anything more than stopping by to hear you out. I’ve got all my guys assigned to jobs for the next three months as it is, so if Icouldhelp you, it’d have to be me. I’ll check my schedule before I see you, but that’s going to have to be enough for now.”
“It’s more than enough for you to even consider it. I’ll save you some cookies. You’re welcome to come to the service if you want to sneak over a bit early.” The hopeful lilt of her voice at the end is what does me in. There’s no way I’ll be able to tell her no.
“I’ll be there. I don’t know if I’ll make church, but I’ll find you after.”
She sighs, relieved. “Thank you, Jaxon. You’re a good man. I’m sure your daddy is real proud of you. I’ll see you tomorrow. Don’t let me forget to give you cookies.” With that, she hangs up the phone.
My fingers tap in a rolling pattern across the top of my desk, and I eye the only personal photo I’ve set out on its surface. Julia’s smiling face haunts me every day. I’ve always thought you can tell when someone is deceased if you look at a photo of them. You don’t see it right away, but there’s just this thing about their eyes.
Pushing away from my desk, I roll my chair back and stand, dragging my eyes from her face. I pick up my wallet and shove it into my jeans, then grab my keys. “Jennice,” I call out. “I’m gonna head out for the day. I’ll swing by some of the jobs first, so I’ll have my cell on me if you need anything. Feel free to forward calls once you head out. Three sound good?”
“Awesome! ‘Cuz there’s this party Ireallywanted to go to tonight.” She bounces in her chair and claps her hands together. “This way, I’ll have some time to get ready. But I promise I’ll get everything entered in before I go. Thanks again for givin’ me a chance, Jax. I really appreciate it.”
I fight the urge to lecture her on the dangers of high school parties. They’re dangerous and not worth the risk, instead I just say, “Make sure you’re careful tonight. Make smart choices and be safe.”
Her assurance she will doesn’t do much to ease my concern and I debate giving her dad a call to let him know she plans on partying, but I know I’m overreacting. Julia’s story isn’t always how it’ll end for everyone else, and Jennice seems like she’s got a good head on her shoulders.
My sister was wild. Boys and alcohol were always tempting to her, and had I been more aware of what she was getting mixed up into, maybe things would have turned out differently for her.
Leaving my office, I head out to the jobs my guys are working to ensure everything is running smoothly, then make it to bed at a decent hour for an early start tomorrow. Telling the pastor’s wifenois going to be difficult, and I’m almost certain I’ll end up agreeing just to make her happy.
Ruth walks with her hands stretched out to grab hold of mine. “Jaxon! It’s been ages since I’ve seen you here. Did you come early enough to listen to Josiah’s sermon?”
Leaning down, I press a kiss to her cheek. “Sorry, I didn’t. Just got here. Seems like you all let out a bit early today.”
“We did. It’s too beautiful out not to enjoy the sunshine. Would you sit with me for a moment? These knees are aching and need a rest.”
Chuckling, I release her and follow as she leads us to the last pew. “So, we plan on doing a barn raising for the Murray family. That old one collapsed a few months ago, and it’s hitting them hard not being able to house the animals. That family has been apart of the congregation for decades and it just hurts our hearts to see them struggle. We’ve been raising funds and think we’ve got enough.”
I let her ramble for the next ten minutes as she explains that they’ve got all the volunteers ready to go, materials being delivered over the next week, and all they need left is someone to supervise.
Just as I’m about to tell her I’ll help, because there’s no way I’m saying no to this little woman, a crash jolts us out of our conversation.
“Oh, shoot.” The embarrassed voice comes from a woman hunkered down at the end of the entrance table where the pamphlets and snacks are waiting for members to snag on their way out. She’s on her knees, reaching for the papers spread out all over the floor.
Ruth’s wiry hand grips my knee, jolting my attention back to her. “Help her, would you? I don’t think I can get myself down to the floor right now.” She keeps her voice low so the young woman won’t overhear.
“Right. Sure thing.” Standing, I hurry to the dark-haired woman and squat down to start picking up the papers. Gathering them up, I tap the stack into a neat pile and glance to my side when a few more are shoved in front of me. “Thanks…” My voice trails off when our eyes lock together.
Fuck.
Blue-green hazel eyes, freckles across her nose, and fine features hold me captive.MyGod, this woman is absolutely stunning. She’s obviously significantly younger than me, but she has to be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in this town.
“Jaxon, this is Edith. Edith, Jaxon is the foreman who’s going to help us with the barn build next week.” Ruth’s interruption jerks my eyes from Edith’s face, just before she drops hers back to the ground. “Edith is one of our volunteers.”
Thank God. If I hadn’t said yes already, I would absolutely agree now. I’ve always been too busy to seriously consider dating, but I’m certainly inspired now.
“You’re helping to build the barn?” I ask her with a quiet voice as we continue to pick up the mess she’s made.
Edith flicks her eyes at me briefly before using the table to pull herself to her feet. “I am. Thank you for helping me pick this all up.” She turns to Ruth once she sets the remaining papers on the table, folding her hands in front of her. “Sorry about knocking this stuff over. I was going to take the cookies back to the kitchen so they’d keep in the fridge. Did you want to take some home for Pastor Josiah?”
Patting her purse, she smiles softly. “I’ve already got a few baggies stowed away. Jaxon, you ought to take some with you. Our Edith is a wonderful baker!”
“I’d love to,” I blurt out without thinking. Edith seems embarrassed by Ruth’s praise, and I find that I’m eager to try the cookies she’s trying to stand in front of. Reaching around her to grab a bag, I fight off a grin when she stiffens and attempts to move out of my way, whispering apologies. “They all the same? Or do we have a variety here?” I ask, holding up the cookies.
“Oh! Uhh, they’re all the same. Nothing special. Just chocolate chip.” Spinning around, she picks up the bowl containing the rest and holds the bowl up to me. “If you’d like more, though, you can have them. I’m sure they’ll end up going bad by next week.”
