Kitty stopped inside the door and glanced around the ordered clutter that was Jace’s workshop. He hadn’t brought her here the day of the picnic but she’d seen the large metal building.
“Am I interrupting something?” She twisted the clasp on her clutch purse.
From the sudden silence in the workshop and the curious looks of both Jace and his red-haired helper, she figured the answer was yes.
She squared her shoulders. Be brave, Kitty.
If Jace didn’t want her here, she’d know soon enough.
Jace put aside some sort of power tool and came toward her. “Come on in.”
His voice held a question. What was she doing here? She was asking herself the same question, even though she knew the answers. Both Cheyenne and GI Jack had Kitty seriously thinking about her feelings for Jace. There was something there worth pursuing. Though she worried about her in-laws’ response, she’d spent a lot of time in prayer, too. No answer had fallen from heaven but she hadn’t felt condemned, either. Donny’s announcement about the carousel had tipped the scales. She wanted to see Jace and she wanted to know about the project.
“I don’t want to bother you.”
“You’re fine.”
Not very reassuring, but not an outright rejection, either.
“I see you took my advice and hired an assistant.”
Jace’s eyes brightened—just a bit but enough that Kitty felt less of an interloper. He gestured toward the redhead who’d pushed his goggles on top of his head and stood staring at her with an annoyed expression.
“This is my right-hand man, Ned Veech.”
A smile bloomed inside Kitty. He’d hired Ned. What a sweet thing to do. “Ned, hello. I remember you from Sunday school. You might have grown a little since then.”
Ned’s insolent stare evaporated. “I guess I have. How ya doin’, Ms. Wainright? I didn’t recognize you for a minute. You a friend of Jace’s?”
Kitty held her smile in place but her gaze skittered to Jace’s face. “We attend the same church.”
“Oh, yeah. That’s cool.” His red hair was too long and flopped forward when he nodded. The boy Kitty remembered was still in there somewhere, but time had taken a toll. Ned was grubby-looking as always, but instead of the childish innocence she recalled, there was a wary hardness around him.
“You’re always welcome to come back.” She kept the invitation light and escapable.
“Thanks.” He flipped the goggles back in place. “I gotta get to work.”
That went over well.
“Was there something you needed, Kitty?” Jace had shoved both palms in his hip pockets.
“I’m bothering you. I should go.” She started to turn. A strong hand caught her elbow.
“No.” When she looked over her shoulder, he dropped her arm. His voice softened. “You’re not bothering anyone.”
“Really? You’re sure?”
“Positive.” His smile was real. “Would you like a tour of a mad carpenter’s workshop?”
She laughed, as much from relief as pleasure. “I’d love one.”
“I guess you can tell what we’re working on.” He lifted a painted horse’s head.
Kitty’s pulse jumped. “So the rumor is true. Oh, Jace. Why didn’t you tell me? Where did you find it? Who had it?” She pressed her palms to her cheeks. “Oh, I’m talking too much, but the committee will be thrilled to bits. I know I certainly am. Why didn’t you call me?”
Okay, she’d asked the crucial question but in a way that Jace would never suspect how bewildered and yes, hurt, she’d been when he’d gone silent after their lovely picnic.
Was that just a tad of excitement she spotted in those quiet eyes? “I wanted it to be a surprise.”
He’d wanted to surprise her? He’d done this for her? Her pulse skittered, stopped and started again.
“Redemption’s been good to me. Giving something back was the least I could do.”
The thrill fizzled. He hadn’t done this for her. He’d done it for the town.
Which was just as well, better even.
She was so confused.
Cheyenne’s words kept running through her head. The trinket box scripture wasn’t far behind. Her friends were putting crazy thoughts in her head. If she wasn’t careful, they’d cause her to embarrass herself and hurt Trina and Chuck. Her in-laws would be appalled to know her reasons for being here. Worse, they’d be devastated that dating again had even crossed her mind.
And yet it had.
She bit the inside of her cheek, trying hard to think of anything except how good Jace looked with wood chips in his hair, covered in sawdust and surrounded by the tools of his trade. His skin had darkened, begun to bronze since she’d last seen him. The effect gilded his hair and changed his eyes to a soft green. He must be working outside somewhere.
A beautifully painted horse body stood on a sawhorse behind Jace. She went to it, as much for something to do, as to see the incredible work.
“Is this from the original carousel?”
“It is. You were right about asking Popbottle Jones.”
“He knew?” When Jace nodded, she said, “Maybe this is the same one Opal Banks rode after that awful gypsy kissed her.”
Jace’s eyes crinkled in humor. “Maybe.”
“Wouldn’t that be amazing? Just think of the history we’re looking at, Jace. Think of the people who’ve ridden this pony, of the laughing children, the romantic couples, the silly, giddy girls like Opal. This pony could tell so many stories.”
“I like thinking about them, too.”
Kitty stroked light fingers over the glossy paint. “Where did you find it? I still can’t believe you did. I was afraid it was lost forever.”
“Most of the main body and the horses were in storage in a shed at Simmy John’s place.”
“Why would Simmy John have it?”
“When the carousel was dismantled, his daddy bought it from the city on a sentimental whim.” Jace dusted an imaginary speck from the horse’s mane. “Simmy John’s daddy proposed to his mother on horse number six. So when the town dismantled the carousel during the war, he bought what was left, stored it away, and it was eventually forgotten.”
“What a sweet story.”
“Yes, and Simmy John was happy to hear it might be used again. We were both amazed at the condition. Even the music apparatus still plays. We have to rebuild the base and the metal portions, and a couple of the horse heads needed complete renovation. That’s where Ned comes in.” He ran a hand along the smooth, glossy paint of one of the finished prancers. She was a beauty with the saddle work done in bright aqua, red and yellow. “He did most of this one.”
Ned had paused in his buzzing and scraping to watch the other two admire his handiwork. He might want to appear cool, but his one uncovered eye begged for approval.
Poor boy. What had he been through since she’d taught him about Jesus?
“Ned, you are incredibly gifted. Thank you for sharing your talent with the rest of us.”
One shoulder jerked. He cranked some kind of grinding tool and drowned out further compliments.
Kitty lifted an eyebrow at Jace. “Did I say something wrong? Is he okay?”
“He’s a little touchy. Mostly, he doesn’t know how to take a compliment.”
Kitty turned her body so Ned wouldn’t know he was the topic of discussion. “Has he told you anything about his family?”
“No, but he doesn’t go home anymore. He’s bunking here.”
“There’s no home to go to, from what I understand.”
“No family? I thought he has a mother.”
Kitty shook her head. “She’s in and out. Mostly out. Last I heard she’d moved to Muskogee with a new boyfriend. That’s been at least a year ago. He had a brother, Jerry, the man who drowned in Redemption River a few weeks ago. The one you tried to save.”
Jace’s mouth fell open. “You’re kidding. Jerry was Ned’s brother?”
“A half brother, I think. Their names were different, but he was all the family Ned had.”
“Why didn’t I know that?”
She shrugged. “I suppose everyone took for granted you did.”
“Unbelievable. No other relatives?”
“I don’t think so. When Ned was small, his father was in the picture but he’s not anymore. As far as I know, Ned is all alone.”
Eyes squinted in thought, Jace slowly pivoted toward his employee. “A lot of things make sense now.”
At seventeen, Ned was still underage. How had he avoided social services?
Kitty followed his gaze. “You’re doing a good thing, Jace. He needs you.”
The thought made him uncomfortable, all things considered. He hadn’t hired Ned out of concern for the boy. He’d hired him selfishly because he’d wanted to please Kitty. “He’s an employee.”
“Who sleeps in your house.”
“On my floor.”
“Just as you do.”
Jace couldn’t stop the quick bark of laughter. “Don’t make a hero out of me.”
“If the shoe fits…” Twirling a curl with an index finger, she widened her eyes and arched her shoulders.
His heart had done all kinds of gymnastics the minute she’d walked through the door. The rational part of his brain had demanded he send her away but the rest of him was glad to see her. Redemption was a small town. He couldn’t avoid her forever.
And okay, he didn’t want to. He’d been close to her nearly every day for several years now and not seeing her was like cutting off an arm.
Today her pale, pale hair was wadded into a knot at the back of her head. Loose, thick strands curved around her face and brushed her shoulders. A couple of combs poked out from beneath an overhang of blondness. He’d never seen a woman whose hair could look pretty and messy at the same time.
He hadn’t thought it possible, but Kitty had gotten prettier since the day she’d picnicked in his yard and he’d nearly kissed her.
Sometimes he regretted not following through, but the result would have been disaster. No matter how many excuses he created to make kissing her all right, it wouldn’t have been.
No matter what Popbottle Jones had said, she was out of his league, and he was out of his mind for even thinking such a thing was possible.
God, he loved her so much. She’d swirled into his shop like a warm spring breeze ripe with fragrance and smiles and now that she was here, he wanted to keep her. Forever.
He picked up a slab of planed hardwood, smoothed a hand down it. This piece was ready to glue. “Don’t get your hopes up about the carousel.”
“What do you mean?”
“I doubt we’ll finish in time for the celebration. Ned’s a genius but I have to study as I go. Restoring carousels is not my area.”
“These you’ve done are beautiful, Jace. Incredible, re ally.”
“The horses might be ready by then, but what about the base and the pavilion top? Neither requires too much expertise, only basic carpentry skills, but they take time.” He shook his head, mouth rueful. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”
She touched his arm and he felt her warmth all the way to his heart. “You were thinking of the pleasure this would bring to others.”
No, he’d been thinking of himself. And her.
“When I tell the committee about this, they’re going to want it. Couldn’t you hire some more help?”
“I can’t spare the money.” He’d pushed his Queen Anne to the background because of the carousel. Eventually, he’d need money to finish her.
“The committee has some funds to spend.”
“Seriously?”
“I can help, too. In fact, I want to. This was my idea to begin with. Why should you be stuck with all the work?”
“I don’t know.”
Kitty wiggled her fingers in his face. “These fingers can paint. I’m terrific with detail.”
“You are?”
“Who do you think paints all those figurines? And the bobblehead dolls?”
“You?”
“Little old me.” She laughed and spun in a semicircle taking in the contents of the workshop. “We can do this, Jace. There are others who will help, too, for a chance at bringing the carousel to life again. We may not be experts, but we can follow directions from an expert.”
He was starting to catch her enthusiasm. “When can you start?”
She clasped her hands in front of her. “Give me a paintbrush and point me in the right direction.”
Kitty was a whirlwind organizer when she set her mind to something. And this carousel stirred something deep inside her. Spending every day in Jace’s workshop wasn’t a bad idea either. She figured she could explore and analyze the feelings simmering between them. She’d stopped wondering if Jace liked her. He had a natural reserve, an aloofness she found intriguing, but when she said his name, he dropped what he was doing and came her way. Just as he’d been doing for years, though she’d never noticed.
She was noticing now.
He was across the room with Ned and a couple of other men. Her gaze found him often throughout the day, as it did now. He always seemed to know because he looked up and grinned every time.
She grinned back, wrinkled her nose and waved a paintbrush, wishing she knew how to run a table saw so she could work on that side of the room.
The workshop was huge and with the addition of volunteers, Jace had arranged the room into sections. Power tools and woodworking on one side. Paint and assembly on the other. Refurbishing the music box and the metal works in still another. The clang and clatter, buzz and grind were a backdrop to conversations and the come and go of volunteers.
“Things are shaping up.”
GI Jack, with paint in his hair and wood chips stuck to his shirt, stood next to her at the assembly-line style table. He and Popbottle Jones had embraced the project with enthusiasm. All her friends were here when they weren’t working, Annie and Cheyenne, Sloan and Trace, Jilly and Jeri from the vet clinic, the pastor and another dozen guys and girls from church and the Land Run Committee.
Jace had been particular about who took part, carefully putting the right people in the right places. Other than a few mistakes here and there, the volunteers were doing well.
“Another week and we’ll be ready to move everything to the town square.”
“I figure Ida June and Sunny will have the pavilion ready by then, too.” He cackled softly. “You should stop by and watch those two at work. What a pair.”
Kitty laughed with him. She and Sunny Case were nearly the same age and Ida June Click was in her eighties. Though different as night and day, both wielded a mighty hammer and loved a project. Together with most of the shop class from the high school, they’d partnered up to build the pavilion on which the carousel would rest. Those kids would learn more from Ida June’s badgering and pithy quotations than they’d thought possible.
“I love the way the town has come together behind this project.”
The lumberyard donated most of the wood. Simmy John Case’s hardware store provided tools and paint. The Land Run Committee, the banks and the Markovas had chipped in funds for the metalwork being done by an out-of-town contractor.
“Right inspiring, ain’t it?”
Kitty dabbed red paint onto a horse’s breast harness. “Very.” And she was thrilled to be part of it.
“I could use a sody pop. How about you?”
She shook her head, smiling. “I’m good. Thank you though.”
“How about the rest of you?” GI sent the message down the line, receiving yesses from a pair of men assembling the legs onto a standing pony.
He carefully tilted his paintbrush into a jar of solvent and rubbed his palms down the sides of his pants, leaving streaks of green and pink. “Back in a bit.”
He shuffled off, leaving Kitty with a smile and a warm feeling as she returned to carefully adding tiny crimson beads across the front of the horse.
“Who’s minding the motel office today?”
Kitty jumped at the sudden masculine voice next to her ear. Donny Babcock had a way of sneaking up and invading her space. She ducked slightly to the side, dismayed to see a streak of unexpected red on the white-bodied horse. She reached quickly for a rag dampened with paint thinner.
“You startled me.”
Dressed in jeans and a T-shirt instead of his usual business suit, Donny looked different, but like so many others, he was doing his part to make the carousel a reality. She couldn’t fault him there, although she did wonder about the allergies he’d claimed to have.
“I saw you standing here all alone and thought you could use some company.” He put his hand over hers, stilling the work on the horse. With a proprietary air, he took the pungent-odored cloth from her fingers and wiped away the unwanted paint.
Kitty hid a sigh. She wasn’t alone. The room was packed. He was probably being gallant but just the same, she pulled her hand away.
“Harvey’s on duty at the office.” Harvey was one of her full-time boarders, a retired widower. His grandson was president of the bank but Harvey preferred living independently in the motel to living in his son’s fancy house. “He’s having a domino tournament on the front lawn.”
“Sounds fun.” Donny smiled his toothy smile. “There. I think I’ve taken care of your little mess-up. Want to take some time off, go inside and grab a bite to eat? Relax those weary fingers? Our refrigerator’s full.”
The refrigerator was Jace’s but she didn’t say that. Donny had a way of wording things that irritated her and she needed to get over it.
“The church ladies went on full alert when they discovered Jace’s cupboards were bare.”
“A blessing to us all. So what do you say? Let’s go in and have some of that fried chicken and talk awhile.”
“I want to finish this first, Donny. You go ahead.”
He seemed genuinely perplexed at her refusal. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.” She added a smile to the refusal.
“All right then. Maybe later. Have you thought about our last conversation?”
Kitty focused on the next bead, hand steady, but mind busy. She’d been considering Donny’s offer for a while. He wanted her to invest in his real estate business, with the promise of making a lot of money. “I haven’t decided yet.”
“You don’t want to miss out on this, Kitty. Prices go up every day. Did your mother-in-law tell you about the return on her investment?”
“She’s really excited about it.” Trina and Chuck had invested with Donny and had already made several thousand dollars. Kitty had to admit she was impressed. “They’ve been telling me I should invest.”
“You should.”
“I’m praying about it.”
Something flickered across Donny’s face but his smile was the usual. “Don’t wait too long or you’ll miss out on the chance of a lifetime.”
The buzz and hum of activity heavy around him, Jace swallowed back the knot in his throat. He was overwhelmed. Grateful. Terrified. Sometimes he woke up in the night sweating with anxiety. All these people underfoot and in his house and shop all day and half the night. He loved it. He hated it. Though he’d been a part of Redemption for a long time, he’d remained on the perimeter, an outsider looking in. He’d never really fit. Never belonged. He’d simply lived and worked here. Now, he was right in the middle of the activity and it scared him spitless.
He threaded a screw onto a screwdriver, glad for the familiar feel of work in his hands. The best thing about the community involvement was Kitty. He looked up, saw her talking to Donny and sighed. Was it his imagination or did every single man in the room manage to find an excuse to stop and talk to her?
There were other beautiful women in the room, some of them single. Why did Kitty stand out like a bright yellow butterfly?
He drilled the screw into place, tossed the tool to the tabletop, and crossed the room. Ned looked up, saw his direction and smirked. Jace pointed a finger at him. Ned’s smirk widened. Smart aleck kid could read his mind.
Donny had become a regular in the workshop since the project began. He’d shouldered his share of the work. More than that, Jace had noticed how the other volunteers related to him. They clapped him on the shoulder, laughed with him and seemed to genuinely like the guy. Apparently Jace was the one with the problem, not Donny.
That much, at least, was a relief.
Seeing Donny cozy up to Kitty wasn’t.
Donny said something close to her ear, smiled and touched her hair before ambling toward the door.
Jealousy tightened Jace’s gut into knots and set his mind racing. No matter how clean Donny might be now, he hadn’t always been. Kitty deserved better. The way Jace saw it, if she was coming out of her widow’s cocoon he should run interference and protect her from the wolves until the right guy came along.
“Hey,” he said. “Ready for a break? I’m buying.”
She laughed, knowing as he did that the kitchen was full of donated food and drink. “Big spender. So generous of you, but I just turned Donny down.”
“Why does that make me happy?”
“I don’t know. Why does it?” She dabbed a coat of dazzling turquoise onto a wooden eye.
Jace didn’t figure he should answer that. “He’s not good enough for you.”
“Oh.” She seemed disappointed by his answer.
“Let’s walk outside, get some air.”
“I’d like that.”