Chapter Eighteen

Dakota turned off the car. “Are you sure you want to do this?” She nodded to the front door of the mission where a man and woman reclined against the stucco building smoking a cigarette.

“I promised Brian I’d do this, and I will.” Asa shifted toward her sister. “Thank you for agreeing to come with me. I get the impression they can always use an extra pair of hands.”

Dakota turned her gaze back to the mission door. “Have you heard from Simeon yet? He looked pretty angry when he stalked away from the rally last week.”

“No. I’m sure he thinks I’m the devil reincarnated. He thinks I turned his brother against him.”

Dakota squeezed her hand and held on, not letting go. “What’s next after this?” She nodded to the mission door again. “Does it mean you’re giving up...on saving the house, I mean?”

“I remember when you used to be the savior of lost causes. I always wondered why you didn’t give up. Now, I understand. I never cared about anything so much until now. This is home. It’s the place where Mom and I weren’t at odds with each other. Until moving back I felt like a failure.”

“It takes two to make a marriage work,” said Dakota.

“I’m not just talking about my marriage. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to come back here and get involved with Simeon either. What was I thinking?”

“Stop beating yourself up. Curiosity gets the best of all of us, sometimes. And as good looking as he is, I can see why you crumbled.”

“But you’ll be pleased to know, I asked my realtor to find me a condo near the studio.” Asa looked off, into the distance. “He called last night and he has something for me to look at.”

“Give it a little time. You’ll be okay. When your designs make it to Bryant Park, you won’t have time for that big old house anyway. You’ll be too busy jet-setting around.”

“Yeah, I need to focus on the show and opening the shop.”

Asa released her sister’s hand. “We better get inside. A line is starting to form.”

The activity level in the mission dining room mirrored organized chaos. Asa motioned for her sister to follow as she weaved through the maze of tables.

“Excuse me, we’re here to volunteer. Can you tell me who I need to see?” Asa asked a man blocking the aisle.

“See Miss Kitty, she’s over there. The one in the apron.” He stepped aside and allowed her and Dakota to pass.

Asa made the introductions over the clanking of plates in the kitchen. Miss Kitty stood five feet tall but looked strong enough to manage the huge pots. Her blonde hair hung to her waist but her vivid blue eyes were what caught Asa’s attention.

“You two don’t look as big as one of our platters, but we’re glad to have you. Follow me and I’ll get you set up. She led them down a hall to a side door. “Have either of you ever worked here before?”

“I’ve helped out before, but it’s been a few years,” Dakota responded.

“This is my first time,” Asa replied.

“It doesn’t matter. Here are your aprons. Wash your hands over there. When you’re ready, go through that door. It leads back to the staging area. We’ll put you right to work. There are a lot of hungry people to feed tonight.” Miss Kitty walked out of the room.

In the staging area a man with large hands pointed to a counter containing five cakes.

“Cut these cakes then place them on those plates. You should get ten slices from each one. If you don’t you’re cutting them too big.” He pointed to an empty counter. “There’s space for you over there. You two look alike. Are you twins?”

“No, we’re not twins.” Dakota picked up the knife.

He grunted. “Well, do you think you can handle this?”

Asa moved to the quiet table, relieved her assignment wasn’t more complicated. Absent-minded activity suited her fine. A weight settled on her shoulders when she asked the agent to find her a condo. But facing reality had kindled new energy into her. Last night her sketches had been more fluid and carefree. Hopefully, Dakota was right and she would be able to move on.

One day, maybe Simeon would be able to forgive her for the stunt at the park. The irritation in his eyes still haunted her. He had a right to be angry. In the dim light of the mission kitchen guilt rose in her throat and threatened her air flow. But hurting Simeon in the process was never a part of the plan. She sighed as she pressed the knife through the dense cake.

The smell of fried chicken filled the air. Her mouth watered. Maybe her appetite had finally decided to return.

In the corner, a woman wearing a hairnet mixed a large bowl of instant mashed potatoes. Everyone in the kitchen moved with efficiency. They were experienced, not volunteers right off the street like her, but she felt welcome.

Keeping her hands busy left little opportunity to dwell on unhappy thoughts. Work on the design studio ended a week ago. The results were better than expected. The grand opening was scheduled for early September. Several of her customers were flying in for the event. Her designs for Fashion Week were ready for the final model fitting. The silk organza for the finale only needed beading then it would be complete. At least something was going right. Life was almost as good as it was when she was seventeen. Almost.

Exhaustion nipped at her heels. Stopping or slowing down invited hours to think about Simeon, which proved to be futile. Dreaming was a waste. Trying to save the house had soaked up too much precious time already.

“Well, you kept your promise.” Brian strolled across the dining room. He kissed her on the cheek. Her heart clenched. His smile reminded her so much of Simeon that she wanted to touch his face.

She averted her eyes. “You didn’t doubt me, did you?”

“Well, I did a little. After that blow-up in the park I thought you might want to stay away from the Harper family.”

She tried to smile. “I want to be here. Really.” She turned to her sister. “Do you know my sister Dakota?”

“You own the book store don’t you?”

“Yes.” Dakota shook his hand. “Oh, by the way, Simeon is stopping by tonight. He’s started speaking to me again.”

Asa looked around the crowded dining room, half expecting to see Simeon’s cold stare in the crowd. “I’m sorry if I caused you any trouble—”

“It’s no big deal. Simeon is just misunderstood. Our childhood was a little disjointed and he’s still trying to deal with—” He gestured with his hands. “He’s trying to deal with the dysfunction and the imaginary black-eye on the family name.”

Asa nodded. “Simeon must think I’m some spoiled little girl. I’ve taken my childhood for granted. It was so easy, growing up in the shadow of love from both my parents and grandparents.” She clasped her hands. “His childhood left him scarred and mine left me naïve.” His need to tear down the houses in Golden Leaf must have been festering like a wound for years.

She tried to expel the vision he must have of her. Was there any way they both could be happy? The sweet road home for her had been idyllic. But her return had to be less than ideal for him.

“He won’t get here until well after the dinner hour. He comes in after he leaves the office so it will be very late. You should be long gone by then.”

“Thanks, Brian. I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to run into him. It seems like we always find something to bicker about and...and I don’t want to spar with him today.”

“Fair enough. It was nice to see you again, Dakota.” He eyed Dakota quickly before leaving the dining room.

“What was that all about?” Asa asked her sister.

“What?”

“You can’t fool me, Dakota.”

“I’m not trying to fool you.”

“Did I pick up on something going on between you two?”

“No. So leave it alone.”

§ § §

Simeon closed the file folder on his desk. His eyes stung. Reading contracts all day was grueling. He’d rather visit a work site than sit behind a desk. But renegotiating contracts required diligence. He stifled a yawn. The traffic lights outside his window caught his eye. It was too cloudy to see the skyline so he leaned against the windowsill and stared down at the snarled traffic below. The light changed several times before he pulled his attention away.

He moved back to his desk and lifted the receiver on the phone. He wanted to talk to Asa. With the phone suspended in mid-air, he hesitated. What could he say? He dropped it back in the cradle. The last time he saw her, she was spitting fire and even that enticed him. He closed his eyes and massaged his temples.

He snatched the phone off the hook when it rang, hoping it was Asa. He sighed seeing Brad’s name on the caller ID.

“Simeon, Brad Stevens here. I just wanted you to know that we’re set. The cranes and wrecking crews have been rescheduled and we’re still on target at the Philadelphia site.”

“Good, Brad. Any word yet on the results of that final survey for the strip mall?”

“Not yet. I should know in a few days, but I don’t foresee any issues. ”

Simeon hung up the phone and glanced out the window. His breathing was uneven. In the last few days all of his time had been spent on saving the Conroy house. He shook his head. Why bother? It wouldn’t change anything between them. Life was fine until Asa Conroy moved back to Bristol. He used to control his world. He knew what was going to happen and when.

He grabbed his briefcase and headed out the door. The huge office felt tight and stuffy. He needed fresh air.

“Catherine, I’m leaving for the night.”

She glanced at the clock. “Good. Your restlessness is driving me crazy. If you opened that file cabinet one more time I was going to put you in it,” she chuckled.

“That bad, huh?”

“Worse. The last few weeks you seemed distracted. I thought you would be happy with the turn of events.”

“Umph. If you need me, you know how to reach me.”

§ § §

He picked up a bottle of wine before heading to the shelter. Tonight he needed to celebrate the progress of his project with the only person that understood how much it meant to him.

Simeon pulled into the parking lot behind the mission. A line of people waited to get inside. One young boy stood next to his mother, his vacant eyes cast on the pavement. That was him. Those were his eyes, his hunger. Simeon went inside.

“You’re as bad as me, working all day,” Simeon said as he entered his brother’s office.

Brian shot out of his seat and embraced him. Simeon saw his eyes dart toward the dining room. “You’re early Sim, I didn’t expect you until much later.”

“I had to get out of the office.” Simeon took the chair in front of the desk. “The walls were closing in on me. I brought a bottle of wine. I was hoping you’d celebrate with me.” Simeon pulled the bottle from the bag. “I know this is the last thing the men out there need to see.” Simeon nodded to the dining room.

“Sim, you know I don’t drink,” Brian shook his head.

“I know. But business is good. Philadelphia construction starts in a few days. I wanted to celebrate with someone who understands my dream.”

“You deserve to toast your success. But Dad did enough drinking to last me a lifetime. I’ve got some soda here.” He pulled a bottle of ginger ale from the refrigerator. “This is bubbly enough for me.”

Simeon nodded. “Dad had a lasting impact on us, huh?”

“I guess so.” Brian popped the lid. “Dad’s the reason I do this work. The reason you do what you do. And the reason our sister hasn’t stepped foot in Bristol since she was eighteen. If I can help one of these men, it makes me feel better. Dad needed a place like this.”

“Do you think he would have gone?”

“No. No way.”

Brian returned to the desk with two glasses. “Sorry I don’t have champagne flutes, but these should work.”

They sipped in silence for a moment.

“Since you’ve finally calmed down from last week, I think it’s only fair—”

“Look Brian, you caught me off guard. It was nothing, man. I know you have my back and you were just doing what you do best. Helping.”

“Yeah, I’ve never seen anyone get under your skin like Asa. You two looked like a married couple going at it.” Brian chuckled.

Simeon winced. He swirled the pale liquid around in his glass without looking at his brother.

“It appears that comment struck a nerve. Anyway, I think you need to know that she’s serving in the dining room tonight.”

Simeon shifted in his seat.

“Have you told her about the project yet?”

“No, I haven’t talked to her since the rally.”

“Why not. Why haven’t you told her you might have an alternative site? I thought that was the whole idea.”

Simeon took a long swallow from his glass. “How is everything here at the shelter?”

Brian walked around his desk and sat in the chair next to Simeon. He leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees. “I don’t have a degree in psychology, but I talk to a lot of people here at the mission. I’m getting pretty good at reading between the lines.”

Simeon took another swallow. “Don’t try to diagnose me. What are you talking about?”

“It’s Asa. I think you care about her.”

“Mind your own business, Brian.”

“You are my business, bro. I know you.”

“Well maybe you’re wrong this time.”

The phone on his desk rang. Brian stared at him a long moment before moving to his desk and reaching for it.

While Brian shuffled through some papers on his desk, Simeon drained his glass. Brian pulled open a file cabinet and searched for something.

Simeon slipped out of the office and closed the door. The clatter of plates and flatware echoed from the dining room. He made his way down the hall. From the dim light of the corridor, he spotted Asa talking with a group of men. Sweltering warmth raced across his body, settling under his collar. He tugged at his tie. One of the patrons unfolded a piece of paper then handed it to her. She pinned her hair behind her ear before taking the note in her delicate hand then reading it aloud. The genuine smile on her face lit up the room. She took a seat in front of the man before whispering something that made him flash a toothless grin. Afterwards she gave his hand a reassuring pat.

An image of Simeon’s mother blurred his view. She had the same easy way with people. Simeon’s chest tightened. The ache blanketing him since storming away from the rally grew heavier, bearing down on him like death. His heart pounded against the confines of his chest. He stepped into the dining room, blocking her way to the kitchen. The need to talk to her outweighed everything.

“Ah!” She yelped.

“I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“I guess I’m not allowed in the mission now, is that it?” She balanced a tray of soiled dishes.

“How have you been, Asa?” He took the tray from her.

Her mouth softened, she licked her lips but didn’t respond.

“I see Brian talked you into helping out here. He can be pretty persuasive. My mother used to volunteer here, too.”

“Brian has been very helpful. It didn’t take much to convince me to come. I’ve gotten more from being here than the people eating the meal.” She turned around and tilted her head toward her sister. “I think Dakota is enjoying herself, too.”

“Yes, it feels good to do something for others. I’m coming back next week,” Dakota said as she caught up to her sister.

Simeon pushed the kitchen door open to allow them to walk ahead of him.

“I think you can call it a night, ladies. Good job.” Miss Kitty wiped down the huge stainless steel stove.

“Can I talk with you, Asa?” Simeon asked.

“I’m riding with Dakota, so I need to be going.”

“Uh, actually if you could get a ride home that would be great. Brian asked me out to dinner tonight and I’d--”

“I knew it,” Asa squealed as she pulled her sister aside.

“Oh calm down. We’re just having dinner, nothing to get excited about.”

“How can you abandon me with the town ogre.”

“You’re a big girl. You can handle him.” Dakota kissed her on the cheek before walking away.

I’m not sure I’m handling him or he’s handling me.