eight

She was confident, capable, and ready to do this. Hannah’s heels clipped against the sidewalk as she approached the town hall with an armful of papers, proposals, and charts. A lawn mower rumbled in the distance, filling the warm breeze with the sweet smell of cut grass. It was a new day, a new season, and this proposal had to work.

Her phone chimed, and she dug it out of her bag as she walked. Luke. Her hand gripped the phone a little harder. It had been eleven days since they’d talked. Eleven long days. She hated not seeing him, and she hated that she hated it. Why did he have to have such a hold on her?

She paused outside the community building and tapped the screen. “Hey, Luke, what’s up?” That sounded casual enough.

“Hi. Um . . . the thing is . . . can I stop by?”

Hannah dropped down onto a bench by the door. “I was just heading into the town council meeting. Can I swing by after?”

A long pause filled the air. “That’s the thing. I think you should reconsider the burn.”

That’s why he was calling? Not to say that the past eleven days had been as hard for him as they had been for her. Not to say he was sorry. Not even to wait for her to apologize. No, all he wanted to do was tell her she was wrong—again.

Hannah straightened her shoulders and tapped at the bundle of charts in her lap. “I’ve done my research and Derek—”

“You’re trusting Derek over me now?”

Hannah forced a smile at a man walking by and dropped her voice. “No. I don’t trust him more than you. Would you let me finish? Derek and Ted went out and did all the measurements. I have the paper right here. The buildings are far enough apart with a margin to spare. It isn’t a problem.”

“Yeah, well, I went out and measured them too. I’m not sure where they got their numbers, but there’s no margin, and someone could argue that the two southern buildings are too close.”

Hannah bit her lip. The burn had been Derek’s suggestion to begin with. But he wouldn’t fudge the numbers, would he? The guy liked things to go his way, but that’d be dangerous. Still, Ted had been with him. She might not always trust Derek, but she could trust Ted.

Luke cleared his voice. “Trust me, Hannah. The houses are too close. Sure, you could make a case for it, but if they all caught at once—”

“Luke, I can’t do this right now.” Hannah scanned her watch. “We aren’t going to burn them all at once. I’ve got to go. I have to get in there.”

“Are you even going to consider what I said? We’ll find another way. Trust me.”

How could the plan work without this? “I’ll . . . think about it. I gotta go.”

Hannah slipped the phone into her purse before yanking the door open. Ted sat slumped in a chair, his unruly red curls flopping in his eyes. He fiddled with his phone while Derek scanned the crowd. The moment his blue eyes found her, his ever-present cocky grin tilted his mouth as he patted the empty chair next to him.

Hannah slid into the spot next to Derek and leaned toward Ted to whisper, “Are you sure the fire isn’t a concern for the town?”

“My dad said he’s done several training fires like this.” He dismissed it with a wave, never taking his eyes off the phone. “That’s how us volunteer teams get training.”

She held up the paper with the measurements Derek had given her. “These numbers are correct, right? You both checked them all?”

Ted shot a look at Derek and then looked back at Hannah and swallowed, his green eyes appearing uncertain for the first time. “Yeah.”

“Luke said—”

“Luke?” Derek’s hand landed on her shoulder. “Luke is full of it.”

She shrugged off his hand. Maybe a different seat would be better. She started to stand when Cindy slid into the end chair, crossing her legs and blocking Hannah’s way out. Her black-rimmed eyes traveled around the room.

Hannah dropped back into the chair. “Luke’s not coming.”

Cindy cast her a quick glare before a smile tugged at one corner of her lips. “I know. If you see him, tell him I’m sorry I missed his call the other night. But I got his message.”

A bang of the gavel declared the meeting open, and Mrs. Jarvis, Heritage’s town secretary, read the minutes from the last meeting.

Missed his call the other night. The words echoed in Hannah’s head. She might be sick.

She peeked at Derek and Ted out of the corner of her eye and then focused on her presentation. Did she trust them more than Luke? There was no contest. She trusted Luke—hands down. But that didn’t mean he was always right.

Her name over the crackling speakers pulled her out of her trance.

Derek patted her knee. “Knock them dead.”

The guy did know business.

Hannah set her papers on the podium and fisted her hand to keep it from shaking. What presentation was she going to make? “Ladies and gentlemen, Heritage has a long, rich history. However, with the economic downturn, it has fallen on hard times. Right now we have the opportunity to revitalize our town at Reader’s Weekly’s expense. They’re holding a contest for towns just like ours that want to turn over a new leaf. Start fresh. And with a little help, I believe we can win that money.”

Applause filled the air. Hannah nodded at her supporters.

“What does the contest involve, Miss Thornton?” The mayor laced his fingers on the desk in front of him.

“We need to prove to Reader’s Weekly that we’re the most worthy town. We need to show them that we have ambition and don’t just want to receive but give as well. After some research, I believe the best way to stand out is to embrace both who we are and who we want to become.”

More applause.

Hannah relaxed her fist and turned the page on her notes. “We’re the town of Heritage, and I believe it is time to live up to our name and embrace our roots. And what cries ‘Heritage’ more than the Manor?”

Murmurs rippled through the room.

“I know it isn’t much to look at now. But we can change that. If we invest ten thousand dollars in renovations—”

“You think ten thousand dollars will renovate the entire Manor?” Bank owner and council member Bo Mackers leaned into the microphone. “Ten thousand dollars won’t even cover fixing up the exterior.”

“No, but if we clear the area around it for a park, it will prove that we’re serious about change, growth, and pride in our town.”

Hannah went on to describe her plans for the square, the future of the Manor, and all the benefits it would bring to the community.

When she finished, applause filled the room once more. People were actually behind her on this. This was going to work.

“What is required to enter the contest?”

She wasn’t sure which committee member had asked, so she tried to make eye contact with each. “The town must invest a minimum of ten thousand dollars into this renovation project.”

The applause dwindled into an unsettling murmur.

“And if we don’t win, that ten thousand will be gone.” Dale Kensington leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers across his chest.

“The Reader’s Weekly Project would come at a cost to the town, but it’d also provide a space to recoup that cost with a giant fundraiser.”

“So you have a fundraiser planned?” Mayor Jameson’s face lit up.

“I can add that to the plan.” Hannah forced the quaver from her voice.

“And how do you propose to rid that property of the abandoned houses?” Dale Kensington gave her a knowing smile. But how could he know? Derek promised he wouldn’t mention it to his father.

Trust me. Luke’s voice echoed in her head.

“If we were to demolish them—”

“Too expensive.” Kensington’s smile dimmed as he tapped his pencil against the desk. “The closest dump that can handle that much debris is across the county line, and did you know they charge extra for hazardous waste? Just fees and equipment would max out your funds, with nothing impressive to show Reader’s Weekly.”

The town council members nodded in turn.

The mayor sighed and tapped his glasses against his chin. “We’d all like to see a few changes, but we aren’t sure if this is the best investment of the town’s money.”

She was losing them. She should stop and think. Maybe even pray about it. But she didn’t have time. She had to act. Besides, God had given her a brain, and her brain said she needed to fix this now.

The mayor reached for the next paper on his stack. “We’d like to help you, Ms. Thornton, but we don’t see this working out at this time.”

“Wait.”

They paused and stared at her.

A drop of sweat ran down beside her ear. “There’s another option that’s free.”

“Free?” Mayor Jameson’s bushy eyebrows rose. “That’s something we’d consider.”

“A controlled burn.” She glanced at Ted and Derek. Ted smiled and nodded, but Derek looked at his dad. Were they in cahoots about something? Unease traveled down her spine. Maybe she was reading too much into it.

“Hannah?” The mayor looked at her expectantly.

Maybe she should wait, do more research.

Derek stepped up beside her with his own folder in hand. “Ted Wilks and I have measured, and his father already signed the report about the benefits and risks of using a controlled burn to clear the square.”

He had a report?

Derek passed out stacks of paper, then returned to the microphone and began answering questions about the process. The guy had a way with people. Within minutes he had everyone on his side. He should’ve been a politician.

Luke’s face flashed in her mind, but she shook it away.

The mayor’s face creased in a grin. “Well, Ms. Thornton, it looks as though you have a solid plan. All in favor of investing ten thousand dollars in the Reader’s Weekly Project in the care of Hannah Thornton, with the understanding that this fundraiser you’ve planned for the new square will pay back half that loan, say aye.”

A round of ayes went up.

Hannah’s breath paused. Was this really happening?

“All opposed?”

Silence.

“Well, there you have it. And with any luck, this will pay off in your contest and we can finally restore that Manor.”

Hannah swallowed. “Yes, sir.” She reclaimed her seat as they moved to the next item on the agenda.

She’d done it. This was what she’d wanted. Wasn’t it? She shook away the question. It was time to move forward.

She had to think of a fundraiser. She’d never be able to raise that kind of money at a fair by selling cupcakes. Her teeth tugged at her lip. Worse, she had to tell Luke they were going forward with the controlled burn and hope he’d still talk to her.

Who’d have guessed he’d enjoy running this place as much as he did. Thomas flipped off the neon “Open” sign, pulled down the shade in the front window, and clicked the lock into place. They’d only had a handful of customers since seven thirty. Not enough to justify four employees. If he owned this place there were a few things he’d change, like earlier closing. Then there was re-covering the booths. And the counter—he shook away the thought. No way Madison would let him buy this place. He couldn’t let himself go there.

Working with Janie had been easier lately. He was moving on, and she would eventually too.

The door rattled behind him. Hannah stood smiling and pointed at the lock.

He shook his head and waved. “We’re closed. Go away.”

She rattled the door again. Her voice was muffled through the glass. “I know where you sleep and five different ways to break into that house.”

He reached for the lock and opened the door. “You may not want to yell that through the town if you’re really trying to sell the place.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t move.”

He wasn’t getting into this here, again. “Janie is at the back booth filling saltshakers with Olivia and Noel.”

Thomas moved to the kitchen and set to cleaning the grill, doing his best to ignore the giggles from the other room. The bell on the front door chimed. Shoot. He’d forgotten to lock the door after he let Hannah in.

He wiped his hands on his apron and marched out. “Sorry, we’re closed.”

“Of course you are.” Madison went up on tiptoes to kiss him. He flinched. He’d worked at keeping all affection to private time. He snuck a quick look at the booth out of the corner of his eye. Janie continued to laugh and carry on.

He grabbed a tray of clean silverware and set it on the table between Hannah and Janie. “When you’re done there, you can start wrapping silverware. We’re getting low.”

“Might as well.” Olivia laid a napkin in front of her and reached for a fork. “Hannah wants us to figure out a fundraiser to raise five or six thousand dollars for the town. We could be here all night. Any ideas, Thomas?”

Fundraising? Like he knew anything about that. “Sell cookies.”

“Sell ten thousand cookies to a town of two thousand people?” Hannah leaned back and crossed her arms. “That’s the crux of our problem. If we wanted everyone here to pay the ten thousand dollars, we could just ask for donations, but no one in this town has extra money right now. What we need is something unique that will draw people from the outside.”

“A fair,” Noel piped up as she topped off the last saltshaker. “Sell food and crafts. There’s a lot of local talent around here. People would be willing to donate their time to do something for the town.”

“A fair might work.” Hannah tapped her pen on her lip. “But that’s still a lot of carnival games for one town. What we’d need is something large to sell. A big-ticket item and a crowd pleaser to draw people from other towns.”

“Like winning a car for a half-court shot at a basketball game.” Olivia dashed for her phone when a chime filled the air.

“Exactly. Except we don’t have a basketball court or a car to give away. Buying one might defeat the purpose.” Hannah massaged her temples. “We need to sell something that the town already has.”

“Relationally stunted men?” Olivia mumbled as she pitched the phone back into her purse.

“That’s it!” Madison clapped her hands together.

How had he forgotten she was here?

She took a step closer to the table. “Don’t you remember when the town of Gilbert did that a few years ago?”

“They sold relationally stunted men?” Olivia paused, the silverware in her hand half wrapped.

“They did a bachelor auction.” Madison started digging through her giant red purse. “They aren’t much bigger than us and they made almost six thousand dollars.”

“You think women would pay money for a date with the guys in this town?” Hannah lifted an eyebrow.

Madison pulled out a pad of paper and grabbed a pen from the counter. “I did in Gilbert.”

Say what?

Okay, the conversation had just gone a direction Thomas no longer needed to be a part of. He reached for Madison’s hand. “We’re out of here.”

Madison dropped his hand. “I can think of at least forty guys off the top of my head. You could average fifty to a hundred dollars a date, and some could bring in more than that—trust me. I’d pay that. That’s two to four thousand dollars right there.”

Had she just said—

“I mean I would bid if I weren’t engaged.” She patted Thomas’s hand.

That was better. Well, kind of.

Madison pulled up a chair and started scribbling a list of guys’ names.

“I think . . .” Janie looked from Hannah to Olivia.

Good. At least Janie would have enough sense to put a stop to this.

“I think people would drive to see that even if they weren’t sure they’d bid. Then, while they’re here, they could buy some food, a craft, even play a carnival game. It’s a great idea.” Janie leaned over to look at Madison’s list. “Add Ted—he’d do it.”

Ted? Thomas had heard enough. “You think you’re going to find guys willing to do this?” He snatched Madison’s list and started reading it. He gripped the paper tighter as he got farther down the list. No doubt most of these guys would agree. But they weren’t the kind of guys he wanted his sister dating—or Janie, for that matter.

He stopped at Luke’s name and tossed the paper back on the table. “Luke will never agree.”

Janie nudged Hannah’s shoulder. “I have faith that Hannah can convince him.”

His sister’s face reddened as she sent Janie a glare.

Thomas studied Janie. Is this what she really wanted? A bachelor auction? What would he do if she were to start dating one of these town jerks? He shifted his gaze and found Olivia’s eyes on him. Caught.

He turned to Madison but she was leaning over, adding more to the list of names. How many guys did she know?

“How about this?” Olivia pinned him with her focus. “If Hannah can convince Luke to do this, then you let Janie off on Friday night for a date.”

Janie’s head jerked up. “What?”

He stared at Janie. “You have a date Friday? With who?”

Olivia winked at her sister before looking back at him. “I didn’t say it was this Friday. She wouldn’t say yes if she had to work. But if Luke agrees then she gets a Friday night off.”

“Hey, don’t go writing checks that my charm can’t cash.” Hannah laughed and reached for the list.

Olivia turned to her. “It’s not a bet. It’s just a friendly agreement. Thomas thinks he knows everything, but I disagree.”

Did Janie really have a date or was Olivia just calling him out? He’d call her bluff. Janie wouldn’t date any of the guys around here. The only one worthy of her was Luke, and Hannah might have a thing or two to say about that.

He shook his head. “Janie doesn’t have a date.”

Janie’s eyes hardened. “I can have a date you don’t know about. I got a new apartment. Did you know that?”

Thomas pressed his lips together. Had she already moved on?

A cocky smile spread across Janie’s face. “Didn’t think so. So what is it? Yes or no?”

His confidence wavered but he couldn’t let that show. “Yes.”

The girls nodded and smiled.

Hannah turned to a clean page in her notebook and scribbled the words Bachelor Auction across the top. “Okay, we’ll need to call a meeting.”

Had Janie moved on? That was what he wanted. Right?

Thomas clenched his teeth and turned back to the kitchen, grabbing Madison’s hand as he went. “Come on.”

She yanked her hand back and waved him off. “You finish up. I’ll stay and help them.”

Thomas shook his head as he pushed through the kitchen door. The whole world had gone crazy. And if Luke agreed to this, Thomas might just lose his mind too.

How long could it take them to read a few pages? Luke forced his attention away from the rest of the men filling the diner’s corner booth and reached for his water. He grabbed a napkin to wipe up the ring left on the green Formica. Since his house legally belonged to the town—or would once the will was made public—Luke had decided to go straight to the source and talk to the mayor. After all, Harold Jameson was a reasonable man. The rest of the council? That was still to be seen.

The diner wasn’t really the place he’d wanted to lay this all out, but when he’d called the mayor about the will, the man had mentioned that several of the council members usually met for dinner once a week, so this made it simple. When Luke questioned whether that was allowed, Mayor Jameson had laughed it off and called it “a small-town perk.”

Luke could only hope that handling this all without involving the authorities would also fall under “a small-town perk.” He didn’t know if they could arrest Chet for what he’d done, but if he made it through this meeting without the town taking sides against his old friend, he’d consider it a success.

He reached for his water again as he shifted in his seat, the cracked red vinyl protesting the movement. The dinner crowd had died down some, but a steady stream still came and left—usually with a piece of Janie’s pie in hand.

Luke dipped his head to shade his eyes from the evening sun that poured through the diner’s front window, highlighting the painted words and casting strong shadows across the floor. They’d been reading the papers for fifteen minutes. He drummed his fingers against the table, causing the silverware to rattle and earning a glare from Dale Kensington. He stilled his movements and sat back.

The mayor looked up from his reading. “How long have you known about this?”

“A week.”

Bo Mackers’s furry eyebrows pinched into a V. “I’ve never known Chet to be anything but honest.”

The last thing he wanted was to drag Chet down with this. “Chet knew Lottie was torn between leaving the house to me or the town. I also believe him when he says he didn’t have any idea what happened to the will or what she’d decided. When the house legally fell to him, he tried to make both happen. He gave me a deal I couldn’t refuse and then passed my payments on to the town.”

“That explains the eight hundred dollars cash we’ve been getting every month.” Gerald Atkins leaned back and shoveled a bite of pie in his mouth. “So, what are you proposing, boy?”

Luke swallowed against his dry throat. Maybe Olivia would come by with more water soon. “I’ll just make payments directly to the town.”

The mayor flipped through the pages again. “I don’t see why not.”

“Hold on.” Kensington slapped the paper down on the table and jabbed his finger at the amount paid for the house. “That property alone is worth more than this price.”

“But he’s put a lot of work in it.” Bo pulled out his bifocals and examined the figures again.

“Understood.” Kensington nodded as he held up both hands. He continued after a dramatic pause. “But I think it’s only responsible, considering the current tight finances of the town, to see if there’s someone out there willing to offer more.”

As if Kensington cared about the town’s best interests.

“Is there a booming housing market here in Heritage I’m unaware of?” Gerald laughed before he forked another bite of pie. It was amazing the guy was still so thin with the way he ate.

Kensington leaned his elbows on the table. “I’ll buy it.”

If it wasn’t one Kensington, it was his father. With George gone and Jon off in Europe, the whole rest of the family was out to get Heritage.

Kensington tapped his finger on the deed. “Kensington Corporation has been acquiring properties in the downtown area for some time. I want development. It just so happens that this house is a property I’ve had my eye on for some time.”

“Since when?” Luke smacked the table, causing the glasses to rattle.

“Now, calm down.” The mayor patted Luke’s arm. “We aren’t going to come to an easy conclusion today. This will be discussed at the next town meeting.”

The men agreed as Kensington shot Luke a smirk. He’d already calculated his win. Luke could see the writing too. If he had to bid against Kensington, he didn’t have a prayer.

The men stood one by one, leaving Luke and the mayor alone at the table. The older man’s smile seemed forced. “I was hoping to make it easy for you, Luke, but if I’m shooting straight, Kensington may offer us a bid we can’t refuse.”

“I know.” Luke leaned his forehead against his steepled hands.

“I hope we can figure out something.” He pulled out his wallet and dropped a few bills on the table. “I heard you were applying for the assistant fire chief position.”

“Yes, sir.”

“That position comes with a spot on the board. Did you know that?”

“No, I didn’t.” Luke sat up straighter. Talk about community respect.

“I think you’d be good at it. Hang in there.” Mayor Jameson slid out of the booth and squeezed Luke’s shoulder before heading to the door.

“Wow, you look like you’ve seen better days.” Pastor Nate slid into the seat across from him.

“Hey, Pastor.”

“I’m like a year older than you. Call me Nate.” Nate gathered a few of the discarded dishes and stacked them. “What’s on your mind?”

Luke laced his fingers behind his head. “You ever feel like you don’t quite fit in?”

Nate’s deep laugh filled the air. “You’re kidding, right? Five tattoos and a motorcycle don’t really say ‘Midwest small-town pastor.’ I think the church lost over half the congregation the day I showed up to preach my first sermon. Of all the places God could call me to serve, Heritage didn’t even make the bottom of my list.”

“Why did you come? I mean, there are churches everywhere.”

“When I first moved here I thought God brought me because of family. My cousins Leah and Caroline Williams used to live in town and run the WIFI. But after they left and my biggest supporter, George Kensington, died, I have questioned why God has me here more than once. But God asked me to come here. To do His work here. He doesn’t always call us to do the easy thing or the thing that makes the most sense.” The leather of Nate’s jacket whispered in protest as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Is your family nearby?”

Luke blinked at the question. Everyone in town knew he was an orphan. Everyone except the new guy. “They died when I was young. Grew up in foster care.”

“How bad was it?”

“Could’ve done without the first couple stops, but I landed with a caring lady. Stayed with her from about seven on.”

“That’s one deep GP.”

“GP?”

“Grace point. The gospel is full of images and analogies, but sometimes one hits home more than the rest. The Bible says God sent His Son so we could become his children through adoption. He’s now your dad. You’re not an orphan but God’s child. That’s from Galatians 4. My own personal paraphrase.” Nate lifted his hand to motion to Olivia but seemed to change his mind before she turned in their direction. He leaned forward, focusing back on Luke. “I love those verses, but having never been an orphan, it’s an abstract concept to me. But you? You read that and the gospel isn’t just a story but your greatest dreams come true. You’ve been adopted by Christ. You have a new heritage.”

Olivia paused by the table and handed Luke his check without looking in Nate’s direction.

Luke pulled out his wallet and drew out a twenty. “It’s a good thing I was an orphan?”

“Never. But God can use it. Have you ever cost someone, well, a lot of money, and deserved nothing more than to be kicked to the curb? But instead, that person not only gave you a second chance but helped pay the debts you owed?”

“I don’t think so.”

Nate balled up a leftover straw wrapper. “I have. Long story, but my dad showed me what grace is really all about.” He tossed the wrapper onto the pile of plates. “So when Colossians tells me that through the cross Jesus forgave all our sins and canceled the debt we couldn’t pay, believe me, it’s more than abstract good news. It hits me like a tidal wave. That’s my GP.”

Luke leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, doing his best to take it all in. “Your grace point.”

Nate slapped his hands together and pointed at him. “Exactly. Do I think it’s a good thing I got myself into that situation? Nope. But like Joseph said, ‘What was intended for evil, God meant for good.’ Your lack of family can be an anchor dragging you down, or you can let it be your—”

“Grace point.” An anchor was exactly how he’d always seen it. Could it be his grace point? His own GP?

“The person I’m meeting just showed up.” Nate stood and waved at someone at the door and then dropped his card on the table in front of Luke. “Call me if you want to chat more. Or stop by on Sunday. Maybe I’m not as bad as everyone says.”

Luke laughed and picked up the card. “I didn’t stop going because of you. Life got . . . complicated.”

“Happens. But that’s usually when we need God to step in and uncomplicate things.”

Luke examined the small card before sliding it into his wallet.

Adopted by God. A new heritage.

There was no doubt he believed in God, but could He uncomplicate Luke’s life? The house, Hannah, his mother . . . His faith might not reach that far.