Hometown Sweetheart
Simon was methodical and meticulous about his craft. Making a pair of custom boots could take weeks or months, depending on the entire process and the customer’s request.
But at the end of the day, Simon could always know he’d given it his best. And that’s why he had orders well into the next couple of years. He was blessed to do something he loved. Blessed to have busy work.
He was blessed to have something to do to keep his mind off the ever-present loneliness that always set in at dusk—that time of day when loved ones came home from work and families gathered together to share their day and eat.
Looking at the clock, he figured his mother was probably getting ready for bed right now, nestled in her own cabin around the bend from the larger one Simon had shared for years with his brother Rick. It had been the family home when his father was alive but his mother had insisted on moving into the smaller one a few years ago. She’d done that so Simon and Marcy could have some privacy.
After Marcy’s death, Rick had somehow man aged to move back in part-time and he’d brought that aggravating mutt Shiloh with him. They made annoying roommates.
Simon didn’t want or need the company. Or so he thought. Now he was alone in the big cabin next to his studio.
Rick had gone and gotten himself married to cute little Cari Duncan. What a match that had turned out to be. Now they lived in town for the most part, in the big Victorian house Cari had renovated, conveniently located right next door to the general store. Cari ran her own “girlie” boutique on the bottom floor of the house and they lived in the spacious upstairs apartment and sometimes came out to the Adams compound on the weekends.
Yeah, a match made in Heaven.
He’d had that once, Simon thought now as he rummaged through the pantry for a can of soup.
Once.
But not anymore. Never again for him.
He couldn’t help but wonder what his neighbors were doing tonight. He’d managed to steer clear of Shanna and the Seven NoiseMakers for most of their second day here, thankfully. Not that he was counting.
Now, he’d almost welcome some noise, some shouts, some sort of accident waiting to happen.
Turning to Shiloh, he said, “I guess it’s just you and me, dog. Maybe my lovesick brother will remember you’re actually his and come and fetch you soon.”
Shiloh barked a gruff rebuttal.
But both Simon and the dog knew they only had each other tonight. And probably for many nights to come. It would have to do. And Simon was pretty sure Rick left Shiloh here on purpose for that very reason, even though his brother used the excuse of big dogs being like bulls in a china shop when it came to the general store.
Simon heated up the can of beefy soup his mother had brought in with her weekly supply of groceries earlier in the week and sat down to watch an old western on the cable channel.
The phone rang right on time. “Goof grief, Mama, why can’t you ever just let a man be?” He said this out loud before he actually answered the phone. “Hello, Ma.”
“Did you eat?”
“I’m eating right now.”
“It’s a little late for supper, Simon.”
“I worked late.”
“You always work late.”
“I have orders.”
She skipped a beat then asked, “So, what do you think about your new neighbors?”
Simon frowned then did a shoulder roll. Taking a deep breath, he thanked God for his mother even when he wished she wasn’t so nosy. “I can tell you, there’s about seven too many of them over there.”
“Now Simon, be nice. Shanna is a good friend of Cari’s. She’s a teacher and she moved here from Savannah last fall to take a job at Knotwood High. She’s very good at counseling troubled teens—”
“What?” Simon dropped his spoon. “You mean to tell me my brother rented that place to a bunch of hoodlums?”
“I didn’t say that,” Gayle replied. “First of all, your brother is letting them stay there free for a week. And second, they aren’t exactly hoodlums. They’re just kids from church who’ve been through some rough stuff—some of it just minor trouble at school. She signed up to work with our youth and after hearing some of their stories, Shanna volunteered to take them on a retreat during the school break. I plan on coming out during the week to help her with meals and crowd control.”
His appetite gone, Simon groaned. “Well, that’s mighty nice of her—and you, Ma—but couldn’t she take them to Gatlinburg or Stone Mountain, anywhere besides right next door to me?”
“You don’t own the entire mountain, son.”
“No, but I do have work to do. How am I supposed to get through my summer orders with all that noise going on? And I’m telling you right now if one of them breaks in here—”
“Simon, have a little faith. These children need guidance and attention. They didn’t break out of prison. They just took a few wrong turns or had a bit of trouble in school. Katie McPherson is the youngest and probably the most sensitive. Her grandparents have custody of her now. Be nice to that little girl. And Brady Stillman is one of the older ones. You might remember he did some vandalism to Cari’s place when she first moved back last summer.”
“Exactly,” Simon replied, glaring at Shiloh. “I can’t have kids like that snooping around the place.” Except maybe that cute little redheaded Katie. She wasn’t so bad. She giggled a lot.
“They won’t bother you,” Gayle said in a mother-tone. “Shanna will make sure they stay on their side of the fence.”
“Well, she’d better. I don’t like this one bit and I don’t like Rick doing this without warning me.”
“It’s his property to do with as he sees fit,” Gayle retorted. “You should be glad he bought it before it went into foreclosure. We need those tourist dollars around here.”
“No dollars, Ma, if he’s renting the thing for free.”
“That’s for a good cause.”
“I didn’t want him buying the property in the first place.”
“You wanted it to stay deserted and rundown then?”
“Well, yeah. I liked it way better that way.”
“You really are hopeless, you know that?”
“Yes, I am,” Simon replied, his blood pressure buzzing. “You’d think my own family would realize that by now.”
“We aren’t going to give up on you, son,” Gayle said, her tone gentle now. “We love you and we’d like you to become a part of the human race again.”
“I’m fine with things the way they are.”
“Sure you are. Why, anybody could see that.”
“I’m going to finish my cold soup now.”
“I love you.”
Simon let out a sigh. “I love you, too.”
He put down the phone and stared into the fire.
He did love his family. But he didn’t have anymore love to give to anyone else. He didn’t like people around and barely tolerated his brother and his mother. But then, they both knew to leave Simon to his own devices. And they were family. Family understood about things. Strangers didn’t.
But in spite of Simon’s aversion to strangers, he couldn’t help but be drawn to the woman in charge of the kids gathered at the cabin next door. And he couldn’t help the sweetly hidden thoughts that emerged in his mind like a ray of spring sunshine melting winter snow. Thoughts of a woman and children laughing as they frolicked in the blossoming woods.
Simon got up to stare out the kitchen window.
And then he heard voices lifting out in song.
Shanna had them singing.
Simon listened to the gentle music of a guitar, listened to the old familiar campfire songs he’d learned from his own days at church. The songs were soothing, the voices echoing out over the woods in a time-honored melody.
It was peaceful and pretty, but Simon didn’t know how to deal with a woman and seven annoying young people. So he’d do what he’d been doing.
He’d just ignore them. That seemed to work in his dealings with everyone else. And since he’d buried Marcy a few miles away in the old church cemetery, it seemed to be the best solution for him. He wasn’t ready to rejoin the human race.
Even on a mild spring night when he was forced to eat cold canned soup and stare at a dog that didn’t belong to him, while he secretly eavesdropped on his singing neighbors.
Chapter Three
Shanna petted the golden retriever then offered him the last bite of her hotdog. “I’m not supposed to feed you scraps, I don’t think. So let’s keep this between the two of us, okay?”
The big dog woofed a reply then looked back up at her with expectant brown eyes.
“No more,” Shanna said, her hand on his shaggy back. “I’m in enough trouble with your keeper as it is.”
At least today, the group had eaten their hotdogs and chips and they’d even managed to cook their s’mores without anymore mishaps. If she didn’t count the boys picking on the girls, Katie falling down and scraping her hand and knee and Brady turning surly at the drop of a hat.
Glancing over at the lanky teen now, Shanna wondered if this week would help the kid. He was on probation for the vandalism since Cari had dropped the charges and suggested community service instead. The judge apparently had agreed to that and according to Cari and Rick, had given the kid a stiff warning. Rick had agreed to give Brady a part-time job after school as part of his sentence, too.
Shanna had met the boy’s formidable mother Doreen and his self-centered sister Bridget, so she could certainly understand why he was a troubled child.
When Brady got up and came to sit by her, she took that as a good sign. “What’s up, Brady?”
He grabbed at the dog. “Hey, Shiloh.”
“Is that his name?” Shanna asked, hoping to strike up a conversation while the other kids played kick ball around the camp. A nice breeze kept the day from being too hot.
Day Three was right on schedule, even if the kids had requested hotdogs again for lunch. They’d had a great morning devotional and discussion, after eating Miss Janie’s amazing pancakes. Then after a long walk, the kids had begged for another campfire meal. At least this time, Shanna hadn’t set the woods on fire. Nor had she seen their elusive neighbor either. He was keeping his distance while his dog was enjoying new friends.
Brady kept his eyes on the dog. “Yep. He’s Rick’s dog but he gets in trouble in town and they don’t like to keep him cooped up in the house so he has to stay out here.”
With Mr. Personality.
Shanna grinned down at Shiloh. “I’d think a big old dog would love being out here in the country better anyway.”
“I sure like it,” Brady said, rubbing Shiloh’s throat.
“Do you?” Shanna’s heart surged with hope. “Are you enjoying things so far?”
He looked at the other kids, his gaze staying on Pamela for a while. “Yeah, I guess. I don’t get why I have to hang with all these losers, though.”
“Hey, I brought you to help out, remember? You’re the oldest one here and I need someone to keep an eye on the younger ones.”
“But they’re not old enough to be in the youth group at church.”
“No, but they’ll soon be eligible,” she explained. “I want them to be ready to handle that when the time comes.”
“Oh, I get it. You’re exposing them to a few of us—the few considered the black sheep, first?”
“No, it’s not like that,” Shanna said, wishing she could find the right words. “I just think it’s a good idea for kids of all ages to learn to get along. Unfortunately, each of you here has had issues of some sort at school and with your parents. We have a very diverse group at church so it’s important that everyone respects each other at an early age.”
“My mom says some of these kids don’t belong at our church,” he retorted. “She thinks they’re beneath us.”
Shanna couldn’t say what popped into her mind at that comment. But it sure went to show how a parent could influence a child. Did his mother see that her judgments and criticisms rubbed off on her son?
Shanna had seen this firsthand. Her own parents had never attended church and scoffed at Christianity. Thank goodness her aunt had started taking her to church when Shanna was in kindergarten. And thank goodness her Aunt Claire was still her mentor and closest ally in Savannah.
Turning back to Brady, she said, “No one is beneath God’s love, Brady. We all fall short but He loves us anyway.”
Brady looked serious then nodded. “I guess you’re right. I’ve done some bad stuff but Cari forgave me and invited me to church with her and Rick. She treats me better than my mom and sister, that’s for sure.”
“Cari is a special person,” Shanna replied. “And she loves you a lot.”
“But she and my mom still don’t get along.”
“Well, sometimes being a Christian means you have to let go and just get on with life, even if you can’t be best friends with certain people. I’m sure for your sake they’re both trying to reconcile.”
“At least they don’t get into fights anymore like they did when we were growing up.”
“That’s good and you’re the reason for that truce, I think. They both want what’s best for you.”
“Yeah, whatever.” He got up, bored again. “What’s next on our big adventure?”
“Well, speaking of Cari, she and Mrs. Adams are coming out tonight to make spaghetti and then we’re going to sing songs around the campfire again. We had fun last night doing that.”
“Wow, what a party.”
Looked like surly Brady had stepped back in. “I think you’ll have a good time. Miss Gayle loves working with the youth.”
Brady rolled his eyes. “I guess I can handle it, since I’m kinda stuck out here.”
He wandered off to sit with Pamela on a nearby bench, Shiloh following him. The other kids all loved the big dog, too. Checking to make sure everyone was content, Shanna got up to finish clearing their napkins and paper plates. The week had only just started and she was already exhausted. But she had high hopes for this week in the woods. They’d had a good lunch. The kids were comfortable with her and each other now. Some of the teens asked questions that showed they’d listened to her earlier devotional. She wanted these children to know God’s unconditional love and she hoped she could show them that she cared about them, too.
“Okay, people. Let’s get this cleared up and we’ll go for our next hike. There’s a pretty spot halfway up the mountain where you can see the whole town of Knotwood. Then we’ll come back and go inside to watch one of the movies we rented. After that, dinner and singing.”
Shiloh came running toward her but when the big dog almost knocked her down and kept going past her, Shanna turned to see what had caught his attention.
Simon stood at the open gate between their fences, his expression not quite a frown, but not anywhere near a smile, either. But he looked good in his old jeans and even older button-up shirt. He always looked good, even when he seemed so mad.
And just because she loved a challenge, Shanna tossed the rest of her trash in the nearby can and walked over to aggravate him a little bit.
“Come to fetch your dog?”
Simon saw the hint of dare in her pretty eyes. “He’s not my dog.”
“Is that why you let him roam around with us every afternoon?”
Not exactly sure why he’d let Shiloh stay out so long, he shifted his feet and glanced over at where the kids were playing ball.
“I forgot he was out,” he said, thinking it was the truth. He often let the dog roam around the gated yard but he had forgotten that he’d left the gate between the two properties open when he’d come over to put out the fire the other day. Or maybe he’d left it open on purpose so he’d have an excuse to come over.
She looked from him to his boot shop. “I guess it would be easy to get so caught up in your work you’d forget everything. Even all of us right next door.”
He hadn’t forgotten her, oh, no. He’d heard her laughing and calling out to the kids. He’d even heard her reading from the Bible and giving a lesson to go along with the Scriptures. But he wouldn’t tell her that. “I sure tried.”
“Were we too loud and noisy?”
“No. I just turned my music up.”
“Oh, right. I thought I heard a Toby Keith song playing earlier.”
He shot her his own daring look. “Got something against country music?”
“Not at all. I can dance the two-step with the best of them.”
That surprised him. “Really now?”
“Really. My uncle Doug grew up in East Texas and I still visit relatives there all the time.”
He let that slide. “I’ve got customers all over Texas.”
“I know. When I told my aunt and uncle I was moving here to take a teaching job, my uncle got all excited. He knows all about Simon Adams boots. He sure admires your work even if he can’t afford your cowboy boots.”
“I try to adjust my prices for customers,” Simon said, his tone defensive even if he’d worked to sound neutral. “I build a basic boot that’s fairly reasonable.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. I do need to get him something for Father’s Day.”
Father’s Day for an uncle? Interesting. “Too late for this year. I’ll be doing good if I get to the orders I’m working on for Christmas.”
“It’s amazing, what you do,” she said, the sincerity in her eyes making Simon think they’d somehow gone past sparring with each other to actually having a conversation. “Your brother brags on your work all the time.”
“He just likes the customers my boots bring into the general store.”
She grinned at that. “Well, it’s nice to be able to get sized for a custom-made pair of boots, I guess.”
“I do off-the-shelf boots, too. You know, for the general public. Less expensive.”
“Really? Maybe I will be able to afford a pair for my uncle after all. He’d love that.”
Simon would make sure her uncle got his boots, if he had to sneak around and get the man’s measurements himself. He didn’t know why that mattered, but he could be nice when the mood struck him. And looking into her eyes somehow did make him want to be nice.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, her tone full of distrust.
“Man, do I scare you that much?”
“You don’t scare me one bit,” she replied, her hands on her hips. “But I’m pretty sure I scare you. We all scare you. You know, you could be a good example to these kids. Come on out and play with us sometime, maybe? Tell us about your craft, measure some feet for boots—just for fun.”
“I don’t know about that.” Simon patted Shiloh, the steam gone out of his need to pick at her. But the image of her dainty little feet being measured for boots brought logic back into his brain. “I guess I’d better head back and close down the shop.”
She nodded then cooed at Shiloh, the sound of her gentle words making a funny little shiver do its own two-step down Simon’s backbone.
“You can send Shiloh over anytime.”
The dare was back and he couldn’t resist it. “And what about me? Am I invited back for s’mores next time you have a picnic?”
She seemed shocked, her expressive eyes widening. “I thought you’d rather not share in our little picnics out here. Or any other part of our happenings here for that matter.”
She had him there. He’d made it pretty clear he wanted to be left alone. “I’d rather not have to put out another fire but I like hotdogs.”
“Maybe next time then.” She turned to spin away then whirled back around. “Hey, your mom is coming later to cook spaghetti. You’re welcome to join us.”
His mother made the best spaghetti. Thick, rich sauce with fat meatballs. Garlic bread. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had her spaghetti.
“I’d better not—”
They both turned at the sound of a vehicle moving up the winding drive.
His mother. And she had Rick and Cari in the truck with her. Great. Just great. Too late to make a hasty getaway.
“Looks like that’s them now. They’re early,” Shanna said, waving in glee. “Your mother wanted to get a head start, I guess.” Shiloh took off, barking his delight.
While Simon stood there, busted and embarrassed. Because he knew his overly-zealous mother would jump to the wrong conclusion.
But Simon didn’t have to worry too much about his mother’s assumptions regarding him being caught here talking, no, actually flirting, with a pretty woman.
Oh, no. He knew he was in for some serious ribbing when his brother emerged from the big truck with a grin splitting his face.
“I see you’ve met Shanna,” Rick said, slapping Simon on his back so hard Simon nearly pitched forward.
Wanting to throttle Rick the way he’d done—well, tried to do—all during their growing-up days, Simon took a breath and counted to ten, thankful Shanna was now laughing and talking to Cari and his mother. “I came over to retrieve your dog.”
Rick let out a snort. “Didn’t look like you were in any kind of hurry to take Shiloh home to me.”
“I’m leaving—right now.”
“Yeah, right.” Rick gave him a long hard look. “I do believe I see a sparkle in my old brother’s eyes. Coming to talk to the pretty lady—there’s a new concept.”
Simon wished he’d stayed inside. “I had to be polite, now, didn’t I?”
“I didn’t think you knew how to be polite.”
Gayle walked up, her smile sure and steady. “I saw you talking to Shanna. Isn’t she the nicest girl?”
Nice. But certainly not a girl. A woman. Simon had flirted with a woman for the first time since Marcy’s death. And that thought alone was enough to sober him into being his old anti-social self.
“Real nice. So nice she just about burned down the woods and the cabin the other afternoon.”
With that, he turned and stomped back toward his workshop, leaving his mother and his brother staring a hole through his back.
But when he turned at the door, the only person he saw in the late afternoon sunshine was Shanna White.
And he also saw the hurt, confused look in her eyes, too. But he told himself it didn’t bother him.
Not one bit.
Chapter Four
Three hours later, Simon heard a knock at his door.
He looked out the window but ignored the knock. His brother knocked again.
“What?” he said, opening the door to glare at Rick.
“Get that scowl off your face and come on over for dinner,” Rick replied, dragging Simon out by the arm.
“I’m not hungry.”
“It’s Mom’s spaghetti. So I don’t believe you. In fact, I bet you’ve been standing there, sniffing in the wind for the scent of rich Georgia tomatoes and a little basil and olive oil. Am I right?”
Simon couldn’t deny it. With all the windows thrown open to the fresh air, he’d taken a sniff or two of the good smells coming from the cabin across the way. His mother let it simmer for hours, making it rich and sweet and good. She knew it was one of his favorite meals.
“Okay, so maybe. I figured Ma would bring me some later anyway.”
“Ma, as you insist on calling her, made me come over here to get you. She said and I quote, ‘There is certainly no reason Simon can’t eat now with the rest of us.’”
Simon could think of a lot of reasons to skip this meal. But he’d never live it down if he did. “Okay, all right. I’ll come and eat. But don’t expect me to be pleasant.”
“I’d never expect that,” Rick replied as he headed back down the steps. “But I do expect you to use your manners and treat Shanna with respect.”
“I do respect her,” Simon shot back. “I’ve always been a respecter of women.”
Rick turned and grinned then. “So you like her just a little bit then?”
Simon would learn one day that he couldn’t fool his little brother. “She’s a pretty woman. What’s not to like?”
“And she’s single and available, even if you are about ten years too old for her.”
“I’m not that much older than you,” Simon said while they walked across the grass. “And besides, I’m not interested. Nice woman, yes. Me, interested, no.”
“Whatever you say, brother.”
Obviously Rick didn’t believe him. Simon wouldn’t dare tell his brother that he got these funny little feelings each time Shanna was around. Feelings he didn’t want to discuss or even think about. But they were there, like fireflies lighting up the night, inside his head.