Restoring His Heart

Her mind churned with questions. She hadn’t expected him to know anything about church, but he focused intently on the service, never taking his eyes from the pastor. She breathed a sigh of relief when the service ended. She needed to put some distance between herself and her new saw boy.

As the congregation started to file out, her father reached over and touched her arm.

“Will you take Adam to the house? Your mom and I need to meet with the worship committee chairman for a few minutes. We won’t be long.”

Laura nodded, hiding her reluctance behind a smile. She glanced up at Adam to find him smiling down at her. She searched for something to say. “You have a nice singing voice.”

He chuckled softly. “You didn’t think I’d know how to behave in a church, did you?”

“No, that’s not true.”

Adam leaned down and spoke softly into her ear. “It’s not nice to lie in church, Boo.”

Her cheeks flamed. She opened her mouth to deny it, but remembered his comment about people telling him what he wanted to hear. “No, I didn’t.”

Adam chuckled deep in his throat. “I’m a believer, Laura, just not a very faithful one.” They stepped into the aisle, Adam placed his hand lightly on her back and they made their way to the door. “I had a friend in college who brought me to the Lord. I was pretty active for several years.”

“What happened?”

“I graduated.”

She started to ask more questions, but they’d reached the door and the waiting pastor. She shook Jim’s hand and moved through the doorway, waiting for Adam. He stood in front of the pastor a long moment. Jim nodded a couple of times, then smiled. Adam joined her, a thoughtful look on his face. He looked down at her, his gaze probing and slightly amused. Her heart quickened. Suddenly, being this close to Adam Holbrook was not a good idea. She turned and hurried to the truck.

* * *

Adam eased back out of the Durrants’ crowded kitchen and found a spot in the adjoining family room where he’d be out of the way. The aroma of roast beef and steaming vegetables sent his taste buds into overdrive. All his other senses were being bombarded, as well. From the moment he’d stepped into the Durrant home after church, the house had been buzzing with activity. Laura had stopped by the gazebo to check on things before going on to her parents’ house. He’d found it distracting, trying to reconcile the woman he’d worked with yesterday with the lovely woman who’d sat beside him in church. Being in the close confines of the truck cab had only highlighted the difference. A difference that made him curious about this new side of Laura Durrant.

Angie Durrant caught his eyes and smiled. “Adam, could you come and give us a hand?” He swallowed the knot of unease in his throat but obeyed. Laura handed him a potato peeler and a spud when he joined her at the large center island. He stared down at the items in his hands. He’d peeled a potato. Once. He heard Laura chuckle and glanced over at her. Her violet eyes were sparkling with amusement.

“Like this.” She demonstrated the technique quickly and handed the items back to him. “Then cut them into pieces and drop them into the pot on the stove.”

He did as he was told, but when he put his pieces of potato in the pot, they didn’t look the same. He turned to Laura to inquire, but she was hurrying from the room.

“Matt and Shelby are here, Mom.”

He searched his memory. Matt. The oldest brother who was getting married to his former sweetheart. Angie Durrant wiped her hands on a towel and hurried to the hallway. Adam sought out his little corner in the family room. No need to intrude on family time.

Before he could take a few steps, the women were back, forcing him to stop and get caught up in the moment.

Mrs. Durrant touched his arm gently and smiled at the tall man who came into the kitchen. “Adam, this is our oldest son, Matt. Matt, our houseguest, Adam Holbrook.”

Houseguest? He appreciated her not spelling out his situation. Matt extended his hand and shook Adam’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”

He resembled a younger version of Tom.

“And this is his soon-to-be wife, Shelby Russell.”

The elegant brunette smiled, but didn’t shake his hand because her hands were full of a pie and a basket.

“Hello. Could I get you to take one of these, please?”

Adam relieved her of the pie, setting it down on the only clear spot in the kitchen.

He turned around to find a little boy staring up at him. He had green eyes, sandy hair and a nose full of freckles. “Hello.”

“My name is Kenny. What’s your name?”

“Adam.”

“Like in the Bible.” Kenny frowned and wrinkled his nose. “There aren’t any Kennys in the Bible.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard of any,” Adam admitted.

“Are you the man who broke the gazebo?”

Adam’s felt a rush of embarrassment warm his face.

“Kenny.”

Adam glanced over at the boy’s father, who looked as embarrassed as he felt. No sense in trying to hide his guilt. “Yes, I am. I wasn’t paying attention and I wrecked it with my car.”

Kenny looked up at him with sympathetic eyes. “Sometimes I don’t pay attention. I get in trouble a lot. But it’s okay because my daddy loves me anyway. That’s what daddies do.”

A large knot formed in the center of Adam’s chest. It was hard to find his voice. Not all daddies. “That’s good.”

A young girl joined the boy. “Hi, I’m Cassidy. Aunt Laura is helping you fix the gazebo, right?”

“She is.”

“Good, because we like to hang out there a lot and now we can’t.”

Shelby Russell came and steered the children to the other room with instructions to set the table.

Adam glanced around the kitchen. Everyone was going about their business, not paying any attention to him at all. Suddenly, he wanted out. Away from all the warm and cozy nonsense. He tried to battle his impulse to flee. He wanted to go to his room to sort things out, but to do so would be rude. He took a step backward, seeking distance. Everyone seemed happy, even joyful. It couldn’t be real. Did every happy family act this way?

Angie Durrant caught his attention, motioning him to the kitchen. She handed him the bowl of rice and smiled. “Go put that on the table then tell the boys we’re ready to eat.”

He nodded, wondering for the tenth time how he ended up here. He’d never felt so out of place, so awkward, in his whole life.

Were they trying to rehabilitate him? Were they trying to make him feel the burden of his damaging their landmark? Or was it money? Did they think he would compensate them later for their kindness? The thought immediately filled him with shame. These people weren’t like the ones he normally associated with. The Durrants were people he had little exposure to.

Adam placed the bowl, then moved slowly into the family room. The guys were focused on the Saints football game. “Food’s ready.”

Matt turned and smiled. “’Bout time. I’m starving.” He punched his dad playfully in the arm. “Chow.”

Tom stood and tapped his grandson, Kenny, on the head. “Come on, kiddo.”

Adam followed them into the dining room, a strange tightness in the center of his chest as he watched the family come together. Laura smiled and motioned him to the seat beside her.

He asked himself again if what he was seeing was real. Probably not. They were all on their best behavior for his sake. Trying to put on a show. The way his parents did whenever they came home. Once a year his mother would parade out her best china and invite the crowd. They’d all smile, put on a display of family happiness, then the next morning, they’d all go their separate ways.

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