20. Clint
20
CLINT
C lint positioned the miter saw at the mark on the wood and guided the blade down. With the last of the trim pieces cut to perfection, the bookshelves for Jordan and Alicia were coming together.
Hollis wiped his brow as he stood from the crouched position he’d been in while staining a wooden table. “A little air conditioning wouldn’t kill you.”
Clint jerked his chin toward the wall. “Open a window and quit whining. It’s within ten degrees of freezing temps outside.”
Hollis opened the window and leaned on the sill.
“Feeling a little trapped?” Clint asked.
“Not trapped. Just helpless, I guess.”
Clint sat on a bench and propped his leg on a bucket. “I’m sorry, man. I’m praying, but I wish there was something else I could do.”
Hollis straightened and made his way over to Clint. “I appreciate it. I think that’s all we can do, so that’s plenty.”
It had always been easy for Clint to put all of his faith in God. He’d never had a rebellious stage or gotten lost along the way. He trusted the Lord in all things, but even he could admit it was hard to see any good that could come of Hollis’s dad’s bone cancer.
“This is probably his last Thanksgiving. He might make it past Christmas, but the oncologist says not to hope for much more.”
Clint slapped a hand on Hollis’s shoulder. “I’m here for you.”
“I know.” Hollis lifted his shoulders and let out a deep sigh. “I need to talk about something else. How’s the leg?”
“Still kicking, but only giving about twenty-five percent effort.”
“You seem to be getting around okay.”
Clint glared at the crutch he’d come to despise. “I had a dream last night that I used an ax to chop up my crutches into little pieces.”
Hollis rubbed his chin. “There’s probably some insightful meaning there.”
“Then I threw the pieces into the fireplace. ”
Hollis winced. “Okay, so you have strong feelings about your recovery.”
Clint propped an elbow on his knee and rested his forehead in his hand. “I have an appointment with the surgeon on Monday, and I’m not looking forward to whatever he has to say.”
“How are things going with Nora?” Hollis asked.
How were things going? Clint was sure of his feelings for her, but it never seemed like the right time to tell her.
“Things are great. She’s helping me out a lot since I can’t get around well right now.”
Hollis leaned back against the wall. “I’m glad you didn’t tell her at the airport.”
Clint had gone over that decision a thousand times. How would these last few weeks have been different if he’d been upfront with her from the start?
Would she have pulled away after finding out her dad lost their home? Probably.
Would she have resisted his help more because she would assume he felt obligated to help her? Most likely.
Would she have even shared his feelings? He’d never know.
The big question was did they still have a chance to change things for the better?
“Me too. She’s had too much going on in her life. The last thing she needs is a new relationship. ”
It was tough to admit, but Clint wasn’t the most important thing in Nora’s life. She needed a friend, and he would always be there for her.
“But I’m thinking now’s a good time,” Hollis said.
“A good time for what?”
“To tell her.”
Clint stared at his friend, searching for any sign of teasing. “Why do you think that?”
“Because I just saw the two of you together. She’s happy.”
“She’s happy because she just ate a full meal and two servings of dessert. It had nothing to do with me.”
Hollis shook his head. “No, she’s happy with you. I saw the way she looked at you. She watched you like a hawk.”
“She’s worried I’ll trip over this stupid boot and mess my leg up even more than I already have.”
Hollis leaned forward and propped his elbows on his knees. “I’m telling you, she’s ready to hear it. I wouldn’t have said this two weeks ago, but I’m sure of it now.”
Clint pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. “If this is your idea of a prank, it won’t be funny when she stomps on my heart. I swear I’ll make your life miserable.”
Laughing, Hollis straightened. “Come on, man. This is your moment.”
The Thanksgiving dinner Clint had just eaten rolled in his stomach. After being with her again and seeing all that he had to lose, the thought of telling Nora how he felt and getting shot down might crush him.
Hollis narrowed his eyes. “Are you okay? You’re turning a little pale.”
Clint swallowed hard. “Just contemplating one of the most important decisions in my life. No big deal.”
Hollis stood and clapped Clint on the shoulder. “Why are you sweating this all of a sudden? You always jump in headfirst.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve had weeks to think about it, and I’m painfully aware of how bad this could go if she laughs in my face.”
Hollis took his stance beside the wooden table and picked up the staining brush. “Trust me on this one. She won’t turn you down.”
Clint let his friend’s encouragement ping around in his head while they worked. The timing wasn’t great, but would it ever be? What could he do to assure her that they’d be great together as more than friends?
After a few more hours in the woodshop, Hollis looked at his phone. “I guess I need to head home.”
“Thanks for the help,” Clint said as he started cleaning up the workspace.
“Let me know how things go with Nora.”
Clint inhaled a deep breath to calm the stirring in his middle. He had to pray that Hollis wouldn’t be having a good laugh at him later.
It was full dark when Hollis pulled back up at the main house. Clint grabbed his crutch and said a quick goodbye when he saw Nora stepping out onto the porch.
“Good luck,” Hollis said as Clint closed the door.
No pressure. It was only his most important friendship on the line.
He met Nora on the porch, and she tugged his jacket tighter around her. A burst of cold wind blew her ponytail to the side.
“Have fun?” she asked.
“I always have fun. What about you?” Fun was kind of a stretch for the evening, but he’d enjoyed the work and the company, just not the topic of conversation that left him on the verge of puking up his supper.
“Of course. Your sister has compiled a Christmas itinerary for the family that should keep us busy until the new year.”
“Sorry. It’s her favorite time of the year.”
Nora shrugged. “At least I won’t have time to sit around sulking.”
Right. She had a million things going on. Did she need one more change in her life?
She pointed at his foot. “You need to get that elevated.”
“I’m heading that way. ”
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
“Not too bad. I’m kinda nervous to hear what the surgeon has to say on Monday.”
“I’ll be here to pick you up at six thirty and you can treat me to breakfast on the way.”
“Sounds like it’s a deal.”
Nora tightened her arms around her again. “It’s a date.”
Every muscle in Clint’s body tensed. Was she just saying that because it was what he’d said? What kind of date? A real date or just a friends date?
She couldn’t say it was a date and not elaborate!
She stepped around him and headed toward her truck. “Good night.”
Or maybe she could. She had the power to make his day or crush his heart. If only he knew which one was headed his way.