Chapter 29 #2
Big John answered before Hank could. “Ack, after I almost got smashed into the wall, Hank decided that anyone about to walk inside should announce themselves.”
“Hmm. Well, that makes sense.” Kind of.
Hank’s lips twitched. “I’m afraid everyone’s gotten kind of silly with it. I’m glad you haven’t been here to hear everything the guys have been calling out.”
Thoroughly entertained, she leaned forward. “Let me guess, they aren’t just yelling ‘incoming’?”
“I’m afraid not,” Hank said. “Some of it has been . . . a little off-color.”
“He means not fit for a young girl’s ears, missy,” John added.
“Maybe so, but now I kind of feel like I’ve been missing out on all the fun.”
Whether he was shocked or intrigued, she wasn’t sure. But when Hank met her eyes again, there seemed to be more of an interest than usual. She felt a little bolt of happiness charge through her.
“I’ve been sweating something awful this afternoon. You ain’t missed much.”
Fanny laughed as she turned to examine his work. “Oh, John,” she gasped. “This is beautiful.” She ran a finger along a section of the intricate design John had been hand carving. “Are these maple leaves?”
“Jah.”
Each leaf was between two and three inches long. They were lovely. So lovely and detailed that she couldn’t imagine why John would choose to carve them in place instead of in the shop. “Why didn’t you want to make them back at Alliance?”
“I made three, but I didn’t like how they looked when I nailed them in. By the time I put in putty and such, it looked like the leaves had been made with a machine.” Big John exchanged a look with Hank. “The boss and I decided that it would be better to do the carving here.”
“I tried to change his mind,” Hank said. “I’ve witnessed how challenging it can be to carve these right here—even when he doesn’t have to worry about getting hit by the door.”
“If I’m going to do this, I’m gonna do it right, Fan,” Big John murmured.
His voice was quiet, but there was an unmistakable thread of iron in it. He was no pushover.
“Well, I’m impressed. John, is it okay if I take a picture for Nelson?”
“No need to ask, Fanny. It’s your job.”
“Thanks, John.” She smiled at him before snapping multiple photos from different angles. If Nelson was as impressed as she was, then Fanny knew they’d be putting at least one of these pictures in a brochure for future clients. The workmanship was remarkable.
When she stepped back, Big John released a heavy sigh. “I need to get back to work now, girly.”
“I hear you. I’m getting out of your way this minute.”
“Danke.”
“Ready to see the progress in the rest of the house, Fanny?” Hank asked.
“Sure, though I can go by myself. You don’t need to escort me.”
“I’ve got the time. Besides, there’s a couple of things I want to ask you about.”
“All right. Well, um, lead the way.”
She ignored Big John’s chuckle as they walked away. She suspected he was vastly entertained by the tension that was looming between her and Hank. She really hoped he didn’t go back and tell everybody else at work. They’d enjoy teasing her about her crush for years to come.
Hank led her into the kitchen. “I’ve got appliances in here now. What do you think?”
The appliances were high-end, all stainless steel. They were likely every chef’s dream. “I think they look amazing. I hope you like to cook,” she teased.
He grinned. “I do.”
“Now you surprised me.”
“Oh, I don’t cook anything fancy. Pork chops, chicken, steak, salmon.” He smiled, and the room lit up. “I can make a mean omelet.”
“That’s more than I can.”
“I guess that means that I’ll have to have you over for dinner one day.”
He was looking at her intently, and they were close enough that she could smell what was left of his cologne.
Her insides jumped. He was so . . . so everything.
Reminding herself that he probably didn’t mean the invitation in the way she was taking it, Fanny joked, “I never pass up a free meal.”
He stepped closer. “If I asked you over, would you come?”
“Yes.” Unable to stop herself, she whispered, “Though I might wonder why you would ask.”
“Why?”
Oh, those blue eyes of his. Piercing. Intense. Warm. Though it was tempting to look away, she forced herself to meet his gaze. “Yes.” She swallowed. Cleared her throat. “I mean, as a thank you . . . or something else?”
“If I asked you to dinner, Fanny, it would be because I thought you were an attractive woman and I wanted to spend time with you. I know I’m old, but we used to call them dates.”
“I might be younger than you . . . but I call that a date too.”
“So are you saying yes?”
Oh yeah. She was saying yes to a lot of things with him in her mind. Not that he needed to know that. “Hypothetically, yes,” she replied. It was too bad she sounded so breathless.
Hank noticed. His eyes lit up. “I’ve never met anyone like you, Frances Harper.”
Just as she was about to tell him she felt the same way, her phone rang.
“I’m sorry. Let me see who it is.” She frowned when she saw a number she didn’t recognize. “Hello?”
“Is this Frances Harper?”
“Yes. Who is this?”
“This is Deputy Evan Pierce from the Holmes County Sheriff’s Department, ma’am. Your name was on Nelson Harper’s contact list.”
“Nelson is my cousin. What’s going on?”
“I’m sorry to let you know that Nelson was in a vehicular accident this evening. His injuries aren’t life-threatening, but he is in an ambulance on the way to county hospital.”
“I’ll be right there. I mean, I’m on my way. Thank you for letting me know.”
“Yes, ma’am. Drive careful. It’s still pretty bad out there.”
“I will. Thank you.”
“What happened?” Hank asked as soon as she disconnected.
“Nelson was in a car accident. He’s in an ambulance on the way to county hospital. I need to go.”
“I’ll drive you.”
Meeting his gaze, Fanny saw everything she’d ever hoped to see in his eyes. Reassurance. Compassion. Strength.
She could lean on him and never worry about falling. No matter what Heidi thought.