Construction Beauty Queen (20 page)

“And Toby is the hardest working boy I’ve ever seen. I was just telling the police chief that he definitely hasn’t been out causing trouble on the town, because he’s been right here pounding nails and making sure the shelves are exactly level.”

“And thank goodness for that, because they were crooked enough that kids would have mistaken them for slides when you were trying to set them up!” Connor O’Malley teased as he stepped out of the shadows to stand next to Veronica.

“Is she trying to talk her way out of another ticket?” Matt tried to joke.

Connor looked at him as if he’d caught him handing out illicit substances to Jenny and her friends.

“We’re trying to brainstorm ways to help keep Toby occupied this summer. Becca is really stressing out that too much time and an unsavory group of friends could add up to trouble,” Veronica said.

“Ah, that explains what’s going on with Becca. She had me show ID in the grocery store a few minutes ago. She said I was acting suspicious. I thought she was losing her mind.”

“And now you’re loitering in the Laundromat,” Connor said. “This is very suspicious behavior indeed. Did you turn in that library book yet?”

“Yes, and Veronica can vouch for me.” What the hell was going on?

“You don’t have any memory of a library book, do you?” Connor asked her, with a twinkle in his eye. “I think I should take him down to the station for questioning. What do you say?”

Veronica didn’t smile back. She simply shook her head and bit her lip. “Let it go, Connor. He didn’t do anything wrong. I’ll catch up with you Saturday night.” She put her arms around him in a quick hug. “If you see Toby, make sure he knows I have a place of honor reserved for him.”

Connor squeezed her shoulder. “You got it, babe.”

She walked past Matt without looking at him and out of the Laundromat, the glass door chiming in her wake.

“Babe?” Matt repeated, incredulous. “You’re not her type.”

Connor’s hand clenched at his side. “If you don’t get a clue soon about who her type is, I’m going to stuff you in one of these boxes and ship you off to some community that’s short on construction workers so she doesn’t have to put up with running into you for the rest of her life.”

“Veronica’s not going to stay here.” Of all the things he was unsure of, he was confident of that much.

“Yes, she is. If I’m lucky, she’ll eventually marry me, and we’ll have a kid or two or ten.”

“I thought you were stuck on Becca.”

“And I thought you were a smart guy. Guess we were both wrong. Loiter in here all you want—I’m not wasting my time locking you up.” Connor stormed out the same way Veronica had.

Matt had expected after their fight on Saturday that she’d have left and he’d never see her again. But she was still here. What if she followed through with what she’d told him all along, that she planned to make this her permanent home?

What if that permanent home was the farmhouse and she would have welcomed him and Jenny to join her? He’d been trying so hard to do what his brother would have wanted, but he couldn’t imagine anything Steve and Leah would have wanted for him more—his dream family with him in his dream house. And if he were going that far, he had to ask himself, why wouldn’t Steve want him to turn Kortville Construction into his dream job, as well?

There was no mistake. If his brother were here, he would be horribly disappointed with the mess Matt had made of his life.

Chapter Twelve

Veronica was out of her trailer by Monday, but permits and scheduling delayed the demolition until Thursday. She stood outside the convenience store, clutching the planter of flowers she’d forgotten when she’d moved out, and watched as the backhoe dug through the trailer wall. She took a shuddering breath as the digger’s claw swung around and tossed the remains of her home into the waiting dump truck.

Pauline stood next to her and squeezed her shoulder. “I know it’s hard.”

Barney’s dog rubbed against her opposite knee, as if sharing the sentiment.

“It shouldn’t be.” She reached down and scratched the dog behind the ears. She, more than anyone, recognized that people made the place, not the buildings. Yet the only building she’d made tangible progress on in her whole life was being torn to shreds, and her heart ripped along with it.

“Come inside.” Barney flanked her and squeezed his fleshy arm around her waist. “Doughnuts are on me today.”

The thought of doughnuts brought back fresh reminders of last Saturday morning with Matt. She knew she had to move on, but the wounds were too fresh. Seeing him the other day in the Laundromat had been more than she could bear. She’d hardly held it together in front of him, and even then she’d had to dump him on Connor and dash out.

Veronica set the planter outside the door, gave the pooch another scratch on the head, and walked in with Barney. She looked around at his almost finished snack-shop hangout. “Your remodeling turned out beautiful. What do you need to finish it up? Another coat of paint and to hang the fixtures?”

“That’s right. You have a good eye for construction projects. A company from Dentonville is supposed to call me with a quote on how much it’ll cost to finish it, but if they’re too high, I might call you.”

Her heart jumped to her throat. “What happened to Matt? Why isn’t he finishing it?”

“Honey, I fired him. After the way he treated you, the only thing he’s ever getting out of me is dusty doughnuts and melted ice cream.”

“Everything here is ready for tonight. Darling, you need to go home and soak in a nice long bubble bath and get yourself ready,” Mother said.

Veronica looked around at what had once been the empty storage room in the back of the Laundromat. Now it was filled with castoff clothes of every size. Neatly stacked rows of shoes and boots lined the floor. Boxes of diapers, laundry detergent, and new packages of underwear and socks sat on the back shelf.

She wasn’t sure what they would do when the initial supply ran out, but for the moment, Kortville had an amazing assortment of clothing and staples. The food pantry section would be up and running in another month, but her parents had offered to spring for a grand opening party now. They’d provided champagne, a chocolate fountain, and a stunning dessert tray. All of it was sitting out, ready for the guests to devour.

“Right.” She looked around. Despite her preparations, something was missing on the inside. Her heart wasn’t in it.

“Are you worried he’s going to show up tonight and ruin things?”

She didn’t pretend not to know who Mother was talking about. “He should show up. He has as much right to be here as anyone else. I’m more worried about other people trying to keep him away or causing a scene when he does arrive.”

She was haunted over the fact that she’d cost Matt the remodeling job. She’d tried to reason with Barney, but all she’d gotten was the promise he’d pay for the work that had already been done. He refused to budge on letting Matt finish the job, and he certainly wasn’t going to give Matt a good word-of-mouth recommendation.

Mother and Dad glanced at each other. “Should we tell her?” Mother asked.

“Tell me what?”

Dad hesitated. “My people liked the proposal you put together for the new building. They wanted to bring Matt in for talks, which was more a formality than anything. They were ready to sign on the dotted line. He wasn’t interested. He flat-out refused to talk to us.”

Dad seemed shocked, but she wasn’t the least surprised. He’d hated her idea. For that matter, he’d hated her for proposing it. “At least you thought it was worth considering. Thanks, Dad, for believing in me.”

“I don’t just believe in you. I want to see more.”

“More?”

“My vice presidents have demanded we consult you to make the most out of our investment and not trip ourselves up on unnecessary expenses while we build and move. I also know a lot of people in the city who could use a business consultant before they make big changes of their own. If you move home, I can start you off with at least a dozen referrals.”

Her heart pressed against her chest at his olive branch. “I don’t know if you’re familiar with this little thing called technology. All I need is a computer, a phone, and Internet access, and I can work from anywhere.”

Dad chuckled. “All right then. Name your rate and your hours. As soon as you set out that shingle, we’ll be knocking on your door.”

“The shingle’s out.” Hanging over her mother’s bedroom in her grandfather’s house.

Her father had finally hired her. She was going to have a steady paycheck. Her brand-new business was up and running. And she was in control of her career and her future.

“Are you sure about starting your business here and living here?” Mother asked.

“Yes.” She was settling down in a town that welcomed her, embraced her, and respected her. She had friends she could turn to in a pinch, parents who would wing a case of champagne her way for any occasion, and a grandfather who’d opened his heart and his home to a granddaughter he’d never known. She adored them all. “It’s the perfect atmosphere to work on a personal basis with my clients.”

She had everything she’d ever wanted out of life.

And she was miserable.

Dad clenched his fist. “Will you take offense if I say you already got a little too personal with your first client?”

“Matt wasn’t a client.” She didn’t try to dispute the rest of his statement. She couldn’t take offense, either, not when she’d come to the same heartbreaking conclusion.

Mother looked at her speculatively. “Will you be able to live in the same town, crossing paths with him all the time?”

“Yes.” She said the word with more confidence than she felt. But this town was both their homes. Even if they didn’t belong together, they both belonged here.

“I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”

“I tried too hard to impress him, when I should have listened to what was in his heart, instead of assuming that I already knew.”

Well, now she knew. He wasn’t interested in her heart. Too bad she couldn’t ask him to return it.

…

“Let’s sit in a booth,” Jenny said.

Matt stepped into the diner and followed her, not registering anything about the restaurant. Tonight was the open house to show off the new community needs center, and he knew Veronica was going to dazzle everyone.

“Can we see the community center before we go home?” Jenny asked. “Veronica said if I stopped by, I might see my clothes hanging there.”

“When did you talk to her?” His chest ached that he’d missed an opportunity to be in her presence.

“She stopped by Miss Glenda’s with another pair of shoes for Stephanie and took a bunch of Glenda’s old stuff away.” Veronica was a part of Jenny’s babysitter’s life now. Jenny continued before he could comment on it or redirect the conversation. “When can she and I have another girls’ day? I asked her, and she said she’d love to, but I had to ask you.”

He glanced around for Pauline to save him from answering by bringing their orders. Her gaze skirted over him from behind the cash register, and he signaled with a wave. “Just the special, Pauline.”

“She likes to be with me, and you like to be with her, too,” Jenny continued. “So why can’t she be part of our family?”

“Because your mom and dad trusted me to raise you, not anyone else.” Except that didn’t ring true. He’d originally planned to do it with Kimberly by his side.

“You always say the entire town is helping me grow up,” Jenny said. “And Veronica’s part of our town.”

She certainly was. In fact, she’d made the town more hers than his in the past week. He couldn’t imagine that Steve and Leah wouldn’t have 100 percent supported her efforts.

Pauline slapped a platter of six mini-espresso cups in front of him. “I’ll be back in a minute with a pad of paper to rate your responses.” She spun away.

“What?” But she was already gone.

Jenny giggled. “Give her perfect tens, Uncle Matt. Don’t forget.”

“I won’t forget.” Even if the cups were full of stems and seeds, he wouldn’t lower the score by a single decimal. But he also didn’t want to be an espresso guinea pig. He’d come to the diner to eat a meal.

“I’ll have the special,” he called again, as Pauline grabbed a stapled packet of paper from the counter.

“You don’t like espresso?” she demanded as she approached their table.

“I like it fine, but I’d also like to eat the daily special with a glass of milk.”

She confirmed Jenny’s grilled cheese and then swung away, dropping a two-inch-thick packet next to the espresso tray and leaving Matt to talk to Jenny about her favorite topic again. Veronica. As much as he hated to admit it, she was his favorite topic, too.

The door to the diner swung open, and Ron walked in. He nodded to Pauline and then headed straight to Matt’s table.

“Jenny, can you come to the counter and help me get this sushi ready for the community center tonight?” Pauline called.

“Can I, Uncle Matt?” Jenny jumped at the chance, sliding out of the booth before he could answer.

He watched her skip across the restaurant. Whatever Ron wanted to say to him wasn’t fit for a child’s ears. He knew it. Pauline knew it. Everyone else in the diner knew it.

Ron slid into the seat Jenny vacated without waiting for an invitation. He grimaced as he leaned against the table and bent his knee to fit in. “I left my cane in the car. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation to beat you with it if I brought it inside.”

“I’ll count my blessings, then,” Matt said drily. “I assume you’re not here to shoot the breeze.”

“I’ve been talking to my lawyer and the company lawyer and some other hotshot lawyer that my daughter recommended who charges an arm and a leg.” He pushed the espresso tray out of the way and dried the spot with a napkin.

Matt’s stomach filled with dread. “What’s the problem?”

“Here you go.” He slapped a file folder on the table. “It’s all yours. Everything’s in there.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Look, then.” Ron shoved the folder at him irritably.

Matt opened it slowly. Three lawyers made for a lot of gobbledygook language to wade through.

“Kortville Construction is all yours again,” Ron said before he’d made any sense of the legalese. “It says I have no claim on your company. The hours you worked for the past three years paid off the original investment I’d made. It’s yours to do with as you wish. I’m not your partner anymore.”

“I didn’t ask for this,” Matt said.

“I know. That’s why I didn’t ask your opinion before I went ahead and did it. You would have refused because, according to you, the only reason I’d do something for the town is if I’m still your partner.”

“I never meant it as an insult.”

“Well, trust me, I took it as one. But that makes us fair, because my opinion of you isn’t going to generate goodwill for anyone. In fact, if it were up to me, I’d have kept the partnership long enough to destroy the company and bring you to your knees.”

“How could you consider doing that to my brother’s legacy?”

“Steve?” Ron looked shocked. “This isn’t his company anymore. You made it your own. You run it differently than he did—I dare say better, which is why you were able to buy out my investment so quickly and put yourself back in the black. Steve would have been proud. And he would have wanted it all returned to you.”

Matt sat, stunned. Kortville Construction was his, not something he was carrying on for someone else. Steve and Leah were gone, and now it was time for him to create his own legacy. For the first time, he didn’t feel guilty considering it.

“Anyway, I got off track,” Ron said. “Veronica didn’t agree with my sense of justice. She wanted you to have what she thought you deserved. So I signed the papers, because it was what she wanted—not as a favor to you.”

“Why is she still going out of her way to fix things for me?” It made no sense, not after the way he’d treated her.

Ron shoved himself to his feet. “There’s no reasoning with someone who’s in love. Since you won’t give her what she really wants, all I can do is try to make up for it by giving her second best.”

Matt’s head was spinning. Someone in love? Veronica. In love with him. He wanted it too much to allow himself to believe he was making the right connection.

“Enjoy.” Pauline came back and set his plate in front of him.

“It’s liver and onions.” He stared at the disgusting mass on his plate, while Jenny crawled back into the booth and happily dug into her grilled cheese and Ron marched across the restaurant.

“It’s what you ordered,” Pauline said with a smirk.

“But—” He shoved his plate away. “What’s going on? You know I hate this dish, and you can barely keep a straight face you’re so pleased with yourself. Becca at the grocery store made me show identification with my debit card when she’s known me her entire life. Barney gave me a box of melted ice cream when I tried to go inside the convenience store. And you—”

He shook his head. Everyone in the whole town was conspiring against him—except Veronica, who for some bizarre reason had started championing his cause.

Pauline leaned her elbows on the table, filling his vision with her no-nonsense expression. “We don’t take kindly to anyone hurting one of our own around here.”

“What are you talking about? I haven’t hurt anyone.” He’d only
thought
about ripping Connor apart limb for limb when he’d called Veronica “babe.”

“You broke Veronica’s heart.” Pauline looked as serious as he’d ever seen her, as she tapped her knuckles on the taste-testing paperwork. “I expect every line in this packet to be filled in before you leave your spot in this booth.”