Healing Two Hearts

Chapter 1

Great! My favorite suede suit and I’m sweating. I spent two hours preparing and putting on my ‘power suit’, a six hour layover, one missed flight, only to be doing a complete meltdown in front of fifty dirty men in work clothes with no style and overgrown hormones. Testosterone. Definitely the hormone I’m looking at. Ugh. I know I told Grandma I would behave, but I didn’t know the trip here would be impossibly difficult, she thought. Why? Ugh! Why couldn’t her dying wish be that I go work for some firm in New York City? If these men would stop staring for a second I could almost imagine big city, skyscrapers, hustle and bustle of traffic and yes, clean men in suits! Maelynn gave a snort of disgust only realizing she had actually committed the act out loud as she saw several eyebrows rise. Well, if they were going to look like cavemen, she could act her part with a snort, right?

Forcing the trained smile onto her sculpted lips, the smile that she knew made men blather incoherently. She determined to try again. Excuse me for interrupting, but I said I’m looking for Thad Jamison. Am I in the wrong place?

An older gentleman stepped forward with his hand outstretched. It’s nice to have you out here visiting ma’am. You’ll have to excuse the guys. We work and some of the guys camp out here for weeks at a time and definitely aren’t used to such a pretty, dressed-up lady to step out here in all this dirt. He reached his hand out to shake hers. My name’s Joe Foyer. His grip was firm and comforting to her and she immediately began to relax when she saw the kindness emanating from this tall man’s gray eyes that only enhanced his silver hair.

You’d be in the right place ma’am, although, Thad don’t take very kindly to strangers coming out on his work site. He tends to be a little grouchy when work is interrupted. With that he turned around and with the voice of authority and a look to match, Joe quickly dispatched the rag-tag group of guys.

Maelynn stood there watching the group get back to work and began to actually look around. This was the cleanest work site for a development project she had seen. Certainly not suburbia, but definitely had a beautiful rustic look to this development. To be able to transport these trees and fresh air to outside of the city would create a housing development for million dollar homes without a doubt! She could almost visualize the homes with sweeping rooflines and windows to enhance the nature around. With a place like this, you should be able to catch a glimpse of the woodsy affect from every room in the home.

Ahem, she quickly turned to find Joe staring at her expectantly.

I’m sorry, she smiled, I guess I became entranced with the beauty of this land!

Joe smiled sadly, Yep, good land. It was in Thad’s family and friends of Thad’s family for years. Sad to see it developed. Hunted on this land many times and fished in that creek, he said pointing at the picturesque creek winding through the landscape of Fall color. But, the demand for small housing and starter homes is great in this area with all the new factories going in. We have to put up houses somewhere. Guess Thad figures he can put up a lot of little houses out here and maybe even apartments.

Maelynn Kinsey had dedicated her degree in urban development to seeing nature preserved as much as possible. Not only that, but this had been her family’s land. Her family had been friends of the Jamison’s for years. They sold all of their property to Thad’s grandparents so they could raise her in the city around the best schools and doctor’s money could afford. She could feel the numbness of his statement quickly dissolving into pure anger. Who was this grizzly man Thad Jamison anyway? How could he? How dare he turn this phenomenal landscape into a bunch of low income housing? What kind of person would do this? With blood boiling she failed to see Joe’s attention drift behind her. She was about to cut loose with her verbal barrage of questions when a smooth, incredibly masculine voice cut into her thoughts.

Hey Joe, I know I told you to go into town and see if we could find some more legs to put to work out here, but I had no idea that you’d find legs this great willing to come out here in all this dirt. If I’d known that, I may have sent you into to town weeks ago. Thad drawled. Joe knew that dangerous tone of voice meant Thad was clearly irritated. Usually one of the good guys, once Thad was mad, his mouth typically got him in trouble. Joe had watched Thad over the years and every time hoped that Thad would exercise a little more control. Normally he’d turn and high tail it until the boy settled down. Unfortunately, the girl staring at him seemed to have the same idiotic fire in her eyes that told him that this could get ugly unless she had more self-discipline over that tongue than Thad did his. Joe could only pray that when Thad got a look at her chiseled face, sparkling intelligent green eyes, only to be framed with the curls that matched the Fall colors around her, he would use the brains God gave him to hold his comments in check.

With the sparks currently flying out of those eyes of hers, it only made her more beautiful in Joe’s opinion, but he loved spunk, just like his beautiful wife Mary. She was just as pretty when mad as she was when she was smiling. Now Thad, that’s no way to treat a lady. Without turning to look at Thad, Joe tried to using a calming voice to speak to Maelynn. I apologize ma’am, I’d introduce you, but I never got your name. Before he finished she was turned around and yelling.

Thad Jamison? I’ve heard great things about you my whole life. Well now I’m here and I’ve realized they were all lies. What kind of man are you? How dare you destroy the beauty of this land! You’ve already taken down enough trees to destroy the canopy, not to mention your men are destroying the rolling hills with all of that dirt they are currently hauling in and leveling out! How could you! And by the way, ‘mister model citizen’, you are a boorish wretch for speaking to me in such a way! She fought the tears that always threatened to destroy the fierce in control women walls she so carefully had constructed over the years. Why did she have to be so passionate about her work? Why did she have to be so passionate about land she had not seen since she was a child? Why do all men check out her body before even noticing if she has a brain? She took a deep breath to gain control and harness the anger. She was about to go at this man again with her tirade when he grabbed her wrist and took off toward the rough office trailer with her in tow. She was lucky to not twist her ankle and keep up with him. His strides were long and measured and she got a quick glimpse of a guy made for jeans.

Wonderful, Grandma, what mess have you got me in? Surely you knew how I would react to someone who goes against what I strive for in housing developments? Urban development is my passion. That doesn’t mean I throw up houses and high-rises wherever there is space. For every space there is a design. – her self-proclaimed motto. And now I’m dealing with yet another moron who thinks because there is land he must make a quick buck by throwing houses on it. Not on this land. Why did you have to leave me when I needed you?

Maelynn suddenly realized they had stopped inside a cramped, but tidy little office. Time to take that deep breath. She could almost hear her Grandmother’s voice coaching her to take the deep breath and think before she spoke. But as she looked up, any chance of thinking quickly left her. She was gawking at the most handsome man she had ever seen and didn’t care. Perhaps the rest of him was made for Levi’s but his face was made for the movies. A western movie she decided as she stared at his broad shoulders and took in his T-shirt under his open flannel.

Definitely hardworking muscle here. Not the city boy, metro-sexual, work-out look. She could see the muscle in his neck flex and quickly worked her way up to the five o’clock shadow. The corners of his mouth were turned up in a smirk as though he could read her every thought. Great. As if being humiliated once wasn’t enough?

All of her thoughts started gathering again like thunderclouds, and she remembered why she was now standing in this man’s office. You are a pig-headed, masochistic, money-grubbing man. I came out here to lend my assistance, but I can see from a quick perusal of your so called ‘development property’ that we have no common ground and I should be on my way, she said quietly, with anger lacing every word. She quickly turned to leave but was stopped when he grabbed her arm.

Why? Thad asked.

Why what?! Maelynn spun on him hands on hips.

Why are you here? Who are you? What makes you think I want help? Who sent you? And why are you criticizing my ‘development property’ as you put it? He was now shouting back at her, well past his limit of control with this little lady who was determined to tear him to shreds for reasons beyond his understanding. Both hands were now on his desk leaning across toward Maelynn. Muscles in his neck were jumping and it was hard not to notice them.

The name is Maelynn. Goodbye. And with that she bolted out the door to her rented dark green SUV. She was down the road before Thad got his wits about him to try to figure out what just happened. Wow, such a short interchange shouldn’t leave a person so rattled. He was glad that her attention had been diverted when they got to the office. He couldn’t remember when a woman stopped him short on looks like she did. Standing there a minute more combing both hands through his hair in frustration and confusion he finally went to the door and shouted for Joe.

Chapter 2

What can I do for you Thad? Joe said as he slowly made his way toward him. He figured Thad needed as much time as he could give him to cool down. Not that a few seconds were going to help much, but you never could tell.

Who was she Joe? Did she say what she wanted to you or the boys? And how the hell does she know me? Thad asked, looking frustrated and confused.

Don’t know, was the simple answer. I made sure I shooed the boys back to work before one of them had the chance to offend such a pretty little thing. Didn’t want any trouble out here, if you know what I mean.

Thad tried hard not to think about those incredible green eyes or those fantastic legs. Yeah, he knew what Joe meant. He still didn’t have any answers. Maelynn. Maelynn. That name registered something in his brain, but he didn’t know what. There was something about that face that took him back to his childhood. He knew she was not from around here. The accent bespoke East Coast, definitely not Hopewell High School material. He went to college out West, and yes, there had been many girls he had gone out with, but none with those green eyes, perfect nose, and that mouth. He would have remembered. Now he just wanted to forget them. He stood there a few more seconds, then realized Joe was still standing looking at him now with a look of humor in his eyes. He didn’t understand his thoughts, but he knew he wasn’t interested in being razzed about this one.

Fine. Let’s hope she’s not some crazy tree hugger. Get back to work. And Joe…thanks for averting any problems with the boys. If she comes by again, try to send her on her way.

Joe left shaking his head. He loved that boy. He had been Thad’s grandfather’s best friend. After Thad’s parents were killed on a mission trip to Belize, Thad had come to live with his grandparents. So much tragedy for a nine year old to deal with and Joe wondered if he ever had truly dealt with it. His relationship with his grandparents had been close. At sixty-five, Mike Jamison had a massive heart attack and left this world quickly. He was a man who loved deeply and those around him had missed him greatly. Not more than a year later Maria was diagnosed with lymphoma. Thad moved back in and did his best to make his grandmother’s life comfortable. After an eighteen-month battle she went to be with her beloved husband in Heaven. Now just a year later, Joe saw Thad continue to hold everyone around him at arm’s length. If he grieved, it had been in private. Joe had tried to get Thad back in church for the past year to no avail. Thad was never rude about it, but always firm. Not for me. The anger, although held in check, seemed to boil deep within him.

Joe had thought that when the big fundraisers had come up this past year to raise funds for the missionaries in Belize, Thad would take an interest. Belize was a country desperate for the word of God. Poor and uneducated people made up most of the population. Medical teams were sent down on a regular basis to the small villages. People would travel for days to reach one of these temporary medical tents the teams set-up. The funds they raised through the year paid for the medical supplies the team took with them. Most of the individuals who went, raised their own funds as well to be able to go. Unfortunately, the whole hubbub over the fundraisers only seemed to drive Thad further away.

Thad sat down heavily at his desk. He looked at the stacks of paperwork around him and knew he had to get back to it. Those angry, green eyes haunted him. He may have taunted her, but only because he felt the need to defend himself. It would never have been his intention to purposely hurt someone, especially not someone that looked like that!