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She was already growing accustomed to Zeke’s generosity. If he were to rip the rug out from under her, she knew it would hurt more than it should. And she was quickly developing resentment for those feelings. What was taking him so long? Was he waiting for her to give him permission to upend yet another aspect of her life? “Spit it out already.”
He lifted a single brow, and she caught yet another glimpse of why people found this man so intimidating.
Agatha ducked her head and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear that had fallen from her bun. She cleared her throat but didn’t make excuses for her sharp tone. She was the guest, and as such, she should be acting in accordance with that. She could hear Zeke shifting again but kept her gaze trained on the floor.
“I spoke with Tuck at the hardware store today. He thinks he can order the supplies we’ll need to fix your house.”
Her head snapped up so fast it nearly gave her whiplash. “What?”
A wry smile crossed his face. “We’re really going to have to get your hearing checked.”
She shook her head and stepped closer to him. “I heard what you said, but I can’t believe it. The contractors—they all said they couldn’t—”
“I can get a crew together that is just as good as those contractors. Most of us have experience framing and building barns. Back in my heyday, I helped with several barn raisings.”
Agatha’s hope dwindled. “This isn’t a barn we’re talking about. This is my home.”
“And it requires similar structural planning. But don’t worry. Tuck is a retired builder. He opened his hardware store when he realized he wasn’t made for relaxing.”
“That sounds like some retirement,” Agatha murmured.
“Anyway, I wanted to give you a heads-up that we can put everything into the works. You won’t have to stay here very long after all.”
So that was it then. Zeke was helping her get her home rebuilt so he could regain control over his cabin. She couldn’t blame him. This was his property, and the longer she stayed, the less time he had to spend here. Hunting season would be in a few months, and she was certain he would want to be able to use it.
She smiled brightly, though the joy she should have felt over this news wasn’t as great as she’d have imagined it to be. Zeke had figured out how to get her exactly what she wanted. So why did the way he presented it leave a sour taste in her mouth? Perhaps it was the fact she was just now realizing he was a hypocrite. Zeke Callahan wanted to give her something just to get rid of her. Yes, it was generous. But the reasons behind it weren’t at all. It just went to show she’d been right about having to look after herself. “Thank you so much. Do you really think you’ll be able to find enough help to get this project done quickly?”
“I’m not sure how quickly it’ll get done, but it will be faster than waiting on a contractor. I’ll give Tuck a call—let him know he’s got the green light to put in the order for what we know we’ll need right off the bat. Then we can move forward from there.”
She swallowed hard, and with that swallow went the disappointment she shouldn’t even be feeling. “This is absolutely amazing. Thank you so much. I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay—”
Zeke held up his hand. “Don’t worry about that now. We’ll see what your insurance covers before we discuss any repayment.” With that, he placed his hat on his head and nodded toward her. “Good evening, Ms. Birch. I’ll stop by when I have more information.” He strode from the cabin, leaving her gaping after him.
A place to stay. Money for clothes. And now a crew to build a house. The contradictory ways in which he was helping her made her head spin. Perhaps she was being too hard on him. Everything he’d done for her up until this point had been to help her. But she still thought he wanted her out. But wouldn’t she want the same thing if she were helping someone in a similar situation?
Agatha sighed. She’d just gotten her hopes up that he was as great as she thought him to be. But alas, no one was perfect. She most certainly wasn’t, so why even try to put this man on a pedestal?
* * *
“Take your hat off at the dinner table. I’ve taught you better than that.” Agatha gave her son a pointed look, but the smile that rested just beneath the surface couldn’t be missed.
Thomas removed his hat and placed it on the couch before returning to the small table that could only seat four. He glanced around the hunting cabin with a curiosity befitting a boy half his age.
Agatha chuckled. “I’ll give you the grand tour after supper. Why don’t you tell me about your day?”
“Why don’t you tell me about yours?” Thomas scooted his chair in and gave her that look that said he knew something was going on.
Only this time, he was wrong.
“Like I told you before. Zeke took me to the house. Then we went to town. That’s all.”
“He took you shopping, Mom.”
Agatha moved through the small kitchen gathering the dishes and food she’d pulled out for dinner. She didn’t meet his gaze nor stop to give him her full attention as there was nothing to discuss, and she could tell where this was heading based on his tone alone. “Not really. I suppose he took me there, but he dropped me off so he could run his errands.” She hadn’t brought up the rebuild yet for this reason. Thomas was naturally inquisitive and often made quick assumptions based on a small amount of data. She didn’t need him putting any of those thoughts into her head any more than he was putting them into his own.
“Mom.”
She placed a casserole dish on the table before taking her seat. “What?”
