Jingle Bell Blessings

Again, his unexpected speaking startled her. This time her hand flew to her throat to disguise the rapid pulse that must be visible. “No… of course not.”

“Hmm.”

How did the man run a business when he barely spoke? Feeling the opportunity, she cleared her throat. “Actually, I was thinking about my mother. Missing her.”

Evan took his eyes from the road. “Then why’d you come all the way out here?”

Because she needed the money Mr. Wainwright had offered to continue paying for her mother’s care.

Jimmy looked up at her and she smiled for his benefit. “I wouldn’t miss this adventure for anything.”

Evan snorted. “Adventure?”

“Sure, neither of us has ever been to Texas.” Chloe struggled for something benign to say. “Or a quarry.”

This time when he glanced at her, she met his dark eyes, sustaining the gaze. Despite the disbelief lurking in their depths, she felt the same as she had when she’d bumped into his shoulder. Silly but….

Chloe swallowed. She hadn’t experienced that kind of reaction to a man since her ex-fiancé, Derek, had dumped her. Must just be nerves, she told herself. That, and knowing how much was riding on her swaying Evan Mitchell to change his mind.

Still, she straightened up, holding her body rigidly in place. And kept herself in that position until they neared a large sign indicating the quarry. Unexpectedly excited, Chloe leaned forward when Evan turned off the main road. Bumping over the rutted dirt road, dust billowed behind them in a dark cloud. Evan didn’t slow down. Clearly the pitted road was familiar to him, so familiar he knew its ups and downs, its twists and curves.

Not surprisingly, the small office, barely more than a shed, was built of limestone.

“Is the quarry in that building?” Jimmy asked in a disappointed voice.

Evan chuckled, startling Chloe and Jimmy. “Nope. It’s the big pit we’re driving to when we switch vehicles.”

Transfixed by the difference in Evan when he smiled, Chloe didn’t pay attention to the quarry until Jimmy poked her arm, pointing out the large slabs of stone literally everywhere.

Chloe tried to think of something intelligent to say; she reverted to the familiar. “Do you sell stone from this office?”

“Small jobs like home remodels. All the commercial orders come through the main office.” He pulled the truck up close to the small building.

“Is the quarry nearby?” Chloe asked, as curious as Jimmy.

“We’ll grab a buggy to get over there.” Evan got out of the truck and disappeared.

Chloe wriggled her eyebrows at Jimmy. “Sounds cool.”

He loosened up slightly. “Evan doesn’t even sound mad at me.”

Chloe’s heart pinged and she impulsively wrapped her arms around him. “He isn’t mad at you, honey. If anything, he’s mad at himself.”

“How come?”

Yes. Why? “Because he’s the sort of man who’s used to being in control, in charge, like at his company. And, when Evan’s in unfamiliar territory…he’s confused. And that makes him mad. Let’s get out of the truck and be ready when he brings the buggy around, okay?”

Evan appeared shortly in what resembled a golf cart. “Hop in.”

When Jimmy hesitated, Chloe climbed in, taking a spot in the back so Jimmy could ride up front next to Evan.

When Jimmy continued to hesitate, Evan’s impatient expression relented a fraction; he shrugged his head to one side. “Come on. You ride shotgun.”

Once Jimmy was onboard, Evan didn’t speed off as Chloe imagined he wanted to. Instead, he drove slowly, pointing out various formations.

“This quarry is limestone.” Evan pointed to a newly excavated vein. “See the different colors? The clay and the iron oxide cause that.” He drove past the open pit to a second pit.

“Now, this limestone’s been weathered a long time, about a hundred and forty years. That’s why the color’s different than the new vein. Subtle change, though. Takes stone thousands of years to form, sometimes more to change.”

Jimmy’s big brown eyes grew even larger. “How do you grow more, then?”

Evan’s mouth curved as though about to smile. As quickly, he pulled his eyebrows together in a serious expression. “We can’t. Have you heard about taking care of the environment?”

Solemnly, Jimmy nodded. “Daddy and Mommy said we have to take care of the earth. That it’s our job, so that’s why we have to use green things.” He looked up at Evan. “That doesn’t mean the color green.”

“So I’ve heard. Which is why we use every part of the stone we dig up. After the big slabs are cut, we use the small pieces for all kinds of things—cement, mortar, it even goes in toothpaste.”

“We brush our teeth with rocks?” Jimmy asked, forgetting his fear, completely intrigued.

Evan’s lips definitely twitched. “Helps that they flavor it with mint. Oh, and bubble gum for kids.”

Bubble-gum flavored toothpaste? Funny thing for a single man to know about. Mr. Wainwright had told her that Evan was an only child. So no nieces or nephews. Of course he could have seen the product in a commercial.

Chloe had wondered if Evan’s stubborn refusal to even consider taking Jimmy in was because of being an only child. Never having to share. Maybe he hadn’t left the trait behind with his childhood. Maybe he didn’t want to share his life, either.

She found that terribly sad. Even though Chloe had felt the impact of financial problems for years, she wouldn’t trade caring for her mother. Not for a zillion dollars. But the money Holden Wainwright had promised her if she succeeded in placing Jimmy with the Mitchells would change their lives. There would be no more angst-ridden moments of worrying whether she would be able to pay the rising costs of the care facility.

“Are most of the rocks for toothpaste?” Jimmy was asking Evan.

“Nope. Most of it’s used in architecture. Have you heard of the Great Pyramids? They’re in Egypt where your grandparents are. Anyway, they’re made of limestone.”

“I didn’t know that,” Chloe blurted out, belatedly realizing she had verbalized her thought.

“Castles in medieval times were made from it, too.” Evan replied, unperturbed by her question.

“With dragons?” Jimmy asked with the first note of genuine, full-out excitement she had heard in his voice.

Evan scratched his head. “Hard to say. We don’t carry dragons at our quarries.”

Chloe nearly giggled aloud, not something she would have ever anticipated doing with Evan.

The thought had barely formed when he turned around. “I have to get back to the office soon. Where did you leave your car?”

“The house,” she admitted, belatedly realizing that hadn’t been a well-thought-out plan.

Evan glanced at his watch, then scowled. “Have to head back now, then.”

By the time they returned the cart and switched back to the truck, Evan was impatient to get to his meeting. He pulled into the driveway at the house, leaving the engine running. Jimmy hopped out immediately. Chloe started to follow, but Evan caught her arm.