The House that Love Built Read online

  ACCLAIM FOR BETH WISEMAN

  Need You Now

  “Wiseman gets to the heart of marriage and family issues in a way that will resonate with readers . . .”

  —ROMANTIC TIMES

  “With issues ranging from special education and teen cutting to what makes a marriage strong, this is a compelling and worthy read.”

  —BOOKLIST

  “You may think you are familiar with Beth’s wonderful story-telling gift but this is something new! This is a story that will stay with you for a long, long time. It’s a story of hope when life seems hopeless. It’s a story of how God can redeem the seemingly unredeemable. It’s a message the Church, the world needs to hear.”

  —SHEILA WALSH, AUTHOR OF

  GOD LOVES BROKEN PEOPLE

  “Beth Wiseman tackles these difficult subjects with courage and grace. She reminds us that true healing can only come by being vulnerable and honest before our God who loves us more than anything.”

  —DEBORAH BEDFORD, BEST-SELLING AUTHOR

  OF HIS OTHER WIFE, A ROSE BY THE DOOR, AND

  THE PENNY (COAUTHORED WITH JOYCE MEYER)

  The Land of Canaan Novels

  “Wiseman’s voice is consistently compassionate and her words flow smoothly.”

  —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY REVIEW OF

  SEEK ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART

  “Wiseman’s third Land of Canaan novel overflows with romance, broken promises, a modern knight in shining armor and hope at the end of the rainbow.”

  —ROMANTIC TIMES

  “In Seek Me with All Your Heart, Beth Wiseman offers readers a heart-warming story filled with complex characters and deep emotion. I instantly loved Emily, and eagerly turned each page, anxious to learn more about her past—and what future the Lord had in store for her.”

  —SHELLEY SHEPARD GRAY,

  BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF THE

  SEASONS OF SUGARCREEK SERIES

  “Wiseman has done it again! Beautifully compelling, Seek Me with All Your Heart is a heart-warming story of faith, family, and renewal. Her characters and descriptions are captivating, bringing the story to life with the turn of every page.”

  —AMY CLIPSTON, BEST-SELLING

  AUTHOR OF A GIFT OF GRACE

  The Daughters of the Promise Novels

  “Well-defined characters and story make for an enjoyable read.”

  —ROMANTIC TIMES

  REVIEW OF PLAIN PURSUIT

  “A touching, heartwarming story. Wiseman does a particularly great job of dealing with shunning, a controversial Amish practice that seems cruel and unnecessary to outsiders . . . If you’re a fan of Amish fiction, don’t miss Plain Pursuit!”

  —KATHLEEN FULLER, AUTHOR OF

  THE MIDDLEFIELD FAMILY NOVELS

  The House That Love Built

  ALSO BY BETH WISEMAN

  Need You Now

  The Land of Canaan Series

  Seek Me with All Your Heart

  The Wonder of Your Love

  His Love Endures Forever

  The Daughters of the Promise Series

  Plain Perfect

  Plain Pursuit

  Plain Promise

  Plain Paradise

  Plain Proposal

  Novellas included in

  An Amish Christmas

  An Amish Gathering

  An Amish Love

  An Amish Wedding

  An Amish Kitchen

  © 2013 by Elizabeth Wiseman Mackey

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

  Thomas Nelson, Inc., titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected].

  Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Wiseman, Beth.

  The house that love built / Beth Wiseman.

  pages cm

  Summary: “Brooke has only loved one man. Owen’s heart is filled with bitterness. Can a mysterious house bring them together for a second chance at love?”-- Provided by publisher.

  ISBN 978-1-59554-889-4 (pbk.)

  1. Single mothers--Fiction. 2. Dwellings--Conservation and restoration--Fiction. 3. Texas--Fiction. I. Title.

  PS3623.I83H68 2013

  813’.6--dc23

  2012047037

  Printed in the United States of America

  13 14 15 16 17 18 RRD 6 5 4 3 2 1

  To Diana Newcomer

  Contents

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Nineteen

  Twenty

  Twenty-One

  Twenty-Two

  Twenty-Three

  Twenty-Four

  Twenty-Five

  Twenty-Six

  Twenty-Seven

  Twenty-Eight

  Twenty-Nine

  Thirty

  Thirty-One

  Epilogue

  Reading Group Guide

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  One

  Brooke Holloway woke with a start, then felt her stomach lurch when she recalled her dream. She rolled over and threw her arm across Travis’s side of the bed, wishing she could will him to be there. She lay there a few more minutes before forcing herself to get up and dressed before she went downstairs.

  She pressed the button on the coffeemaker before facing off with the calendar that hung on the wall to the left of the refrigerator. She reached for the black marker dangling on a string nearby and drew a big X across today’s date, as she did every morning, then scribbled “45” in the upper-right-hand corner of the square. The kids liked to keep up with the countdown to July 10.

  Two cups of coffee later she still yawned as she headed back upstairs and down the hall to Meghan’s room.

  “Up, sleepyhead.” Brooke flipped on the light and walked toward her precious six-year-old, whose blond hair crumpled in a mass on the pillow. “Time to get up.” Brooke sat on the bed and kissed Meghan on the forehead, Travis still fresh on her mind. He used to wake up the kids each morning, said that seeing their faces first thing always made for a better day.

  “Two more days of school after today.” Meghan sat up and pulled down the pajama pants that had inched up her calves during the night.

  “I know.” Brooke stood and clapped her hands together. “So let’s don’t be late.”

  She headed down the hall to Spencer’s room. Brooke had learned, after being reprimanded more than once, to always knock first.

  “Come in.”

  Spencer was already sitting on the side of the bed when Brooke took two steps into his room. He no longer wanted her hugging and kissing him in the morning. Or any other time, for that matter. He’d grown up too much these past couple of years. Bro
oke wondered how much of that was her fault, if she’d handled Travis’s death correctly with the kids, particularly Spencer. Either way, her ten-year-old son had made it clear she couldn’t be “huggy and kissy” with him anymore.

  “Glad to see you’re up. I’m going to make some eggs and bacon, so I’ll see you downstairs. Okay?”

  Spencer nodded as he rubbed his eyes and yawned.

  Thirty minutes later they were eating, and running late as usual. Brooke glanced at her watch, hoping the kids wouldn’t miss the bus. Again.

  “I miss Grandma,” Meghan said through a mouthful.

  “I know. Me too.” Brooke stuffed the last bite of bacon in her mouth, chewing as she got up and tossed her paper plate in the trash can. “We’ll go see her tomorrow after school. She’s playing bingo this afternoon.”

  “She’d rather play bingo than see her grandkids?” Spencer stood up and also tossed his plate in the garbage.

  Brooke looked at her watch again and grinned. “Yes. I believe she would.” She snapped her fingers. “Now, chop-chop. We need to go.”

  Brooke had tried repeatedly to talk her mother out of moving to the assisted living complex here in Smithville, but once Patsy Miller had a notion in her head, there was no changing her mind. “They have bingo, card games, pottery, and painting classes,” Mom had told her. “And Gladys told me they have dances too. You never have to cook, they give you rides to the doctor, and they have a maid service. Sounds like heaven to me, and I’m going to live there!” she’d said. That had been two months ago.

  “We’re going to miss the bus again.” Meghan grabbed her backpack by the front door and slipped it over her shoulders.

  “Not if you hurry!” Brooke kissed her on the cheek. “Love you.”

  Then she grabbed Spencer and planted a kiss on his forehead. “I know, I know,” she said when he squirmed away. “But humor me every once in a while.”

  Brooke watched from the porch until the kids were safely on the bus, then started her ten-minute walk to Miller’s Hardware Store.

  Francis Tippens, affectionately called Big Daddy, was unlocking the door when Brooke walked up. At almost seven feet tall, the man commanded respect, and no one dared to call him by his given name. Even though he had a permanent scowl on his face, Brooke was pretty sure he would go to his grave to protect her and her children.

  “Mornin’, Ms. Brooke.” Big Daddy held the door open for her. As she reached for the light switch, she tripped over the entryway rug. Gonna get rid of that thing one day.

  Brooke stopped at the counter while Big Daddy walked toward the back of the store to begin unloading a recent order. “Have a good day, Big Daddy.”

  He didn’t turn around, just waved. Brooke walked behind the front counter, sat on the wooden stool, and unlocked the register. She pulled yesterday’s cash from her purse and was loading it in the machine when the door flew open again.

  “Good morning, sunshine.” Brooke put her hands on her hips when Juliet came scurrying in, shaking her head. Brooke braced herself for whatever excuse Juliet might have for being late.

  “I am so sorry.” Juliet brushed a strand of long blond hair away from her face, hair that didn’t look like it had seen a comb this morning. She readjusted her silver purse on her shoulder and tucked her pink blouse into the short blue-jean skirt. “I couldn’t find my keys this morning.” She let out an exaggerated sigh. “Then I remembered it was Wednesday and I had to put the trash out.”

  “It’s okay.”

  Juliet had grown up in Smithville and had worked part-time at the store during her high school years. Now she attended Texas State in San Marcos, but Brooke hired her to help do inventory and catch up the filing in the summers.

  “I’ll go start the coffee.” Juliet headed toward the back office. “Want some?”

  Brooke nodded. “Yes, please. Thanks.”

  She closed the cash register and stared out the plate-glass windows that ran the length of the store. Across Main Street she could see Travis’s old business, the windows boarded up. Right out of high school, he’d used inheritance money from his grandparents to open the Treasure Chest, a store he’d filled with old books, photographs, antique toys, and other vintage items. Brooke would joke that most of the inventory consisted of stuff Travis had collected since he was a kid. She was pretty sure he’d overpriced everything in the store because he really didn’t want to sell any of it. Luckily, they hadn’t depended solely on Travis’s income.

  Brooke wished someone would lease the space and open something new. Maybe a candy store. Then she’d just eat herself happy.

  Owen Saunders walked across the concrete floor and up to the counter of Miller’s Hardware Store. He was surprised to see how far back the full shelves ran in the shop. He’d been traveling to Austin for supplies, assuming Miller’s wouldn’t stock what he needed. Maybe he’d been wrong. But this excursion wasn’t so much about buying something as it was about looking for advice.

  A woman wearing a navy baseball cap looked up as he walked in. His gaze drifted, and he wondered if she knew she had a big black smudge on her white T-shirt.

  “Oops,” she said as she pulled the shirt away from herself and examined the dark spot. “And I haven’t even been here fifteen minutes.” She paused, smiling. “Can I help you?”

  “I hope so.” Owen rubbed his chin, knowing he was three days without a shave and not looking his best. His blue jeans and brown T-shirt were splattered with white paint, and he probably didn’t smell too good. “I’m restoring a house I just bought here, and—”

  “Oh. Which one?” She thumbed through a pile of papers on the counter, not looking at him.

  “Uh, the old white one on Olive Street, about three houses from the corner.”

  She stopped what she was doing and lifted her head. “You bought the Hadley mansion?”

  “Well, I wouldn’t exactly call it a mansion.”

  “Around here, that’s a mansion.” The woman cocked her head to one side. “You must have a big family. That place is huge. Six bedrooms and, if I remember right, two and a half baths—quite unusual for the time.” She tapped a finger to her lips. “Plus a big parlor entry, nice-sized kitchen. I think there’s even a basement—also uncommon around here.” Pushing back the rim of her cap, she looked at him. “No one has lived there for at least ten years.”

  “No family. Just me.”

  That was the thing about small towns—everyone knew everyone’s business. He’d told Virginia that, but she hadn’t cared. His former wife had always wanted a big house in Smithville, the small town where the movie Hope Floats was filmed. After their divorce, he’d bought the place to spite her.

  “I’m Brooke.” She extended her hand. “Welcome to Smithville. I haven’t been in the Hadley place since I was a kid, but I imagine you’ll become a pretty good customer.” Grinning, she lifted one eyebrow.

  She was attractive, in a tomboyish sort of way. Full lips covered straight white teeth, and she had gorgeous big brown eyes. Her long, sandy-blond ponytail protruded through the opening at the back of her cap. He thought about Virginia. His ex-wife wouldn’t be caught dead in a baseball cap.

  “I’m Owen Saunders,” he finally said, noticing her hands weren’t smooth like Virginia’s, nor was she wearing a ridiculously large rock on her left hand like his former wife. No ring at all. Stop comparing everyone to Virginia.

  “So what brings you here today?” She placed her palms flat on the counter and sat a little taller.

  “I painted the entryway yesterday, and the paint is already flaking off.” Owen shifted his weight and sighed. “I’m not sure what to do next, whether to paint another coat, maybe thicker this time.”

  “Did you sand it really good before you started? Those old houses usually have oil-based paint, and you’ve got to get most of it off before you apply the primer.”

  Owen swallowed. He didn’t know one single thing about renovating an old house. Virginia had hired out even the simplest repair
s at their house in Austin. Always the perfectionist, she’d never wanted Owen to attempt home improvements. Thinking about her brittle ways made him wonder why he’d ever married her.

  “I must not have sanded it well enough.” Owen wasn’t about to tell her he hadn’t used primer. “What should I do now? Maybe you can ask your boss or something?”

  The corner of her mouth curled up on one side. “I am the boss, and all you can do now is sand it off and start over.”

  “You’re kidding.” Owen sighed again, shaking his head. He’d wanted this project to keep him busy, and apparently it was going to. “Then I guess I need some sandpaper.”

  She got up and walked around the counter, motioning for him to follow her. She was about average height for a woman, but there was something not so average about the way she walked, and after a few moments admiring how well her jeans fit her, Owen reminded himself that it didn’t matter if she was attractive, married, single, or from Mars.

  Not going down that road again.

  “Here’s what you need.” She pointed to a box on her right, tapping it a few times with her finger. “This is the biggest, baddest sander we have for the price. It will still take you a long time, but I guarantee this will get the job done.”

  Owen looked at the price. Three hundred dollars. He decided not to think of this as an expensive mistake. He needed an electric sander for the rest of the house anyway. It didn’t really matter if it took him years to finish. He didn’t have anything else to do. He pulled the box from the shelf. “Then I guess I better get this one.”

  She smiled, and he assumed she was happy she’d just made a three-hundred-dollar sale. Owen couldn’t help but smile along with her. They were walking back to the counter when he heard footsteps behind them. He turned around to see a young woman with long blond hair and a short blue-jean skirt gaining on them, heels clicking. A skinny little thing.

  “Brooke! Brooke!”

  Owen stopped when Brooke did. “What is it?”