Free Someday Home by Lauraine Snelling Page B

for the garage, I had him give me two. The second one is for a two-story garage that we could finish in the upstairs as a guest room or whatever is needed.”
    “Connect the garage to the house? Like where?” Phillip spread out the schematics and studied them a moment.
    “An enclosed breezeway. It doesn’t have to be heated. Hank says it’s a good security feature for someone living alone; you don’t have to go outside when you leave the garage.”
    “We might want to plumb in a shower and stool in the main level, sort of like a mudroom.” Tom looked up at her. “And you say a loan is already approved?”
    The discussion continued with all of them taking part, figuring out answers to construction questions she’d not even thought about.
    Phillip sat back. “Did you set a time with Hank? We’ll have to pour that flooring first, you know.”
    “I gave him a possible.”
    He nodded. “I’ll bring the Cat over in the morning, get that spot graded off. We could start on the footings as soon as we finish Peterson.”
    Tom asked, “How much more there, do you think?”
    “I’d say most of a day. You want to take that and I’ll do the Cat?”
    Tom nodded, then looked up at his mother. “If that spot is okay with you, we’ll have to dig out that flower bed but if you want to connect to the other garage…”
    “Wait, don’t we have to get a building permit first?” She waved her hands, fingers spread.
    “You take the plans Hank drew up in tomorrow and tell them we need to start immediately.” Phillip rolled up the schematics. “They’ll approve, and we’ll be well under way. We have to do this while we have some slack time and the weather is okay. You want a tub with a shower in that third bedroom? It will be a pretty tight fit.”
    “No room. A shower will be fine. I can order the fixtures tomorrow when I’m in town.”
    Lynn went to bed that night stroking Miss Minerva, who had decided she should have Paul’s pillow. For some strange reason, she felt like she’d been run over by a truck. An eighteen-wheeler for sure.
    When her men got their teeth into something, they took it and charged ahead. Good thing she had some money stashed so they didn’t have to wait on the loan. Lord God, if you are not behind this, will you please bring it to a halt? Now before we start the garage? Not that any of the improvements were not good for the place. And she and Paul had talked about another bathroom, but…
    She lay in the peaceful darkness, listening as if she fully expected God to answer right now. An owl hooted. Off in the distance the coyotes struck up a chorus. Thank you, Lord, for this amazing, wonderful peace. I’ve not felt it for a long time. Thank you. She was almost asleep when another thought burst into her mind. How am I going to find these women to move here? Lord, I’m throwing you this one, too. I have no idea. What if this is all for naught? The peace settled her back down with nary a ripple.

Chapter Seven
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    N ot even one tear.
    Angela went down her to-do list again. Pure rage had settled into determination so profound she had no doubts that what she was doing was right and proper. Even though thoughts of revenge had backhanded her more than once. After all, God said revenge was his province. Even when it was a husband gone crazy?
    The phone had been ringing when the taxi dropped her off at the house. He’d said he would pick up his suitcase in half an hour.
    “I don’t want to see you.”
    “Fine, I’ll pack and be gone in fifteen minutes.”
    She’d shut herself in the family room with the television on and the earphones in place so she wouldn’t even hear him. After that she had stuffed all of the rest of his clothes, other than his suits that she left on hangers, into black garbage bags and lined them up in the hall. His remaining suitcase she had filled with all the paperwork in the desk and some other personal items. He’d been lucky she’d not thrown them all out on the front