Winter Layoff Chapter 21
| Winter Layoff | |
|---|---|
| Chapter 21 of 21 | |
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| Read this chapter | |
| Time frame | Febuary 2006 |
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Locations
Characters
- Jared Lancaster, Rachel's son
Summary
Jim and Randy are still in a closed-door meeting, discussing a couple of the upcoming jobs, and what Jim would have to do to get ready for them. After that topic finished Randy comments So, anyway, Rachel was saying last night that the two of you had a pretty good time down there in Pass Christian. With that statement Jim felt very much on a hot spot, but agreed, warily Yes, a pretty good time. Randy smiled and said It’s been years since she’s been in as good of a mood since you two got back, at least that I’ve seen. That’s something else I have to thank you for. Most of what she said over dinner last night was to talk up what a great guy you are.
Over the next few minutes Randy points out that both Rachel and he see that Jim has a pretty low self-esteem, and does it in a way that Jim realizes that there was some truth to Randy’s words. He also puts Jim's mind at ease about dating the boss's sister. Jim brings up the fact that he might have met Jared, but he doesn’t remember it. Randy fixes that by inviting Jim over for dinner that night to meet Jared. Rachel, Nicole and he will be there.
After the meeting Jim went out to the equipment barn and did the regular maintenance on the backhoe and the dump truck, thinking during the several hours it took. Maybe Randy was right; maybe he’d let Carolyn undermine his self-confidence more than he should have. Around lunch time Rachel walked into the shed and invited him to lunch. On the way they talked about the meeting that he had with Randy.
After lunch Jim finished up the work on the dump truck and went home with a pile of project paperwork. He settled into his living room chair and started in on the first project. During a break he called his mother to tell her that Rita and John were into their new house, and that he was back home. Over the rest of the phone call Jim and his mother discuss several topics, including that Shirley should stop prodding him about Carolyn.
Construction season came, and the several steel buildings on the schedule were built. Jim took Jared to number of youth wrestling tournaments. Then there was Little League baseball...
One warm Saturday afternoon, Jim took the backhoe out in back of the office and gave Jared a couple lessons on how to run it. That excited him to no end, even the cleanup. Jared surprised Jim by saying You’ve been awful nice to me, a lot better than my real father ever was. I really wish you were my dad. Jim asked for elaboration, received it, and then said that he'd work on it.
Some time later there was a brief wedding ceremony in Judge Dieball’s chambers at the courthouse. Jim moved into Rachel’s house, just up the street from Randy and Nicole.
The chapter (and the book) ends with:
- The “Quality Home” sign still stands on the front lawn of John and Rita Fleming’s house in Pass Christian. As far as they’re concerned it’s there permanently. Even five years after the house was built the neighborhood hadn’t come all the way back. Only about half the lots were occupied, and there were a number of “For Sale” signs on empty lots. But once again, it was a place where people could live and make their lives. The Fleming house was just a spark plug that helped people to see that the neighborhood could be rebuilt, and Clark Construction played at least a little part in that, as well.
- Jim and Rachel Wooten always stay with John and Rita when they go to Pass Christian in the depths of a Spearfish Lake winter, even though they leave their children – one hers, two theirs – with Randy and Nicole while they’re gone. There still is rebuilding to do in Pass Christian and in other places Katrina tore up, and they still feel they should lend a hand where they can, with Amish crews or Habitat for Humanity. After all, cleaning up after the storm turned both their lives around, and they feel they should do what they can to continue the process.
Also Mentioned
- Judge Robert Dieball
- Jim Wooten's father and mother
- Shirley, Jim's sister
- Carolyn, Jim's ex
- John and Rita Fleming
