Following Love by Celeste O. Norfleet Page A

and that meant putting as much temptation in his path as possible. “Fine, whatever, she’s your call, you hired her, but I don’t have to deal with her.” He stood and headed to the door as they began laughing. He turned looking at each brother as they began laughing harder.
    â€œWhat?” he said tightly.
    â€œActually you do.”
    Â 
    Fortunately for Dena the weekend sped by in a flash. After a miserably sleepless night spent, to her surprise, on not-so-innocent thoughts of Julian, she was awakened early Saturday morning by a crew of three men who stopped by with a small backhoe to tear down the remainder of her aunt’s cinder-block barbecue grill.
    Her bedroom window was open and she heard her aunt talking to the workmen below, knowing of course that her aunt was probably giving them further instructions. She got up and peered out the window curiously wondering if Julian was back. He wasn’t. She was disappointed.
    She watched as two of the three men spoke with her aunt for a few minutes then they unrolled and showed her plans, presumably a new grill. The three of them conferred briefly then the men went right to work with as little disturbance to the household as possible.
    Moments later a small machine driven by the third man rambled through the yard and she knew that it was only a matter of time before Dillon came to tell her all about it. She needed to get dressed.
    As if on cue, just as she finished dressing, Dillon charged into her bedroom fully dressed in jeans, T-shirt, snow boots and his mini-construction-worker tool belt and hard hat. He excitedly went on and on, relaying everything he saw and heard, including the fact the men had waved at him. Then he announced that he was going outside to help them. Dena insisted that he have breakfast first and, after much debate, he finally relented.
    Thankfully within the span of twenty minutes and before the end of breakfast, the five-foot, double-thick cement walls were reduced to a pile of rubble, then removed as if never having been there.
    Dillon, who had gone outside, was devastated that he didn’t get to help out. Dena, on the other hand, was delighted. At times his single-minded fascination with large machinery was completely beyond her. Whenever they’d pass a construction site he wanted to stop and watch. She didn’t mind once in a while but lately it had become his determined obsession. Once or twice she’d actually had to tempt him away with a special treat and even then he was disheartened.
    Maybe it was because there was no man in his life or maybe it was his way of connecting on some level to something she couldn’t give him and didn’t understand. Whatever the reason, she was determined to keep him as happy as possible by being both mother and father.
    They read and sang and learned new words, but mostly he enjoyed anything related to building and construction, so of course the last thing she wanted to do was disappoint him. He was the joy in her world and she couldn’t imagine her life without him.
    Without knowing it, he had literally saved her. And in return she had poured her spirit and her soul into his well-being and everything she did revolved around his happiness, even at the expense of her own happiness, much to her aunt’s chagrin.
    â€œThey’re gone,” Dillon said disappointedly as he walked into the kitchen and climbed up onto the first rung of the stool at the center island counter. His tool belt got caught and his hard hat slipped toward the front.
    Dena glanced up from filling the dishwasher as soon as he entered. She looked at her aunt Ellen, who returned her smile as she followed him into the kitchen. “I’m sure they’ll be back,” Dena said.
    â€œOf course they will,” Ellen said, holding the rolled plans the men gave her. “These are plans for a wonderful new brick barbecue grill and patio we’re going to build just in time for your