through his hair and clear his mind. “I always knew you’d do something big, Andi.”
Andi went to stand beside him. “I wasn’t going for size, Justin. I was going for impact.”
“Well, you’re making one. I’m kind of going for impact, myself. I wonder if our two impacts will clash, or just make a bigger impact.”
“If you don’t see the possibilities here, Justin, then you’re not dreaming as big as you used to.”
He chuckled. “Some dreams are more realistic than others, Andi.”
“Realistic dreams. Hmm. Isn’t that a contradiction?”
“Not for me. I’ve worked hard for everything I’ve ever gotten, Andi. Real hard.”
She met his eyes, and that old anger began to rise again. “It may come as a surprise to you, Justin, but so have I.”
“Sure, you have, Andi. But you had something to start with.”
“I had money, and you had talent. We were each very blessed. I hope you haven’t become a snob, Justin.”
“A snob? What is that supposed to mean?”
“You know the definition of ‘snob.’ I’m beginning to think that you have nothing but contempt for anyone with money. But I don’t make any apology for having it.”
“I’m not a snob.” Justin leaned on a column and gazed out across the panoramic view below him, his heart deflated by his own hand. How in the world would he get through this madness? When would he stop trying to get the last word? When would he quit looking for comebacks to everything she said?
“There’s Wes,” Andi said, her voice hoarse with dejection as she pointed to an electric car traveling toward the tower. “I guess we’d better get back.”
Justin followed her down the staircase, fighting his need to call a truce with her. The truth was, he doubted one would hold, anyway.
W hen Andi was at the wheel of the small, noiseless car and they were driving back toward the office building, Justin looked over at her, sensing the tension in her face as she squinted into the sun to see a crowd of workers forming near the Jacob’s Ladder ride. Looking ahead, Justin could see two men shouting at one another. The others were scattered, watching the scene. Andi bit the inside of her lip, and her eyes glowered with anger Justin recognized but did not understand. She stopped the car in front of the crowd, and without offering a word in explanation, jumped out and rushed through the men, who parted at her presence.
Justin glanced back at Wes. “What’s going on?”
Wes leaned casually back in his seat. “Just a few little kinks to work out. Andi can take care of it.”
He watched Andi face off with one of the men, hands on her hips. In any other situation, a construction crew would have been making catcalls at the long-haired beauty who marched so dominantly into their territory. The only evidence Justin could see of anything other than the greatest respect for her was an occasional nudge between two men or the private way one here or there shook his head in appreciation of her beauty.
Wes sat up and pointed toward one of the men. “That’s one of the parish building inspectors. Starts an uproar almost every time he comes in here. He’s convinced we’re going to substitute cardboard for lumber one of these days.”
“The parish building inspector?” Justin asked, shifting in his seat to see Wes better. “Didn’t I read that Promised Land was self-governing? I didn’t think it was under the parish’s jurisdiction.”
“We’re self-governing, all right, just like Disney World is. We’re set up just like our own town. Andi fought for that with everything she had, and finally the state legislature agreed. But the town officials like to think they still have their hands in. Andi gave them the gratuitous right to send inspectors in, hoping that when they saw that she was using higher standards than they did, they’d realize our structures were safe and would leave her alone. Unfortunately, they’re determined to find something wrong and report it
Andi went to stand beside him. “I wasn’t going for size, Justin. I was going for impact.”
“Well, you’re making one. I’m kind of going for impact, myself. I wonder if our two impacts will clash, or just make a bigger impact.”
“If you don’t see the possibilities here, Justin, then you’re not dreaming as big as you used to.”
He chuckled. “Some dreams are more realistic than others, Andi.”
“Realistic dreams. Hmm. Isn’t that a contradiction?”
“Not for me. I’ve worked hard for everything I’ve ever gotten, Andi. Real hard.”
She met his eyes, and that old anger began to rise again. “It may come as a surprise to you, Justin, but so have I.”
“Sure, you have, Andi. But you had something to start with.”
“I had money, and you had talent. We were each very blessed. I hope you haven’t become a snob, Justin.”
“A snob? What is that supposed to mean?”
“You know the definition of ‘snob.’ I’m beginning to think that you have nothing but contempt for anyone with money. But I don’t make any apology for having it.”
“I’m not a snob.” Justin leaned on a column and gazed out across the panoramic view below him, his heart deflated by his own hand. How in the world would he get through this madness? When would he stop trying to get the last word? When would he quit looking for comebacks to everything she said?
“There’s Wes,” Andi said, her voice hoarse with dejection as she pointed to an electric car traveling toward the tower. “I guess we’d better get back.”
Justin followed her down the staircase, fighting his need to call a truce with her. The truth was, he doubted one would hold, anyway.
W hen Andi was at the wheel of the small, noiseless car and they were driving back toward the office building, Justin looked over at her, sensing the tension in her face as she squinted into the sun to see a crowd of workers forming near the Jacob’s Ladder ride. Looking ahead, Justin could see two men shouting at one another. The others were scattered, watching the scene. Andi bit the inside of her lip, and her eyes glowered with anger Justin recognized but did not understand. She stopped the car in front of the crowd, and without offering a word in explanation, jumped out and rushed through the men, who parted at her presence.
Justin glanced back at Wes. “What’s going on?”
Wes leaned casually back in his seat. “Just a few little kinks to work out. Andi can take care of it.”
He watched Andi face off with one of the men, hands on her hips. In any other situation, a construction crew would have been making catcalls at the long-haired beauty who marched so dominantly into their territory. The only evidence Justin could see of anything other than the greatest respect for her was an occasional nudge between two men or the private way one here or there shook his head in appreciation of her beauty.
Wes sat up and pointed toward one of the men. “That’s one of the parish building inspectors. Starts an uproar almost every time he comes in here. He’s convinced we’re going to substitute cardboard for lumber one of these days.”
“The parish building inspector?” Justin asked, shifting in his seat to see Wes better. “Didn’t I read that Promised Land was self-governing? I didn’t think it was under the parish’s jurisdiction.”
“We’re self-governing, all right, just like Disney World is. We’re set up just like our own town. Andi fought for that with everything she had, and finally the state legislature agreed. But the town officials like to think they still have their hands in. Andi gave them the gratuitous right to send inspectors in, hoping that when they saw that she was using higher standards than they did, they’d realize our structures were safe and would leave her alone. Unfortunately, they’re determined to find something wrong and report it
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