“Looks like it’s going to be another beautiful day. How was your trip to Portland? I stopped by the restaurant to talk to you last week, but Steve said you took a little trip.”
“It was fine. What did you need to see me about?”
“I just wanted you to know I’m putting mom’s house up for sale. I’ve been going through it all week, getting out what I want. I hired some guys who’ll be here on Monday to get the rest of the stuff out so we can get it ready to list. I just wanted to let you know. And if there is anything in the house you want, you’re welcome to it. You were always good to my mother.”
“Thanks, Molly. It’ll be strange not having her next door. Sometimes, I wonder if I should sell this house. Who are you listing it with?”
“Really, Adam? I’ll get you her card. You’ve got a great house. If you’re serious, I think it would go quick. Where do you think you’d move to?”
“I don’t know. Something smaller, a condo maybe. This place has too much room for me.” Lonely, Adam thought.
“Adam, it might be too much room now, but one of these days you’re going to settle down, start a family. You can’t find a better neighborhood than this one.”
“I don’t think married life is for me. I’ve been single too long.”
“Oh, you don’t really believe that. You’re just burned from your relationship with Angela. Someday you’ll find the right person.”
After Adam finished his conversation with Molly, he went back in his house and got dressed. Twenty minutes later, he was knocking on his mother’s front door.
“Adam, what a nice surprise,” Alex greeted, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Adam followed her into the house.
“Mom, please tell me you have some coffee left. I didn’t make any this morning.”
“I think we have some.” Alex led Adam into the kitchen where she poured him a cup of coffee.
“Where is everyone?” Adam asked as he sipped the hot beverage.
“Garret and Russell went over to their father’s house to talk to Kim. Your sister went to the swap meet. Oh, by the way, we’re having a family dinner at Coulson House tonight, can you come?”
“Sure, I don’t have anything else to do.” Adam sat down on a barstool.
“Well, don’t act so excited. So how was your trip? How was Sophie?”
“I think Sophie and I are over.”
“I’m sorry, Adam. It just wasn’t the same when you saw her again?”
“No, it was great. We had a wonderful time. In fact, Sophie said she wanted to move to Coulson. We even talked about living together.”
“What happened?”
“On my last night there I told her about Kim’s pregnancy and how we were going to get married.”
“Adam, you guys were just kids then. Surely that wouldn’t change Sophie’s feelings for you.”
“She never really said anything. It was just what she didn’t say. How she acted for the rest of the night. After I told her, she never said anything again about moving here.”
“Have you talked to her since you got home?”
“Not really. She didn’t return my calls or text messages. Last night, I called her dad’s restaurant; I talked to her for just a minute. She said she lost her cell phone and didn’t have my number.”
“Well, that does happen.”
“That’s what Steve said. But, no, I think it’s over. Mom, would you be upset if I sold the house?”
“It’s your house, Adam. You’re free to sell it if you want to; I always told you that. But is this about Sophie?”
“I saw Molly this morning. She’s listing her mother’s house. It just got me to thinking. I don’t need such a big house. To be honest, it can be a little lonely over there. Maybe I can find something smaller.”
Alexandra studied her son’s face. He looked sad, lonely. She wished there was something she could do to help him, yet she didn’t know what that might be. Sometimes she wondered if Garret was right, they hadn’t done Adam any favors by giving him the Lucky Lady Restaurant and Saloon. Perhaps it had tied him down to Coulson when he should have been free to explore beyond his hometown, make his own way in the world, and have a better chance to find his soul mate. She wanted Adam to find the same kind of love she had in Garret. Alex told herself she had been very blessed by finding love with two very special men, Ryan Keller and Garret Coulson.
“Before you do anything, give it some time. If, in a couple weeks or so, you still feel the same way, then go ahead and list the house. I’ll support you in whatever you decide to do.”
Chapter 46
“I suppose it’s a good thing I never bothered changing my name to Coulson,” Kim quipped.
“That’s your response to all this?” Nick asked. Kim gave her husband a little shrug and then looked back at her uncles, who sat across from her and Nick in the library. Garret had just told Kim and Nick about the contents of Randall and Mary Ellen’s diaries.
“I suppose I should read them now.” Kim glanced at the ledgers sitting on the coffee table between them.
“It’s an awful lot to take in,” Nick said.
“And Grandfather has known this… all this time?”
“Like I said, he found his mother’s diary shortly after her death. Of course, it wasn’t until he read Randall’s diary, years later, that he better understood Mary Ellen’s affair with William Hunter.”
“I rather like that name, Hunter,” Kim said.
“I assume you don’t want to tell Sophie what you’ve learned about her grandfather?” Nick asked.
“From what I understand, she’s not pursuing that anymore. But if she starts asking questions again, I suppose we have to,” Russell said.
“It is all so… sordid,” Kim noted. “I can’t help but feel sorry for my grandmother and for Mary Ellen.”`
“I have to admit, all of this makes me see my mother in an entirely different light,” Garret said. “As children, we see our parents from a very narrow perspective. I never considered that until we had Sarah. I know that when she looks at me or her mother, she sees just a part of us.”
“I know what you mean,” Kim said. “I learned that when I read my mother’s diaries.”
“So, what do you know of William Hunter?” Nick asked.
“According to Dad, he was like a favorite uncle. We have no idea if he knew Dad was his son. He was a regular fixture in my grandparents’ home, and when they moved to Chicago, he purchased a townhouse not far from theirs. In fact, that’s were Dad and Mom lived when they were first married before moving to Coulson.”
“And Randall never suspected the truth?” Nick asked.
“Dad doesn’t think so,” Garret said.
“I wonder if there are any Hunter relatives out there.” Kim questioned.
“According to Dad,” Garret began, “his mother once told him William was raised by his grandparents. Apparently, he was orphaned at a young age, and his grandparents lived near Randall’s family. When Randall lost his family in a house fire, he lived for a while with William and his grandparents. Both William and Randall were in college at the time but took a break after the fire.”
“They were killed in a fire?” Kim asked.
“Yes. I remember our grandfather telling that story,” Garret said. “He was away at college when there was a fire on his parents’ ranch. His entire family was killed—both his parents and his little brother and sister. They were twins.”
“Lord, that’s tragic,” Nick said.
“I suppose it also paints us a better picture of Randall.” Kim stood up. She picked up the diaries and handed them to Nick.
“Why don’t you put these back where we found them. I really don’t want to read them right now. Maybe later.”
“Making Nick climb up that ladder?” Russell teased.
“Kim doesn’t need to be climbing on ladders right now,” Nick told him.
Kim found her grandfather alone in the sunroom after her uncles said their goodbyes and le
ft Coulson House. Harrison was sitting in his wheel chair, gazing out the back window, lost in thought.
“Here you are,” Kim walked to Harrison and sat next to him. He reached over and patted her knee.
“They told you?” Harrison asked.
“Why didn’t you?”
“I didn’t tell your uncles, either.”
“True. How are you doing about all this?”
“I’ve known the truth for years, just kept it to myself. I suppose it was time the rest of you knew.”
“I guess they plan to tell Hannah and Sarah about it. They figure they’re old enough to know the truth.”
“What about Marino and Vera?”
“I don’t think they’re going into that right now. I got the impression they’re just going to tell the girls about William Hunter and the true nature of Mary Ellen and Randall’s relationship.”
“Things have changed a great deal in my lifetime.” Harrison gazed out the window. “Hannah and Sarah have known Steve Reynolds all their lives. Him being gay was never a secret. I remember when he married; they attended his wedding as if it was the most natural thing in the world.”
“How did you feel when you realized Randall was gay?”
“It explained a lot to me. Pieces of the puzzle fit together. But I was an adult, and my father was dead when I found out. How would I have reacted when I was a young man, a teenager? I’m not sure I would have understood. Back then, I would probably have been angry with him.”
“And now?”
“He was who he was, Kim. I’ve lived long enough to know we don’t choose those things. Who chooses something that makes happiness so unattainable?”
“You’re right. Things have changed. I believe Steve is perfectly happy with his life, with who he is.”
“Yes, because he doesn’t have to live a lie.”
“Like my mother, I suppose. She lived a lie most of her life. Not the same one as Randall but just as painful.”
Harrison turned to Kim. Reaching out, he took her hand in his.
“Kimberly, you are living proof that good can come out of the worse set of circumstances. You have no idea how thankful I am for you.”
“You wouldn’t have liked it better had I been a boy to carry on the family name?”
“Which name, Coulson or Hunter?”
“Either one I suppose.”
“That is another way the world has changed since I was a young man. Or, maybe the world hasn’t really changed; I just have.”
“What do you mean, Grandfather?”
“In so many cultures—including ours—sons were valued above daughters. They carried on the family name, inherited the family’s property. I know it was very important to my father to have sons. I think it was devastating to him that my mother couldn’t have more children. I can’t imagine how he would have felt if he had known his only son wasn’t really his. Of anything I ever did in my life, the one he valued most was the fact I fathered three sons. To be honest, I once agreed with him. Who needed daughters?”
“What changed your mind?” Kim asked.
“Your grandmother wasn’t a strong woman, but it really wasn’t her fault. I believe we loved each other, in our own way. Throughout most of our marriage, my views of women had not changed much. But then, one day, I found myself in the sunset of my life, surrounded by the most amazing, strong, intelligent, exasperating, and willful women. First, your crazy Aunt Katie came charging into this family with the most ridiculous clothes and smart-ass mouth. I couldn’t imagine what Vera would say to this hippy girl Russell was seeing.”
Kim smiled at the story and asked, “So, what happened?”
“Vera was immediately drawn to Kate’s art and then to Kate. I often think it was because they were so different from each other. Kate was everything Vera wasn’t. The open honesty, the confidence, the spunk, the ability to tell the world to screw it if you didn’t like what you saw. Vera also adored Alexandra, I think because she saw how happy Alexandra made Garret. Vera was worried about Garret. She always felt Russell would one day remarry and settle down, but she didn’t have the same hope for Garret. I don’t know why, but I didn’t intimidate those girls a lick.”
Kim laughed and said, “That’s just because you’re a big old softy.”
“I am not a softy, young lady,” Harrison said with a stern voice, then smiled. “Hannah and Sarah came along. I had never been around little girls before. They are so different from boys. Anyone who says different has never been around small children.”
“You have a point; you were surrounded by strong-willed females.”
“And then… there was you. I see so much of my mother’s quiet strength in you, Kimberly. No, I have no regrets that there are no grandsons to carry on the family name—Hunter or Coulson. I think it is as it was meant to be. Mary Ellen would be so proud of you all.”
Chapter 47
They hadn’t served the food yet. Apparently, Kim had something she wanted to say before they brought in the first course. Silently, Adam looked down the dining room table. The entire Coulson clan was present, plus a few extras, including himself and Franklin. His sister, Sarah, and cousin Hannah were just taking their seats at the other side of the table across from their parents.
Harrison sat at the head of the table while Kim sat on the opposing end next to Nick. Sometimes Adam found the utter strangeness of that situation difficult to fathom. Kimmy—once his Kimmy, his timid little high school sweetheart who knew nothing of the Coulson clan—was now one of them, sitting at a place of honor at the family table. Someday this house and everything in it would be hers. Life indeed had some odd twists and turns, he thought.
Kim tapped her knife on her crystal water glass. Just as everyone stopped talking, Mrs. Carpenter entered the dining room.
“Excuse me. There is someone here to see Mr. Keller,” Mrs. Carpenter said.
“Me?” Adam asked. Everyone’s eyes flashed from Mrs. Carpenter to Adam.
Before Mrs. Carpenter could respond, Sophie Marino stepped into the room. She looked embarrassed, yet not enough to slip away quietly.
“Sophie!” Adam jumped up from his seat. “What are you doing here?”
“You knew I was coming,” Sophie said with a soft smile. “I just thought I would surprise you and come early. I’m really sorry to barge in on your dinner, but you weren’t at your house and I really didn’t know where else to go.”
Everyone shouted a welcome to Sophie while Adam raced to give her a proper greeting.
“Set a place for Sophie,” Harrison called out to Mrs. Carpenter.
Adam gave Sophie a quick hug and then pulled her from the dining room, shouting back to his family that they would be back in a minute.
“I don’t understand,” Adam said when they were alone. “I was afraid you didn’t want to see me anymore.”
“Why in the world would you think that? I told you I was coming to Coulson.”
“You got so quiet after I told you about my history with Kim. And then you never returned my calls.”
“I’m sorry, Adam, really. It was just a lot to take in, and I wasn’t sure what to say at the time. But afterwards, it just made me more convinced that our relationship would work, because you shared that with me. You trusted me enough. I really did lose my phone. I decided I wanted to get here as soon as possible, so I started packing like a mad woman, and I shoved my iPhone somewhere, and the battery had died so I couldn’t find it. I just figured, screw it, it would show up when I unpacked. I just wanted to get here.”
“Oh, Sophie, I love you.” Adam kissed her.
“Adam…” Sophie pushed him away. “That’s the first time you’ve said that.”
“Was it too soon? But I do, you know.”
“It’s okay, I love you, too.” Sophie gave him a quick kiss and hug.
“You do?”
“Well, yeah… I mean, do you really think I would move all this way for some guy I just sorta liked?”
“Then
marry me.”
“What?”
“I mean it. Marry me, Sophie. We can have a big wedding, if you want, or we can elope. Whatever you choose. I just want to make a life with you, with us.”
Sophie looked up into Adam’s face, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Yes, Adam. I’ll marry you.”
When Adam and Sophie returned to the table, there was an extra place set for Sophie. After the two sat down, Kim tapped her glass again.
“First, I want to say, welcome to Sophie. I’m so glad you could join us tonight.”
“Thank you,” Sophie said, still holding hands with Adam.
“I have an announcement for the family, which is one reason I asked you all here tonight.”
All eyes were on Kim.
“Nick, Pop, and I have decided to close the bed and breakfast.” Several family members uttered sounds of disappointment, yet Kim waved her hand as if to silence any objections.
“We feel it’s for the best. I’ve had a long talk with Grandfather, and he is in agreement with our plans. We’ll be keeping the Clement Falls property, but it will revert back to a private residence, something all of the family can use on vacations. I know Garret’s cabin gets a little crowded sometimes with this noisy group.
“Pop has agreed to move into Coulson House with us—there is obviously plenty of room. Nick and I will be living here full time. We figure it will be for the best… because I’m expecting a baby!”
Cheers and congratulations broke out. It was mayhem at the table—everyone was talking at once and there were laughter and hugs.
After Alexandra expressed her congratulations and delight at the news, she silently watched Kim as other family members showered the expectant mother with good wishes. The glow and joy in Kim’s expression was worlds apart from that frightened high schoolgirl who had once carried Adam’s baby.
Alexandra looked over at Adam, who grinned happily. Something about the way he kept smiling at Sophie, leaning toward the girl as he held her hand, told Alexandra his bubbling happiness was not from Kim’s news—although he was obviously happy for her—but for something that was happening between him and Sophie.
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