“You really need to come, Hope.” His brown eyes looked sincere and suddenly Hope wondered if this might have more to do with him and her than it had to do with Nona’s will. Was he really coming on to her?
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll be there. What time?”
“Three.”
She almost said, it’s a date, but thankfully did not. “See you at three, then.” She smiled brightly then went around to get in the car. She couldn’t explain it, but she felt as giddy as a schoolgirl as she started the engine. He had called her beautiful. And when he wasn’t watching, she’d glanced at his left ring finger to see that it was bare. Oh, she knew this didn’t really mean anything. But there would be no harm in making it to the family meeting at three.
Of course, that was still nearly three hours away. She wished he’d invited her to lunch. She wanted to get to know him better…to gaze into those yummy brown eyes. Instead, she pulled out her cell phone, which she’d turned off for the funeral service and forgotten about since then. She checked for messages, but decided to ignore the work-related ones. Then, she noticed the business card that Erica had given her. Maybe she’d be up for lunch.
“I’d love to,” Erica told her. “Why don’t you meet me at the new restaurant in Five Pines? It just changed owners again, but I hear it’s good.” Then she told Hope how to find it, and they agreed to meet there in twenty minutes—not quite enough time to run back to the hotel and change clothes. But when Hope saw that the restaurant, unlike so many in Sisters, was slightly formal, she didn’t feel too out of place in her little black dress. She went ahead and got a table, informing the hostess that a friend was meeting her.
But then, as she was sitting there, she noticed a man that looked a lot like Lewis entering the restaurant. And for a moment, she thought that, perhaps, he was still stalking her. Although, she’d mistakenly parked the Rambler by the wrong building and ended up walking a ways to the restaurant, so he probably didn’t know she was here. Even so, she was about to wave to him, or perhaps even go over to the foyer where he seemed to be waiting, when she noticed another familiar face entering the restaurant. It was her own sister Cherry. And she seemed to be alone.
Hope watched curiously as Cherry and Lewis greeted each other—and then embraced. And Hope fought back waves of jealousy as the two of them went through a door that appeared to lead to a lounge. What on earth was going on here?
Just then, Erica arrived, and Hope put on her happy face and pretended that she hadn’t just witnessed what was feeling like a very unnerving little tryst. Instead, she began to chatter to Erica about how she was getting a bit disenchanted with corporate law, and how perhaps it was time to move onto some other sort of practice.
“Would you care for wine or anything else before you order?” the petite, dark-haired waitress was asking them politely.
“Yes,” Erica said eagerly. She nodded at Hope. “I think we could use a little something, don’t you? I suspect your grandmother would recommend a nice red wine if she were here.”
Hope glanced over to where she imagined Cherry and Lewis cloistered off in a dark corner of a smoky lounge (even though she knew public smoking had been outlawed in Oregon for some time now), but she envisioned them, head-to-head, sipping martinis, and she said to Erica, “I’ll pass.” Despite Nona’s encouragement that a little wine was good for one’s heart and one’s soul, Hope didn’t like to drink.
“I’ll have a cabernet sauvignon,” Erica began, continuing on to order the soup and salad of the day.
“I’ll have iced tea and the soup and salad, too,” Hope told the waitress.
“So your career has possibly reached a crossroads,” Erica said, “but you haven’t mentioned your love life. As I recall you were dating someone rather seriously for quite some time. What happened to that relationship?”
“Curtis…” Hope sighed. “Oh, he’s still around…and still interested.” In fact, he had called a few days ago and, when she told him she was lonely, he offered to drop everything and come over to keep her company, although she had declined.
“But you’re not interested?”
“Not so much. He’s a very nice guy. He has a good job and a nice little house by the river. And I believe he sincerely loves me. But something in the relationship just wasn’t quite right. And the more he pressured me to get married, the more I began pushing him away. And yet, all the while, I tried to tell myself that he was the one—the real deal. But finally, a few months ago, I got honest with myself. I knew it wasn’t working. So I broke it off. But even then, I didn’t break up completely. Like a big chicken, I just told him I needed to take a break…to think about our relationship.”
Just then, the waitress set down their beverages and, after she left, Erica held hers up to make a toast and Hope followed her lead with her tea. “Here’s to your grandmother, Madolina Bartolli, a fine independent woman. May we imitate her lead and live life graciously and beautifully and with no regrets.”
“Here’s to Nona,” Hope said simply. “May we make her proud.”
They clicked glasses and, as they chatted about old times, Hope tried to divert her eyes from staring at the lounge area, watching to see if the couple ever came out
“So, you said adieu to Curtis,” Erica continued. “But you didn’t burn your bridge with him.”
“Right.” Hope nodded and took another sip.
“Maybe that’s smart. I’ve known women who’ve let a good guy go and then regretted it later. Especially if another woman snatches him up. That old case of sour grapes, you know.”
“The thought has occurred to me. But the truth is, I think I’d be happy for Curtis if the right woman came along. He deserves someone who truly loves him.”
“How about you?” Erica asked. “What do you deserve?”
Hope sort of laughed. “Well, according to my family, I probably deserve a kick in the pants.”
“Why?”
“Because this is the first time I’ve been home in ten years. Because I wasn’t around to see Nona before she died. Things like that.”
“Good grief.” Erica made a face. “Is your family that dense?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, for Pete’s sake, we all knew what Drew and Cherry did to you. And right on the heels of your mom’s death.” Erica shook her head in a sympathetic way. “What did they expect you to do? Run home with open arms?”
“Apparently.” Hope sighed and forced her gaze away from the lounge entrance. “I did try to come home once…right after Cherry had Avery. I wanted to play the role of the doting aunt, but it turned into such a farce. I couldn’t do it.”
“And why should you?”
“Yes, that’s sort of what Nona said, too. Oh, she wanted for Cherry and me to be close again, to bury the hatchet and be one big happy family. But Nona understood. She never pushed me.”
“The mark of a wise woman. Do not push.”
“And so, that made it easier to stay away. And I did.”
“I’m sure this is no consolation, and do not say you heard it from me, but I get the impression that Cherry and Drew don’t have the happiest marriage.”
Hope looked up with interest.
“So you know this already?”
“I have my suspicions.” Hope glanced over to the lounge again, wondering how much she should say.
“Well, it’s not surprising,” Erica continued. “They were so young when they got married. Good grief, Cherry was barely out of high school.”
“And Drew wasn’t even twenty-one. As I recall, my parents had to sign for Cherry to get married.” She sort of laughed. “Can you imagine?”
“To be honest, I’m surprised it lasted this long. But then there are the kids.”
Now Hope felt sad. “Yes…the kids.”
“That’s one thing I was thankful about with Will. No kids.” Erica took another sip of wine. “Much simpler that way.”
As the waitress delivered their lunch, Hope wondered ho
w much she should say about Cherry. And yet it seemed Erica was already in the loop. “So do you know Lewis Garson?” she ventured after the waitress refilled their water glasses and left.
Erica’s eyes lit up. “Oh, yeah. Didn’t he improve with age?”
Hope just nodded with her eyes on the door to the lounge. “Did you know that he’s seeing my sister?”
“Your sister?” Erica looked stunned. “Which one?”
“Cherry, of course.”
Erica laughed. “Well, of course. That just figures!”
“How do you mean?”
“That Cherry.” Erica just shook her head. “She is a piece of work. And she wins the prize for going after what she wants—and getting it. I mean, seriously, Lewis is about the best-looking, nicest, most available bachelor in town. Why should I be surprised that Cherry would go for him? That girl—she’s always getting the brass ring!”
Now Hope felt mad. Not at Erica so much, but partially. Mostly she felt mad at Cherry. Why was she doing this?
“So, do you know this for absolute sure, Hope?”
“I know they’re in the lounge together right now.”
“No way!” Erica turned around in her seat to look.
“You can’t see them. But I saw them arrive. Separately. Then they hugged in the foyer before they slipped off in there.” Hope felt slightly catty for telling tales, but on the other hand, she was simply reporting what she’d seen. She was an eyewitness.
“You are serious.” Erica turned back around. “And you really think they’re having some kind of lovers’ rendezvous?”
“It sure seems like it. They’ve been in there the whole time I’ve been here. Also, Lewis was on his way to Cherry’s house last night; he said he wanted to talk with her.” Hope paused to remember his words. He had seemed sort of surprised on the porch, but then she’d nearly run him down. But perhaps his reaction was because Cherry had so many people there. Maybe he’d hoped to find her alone. And Cherry had said the barbecue was impromptu.
“You really think they’re having a fling?” Erica turned in her seat to look again.
“I don’t know what else to think.” Hope frowned at the back of her friend’s head. “Maybe you should quit staring in case they come out.”
Erica turned back around. “Well, I guess I shouldn’t be too jealous since I already gave it my best shot to get Lewis’s attention.” She chuckled. “I even went to the effort of hiring him to draw up a will for me. I dressed to the nines and got my hair and nails done, but that boy was just not biting. I actually wondered if he might be gay because, from what I’ve heard, he’s never been married and no one knows of any past girlfriends. But to be fair, he’s only been in a town a couple of years.”
Hope’s eyes grew wide as the door to the lounge opened. “Don’t look now, but I think they’re coming out.”
“Please, let me look,” pleaded Erica.
“No. Okay, here comes Cherry.” Hope waited as Cherry exited the building. “And now here comes Lewis.” Hope put her head down, trying to be discreet. Then, once Lewis was out the door, she pointed to the window. “Look, you can see Cherry driving away in her red Mustang. And Lewis is getting into his SUV.”
“Well, I’ll be.” Erica slowly shook her head. “I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it. I can’t wait to tell my mom.”
“Your mom?”
“Oh, she thinks that Lewis Garson is the best thing since sliced bread. In fact, she’s the one who put me up to going after him. Not that his looks weren’t enough. But, get this, Lewis goes to her church—it’s one of the newer bigger churches in town. She’s so convinced he’s a nice little church boy and now here he is sneaking around bars with a married woman.”
Suddenly Hope felt guilty. “Well…we don’t know anything for sure.”
“Oh, I’m not saying they’re having an actual affair,” Erica admitted. “Not yet anyway. But that’s usually how these things start. Take it from me, I know.”
Hope continued to listen as Erica chattered on about men and women and how hardly anyone was faithful anymore. And while Hope could tell that Erica’s perspective comforted her, it only sickened Hope. Plus she felt like a traitor to her sister. Certainly, Cherry didn’t deserve Hope’s allegiance…and yet, it felt wrong to sit here listening to someone making assumptions about her. And yet, how could Hope argue in Cherry’s defense?
Chapter Six
Feeling thoroughly exhausted and slightly blindsided, Hope had taken a “little” nap in her hotel room, and after sleeping too long, she quickly changed her clothes and arrived slightly late for the family meeting. Not that she thought anyone would mind or even notice.
“It’s about time you got here,” Drew said to Hope as he let her into the house. “Everyone is waiting.”
“Why are they waiting?”
“Because the lawyer refused to open the will until everyone was here.” He jerked his thumb toward the great room. “They’re all in there.”
“I’m sorry I’m late,” Hope said as she entered the crowded room. There had to be about forty people in there. She found a spot on the fireplace hearth and sat down, looking at her feet and feeling like an errant child.
“I tried to call you,” Cherry said, “but I think you’re phone is off.”
“The battery was low.” Hope looked up at Cherry. She was standing over by the kitchen, wearing a sweet powder blue sundress. Hope tried to imagine how someone who looked so angelic could be such a little devil.
Then Lewis, who was standing nearby and wearing the same dark suit that he’d had on in the cemetery and at the restaurant, cleared his throat as if to get everyone’s attention. “As some of you already know, I am Lewis Garson and Mrs. Bartolli’s attorney. About a year ago, Mrs. Bartolli asked me to revise her will. And she appointed me as her trustee.” Now he reached for a legal-sized white envelope. Carefully opening it, he slid out the document. Hope wasn’t surprised that it wasn’t very thick. Nona obviously didn’t have a lot of worldly goods to bestow. Besides, Hope knew Nona had already given a lot of family heirlooms away. In fact, as a teenager, Hope had helped her by packaging things up and sending them out one summer. A set of Dresden china to Aunt Clarita. An old pipe and some photos to Uncle Bernard. Some crystal to Aunt Belle. Some jewelry to Aunt Amelia. And so on. Really, there was probably not much more than Nona’s house and car to be disposed of and that, in all likelihood, would go to Cherry.
“First, Mrs. Bartolli wanted me to read this personal letter from her.” Lewis cleared his throat again. She wondered if he was nervous to be in front of this many people or if he was nervous over the fact that Drew was just a few feet away from him. What if Drew had found out about Cherry and Lewis? Drew had seemed a little cranky when he’d let her in. She’d assumed it was because she was late. But what if…
“‘Dear Beloved Family,’” the letter began. “‘As this letter is being read, it must be that I have gone on to my new home in heaven. In that lovely golden place, I will have no need for any worldly goods. Yet, it is true that I must leave some possessions behind. For we come empty-handed to this Earth and we leave empty-handed. Such a relief that is to me. Now, as many of you know, I have already disbursed family heirlooms that I thought you would find meaningful. Some were from the Emerson family and some were for the Bartollis. I hope you will continue to pass them on down to the next generation. I’m sure you know, and as I’ve told you before, the most precious gift I could ever bestow on anyone is simply the gift of life. Yet I cannot take credit for even that. The Father above is the giver of that gift. So all I can truly leave behind is the gift of love. To all of you, I leave that gift. My love. As for my other possessions, I have prayed and prayed and I have finally come to the conclusion that my attorney, Mr. Lewis Garson, will now share with you in the content of my last will and testament. Sincerely, Madolina Renata De Rossi Emerson Bartolli.’”
Lewis paused to take a breath then folded the paper back to read the next.
“Mrs. Bartolli’s will is very simple and straightforward,” he told them. “And that actually makes it difficult to contest.” He smiled. “Not that I expect anyone to contest it.” Then he began to read a list of Nona’s belongings, including her house, her furnishings, her car, and her bank account. “And it was Mrs. Bartolli’s last wish that all her property would be inherited by her granddaughter Hope Madolina Bartolli.” Lewis paused as several people reacted in surprise, then he continued. “However, there’s a prerequisite here. And that is that Hope should relocate to Sisters and live in Nona’s home for one year and care for Nona’s beloved dog Andy.”
There were several chortles of laughter, as if this were some kind of a joke. But there were also some gasping sounds as if some family members were shocked at this strange turn of events. And, certainly, Hope was shocked—speechless even. How was this even possible? Why would Nona leave everything to her? Not that it was so much…but it just seemed odd. Especially considering that Nona had many descendents. Wouldn’t an even split amongst her children have made more sense?
“I guess that’s Nona’s way of making sure Andy doesn’t get shipped off to the dog pound.” Drew laughed as if this was funny.
“I don’t understand,” Hope managed to say. “Why would Nona—”
“You were always her favorite,” Faye shot at her. “Why should you be surprised?”
“Are you sure that’s correct?” Cherry questioned the attorney now. “Could there be a more recent copy of Nona’s will? Because Hope might’ve been the favorite when she was growing up, but she moved away…and I’m the one who’s been here. I’m the one who was helping Nona. Surely there’s a more recent will.”
Others began talking now, questioning why everything should go to Hope and making so much noise that Hope couldn’t even think. And then Dad began questioning the lawyer about the date of the will and about what happened to Nona’s previous attorney. There was clearly some confusion here, and a number of her relatives seemed seriously disturbed. More than that, they seemed angry at Hope. As if it were Hope’s personal fault that Nona had written the will like this.
Love Finds You in Sisters, Oregon Page 5
