Although Nona’s will made no sense, Hope didn’t know what to say or do to make anyone feel better. But as she listened to bits and pieces of conversation, it seemed that some of the relatives had gotten the idea that Nona had been quite wealthy, that she’d been sitting on some huge family fortune that was supposed to be inherited by her children. They were all talking as if she’d been some selfish rich widow who squandered away their millions. And the truth was that Nona had lived quite frugally—probably on her social security checks, which couldn’t have been much. Hope could still remember counting out the change to her when she did her shopping for her grandmother. Nona was careful not to waste electricity or water, and she tried to grow some of her own vegetables in a tiny greenhouse, which was a challenge in Sisters climate. Finally, Hope couldn’t stand it. She had to speak up in defense of her dearly departed grandmother.
“Excuse me,” she said loudly, almost as if addressing a loud courtroom. “I want you to know that I’m just as shocked as anyone about this. I can’t believe that Nona decided to leave these things to me. I don’t understand why she didn’t just do an equal split amongst her children.”
“That would seem more fair,” Aunt Belle said.
“It’s all because of that horrid little dog,” her husband said bitterly. “That nasty little thing actually bit me once, broke skin, too. I told her she should have the animal put down, and she refused.”
“Instead Nona decided to force the dog onto Hope.” Faye pointed her finger at Hope with a slight smirk. “That’s actually pretty funny. Did Nona really think you’d give up your job in Portland, your swanky condo, and move back to Sisters to live in her rundown house and take care of her dog?”
“But what about the money?” Aunt Clarita demanded. “Is it fair that Hope gets that, too?”
“What money?” Hope asked her. “Some of you are acting as if Nona was rich. And that’s ridiculous. Unless she won the lottery recently, which I hadn’t heard, Nona was simply a penny-pinching widow who lived in a little house and walked to town to buy her groceries. Good grief, she’s had the same old car for close to fifty years.”
“Does it say in her will how much money was in her bank account?” Hope’s father questioned Lewis. “Because I’m sure there was quite a chunk of change in there and I think we have the right to know.”
“It’s true,” Cherry chimed in. “She did have a hefty bank account.”
“How do you know?” Hope challenged her.
“Like I already said, I helped Nona with things,” Cherry said defensively. “And I drove her to the bank if there was ice or snow. And while I was there I might’ve noticed the numbers.”
Hope felt confused now. She glanced over at Lewis for help. “Do you want to disclose the amount? Did Nona tell you how to handle this?”
“It’s up to you.”
Hope held up her hands in a helpless gesture. “Well, I don’t want anyone thinking I usurped their inheritance.”
“If the shoe fits, wear it,” a female voice said from behind her.
“I think we have a right to know how much money’s at stake here,” Uncle Morty said loudly. “My wife is a direct descendent and—”
“Please,” Lewis interrupted. “Squabbling about this will won’t do anyone any good.” Then he turned to Hope. “Why don’t we discuss this privately?”
“Fine,” she said a little too sharply. She glanced around. Kids were playing on the trampoline in the backyard. Relatives seemed everywhere else. Finally she nodded toward the front door. “Out there.” Then she stood and led the way. But once she was outside, she kept going, marching on over to Nona’s yard, where she finally felt she was on safe turf. Lewis was just a few steps behind her. She knew this wasn’t really his fault, but the whole thing was so odd. And now it seemed that everyone in her family hated her.
“I’ll admit this is a little difficult,” he said as he handed her the will. “Your grandmother wanted it read publicly in order to make things less awkward for you.”
Hope took the papers, skimming over the details of the house and car and things until she reached the total from checking and savings accounts. Suddenly she felt slightly lightheaded. Not that it was such an enormous figure in some circles, but it was certainly much more than she could’ve imagined. And she was shocked to find out that Nona had that much money tucked away. Why hadn’t she used it for her own needs? Furthermore, why hadn’t she split it with everyone? Her aunts were right, that would’ve been fairer. Why did Nona do it like this?
“Am I reading this figure correctly?” She quietly said the number out loud.
He nodded. “That’s right.”
“That’s nearly a million dollars.”
“Right again.”
Hope sank down onto the steps of Nona’s rickety porch and just stared at the paper. “But why?”
“Why did she have that much money?”
“Yes…and why did she leave it to me?”
He sat down next to her. “She had that much money because your grandfather Antonio Bartolli came from a family with a bit of money. Antonio left it to her, but she mostly left it in the bank, where it sat and accrued interest. You know that your grandmother liked her simple, quiet, frugal life.” He smiled and, once again, Hope thought he was awfully handsome—almost suspiciously handsome if that was even possible.
“I know…but I still don’t understand.”
“Why she lived simply?” He just shrugged. “Can you blame her? She had what she needed. She was content.”
“No, I mean why she didn’t she just split the money between her children…or her grandchildren? Why did she choose to leave it all to me?”
“Your grandmother had a particular fondness for you, Hope. She spoke of you often. And she worried that you weren’t happy…that you’d chosen the wrong life as a result of some of your family’s choices.”
“Oh…”
“Also, she said you were the most like her late husband, your grandfather, where the money had come from. And in her last year or so, she became convinced that Antonio would want you to have this inheritance. That’s why she hired me to change the will.”
“So there really was another will?”
He nodded.
“And I suppose some of my family…my father and my sister…might’ve been privy to this other will?”
“That’s a distinct possibility.”
“Oh.”
“I know this puts you in a predicament.”
“I’ll say.”
“And there is that little prerequisite.”
“About living in her house for a year?”
He smiled. “And caring for Andy.”
She chuckled now. “Andy. I keep hearing about this guy. When do I get to meet him?”
“He’s at the vet’s. They have a kennel.”
“I’m surprised Cherry didn’t want to keep him.”
“Harrison has allergies.”
“Oh.” She peered curiously at Lewis now. “You seem to know my family fairly well.”
“Oh, yes.” He smiled. “Better than you think.”
She wasn’t so sure about that. Did he really know everything—like the old problems that had separated sisters?
“So do you want to go in there and face the angry mob?” he asked as he brushed dust off the seat of his suit.
“Not particularly.”
“It is up to you whether or not you disclose the actual amount, Hope.”
“Right…” She just shook her head.
“Oh, yeah.” He reached in his pants pocket and pulled out a set of keys. “You already have the car keys. Here are the keys to the castle.” He dropped them in her hand. “And you can come by my office tomorrow, if you want, to sign the agreement.”
“The agreement?”
“About the one year.”
“Oh…yeah.” Hope looked over to Cherry’s house—just steps away. Living in Nona’s house for a year meant living next to Cherry and Drew as well.
Was that even worth a million dollars?
“The money will be held in a trust for that period of time.”
“And what if I choose not to stay here? Or what if I choose to stay here, but I don’t make it for the full year?”
“Why don’t you come in to my office tomorrow and we can discuss those details.” He glanced over at Cherry’s house then down at his watch. “Because I really have to get to another appointment soon.”
She wanted to question him, to ask if his appointment was with her baby sister or some other young attractive woman, but then realized it was not only juvenile, but none of her business. “Yes, tomorrow is fine.”
“How about ten? We’ll go over the paperwork, and then I’ll go with you to spring poor Andy.” He handed her his card and grinned. “You know how it is being a lawyer, you get put into all sorts of interesting positions.”
She could only imagine those interesting positions. Because the truth was, her law practice was nothing like his. And suddenly she was hit with a rush of confusing emotions. On one hand, she felt slightly envious of this small-town attorney who somehow managed to practice law in Sisters. On the other hand, she found herself surprisingly interested in him, almost to the point of distraction—or was it attraction? And, naturally, that bothered her. She had never been one to jump into anything. And certainly not into a relationship with a man she barely knew.
Add to this confusion the fact that Hope had witnessed this man in what seemed like a clandestine meeting with her own sister Cherry. And Cherry was not only Lewis’s client’s granddaughter, she was married.
Hope watched as Lewis got into his SUV and drove away. What if this thing with Cherry had been going on for some time? Really, how would Hope know? The two of them certainly seemed to be on good terms. But if he’d been seeing Cherry, was it possible that he’d tipped Nona’s hand in regard to the will already? And Cherry had obviously been unhappy about it. What if she had some plan to take this inheritance from Hope? After all, there was the one-year clause. What happened if Hope failed to make it that long? Who got Nona’s inheritance then? Would Cherry come out on top again?
Hope knew she was being paranoid. Not to mention slightly ridiculous. She stared at Nona’s little house and longed to speak to her grandmother. “Why?” she whispered aloud. “Why on earth did you do this, Nona? Why?”
Chapter Seven
After a restless, almost sleepless, night, Hope awoke early on Friday morning. She put on the same suit she’d worn to fly out here two days ago and carefully packed her other clothes in her one carry-on. Her plane ticket said she was leaving at four forty today. And maybe she was. Really, wouldn’t that be the easiest thing to do? This whole other idea—Nona’s slightly senile-sounding plan for Hope to transplant her life back in Sisters, inhabit Nona’s old house, care for some old dog with the slippery possibility that Hope might inherit a million dollars one year later—well, it was sounding more farfetched and ridiculous all the time.
For starters, there was the money issue. What was Hope going to live on while she remained in Sisters? And who was going to make the payments on her condo and car and everything else? And, if she quit her job like she’d be forced to do, she’d lose benefits like insurance and retirement, and all for what? Seriously, what was the chance that she might make it for a whole year? It was sounding more and more unlikely. Even if, somehow, she did survive a year, there’d be taxes to pay. That near million would dwindle quickly.
Plus, she’d have angry family members to contend with. And living right next door to Drew and Cherry—well, how much was that worth? Really, it was crazy. And it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility that Nona hadn’t been in her right mind when she’d made these last-minute changes to her will. And, despite Lewis’s claim that it would be hard to contest this will, Hope was an attorney. She knew there were ways. Not only that, but even if it were airtight, which was doubtful, anyone contesting the will (like Cherry, for instance) could tie up Nona’s funds for years. A lifetime, perhaps. And then lawyers’ fees, court fees…well, it would all add up. Hope knew enough about law to know that it could be worthless in the end.
After Hope checked out of the hotel, she drove around town and just wondered…would she be a fool to do this? Or would she be a fool not to? She finally parked in a spot where she had full view of the mountains. The Three Sisters—Faith, Hope, and Charity—still garbed in their white jackets. Hope remembered how her mother would joke about the mountains and their various seasonal outfits. Winter usually saw them wearing full-length fur coats. But, as the days warmed, the Sisters slowly peeled down. They went from short jackets to T-shirts, to tank tops, to string bikinis, and sometimes they stood up there dark and naked for all the world to see. Then, autumn would come with a light snow, and Mom would say they were wearing their chiffon negligees and getting ready to take a long winter’s nap.
Hope wondered what her mother would tell her to do right now. She’d probably say, “Go climb a mountain.” And, seriously, that wasn’t a bad idea. Hope had missed out on those kinds of things in the city. Oh, sure, she worked out in the gym almost daily—telling herself that she was going to go out and hike or bike or do something energetic and outdoorsy on the weekend. But more times than not, she wound up sleeping in on Saturday. Then Sunday came and she’d remember work that needed to be done. And then it would be Monday and back to the grindstone.
She glanced at her watch to see that it was nearly ten already, and she’d already promised herself she wouldn’t be late again. She hopped into the old Rambler and drove through town. And, as she drove, she thought of how good it felt to be riding around in Nona’s old car. To possibly have a house of her own. And even a dog. Hadn’t she always wanted a dog! It might be different to be a grown-up living here. It might even be fun. Having the great outdoors practically in her own backyard. And yet…she knew it all came with a price. But maybe it was too high.
By the time she walked into Lewis’s office, which was actually in the downstairs of a very unique building, she couldn’t tell if it was old or new, but it was definitely done right with custom touches of what looked like reclaimed wood and metal siding that had an attractive rusty patina. The interior was even better with stained cement floors, oversized pine and glass doors, and oiled bronze hardware. It was a pleasing combination of uptown and rural, and very cool—especially for Sisters. Or the Sisters she remembered anyway.
“This is a very interesting building,” she told him when he met her in the small foyer.
“Thanks.” He held open the door that led into a smaller office. “I actually live upstairs. Then, I rent out the other offices down here to help offset the expenses. But I can’t take the credit for what a great place it is. The architect who designed and built it is local and I happen to think she’s a genius because she builds green. My heating bill is amazingly low and most of the materials are recycled or renewable.”
“I noticed that the post and beams looked like reclaimed old-growth fir.”
He grinned. “It sounds like you know what you’re talking about.”
“I like architecture and even toyed with the idea of majoring in design in college…but law seemed more substantial.”
He chuckled as he pulled out a leather chair for her to sit. “Yes, there will probably always be more demand for lawsuits than homes. Sad, isn’t it?”
She nodded and sat down, placing her purse in her lap.
“You look a little overdressed for Sisters,” he said as he sat behind a large pine desk. “Not that you don’t look lovely.”
“Thanks…I guess.” She frowned. “When I got up this morning, I had decided to return to Portland, to go back to work, and to forget Nona’s harebrained idea.”
He folded his hands on his desk and just nodded, as if he were waiting for her to continue.
“And then I drove over to the elk ranch…to look at the mountains.” She sighed.
“They look beautiful this morning.” He smiled. “I h
ave a pretty good view of them from my apartment upstairs.”
She fidgeted with the handle of her purse. “That must be nice.”
“So you looked at the mountains…and…?”
“And I felt confused.”
He smiled ever so slightly. “That’s not the usual reaction that people have when they look at these mountains.”
“I mean I felt confused over this decision.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
She leaned back in the chair and exhaled slowly. “Yes, Counselor, I’d like to talk about it. If you have the time, that is.”
“I’ve got nothing but time this morning.”
She wondered how it was that a young attorney in Sisters was doing this well…owning this lovely building…having time to talk. So many things about this guy made her curious. Yes, and suspicious, too. And yet Nona had hired him as her lawyer. And Nona had good sense. Why didn’t it all add up?
“You have a puzzled look on your face,” he pointed out. “Do you have questions?”
She forced a smile. Oh, yeah, she had questions. Just not the kinds of questions one should ask when one barely knows the other. Or did she?
“I’m sure you’re still in shock over how your grandmother handled her estate.”
“I’m shocked that she even had an estate. I mean besides her little house and car.”
“And little dog.”
“Yes, her little dog, too. But actually, that was a surprise. How long did she have him?”
“Just a couple of years. She adopted him from the shelter. Apparently he’d been abused. But the little guy won her heart and actually had something to do with her changing her will. Well, that and a letter that she got from you.”
“A letter?”
“Yes. It must’ve been written more than a year ago. She’d had it for a while when she came into my office to chat.”
Love Finds You in Sisters, Oregon Page 6
