Coulson's Secret

by McIntyre, Anna J

  “Hi, I’m Kim. I was wondering if I could rinse this out in the kitchen sink.”

  The woman quickly set the knife down on the counter, wiped her hands on her apron, scurried over to Kim, and then snatched the can from Kim’s hand.

  “Here, dear, I’ll do that for you.” Before Kim could protest, the woman rinsed the can and tossed it into a recycling bin. Then she washed her hands in the sink and went back to chopping the vegetables before asking, “Have you found everything all right, Miss Coulson?”

  Kim was a bit startled at the address and said, “Actually it’s Myers, Kim Myers. But you can call me Kim.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry, dear. I didn’t realize you went by another name. I apologize. I’m Helen Carpenter. I run the kitchen for Mr. Coulson. I was just about to send someone up to see what you’d like to eat for dinner. Normally, I’d fix something for both you and Mr. Coulson, but he’s still sleeping, and when he does this, we just let him sleep and then fix him something when he gets up.”

  “I really don’t want to be any trouble.”

  “Don’t be silly. That’s what I’m here for. I’ve been baking all day, preparing for the Christmas Eve open house. There are some cookies over there.” Helen lifted her knife and pointed across the room with the tip of the blade and then resumed chopping. “But let me fix you some dinner before you have any cookies.” Helen smiled, laid down the knife, and looked at Kim.

  “I have a nice pot of stew on the stove, if you would like that and some homemade bread. If you don’t like stew, I have—”

  “No, stew sounds wonderful.”

  “Then, why don’t you go sit down in the dining room, and I’ill bring you a bowl.”

  “Could I eat in here?”

  “Certainly, if that’s what you’d like.”

  Kim spent the next hour in the kitchen chatting with Helen. During that time, she ate a large bowl of beef stew and two thick slices of homemade potato bread followed by a large glass of iced milk and two chocolate chip cookies.

  Kim learned Helen was a widow with no children, and she typically worked through the holidays for the Coulsons, yet noted the recent Thanksgiving was the first in ten years that she hadn’t had to work. Helen seemed excited that the family was spending Christmas at the house, and while she didn’t say anything specific, Kim got the impression Helen wasn’t overly fond of the late senator and his wife. Helen didn’t quiz Kim about the details of her relationship to the family, but it was obvious she knew Kim was Harrison Coulson’s granddaughter.

  Helen questioned Kim on Jake’s dietary needs and told her not to worry, because the staff would make sure he was fed, given fresh water, and his litter box cleaned twice a day. Kim told herself that she could get used to such pampering but didn’t express the thought and just told Helen thank you.

  Kim made it a point to get back to her room by six-thirty and take a shower. Nick once told her his regular routine included checking his email one final time in the evening, around seven, as he didn’t get email on his cell phone. Kim didn’t want to be in the shower when Nick read the email and called her. It had been a long day, and Kim intended to go to bed at eight, after Nick’s call.

  While she took her shower, she set her cell phone on the bathroom counter, just in case he called early. By the time she got out of her shower, dried off, and slipped into her nightgown, it was not quite seven. Certain that he would be calling any minute, Kim felt like an anxious teenager, and her stomach was doing flip-flops.

  The flames in the bedroom’s fireplace raged. Kim suspected someone had come into her room and stoked the fire while she bathed. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Turning off all the lights in the bedroom and adjoining bathroom, she climbed into her bed, setting the phone on the nightstand. It was one of the pieces from the third floor.

  Seven-thirty turned into eight and still there was no phone call. Kim considered calling Nick, yet she changed her mind. Lying on her side and curling into a ball, she hugged a pillow and listened to the crackling of the fire. The flames had died down but continued to burn steadily.

  Jake curled up on the foot of her bed. Earlier, she had considered locking the bedroom door but decided against it since Jake might want to visit the litter box sometime during the night. She’d left the door slightly ajar before climbing into bed.

  It was a quarter past ten and Kim could barely keep her eyes open. She knew it was too late for Nick to call, so she wearily gave herself up to sleep.

  Chapter 35

  Kim overslept on Christmas Eve morning, and when she woke up, it was already nine-thirty. Reaching for her cell phone, she was more concerned about any possible missed calls than she was with checking the time.

  Getting out of bed, she walked over to the window and glanced out. There were a number of vehicles in the driveway, including two delivery vans. She recognized both Garret’s and Russell’s cars and felt a little guilty sleeping so late. Glancing at her door, she saw that it was still open and Jake was nowhere in sight. She assumed he was roaming the house and hoped no one had let him outside. If it weren’t for the coyotes in the area, she might consider letting him roam a bit outdoors.

  The fire had died out hours before, and she wondered if any hot embers remained in the fireplace. Kim didn’t think anyone came in during the night to add more wood to the flames.

  She walked to the door and closed it securely. Before getting dressed and going downstairs, she checked her computer just in case Nick decided to send an email instead of calling. It took less than ten minutes to power up the laptop and open her email account, but there was nothing from Nick. She felt a little sick in the pit of her stomach and told herself she would call him on Christmas Day if he didn’t call her.

  Kim slipped on a pair of dark slacks and a festive red sweater. After brushing her hair back, she swept it into a high ponytail. Her auburn-colored hair had grown a few inches since her last haircut. After slipping on her shoes and hastily making her bed, Kim headed downstairs.

  Kim received an enthusiastic and warm greeting from both Alexandra and Kate, who were busy directing traffic and preparing for the upcoming party. They explained that Harrison Senior was upstairs in his room with his physical therapist. Apparently, he had missed his appointment the previous day because of his impromptu trip to Arizona.

  When Kate explained Hannah and Sarah were at the mall doing some last minute shopping, Kim realized she hadn’t brought gifts and wondered if there was a car she might borrow, so she could do some shopping later.

  Kim found Jake sleeping peacefully high on a shelf in the storage room. Someone had shut him in the room, and when she asked Helen about it, Helen told her Harrison instructed the staff to keep Jake in the storage room while the delivery people were going in and out of the house so the cat wouldn’t escape. Kim smiled at Harrison’s concern over her pet.

  When walking down the hallway, she heard voices coming from the library. Kim paused by the doorway, looked in, and saw Garret sitting on one of the leather chairs, while Russell sat on the leather couch across from him. Russell called out to her, motioning for Kim to join them in the library.

  “We were hoping we would get a chance to talk to you before people start arriving,” Russell said as both he and Garret stood up to greet her.

  Kim entered the room and shyly accepted the brief welcome hugs from her uncles before taking a seat on one of the leather chairs. Garret and Russell sat back down where they had been sitting before she entered the room.

  “I’m glad Dad convinced you to join us for Christmas,” Garret told her. “I will admit, I was a little apprehensive about him just showing up on your doorstep, and I considered warning you.”

  “I was rather surprised to see him,” Kim admitted. She sat primly in the leather chair, her back straight and her knees together, as she held her folded hands in her lap. A bit nervous, she restlessly tapped her toes against the tapestry throw rug that lay on the hardwood floor.

  “I’ve never seen our
father quite like this,” Russell observed. “It’s fascinating, really. You should have heard him this morning, giving the staff hell and telling them that no one dare wake you, because you needed your sleep.”

  Kim blushed at the comment, once again embarrassed for sleeping so late. She started to apologize, and Russell quickly stopped her.

  “It wasn’t my intention to make you feel uncomfortable. It’s just that both Garret and I are enjoying seeing this other side of our father.”

  “You know, Kim, I almost get the feeling our father views you as the daughter he never had,” Garret told her.

  “For some reason, I see your father as the type who wanted sons.”

  “True, his generation seemed to be more focused on sons. Our grandfather, your great-grandfather, Randall Coulson, the one who founded this town, was not an easy man. He ruled the family with an iron fist. I believe the one thing my father ever did that earned him approval from his father was having three sons. Especially considering Randal’s wife was only able to give him one child,” Garret explained. “I find it rather ironic that not one of us had a son to carry on the family name. The old bastard is probably rolling over in his grave.”

  Garret and Russell both laughed at the idea, and Kim found herself smiling.

  “Kimmy,” Garret continued in a serious voice. “I’m sure Russy will agree, our older brother was always a bit of a narcissist. When he was in congress, he was able to maintain a respectable image for the rest of the world, but there was always something just below the surface.”

  “But after he got out of the senate,” Russell said, picking up the conversation, “he became more erratic, almost paranoid. For a while, we wondered if he was into cocaine, as some of the people he and Shelly associated with tended to live in the fast lane.”

  “His actions don’t make you any less part of this family,” Garret told her. “He’s the black sheep, the outsider, not you. We want you to know that Russy and I will be here for you. I’m looking forward to the day you might actually feel comfortable calling me Uncle Garret.”

  “I agree with Garret, but I want you to know, I’ll probably end up being your favorite uncle. I’m a much nicer guy.” Russell’s silly remark made them all laugh.

  “I know it’s probably too soon for you to decide,” Russell continued, “but I know Dad would love for you to move back to Coulson. If he has his way, he’ll convince you to move in to Coulson House.”

  “Yeah, he has mentioned that,” Kim said.

  “Think about it,” Garret told her. “Of course, we understand if you don’t feel comfortable here and decided to live somewhere else, like your mother’s house.”

  “Or, I can always sell Mom’s house and my condominium and buy something if I decide to stay.”

  “You could always buy something now with part of your inheritance,” Russell said, watching for Kim’s reaction.

  “My inheritance?”

  Garret frowned at his brother and said, “I thought we were going to wait until after the holiday?”

  “Why? Kimmy seems to be fitting in well. I think it would be a nice Christmas surprise for her.”

  “What are you talking about?” Kim asked, looking from brother to brother.

  “Under the terms of Harrison’s will,” Garret began, “half of his estate goes to you.”

  “No,” Kim started to protest, but her uncles quickly silenced her and then Russell spoke up.

  “I wanted to mention something to you, Garret, and now that Kimmy is here, I think she should hear it.”

  “What’s that?” Garret asked.

  “I looked over the terms and wording of Harrison’s will. Then I had a little chat with the attorney yesterday.”

  “You never mentioned that.” Garret frowned.

  Kim sat silently listening and wondering what it all meant.

  “At first, we assumed Kim was inheriting half of Harrison’s estate due to poor wording by his attorney, that the section about half of the estate going to his offspring was some misplaced legal rhetoric. But it wasn’t. Harrison wanted Kim to inherit. He never admitted to the attorney that he had any children. In fact, he denied it. Yet, it was Harrison who insisted the attorney include that phrase. The attorney wanted to include verbiage excluding anyone who might come forward claiming to be an heir, but Harrison wouldn’t let him. I believe our brother wanted Kim to have half of his estate.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me before?” Garret asked.

  “We haven’t had a chance to talk before now. I just spoke to the attorney last night, and I’ve been mulling it over.” Russell shrugged.

  “I don’t want his money,” Kim said stubbornly.

  “If it will make you feel any better,” Garret told her, “most of it was family money. Harrison wasn’t much of a businessman. Look at it this way; Shelly walked away with all the money Harrison made, plus some Coulson family money.”

  “Don’t forget, this house will be yours someday,” Russell reminded her.

  “Which makes my wife eternally grateful.” Garret laughed.

  “Alex seriously doesn’t want this house?” Kim found that hard to believe.

  “No, I’m afraid she doesn’t. I’m not that crazy about it myself. If you decide that you don’t want it, you can sell it. But it might be a good idea not to tell Dad your intentions. While he would still leave the house to you, I think he would prefer to believe it will stay in the family.”

  “I would never sell it,” Kim blurted out as if she couldn’t imagine such a thing.

  Both Russell and Garret laughed.

  “Then the house is yours!” Russell told her.

  Kim was a bit overwhelmed with the talk of an inheritance and her uncles’ acceptance of her into the family. After their discussion, she asked about a car and soon had the keys to one of her grandfather’s vehicles.

  Christmas shopping on such a short notice for people she didn’t know well proved challenging. She also wanted to get something for Nick, who still had not called her. Before leaving to shop, she checked her email again. There was still no message from Nick.

  While at the mall, Kim had all the gifts wrapped. When she returned to Coulson House, she placed them under the Christmas tree in the living room and was surprised to find packages already piled under the branches. They hadn’t been there the night before.

  Kim asked Helen if it would be all right if she took the litter box upstairs to lock Jake in Harrison’s old bedroom during the party. Helen seemed amused that Kim would ask her permission but assured Kim there wouldn’t be a problem.

  After getting Jake settled, Kim took a shower and prepared for the party. While shopping for gifts, she had stopped in to a boutique to see if she could find something to wear to the open house. She brought home a long green dress. It hugged her curves and looked festive for the holidays.

  Before leaving her room, she turned on the computer and checked her email one more time. There was nothing from Nick. Kim picked up her cell phone and looked at it. She’d kept the thing tucked in her back pocket all day, waiting for his call, which obviously was not going to come.

  Kim set the cell phone on the desk. Her dress certainly had no pockets, and she wasn’t going to carry the phone around during the party. While she believed Nick when he professed his love, she knew they had known each other for such a brief time and that it was most likely infatuation and not love. Considering the recent events, it was understandable if he’d had second thoughts.

  Taking a deep breath, Kim left the room, leaving her cell phone behind.

  The Christmas Eve open house was nothing like Thanksgiving, Kim told herself. On Thanksgiving, Kate and Alexandra had bustled around in the kitchen while other family members pitched in to help. Helen and caterers provided the food while the household staff refilled the buffet table and removed the dirty dishes. A professional bartender prepared the cocktails and servers mingled through the crowd with appetizer trays and champagne.

  Harrison proudly in
troduced Kim as his granddaughter, boasting she was a real estate broker, rattling off the various awards she had earned over the years. Kim had no idea how he knew so much about her professional life. If the guests wondered about the sordid details of her parent’s relationship, they discretely withheld their questions.

  There were some familiar faces among the guests, including members from Alexandra’s family, whom Kim had met when she was dating Adam. Adam showed up about two hours into the party. Kim was just coming down the staircase after checking on Jake when she saw him. Adam waited for Kim on the landing and welcomed her with an enthusiastic hug. When he finally pulled away, he smiled down at her and said, “Welcome home, Kimmy. But we can’t let your Uncle Garret see us hug.” He laughed.

  “Uncle Garret?” Kim asked. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, he’s given me instructions to keep my hands off his niece,” Adam teased. “Apparently, I’m not good enough for you.”

  “Oh, sure!” Kim laughed, then nudged his side with her elbow.

  “Is Nick here?” Adam asked. When he saw Kim’s smile dissolve, he frowned.

  “No, I doubt he’s coming.”

  “Oh, the snowstorm. I forgot, sorry.”

  “What snowstorm?” Kim asked.

  “You didn’t hear? Last night, they were hit with a big storm with record snow. Didn’t he tell you?”

  “No, I haven’t talked to him. But, it’s clear as a bell here.”

  “That’s how it is sometimes,” Adam shrugged. “Coulson gets sunshine and warm weather, and Clement Falls gets winter. You have to figure it’s about seven thousand feet up there. Come with me. I need something to drink.”

  Twenty minutes later, Kim and Adam sat in a remote and quiet area of the living room, each sipping a glass of wine as they watched the other guests from afar.

  “I can’t believe how many people showed up,” Kim remarked.

  “I imagine it’s because they cancelled the annual Coulson Enterprises Christmas party,” Adam told her.