Summer on Kendall Farm

by Shirley Hailstock

  “Is that written on a card in your classroom?” he asked.

  “It is,” she said. “That doesn’t mean it’s not true.”

  “I have a letter from Jason,” he said.

  Audrey stopped on the street and faced him. She seemed too surprised to speak. “Why didn’t you tell me? You said it like you were asking to pass the butter, when contacting him has plagued you for months.”

  “I haven’t opened it.”

  “Why not?”

  “Fear.” He paused for a long time. “I don’t know what’s in it. He doesn’t know me now, doesn’t know where I’ve been and what I’ve gone through. The letter could tell me to never contact him again.”

  “It could,” she agreed. “But you’ll never know what it says if you don’t open it.”

  “I realize that.”

  “How did he find you?” Audrey asked.

  “I sent a letter to the Kendall as you suggested. I never expected to get a response from Jason.” Sheldon thought he might get a reply from the owner of the farm, but seeing Jason’s handwriting and the return address on the envelope, it nearly burned his hand. “I assume he lives at the Kendall. He must be doing well if he could return to the Kendall and support the farm.”

  “Don’t jump to any conclusions. You only know that Jason used the address.”

  “How many people are you aware of who would allow you to use their address if you didn’t live there?”

  She nodded, understanding his point. “But when you left, you said the place was run-down.”

  “It was, but someone bought it. A woman. I have no idea what it looks like now.”

  “It could have been sold to your brother,” she suggested.

  “Which means he’d have to have enough money to purchase it.”

  “That’s beside the point, isn’t it. You’re not interested in his finances. You want to contact him for different reasons.”

  Sheldon looked away. She was right. He did want to contact his brother to try to make amends.

  “I don’t think I can just apologize and our past antagonism will up and disappear. There’s a lifetime of bad blood between us, which I caused.”

  Audrey took his arm. Her fingers moved down until she reached his hand, which she caught and held. “Nothing is ever that absolute. Even if you don’t make amends with your brother, you’ll be better for trying. It’s up to you. If attempting to explain your actions because not doing it is holding your stomach in knots, then they will never go away until you do something about it.”

  Sheldon pulled her arm through his and the two continued walking. Instead of him taking her to her porch, he passed it and continued to the bungalow where he’d lived for the past eight months.

  The place was only three rooms and a bath. Sheldon kept it neat, he didn’t have much. He swept daily, cleaned his dishes and made his bed.

  “Have a seat,” he said when she came inside. “I have iced tea or I can make coffee or there’s bottled water.” Sheldon didn’t have any alcohol. He’d given it up for a lot of good reasons. “What can I get you?”

  “Iced tea would be good,” she said.

  Sheldon poured two glasses of tea and set them on the small table in the kitchen. While Audrey drank hers, he retrieved the envelope with Jason’s name on it. Both of them looked at the letter. Audrey said nothing. The only sound in the room was their breathing. Outside, Sheldon heard the marina water lapping against the pier and the gentle bobbing of boats as they rose and fell with the ever shifting bay.

  Sheldon slid his finger under the flap and opened the envelope. Inside was a single sheet of paper. He pulled it out and read it, then passed it to Audrey who read it, too.

  Sheldon moved to the window and looked out on the marina.

  I’m back. I live at the Kendall. Why are you looking for me?

  One line, three sentences. That was all he said. The words gave him no indication of anything about Jason.

  “He doesn’t say much,” Audrey said.

  “That’s the way it was with us. If we weren’t arguing, we weren’t saying anything at all.”

  “Are you going to answer his question?” Audrey asked.

  “I don’t know. I wrote the note to the Kendall, but to be truthful I thought it was a waste of time. I didn’t expect an answer. When the reply came, I thought Jason would say something other than he was living at the farm.”

  “I know you need to think on this and you need to make a decision,” Audrey said. “I have to check on Christian.”

  Sheldon knew she had a sitter and a promised return time. “I’ll walk you home.” Sheldon escorted her to her house in silence. His mind was on Jason and the glory days of his past. It hurt to think of them now. Not because of his circumstances, but because he wished he’d been the man he was today back then.

  Outside Audrey’s door, she said, “Have you thought of returning? Looking your brother in the face and telling him how you feel?”

  Sheldon stared at her. “I’ve thought of it,” he said. Then he said good-night and turned to walk back.

  He knew the decision he needed to make. He had to confront Jason and work out whatever was necessary, if Jason would even allow it. If he didn’t, Sheldon would accept that.

  But it was a task that had to be done.

  * * *

  THE DAY BEFORE the first wedding ever to be held at the Kendall was filled with activity. Kelly didn’t have time to think of her feelings much. She was too busy directing the preparations—the placement of tables and chairs, making sure everything was in order. Kelly had been lucky enough to find a hotel selling its old tables, chairs and parquet dance flooring. She could handle parties up to three hundred, which is what the ballroom would hold. The wedding consultant arrived and with the small army of temps Kelly had on hand, they transformed the ballroom into a reception hall. All the tables and chairs were covered in white. The chairs had huge bows on their backs. The color scheme for the napkins was blush and hot pink. Tomorrow the florist would deliver the centerpieces and bouquets for the wedding party.

  The bride wanted to use the main staircase for the procession and photos. The baker would arrive with the cake and the caterers would take over the kitchen right after breakfast. When everything was done and Kelly was finally alone, she put her feet up to rest her ankle, which had swollen again.

  Now that her mind had a chance to slow down, her thoughts returned to Jace and Ari. Despite the pain in her leg, she grabbed her cane and went to the horse barn. The horses always made her feel closer to them. She went to the mare Jace had ridden and rubbed his nose.

  “I miss him, too,” she told the horse. She hadn’t heard from Jace in days. She missed watching the two of them every morning. She missed hearing Ari scampering through the house. She missed their presence of being on the property. The place was too quiet. Inside and outside, she felt lonely.

  Moving to the other mare, she rubbed his nose, too. Kelly had ridden them that morning before all the activity started, but she had the feeling the horses knew that Ari and Jace were no longer on the property.

  Her leg was really hurting and her limp was prominent. If she was going to be of any use tomorrow, she needed to get off her foot. Leaving the barn, she hobbled back to the house. She didn’t feel like eating, so she bypassed the kitchen. It was set up for the caterers anyway and she didn’t want to disturb anything. Limping around the porch, she headed for the front of the house. When she turned the corner, she saw Jace.

  She froze, a gasp escaped before she could stop it.

  Jace heard her and turned toward the sound. The cane Kelly was using slipped out of her hand and fell to the floor. She didn’t make a move to catch or retrieve it. Her eyes were glued to the man standing twenty feet away.

  She was happy to see him. Every part of her reacted to him. She felt her body tremble. He’d returned. He’d come back. Then she realized he was on his own. Ari was not with him. Kelly looked to the truck, but the child was not there. Jace
had not come back. He wasn’t here for the horses, either. There was no trailer in sight.

  The only other reason would be to serve her legal papers. At least he didn’t have them come by mail or delivered by a clerk from some law office.

  “Are you here about the contract?” she asked.

  He shook his head.

  “Where’s Ari?”

  “He’s visiting a day-care school,” Jace supplied.

  “So you’re planning to stay in the area?” Of course he would stay, she thought. He was challenging her for the house. She was the one who’d eventually move.

  “We haven’t really decided.”

  Then why was he here? Kelly wondered. “You must want your last paycheck.” Forgetting that her ankle was swollen, she took a step. Pain shot to her knee and she crumpled to the porch floor.

  “Kelly!” Jace called and rushed to her. His arms were around her and he was pulling her up before he knew it. He examined her ankle. “What have you done? We need to get some ice on this. And in a hurry.”

  Jace lifted Kelly and carried her into the house. He took her upstairs and to the first bathroom he found. Rolling her pant legs up, he set her on the bathtub rim and turned the cold water on. “Keep your feet in here. I’ll get some ice.”

  He left her and came back moments later with ice wrapped in a dish towel. He set the towel on the sink counter and turned the water off. Taking a dry towel, he turned her around and dried her feet. Kelly winced at his touch, more from his hands than pain.

  “What’s going on in the kitchen?” he asked.

  “We have a wedding tomorrow,” she told him.

  “You didn’t set up all those tables I saw in the ballroom, did you?”

  She shook her head. “I had staff do that, but I helped with the linens and tying of the bows.”

  “And that caused the swelling?”

  She nodded.

  “Does it feel better?” Jace asked.

  “I’m fine,” Kelly insisted.

  “I know.” He took the ice pack and put it on her ankle, then wrapped that in a dry towel and secured it with a couple of rubber bands. “Here, take these.”

  He had two small white pills in his hand.

  “What are they?”

  “The pain pills the doctor gave you.”

  “They make me sleepy,” Kelly said, but she took them along with the glass of water he’d set on the counter.

  “You could use some sleep.” Jace picked her up again and took her to her bedroom.

  He sat on the bed and took her hand. Kelly closed hers around his. She liked the feel of it in hers. He had a strength that she seemed to draw whenever he was near. Kelly didn’t know how long he sat there. She was getting woozy from the medication.

  “I have to get Ari,” he said, standing up and taking a step back.

  His retreat hurt her more than any injury to her ankle. Yet she didn’t blame him. And it certainly wasn’t his fault that she’d not used her cane when she should have.

  “Sure,” she said. “Don’t worry about me. Ari needs you. Tell him I said hello.” Her voice sounded far away.

  “You’ll keep the ice on it like I said?”

  “Yes,” she replied. Jace turned to leave. As he reached the door, Kelly said, “Tell Ari I miss him.”

  “I’ll be back,” he said.

  Though she hadn’t orchestrated it, she was glad to see Jace again. She should have known better than to overdo things and have her leg swell up, especially since she had a wedding planned for the following day. Thankfully tomorrow she’d have little more to do than unlock the door. The wedding consultant was efficient. She’d gone over with Kelly all the places the bride and groom would need to complete their ceremony, reception and photo shoot.

  Kelly didn’t hear the door close. She was already asleep.

  * * *

  WHEN KELLY OPENED her eyes again, she had the feeling a lot of time had gone by. She turned over. The ice on her leg had disappeared. The swelling had gone down and her leg no longer throbbed with pain. Her cousin sat in a chair reading.

  “Mira? What are you doing here?”

  Dropping the magazine she’d been engrossed in, she looked up. “A little bird told me you’d pushed yourself too hard.”

  “You saw Jace? He was really here?”

  “You don’t remember?” Mira asked.

  She was still a little disoriented from the medication. She looked at her hand. Jace had held it. That was the last thing she remembered.

  She sat up. “I remember now. He put ice on my ankle.”

  “And he called me.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m all right.”

  “Obviously now you are,” Mira reprimanded. “I know you want everything perfect here, but if you’re not careful that injury could sideline you for a longer time than it needs to.”

  “Sideline?” Kelly said with raised eyebrows.

  “Sorry,” she said. “Too much Drew and his football analogies. Nevertheless, the statement still stands.”

  “It probably won’t matter much,” Kelly said, her voice resigned.

  “What does that mean?”

  Kelly pulled her pillows up and leaned back against them. She told Mira all of what had happened in the past few weeks. From the moment Jace had shown up on her doorstep until she threw him out five days ago. The only points she left out were the several kisses they’d shared and how his touch made her feel like a queen.

  “And you think he’s only here to take the Kendall from you?” Mira asked.

  “He pretty much came straight out and told me.”

  “But then things changed.” Mira spoke as if she knew something Kelly didn’t.

  “What?”

  “You and Jace,” she said. “Don’t tell me you’re not in love with him.”

  Kelly stared straight ahead. She nodded so slightly, Mira may not have seen it, but Kelly knew her cousin was perceptive.

  “His affection for me could have another purpose,” Kelly pointed out.

  “Like what?”

  “Like he would change his tactics to get the Kendall back.”

  “And he’s romancing you in order to get you to sign the place over to him?” It sounded incredible.

  “It’s not outside the realm of possibility,” Kelly said.

  “Unless you’re inside a Victorian novel.”

  Kelly was beginning to feel exasperated. “What do you suggest his motives are?” Kelly asked.

  “I think he’s head over heels in love with you.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Why, because he’s never said it?”

  “That’s one reason.”

  “Maybe because you put up walls,” Mira offered.

  Kelly didn’t deny that. “I know you’ve had bad experiences in the past. I know that guy Streeter showed up here at the open house and he was the last person you needed to see, but none of us get through life without kissing a toad or two. It’s necessary so we know a prince when we find one.”

  “You can’t believe Jace is a prince?” Kelly questioned.

  “He’s not my prince. You have to decide if he’s yours.”

  * * *

  JACE MET ARI at the day care, but they didn’t go back to Kelly’s. Both of them jumped into the truck and headed for nowhere in particular. Jace did, however, call Mira and she told him Kelly’s condition. He couldn’t take the chance of seeing Kelly again.

  Once Ari was with all the kids and toys at the day-care center, he’d dropped Jace’s hand and ran for them and the director said he could stay for a couple of hours, that Jace was then free to do what he wanted.

  And what he wanted then was to see Kelly. He wanted to talk to her, but she was in pain from her leg. Going back would mean he was bound to blurt his feelings out. And what would she think? That he was merely trying to get the Kendall by pretending to love her?

  Jace was in love with her. But look at the mess he’d made of everything. Nothing had gone right sin
ce he’d driven into town and asked Kurt Mallard for a loan. He’d told himself he was doing it for Ari, doing it to get his home back for his son. And while that was partially true, it had changed as he got to know Kelly. He’d never seen a stronger woman. She loved the Kendall. She loved everything about it, every nail, every tile. And she’d work herself to death to restore it.

  Jace wondered if he would have felt that way. Had he inherited the house and grounds when his father died, would he have put as much heart and devotion into restoring it as Kelly had? He’d like to say he would, but the truth was he wasn’t sure. He wanted the place to remain a good home for his son. He wanted to live here and make it the happy place he knew it could be. But now he wanted to make it that home with not just Ari, but with Kelly, as well.

  “Did you like the school?” Jace asked his son.

  “It was awesome,” Ari said. “I can go back again?”

  Jace nodded. “You can go back.”

  Ari was so happy, he hummed along to the radio without a care in the world. For a while he would forget about missing Kelly. What Jace wouldn’t give to be in his shoes.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  DREW STOOD UP from the task of cutting the grass as Jace drove up to the man’s house. Ari was ensconced in the day-care center, which had become his favorite place to go. He even forgave his dad for not continuing his riding lessons since they left the Kendall. He still asked about Kelly, but he didn’t do it a hundred times a day. Only half that many.

  Mira appeared in the doorway as Jace stepped down from the cab. “This is a surprise,” she said, smiling.

  Drew joined his wife and the two of them met Jace. “What’s up?” Drew asked.

  “I thought I should return your truck.” Jace lifted his hand and held the keys out to Drew. He didn’t move to take them.

  “Are you leaving town?”

  “Not sure,” he said.

  “How are you going to get around if you return the truck?” Mira asked.

  “Since I’m no longer at the Kendall, it seemed like the right thing to do,” Jace explained.

  “But how are you going to get around?” she asked again.

  Jace shrugged. “I’ll manage. I can rent a car for a while or—”

  “Do you have a job?” Drew interrupted.