“Interesting,” Charlotte commented, staring out at the snow-covered ranch as it passed by her window. She’d always been interested in small businesses, being a business woman at heart herself. “Who did you say were the new owners?”
Trevor rubbed his chin with his free hand as he concentrated on the road. “Um…Haven…Chase and Philomena Haven. Chase and I go way back.”
“It’s too bad I’m only staying for a month,” Charlotte lamented. It would have been wonderful to get to meet them.” She noted the way Trevor’s eyebrow shot up when she said a month, but brushed it aside for the moment.
“Well, you might see them tomorrow at the….um service. Chase knew Tom pretty well.”
“Oh, I see,” Charlotte said with a nod and retreated back into her fog for the remainder of the trip, fading in and out of consciousness as the snowcapped mountains and pastures dotted with cattle passed by her window. Then the truck finally came to a stop in front of an old, two-story farmhouse.
“We’re here,” Trevor announced while turning off the truck. Charlotte nodded in a drowsy manner and tried to open the door. To her dismay it wouldn’t budge no matter how hard she pushed. “Don’t worry. I’ll get it,” he said while hopping out of the driver’s seat.
As he walked around to open the passenger-side door, she took a moment to clear her head. The house was updated and full of charm with a large welcoming wraparound porch. Piles of snow still lingered around the house, but she could make out beautiful landscaping and flowerbeds underneath them. She longed to see what it would look like in a month when spring arrived. Then a lump rose up in Charlotte’s throat, remembering how much her sister loved gardening. She’d managed to stay mostly numb during the entire trip, but now her emotions were threatening to overflow the dam she’d built up in her heart. Could she handle this?
A moment later, Trevor got the passenger side door open with one swift yank. Then he offered his hand to help her down. “Sorry about that. Silly door always sticks.”
“It’s all right,” she said while accepting his help. When her feet touched the ground, she was overwhelmed once again, taking in the sights and sounds of the Wyoming countryside. Now she understood why her sister had chosen to call this place home.
“I’m sure you’re tired,” Trevor said from beside her while lifting her carry-on suitcase from the trunk. “I’ll take you up to the guest room. Then I’ll come back and get the rest of your bags.”
Charlotte agreed, even though it was unusual for her to accept a man’s help. Today, she felt exhausted and more than willing to accept any help she could get. All she could think about now was how much she needed a long, hot shower and a nap. However, almost halfway up the porch steps, Charlotte remembered something and stopped. “Wait…my niece…is she here?”
Trevor turned to face her and his eyes darkened. “She’s probably out riding. She usually does her lessons around this time.”
“Even with everything that’s been going on?”
He nodded. “It’s about all she’s wanted to do these days. She’s got a special connection to that horse. It’s hard to explain.” His eyes took on a faraway look before he shook his head and turned his attention back to her. “Anyway, I’ll keep an eye on Emma for now and I’m sure that she’ll come back around for dinnertime. In the meantime, you should get some rest.”
Charlotte nodded and continued following Trevor into the house, although wanting to say more. She had so many questions swimming around in her brain, but didn’t feel prepared to have them all answered at the moment. Maybe it was best that Emma wasn’t around right now. It would give her a few hours to get settled in without having to comfort a young child she barely knew. The poor girl had to be devastated, losing both parents so suddenly. They would both need each other to get through this tragedy and Charlotte needed time to prepare herself.
When they arrived in the guest room, Charlotte was pleasantly surprised to discover how modern and airy it was. While having hints of a western theme, it had touches of Bridget’s style imprinted all over it as well. The quilt and curtains had beautiful shades of burgundy in them, Charlotte’s favorite color. It also had a small bathroom, complete with a spacious shower. It was also fully stocked with plush towels, a robe, soaps and shampoos to use, no doubt Laina’s doing. She was pleased that she wouldn’t have to share a bathroom with the rest of the household.
Trevor left quietly and allowed her to get settled into the room. Charlotte wasted no time setting a new outfit on the bed. Then she jumped in the shower. The hot water felt good and released all the tension from her stiff muscles. After she finished and came out with a robe on, Charlotte was happy to see that Trevor had left the rest of her luggage in the room. She would have to say a proper thank you for his hospitality after she woke up from her nap and leave a good note for his supervisor. He certainly deserved a bonus for going above and beyond his usual job expectations.
After brushing her hair, Charlotte padded to the large picture window and parted the curtains. It all seemed like a dream. The large pasture stretched out before her with a large barn and stables. Looking further, she observed horses grazing on small patches of grass that were brave enough to emerge through the snow. A young girl on horseback appeared in the distance, graceful and confident like riding was in her blood. Charlotte knew in an instant it was her niece. She had inherited her father’s brown hair but her mannerisms reminded her so much of Bridget that Charlotte could hardly breathe. Now one thing became clear to her. Bridget’s dream had become a reality. She had poured her heart and soul into this place, believing she and Tom would raise Emma here and live a long and happy life together.
An awful truth finally broke the dam built up in her heart and tears streamed down her cheeks. Their dream had ended in an instant—smashed to pieces at the bottom of a Wyoming ravine. Now it was Charlotte’s responsibility to try and glue those pieces together for Emma, only she had no idea how to do that. How could she comfort a young girl when she didn’t know how to glue the pieces of her own heart back together?
Chapter Three
That evening when Charlotte came down into the dining room she was pleasantly surprised to see that someone already had dinner on the table—some kind of casserole and biscuits.
Laina noticed her first and enveloped her in a tight hug, even though she was almost a foot shorter than Charlotte. “I wish it were under better circumstances, but I’m so glad you’re here.”
“So am I,” Charlotte said while wiping a single tear from the corner of her eye. “Thank you for cooking, by the way. I slept longer than I intended to.”
“Oh, it wasn’t me,” Laina corrected while flipping her long blond braid over one shoulder. “People from town sent over meals. Trevor popped one of them into the oven.”
For the first time, Charlotte noticed Trevor as he finished wiping down the counter and rested the towel over one shoulder. When their eyes met, her heart did a strange little jig that she hated. “Thank you,” she said with a quick nod before looking down to avoid his gaze. “I think we can manage from now on though. I plan to pull my own weight while I’m here.”
“Oh, it’s no problem at all,” he reassured her as he tossed the towel on the counter and took his place at the table. “I hope you don’t mind. Since Laina lives here and I stay in the bunkhouse, Tom and Bridget usually invited us for dinner. We can stop the tradition if you want.”
“No, I don’t mind at all,” Charlotte said, silently hoping either Trevor or Laina wouldn’t mind doing the bulk of the cooking, since she even had trouble making scrambled eggs. Charlotte smiled at her silent joke until noticing an empty chair at the table. “Where’s Emma?”
“Upstairs.” Laina shared a brief glance with Trevor and then she headed toward the stairs. “Emma,” she called in a gentle but authoritative tone. “It’s time for dinner.”
“I’m not hungry,” a faint voice answered.
Laina paused for a moment and pursed her lips before trying aga
in. “You still need to come down and try to eat something, sweetheart. Your aunt is here and wants to see you at least for a few minutes tonight.”
Emma replied back, but so low that Charlotte couldn’t hear what she said. However, Laina seemed satisfied and took her place back at the table. “She’s coming.”
Sure enough, about a minute later her niece came down the stairs. However, she didn’t look very happy about it, with downcast eyes and arms crossed over her chest.
Charlotte tried to remain upbeat, even though she was still exhausted physically and emotionally herself. “Thank you for coming downstairs with us, Emma. I know you must be tired from your lessons today.”
Her niece nodded but didn’t say a word. Thankfully, Trevor offered to say grace and that seemed to ease the tension, at least for a little while.
“So, Emma,” Charlotte said a few minutes into dinner. “Why don’t you tell me about your horse?”
“Which one?” Her niece’s response was quick and tight.
“The one I saw you riding today,” Charlotte answered in a calm voice, although deep down feeling intimidated by the little girl. Technically all the horses that her parents had owned were now hers. She suspected Emma knew that fact very well.
“Her name’s Buttercup,” was her niece’s brief reply while she poked at the food on her plate in a listless manner.
“What kind of horse is she?”
“A thoroughbred. I use her to trick ride.”
“How nice. Back in London I have a friend who has a nice jumping horse. It’s amazing to watch. Would you let me sit in on one of your lessons sometime?”
Emma shrugged and took a miniscule bite of her casserole, letting Charlotte know she was done talking.
A few minutes later, after taking a few more tiny bites of dinner Emma asked to be excused. They let her go reluctantly. Then Charlotte watched with an aching heart as she made a solemn ascent up the staircase and disappeared around the corner leading to her room. She wished she’d visited while Bridget was still alive. Her niece was hurting but what could she say to help her? They were basically strangers and Charlotte knew it was all her fault. She’d met the girl once, and that was at her father’s funeral so they’d barely had time to talk.
As they finished up dinner, Laina gave her a knowing look from across the table. “She’ll come around. Just give her some time.”
She nodded with misty eyes, hoping Laina was right.
The morning of the funeral went by in a blur for Charlotte. She attempted to keep herself busy by helping prepare for the visitation. Then in the afternoon she stood off to the side in a numb haze as family and friends came to say goodbye to Bridget and Tom. The tiny funeral home in Tipton was filled to the max and she wouldn’t have been surprised if the entire town had come to pay their respects. Knowing hardly anyone from Tipton, Charlotte tried her best to stay in the shadows and watch over Emma, who’d barely spoken a word all day, but had been very well behaved throughout the service.
Thankfully, Laina and Trevor did a good job of greeting people. However, as the afternoon wore on, Charlotte noticed how close Trevor was to everyone in the group. He was obviously more than just a horse trainer at the stables. Was he Tom’s relative?
Her question floated away as she heard commotion outside and cameras clicking. Charlotte sighed, remembering the ruthlessness of the paparazzi. Then she saw her step mother, Angela, stride into the room with a luxurious fur coat and movie star sunglasses. Charlotte nodded in her direction but the former Hollywood movie star ignored her and stalked past, nose high in the air like something smelled bad. It wasn’t really a surprise. She’d treated Charlotte and even her own biological daughter like some kind of pests when they were children. When their father was away on business, she left their care completely up to nannies. Charlotte never knew what her father saw in Angela, but there was a silver lining to having her as a step mother—Bridget. She acted nothing like her mother—always sweet, kind and generous.
A moment later, Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief as her Uncle Gary and his family walked through the double doors, accompanied by a few bodyguards. Charlotte’s cousin, Addison, managed a sad smile as she approached first with her fiancé close behind. “I’m so sorry about Bridget. We couldn’t believe it when we heard the news.”
“Thank you for coming, Addie, even though I know being in the public eye is difficult on you. I really needed to see some familiar faces.”
“Of course,” Addie said, enveloping her in a warm embrace. “That’s what family is for. We’ve been praying for you and the rest of the family.”
She nodded before Addie moved on and hugged Emma. Then Charlotte shook hands with her cousin’s fiancé and hugged her uncle and younger cousin, Brielle, who also offered their condolences.
After the visitation and graveside service ended, they had a small, catered dinner at the Morgan Estate for the family and one special guest—Bridget and Tom’s lawyer. While the family ate, Charlotte excused herself to meet with him. Her emotions were raw, but she wanted to get the legal matters dealt with promptly. Then they could all concentrate on healing and preparing for the move to London.
She led the lawyer, Mr. Allen, to a small sitting area off the living room, where they sat in high-backed chairs across from each other. Charlotte tried to keep herself composed as he placed his briefcase on a nearby end table and clicked open the brass locks.
“I believe all the documents are in order, Miss Lewis,” he said, handing her a manila folder. “This is your copy if you’d like to read along. The Morgan’s were very organized. They created a will and stated their wishes very clearly.”
Charlotte nodded as she unclasped the brad on the folder and pulled out a small legal stack of papers and an envelope that simply read Charly in her sister’s elegant handwriting. She gulped down her emotions and tucked the letter into her pocket. She would read it later in the privacy of her own room. In the meantime, Charlotte managed a brave smile in the lawyer’s direction. “Yes, I know they made adequate provisions for their daughter…with a savings account set up for her care and schooling. I’m a little new to being a guardian and I know it’s going to be an adjustment. However, I already have the ball rolling…legally you might say, to take Emma to live with me in London. I really believe she’ll like it there once she gets used to it.”
“I’m happy to hear that, Miss Lewis. Now everything to do with the child is in order as we discussed over the phone. However, I told you we would discuss the will further in person. Are you prepared to go through that now?”
“Yes,” Charlotte agreed, but struggled to hide the reluctance in her voice. All of it still felt like an awful nightmare.
Mr. Allen took his bifocals out of his suit-coat pocket and mounted them on his long thin nose before sifting through the documents in his hand. “Now, let us pick up where we left off on page three of the will.”
Charlotte did as he asked but balked at the heading, Matters of Morgan Estate and Stables. “Mr. Allen…did they leave me the house?”
“Now, let’s just read the document first and then I’ll answer any questions you might have.” The lawyer adjusted his glasses and started reading. “In the event of both of our deaths we leave our property, along with the farmhouse and eighty acres to our daughter, Emma Morgan, to be in her possession when she turns eighteen years of age. If she is not of age, the property will be put under the care of Charlotte Lewis until that time. She will have the full authority to make legal decisions about the property until Emma is old enough to take over the responsibility.”
Charlotte put a trembling hand over her mouth as the shock set in. What had Bridget and Tom been thinking? She had no idea how to maintain a house and property this size for ten years.
Oblivious to her shock, the lawyer kept reading the will. “Now, on to matters of the transfer of ownership of Morgan Stables. The family business will be co-owned by Tom Morgan’s next of kin, Trevor Morgan, Charlotte Lewis and Emma Morgan wh
en she is of age.”
Charlotte’s heart pounded rapidly as she absorbed the news and her eyes rescanned the page, finally falling on the name Trevor Morgan. It couldn’t be a coincidence. Trevor, the stable hand was also Tom’s next of kin. They barely knew each other, but now in an unexpected and tragic turn of events, they co-owned a business together—a business she knew nothing about. Their lives and futures would be forever intertwined whether they wanted it or not.
Chapter Four
Trevor had never been much for small talk, so he forced down a small amount of dinner and mingled for a few minutes. Then after most of the guest started to leave, he excused himself to sit on the front porch steps of the old farmhouse. He sipped his coffee while gazing up at the night sky as flurries started to fall. The snowy night was so peaceful and beautiful, but Trevor almost felt remorse for enjoying it. His cousin and best friend in the world had died earlier that week. Shouldn’t the weather reflect the sorrow in his heart? It seemed wrong.
He had just finished off his mug of coffee when the screen door behind him creaked open and then slammed shut. “Morgan…Trevor Morgan is your full name?” a woman’s voice said behind him, dripping with irritation.
He turned and tipped his hat in the woman’s direction. “Good evening to you too, Charlotte.”
She scoffed and crossed her arms, to keep warm. She looked ready to breathe fire at him. “I’ve been here for two days now and you never thought to mention that you were a part of the Morgan family? You knew that they left you half of the business, didn’t you?”
Trevor sighed with a heavy heart. “Yes. I’m sorry. I never meant to deceive you. I just thought it would be best to talk about legal matters after my cousin and your sister were put to rest. I don’t want any hard feelings because of this.”
Guardian 0f Her Heart (Whispers In Wyoming Book 6) Page 2
