by June Faver
Jenn crossed her legs, diverting Cade’s attention once again.
Breck cleared his throat, rattled the pages in his hand, and began reading. “This is the last will and testament of Jason LaChance and Sara Garrett LaChance.”
That sounded so final, but Cade was ready to get on with his life, which would now include the two little ones. Yes, he would manage. Maybe hire someone part-time to give Mrs. Reynolds a break.
Most of the language was above Cade’s pay grade, but he sat up and wrenched his attention from Jenn’s long legs.
He had been so deep in thought he hadn’t heard all the legal-speak Breck was mumbling until he heard the sister cry out.
“Thank goodness,” she gasped, half rising from the chair. “I’ve been so worried about them.”
“Wait,” Cade said. “Can you read that part over again?”
Breck scowled at each of them in turn. “I said, Jason and Sara gave their house and guardianship of their two children, Leo and Lissa LaChance, to his sister, Jennifer LaChance.”
Jenn blinked rapidly. “Wait! I don’t understand all that you said.”
Breck carefully set the papers aside. “To put it simply, the two of you are to share in their business, the airfield north of town. Proceeds from their business are to be split between the two of you.” Breck cleared his throat and glanced at each of them in turn. “By the way, I have been contacted by a party who is interested in purchasing the airstrip. If the two of you aren’t willing to be involved in the day-to-day running of their business, you should know there is one interested party, and of course we can list it with a commercial Realtor.”
Cade’s insides were boiling. He felt as though he had been physically assaulted.
The sister appeared to be stunned as well. “Children!” Jenn’s eyes opened as wide as eyes could possibly open and her voice sounded faint. “Where are the children?”
“No! I cannot accept this,” Cade roared. “The children belong with me.”
“We’re talking about Jason’s children. I’m so thankful they realized I’m the only logical person to raise them.” She was frowning now. Or at least he thought she was. Maybe she just looked thoughtful.
Cade smacked his open palm on the desk. “Look here, Breck. Those kids belong with me. You know that.” He felt his heart hammering in his chest.
“Settle down now, Cade.” Breck’s dark brows almost met in the middle of his face. “Don’t blame me. I just gather the information that my clients tell me and try to deliver what they want.” He pushed back from the desk. “In this case, your little sister and her husband wanted Jennifer here to raise their children.”
That fact stunned him. Cade could hardly draw a breath.
Chapter 6
Jenn sat in Breck’s office long after the will had been read. She felt numb.
She had hoped there might have been a bit of cash to tide her over until she obtained a job, whatever menial task she could find, but she had become the recipient of a house and two very young children. And she was to be partners with this Cade person in her brother’s business.
The Cade person was standing near the door, with his hands on his hips, glowering in her direction. He had ranted at Breck for a while but appeared to have blown himself out.
To tell the truth, Jenn hadn’t heard much of it. Her thoughts had overwhelmed her. She tried to wrap her head around everything she’d heard. Somehow, Jason and Sara wanted her to take care of their two children, and they must have intended for her to raise them right here in this small community. She was terrified. What if she made a mess of it? What if she couldn’t do it? What would happen to the children then? I’m not a small-town person. I need to go back to Dallas, so I can put my degrees to work. I need a real job.
She swallowed hard and looked at Cade again. He seemed to feel he would be the better parent. But he was such a big, angry man. How could he take care of two sensitive children? They needed a mother.
Mother? They need me.
Jenn thought she might throw up. Would she have to fight this big cowboy for the guardianship of her niece and nephew?
She had taken excellent care of her parents and of Minnie. Could children be much more complicated? After all, kids could tell you how they were feeling, and you just had to guess with a dog.
But in the middle of all that self-doubt, a kernel of hope bloomed in her chest. Her brother wanted her to take care of his children. He had faith in her, as did Sara. They would not have trusted her with their children’s upbringing if she wasn’t up to the task. But did it have to be here in Langston? Maybe she could find a buyer for Jason’s house and return to Dallas with the children.
“Okay,” she said. “What do I need to do now?”
Breck gazed at her. “Well, next…we need to get you settled into the house and then we can transfer the care of Lissy and Leo to you.”
“But they don’t even know her,” Cade protested. “You’re asking me to just hand them over to a complete stranger.”
Jenn was outraged that this clod was verbally attacking her. She knew the children and they knew her…probably not as well as they knew their uncle, but she was not a stranger. She crossed her arms over her chest and sat glaring at him. She had not visited while her parents were alive, but Jason had Skyped with her regularly. Sara sent photos of the children almost daily. Well, maybe she knew more about the children than they knew about her. Not a problem. We’ll get along fine.
Breck raked his fingers through his hair. “Well, maybe you ought to get to know her, Cade. Your sister married her brother, and they both sat right across from me at my desk and directed me to make sure Jennifer here was the legal guardian of their minor children in the event that something happened to them.”
“But their plane crashed in the canyon. Surely you don’t think they expected to die, do you?”
Breck put his hand on Cade’s shoulder. “Nobody does.”
* * *
Jenn returned to the inn and took Minnie for a walk. When she got back, she climbed onto the porch and sat on the porch swing with Minnie in her lap. That’s where Ollie found her.
“You look like you’re deep in thought.” Ollie took a seat beside her. “What’s up?”
“Um…I’m going to be taking care of children…my niece and nephew.”
Ollie clasped her hands together. “Oh, that’s wonderful. They’re so cute.” She looked at Jenn intently. “That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”
“Well, as I understand it, I will be living in Jason’s house with the children.”
“Perfect. The kids will be in a familiar setting.”
Jenn nodded. “That makes sense. I guess that’s why they willed it to me.”
Ollie sobered. “Oh, that means you’ll be leaving me.” She sighed. “I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you. I feel that we have become friends.” She looked at Jenn hopefully.
“Of course we’re friends. We’ll still be friends when I move into the house.” She shuddered as the reality hit her. “Oh, all of my brother’s things are there. I don’t know if I can handle that.” She swallowed hard. “I thought I would be bringing the kids to my house in Dallas. It’s the house Jason and I grew up in…and where my parents lived out their years together.” She blinked against the tears. “Why does this have to be so hard?”
Ollie reached over to pat Jenn’s arm. “Don’t you worry about that, sweetie. I’ll come over, and we can pack up the things you don’t want to keep. I’m sure you can take their clothes to a thrift store or donate them if you don’t want the bother.”
“I—I haven’t thought this through,” Jenn admitted. “I’d appreciate the help.”
“Sure thing.” Ollie beamed at her.
“Mostly, I’m worried about getting a good job. I’m pretty sure nobody needs an art teacher here in Langston. And I want to be a good m
other to the kids. I don’t want them to develop a complex because of bad parenting.”
Ollie shook her head. “I think there may be an art teacher at the high school and maybe at the middle school…but I can’t think of anything else you might do.” She brightened suddenly. “Maybe you could teach private lessons?”
Somehow, Jenn doubted that this would bring much in the way of financial support for her new family.
Minnie whined and put her paw on Jenn’s arm. “Oh, am I neglecting you?” She scruffled the dog’s ears. When she looked up, Ollie was smiling.
“I’m not worried about you becoming a mother to Lissy and Leo. Look at how you take care of Minnie.”
“But that’s easy. Dogs just want someone to love them.”
“So do kids,” Ollie said. “Just love them and everything else will fall into place.”
Jenn considered this. She could see herself lavishing love on the children. It was an image that brought a smile to her face and warmth to her chest. “Do you have children, Ollie?”
“No…never married. But I was the oldest girl in my family, so I helped raise my younger brother and sister.”
“I was the youngest, and it was Jason who took care of me.”
“Sweet! My mom needed the help, so she had me cooking and cleaning from an early age.”
Jenn sucked in a breath. “Cooking! I don’t know how to cook much of anything. My parents were on a pretty bland diet, so there wasn’t much variety. I mostly know how to nuke stuff and order in.”
Ollie patted her on the arm. “Not a problem. Kids are easy. Just open a box of mac and cheese, add a can of Vienna sausages, and they’re happy.”
“Really? That sounds horrible.”
Ollie chuckled. “Yes, it is.”
The porch swing had a comforting creak to go with the motion.
Jenn relaxed, thinking she would figure out this parent thing. In the meantime, she was glad that she had one friend.
* * *
“I cannot believe my own sister thought that ditzy little flake would be a better parent than me.” Cade was pacing around his kitchen, trying to keep his voice down.
“They probably knew you would be busy with the ranch.” Mrs. Reynolds sat at his breakfast bar, her hands folded in front of her. She surveyed him calmly, a counterpoint to Cade’s turmoil. “Maybe you ought to give her a chance. She might surprise you.”
He raked his fingers through his hair. “Are you kidding me? It’s Lissy and Leo we’re talking about. No telling what she would think is appropriate. I can’t take a chance with their safety.”
Mrs. Reynolds rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “Seriously? Cade Garrett, you have to get over yourself. I’m sure you’ll be seeing the children. This woman is not going to lock them up in a tower.”
Cade scowled at her. The words should have calmed him, but he felt as though she was refusing to acknowledge his fears.
She tilted her head to one side, staring him down.
“Okay, okay. I get your point. She’s not a monster…just a little flaky.”
Mrs. Reynolds gave a slight shake of her head. “By all accounts, she’s a nice young woman. You liked Jason LaChance, didn’t you?”
“Of course. Jason was a fine man. He and Sara were very happy.”
“And Jennifer is his sister. She grew up with him. Stop judging her just because you got off to a bad start.”
He heaved out a sigh. “I’ll try, but you may have to sedate me when I have to turn the kids over to her.”
“It’s a deal.”
* * *
The next day, Jenn ate breakfast with Ollie in the kitchen of the inn. Ollie made biscuits with sausage gravy and eggs over easy. The aroma was intoxicating. Jenn remembered that her grandmother had made biscuits and gravy when she was a little girl. She opened the notebook Dr. Ryan had given her and wrote down the date. She carefully listed a biscuit, an egg, and approximately three tablespoons of gravy.
“What’s this?” Ollie asked, pointing to the notebook.
Jenn’s lips pressed together for a moment. “Um, I went to see the doctor and she thinks I’m not eating right.” She shrugged. “It seems I’m anemic. I haven’t exactly been eating a well-balanced diet. I’m taking a multivitamin now too…with iron.”
Ollie snorted. “I’m sure you’re going to be just fine.”
“All my life…well, since I was a kid, I’ve been a picky eater.” Jenn knew she was pouting and sucked her lower lip back. “And now, the doctor is fussing at me. She thinks that if I start eating better…I won’t be so exhausted all the time.”
“Honey, honestly, I’m going to introduce you to a whole world of food. I read that eating berries and nuts is good for your brain.”
Jenn felt tears gathering in her eyes and tried to blink them away. “It’s my brain that has made my living for a number of years now…at least until—until…”
“Until what?” Ollie set her fork down and leaned forward. “What happened to kick the spirit plumb outta you?”
Jenn piled some egg on top of a wedge of gravy-covered biscuit and stuffed it in her mouth. She wasn’t sure she was ready to discuss her life that had flatlined, but since it was completely over and done with, she realized it didn’t matter. “I spent several years chasing after my degrees. I put everything else aside. I don’t know how to explain it… It was like the university was a whole ’nother planet and everything revolved around getting those credits and making A’s.” She shook her head sadly. “Excelling in school was just everything to me. I was so happy…and then…” She reached for a napkin and carefully blotted her eyes.
Ollie’s mouth was slightly agape. “And then what happened?”
“And then my parents became ill, and I realized I had neglected them. I was halfway to a doctorate, but I just walked away from everything and went home to take care of them.”
“How horrible. You must have been so upset.”
“Yes, and heartbroken. I couldn’t believe that everything I had been working for felt so shallow…and it really broke my heart that I had neglected my family. I had my degrees, but instead of getting right out there with my résumé, I tried to make it up to my mother and father… At least they knew I loved them.” Tears were running down her cheeks unchecked. She stared at a pretty transferware plate hanging on the wall in Ollie’s kitchen but saw nothing.
“Oh, you poor dear,” Ollie breathed. “I’m so sorry your parents were so ill, but things are okay now, aren’t they?”
Jenn considered this question. Were things okay? A few days ago, she thought she was at the bottom. No job. No money coming in. No good news from résumés she’d sent out. Then she’d been informed that her brother was dead. How much lower could she go?
“I guess things are better. I’ll have a place to stay here, and I’ll have two little children to care about. And I’ll have to figure out what to do with my house in Dallas. I really don’t want to sell it.”
“You could get with a Realtor and rent it out. That would give you some income, wouldn’t it?”
The thought of having strangers living in her home was somehow repellent, but the idea of having income was not. She would have to consider this carefully.
Ollie passed the plate of biscuits. “I think you need another biscuit with my homemade peach preserves. That’s always going to make things better.”
* * *
Jenn went to the office of Breckenridge T. Ryan. She was drowning in anxiety, mostly because all the legal business scared and confused her.
Breck had quite a few papers for Jenn to sign, and then he walked her over to the bank, where she signed more papers, opened checking and savings accounts, and the balances of Jason and Sara LaChance’s accounts were transferred to hers. Her signature was also added to the business account of the airstrip.
; “I don’t know anything about running an airstrip, or any other kind of business for that matter.”
Breck informed her that Cade would also be added to the account and gave her the number of a CPA who could examine the books and reconcile them and would be able to explain everything about the financials.
She left the bank with a checkbook, a debit card, and a brand-new pen. She was nervous, but thrilled to be solvent.
Breck instructed her to follow his truck in her car, and he would show her around the house she had inherited. “I thought it would be best to get you installed in the house before bringing the children over.”
She fell in behind Breck’s big truck. He drove down the main street and turned off into a residential area. A few blocks more and he turned again, eventually stopping in front of a bungalow that had been built in the fifties. It was well-kept, with a nice yard and front porch. The front door was painted red.
It was the house in which both Jason and Sara LaChance had lived and had been raising their two children. Now it was Jenn’s responsibility.
Home…
Jenn pulled in behind Breck’s truck and climbed out. “Oh, this was their own little house.” She swallowed hard to keep the tears at bay. “They—they were so very happy here. I visited once when Leo was born, but then Mom and Dad needed me. I—I couldn’t leave them.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t meet Cade or any of the Garretts when you visited,” Breck said.
Jenn shook her head. “I remember there were a ton of Sara’s relatives at the wedding, but I couldn’t put names to faces. They all kind of looked alike. It was a hit-and-run trip for me.” Her mouth tightened. “I was neck deep in my studies then, and so very serious about it.”
“Your brother and sister-in-law took good care of the house. Jason made quite a few improvements. Let me show you around.” He produced a set of keys and headed up the walkway, stepping up on the porch. He unlocked the red door and held it open for her.