His heart raced as thoughts flooded his mind. He skipped every other step as he ran up the stairs. He flipped the light on at the top of the staircase. The bed was made and the bedroom was dark.
He walked to the closet and opened the door. He was relieved when he found a closet full of clothes. Zach looked at the floor of the closet. Her bright purple suitcase sat empty. He let out a sigh of relief.
“What are you doing in my closet?” Amelia asked.
Zach turned toward her and smiled. “I was just making sure…” He shook his head. “Where have you been?”
His tone came across as demanding, a bit too possessive. She hesitated to answer his question, but dismissed his attitude for worry. She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. “I was at Bailey’s. She was helping me with some things.”
Zach slowly nodded. He then gave Amelia a puzzled look and asked, “What things?”
Amelia debated whether or not to mention the funeral arrangements. She decided to test the water before she dived in. “I wanted to help you with everything, but wasn’t sure what to do.”
Confusion crossed Zach’s face. Amelia sensed his irritation had expired. She continued on, “She’s been through this process before.”
A light clicked on in Zach’s head. He nodded as he understood. “You mean with the death of my grandma?”
Amelia stammered to answer, “Um…yes…I…”
He interrupted her, “What have you figured out?”
She was unsure if he was upset or if he was relieved. She watched him as he stood in one spot by the closet for a minute. She watched as his whole body relaxed and he looked up at her. “I hope you’re not mad at…”
He shook his head and walked to her. “No, no way. I’m not mad. Not at all.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the floor. “I’m so relieved. I’m more than relieved.”
He put her down and smiled as he looked into her eyes. His eyes were shiny with tears. She touched his face and caught his tears with her thumb. “Don’t cry. Everything will be okay. I promise.”
He kissed her fingers and kissed the top of her head. “You’re too good for me.”
“We should go downstairs and talk about everything.” Amelia suggested.
“Of course, we should. If it wasn’t for you, nothing would be done.” He lightly kissed her and followed her downstairs to the dining room table.
“No, I can’t take the credit for this. Your grandma did all the work,” Amelia explained. She pulled a chair away from the table and sat down. She gestured for Zach to sit. She pulled the manila envelope out and opened it. She revealed the contents inside. Zach’s face twisted with a mix of emotion. She smiled as she put the stack of papers in front of him. “Your grandma prepared everything, and I mean everything, before she passed away. Right down to the lawyer, her will, and the funeral arrangements. Everything is taken care of, Zach.”
“How did she…” He hesitated to continue. He swallowed hard and continued on, “I can’t believe this.”
Zach had page four in his hands. He read it slowly out loud, and stopped when he came to the amount of the inheritance. He looked up at Amelia and asked, “Have you read this?”
Amelia nodded. Zach continued to read. “She left her house and her business to us?”
Amelia smiled and nodded. “I guess this means we’re both business owners?”
Zach was in shock. He shook his head and reread the papers over and over again. “I can’t believe this. I don’t understand why or how she…”
“She loves you, Zach. She wants the best for you,” Amelia reassured him. She watched as tears streamed down his cheeks.
His lips trembled as he whispered, “Thank you, Grandma.”
“Everything will be okay, Zach. We’ll get through this. It’s going to be a challenge, but we’ll make it,” she assured him.
“Did you call the lawyer?” Zach asked.
“Yes. I did earlier. He said everything is taken care of. You’ll get a check in the mail. It’s up to you what you want to do with the estate and the business,” Amelia informed him.
He placed a hand on his forehead. He shook his head. “Can we talk about this later? I know everything is taken care of and this should be easy, but it’s not.” He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. I’m sorry.”
Amelia caressed his hand. “Don’t apologize. I know this isn’t going to be easy. I just know we’ll get through this.”
Zach nodded and smiled at her. Tears glistened in his eyes. “Have I mentioned how much I love you lately?”
Chapter Seven
The funeral was three days after Anna passed away. Her funeral service had lasted two hours. Family and friends filled the church. Amelia was amazed by the number of people who had come. She was sure most of them were friends of Anna’s. She was well liked. The community had adored her. A few people proved this when they stood at the front of the church and gave their speech. The majority of them mentioned they had first met Anna when she opened Anna’s Deli with her husband ten years ago. Many of the people said she had made a difference in Fairshore’s community.
Tears were shed and plenty of hugs were passed among the friends and family. Amelia watched the crowd of people comfort Zach. A man in the back of the church caught her attention. She thought she had seen the man before, but couldn’t place a name to his face. The man made eye contact as she watched him. He smiled and slightly nodded his head at her. She looked at Zach. A crowd of people had swarmed around him. When she looked back toward the man in the back of the church, he was gone.
“Amelia, come on over here,” a tall, well-dressed woman called out to her.
Amelia smiled and walked through the crowd. Zach sat at the end of the pew. He looked up at her as she made her way around people.
“Amelia, right?” The tall woman asked as she extended her hand.
Amelia nodded and said, “That’s right.”
“Anna had said so much about you,” the woman informed her. “I’m thankful Zach has someone like you in his life.”
Amelia hesitated as she tried to figure out who the lady was. She had never seen the lady before. There was no mention of this lady prior to today. Anna had never spoken of family or friends for that matter. Amelia sat puzzled. The blank expression on her face must have given the woman a clue to how lost Amelia was at the moment.
The woman smiled and stated, “I’m Anna’s sister, Catherine. I live in California. You can call me Cathy.”
“Nice to meet you, Cathy,” Amelia said.
Amelia shot a look at Zach who was no longer surrounded by people. He raised an eyebrow and smirked. Amelia wondered what he knew about Cathy. Amelia took a step away from Cathy. She wanted to sit by Zach, where she belonged. Cathy glanced around the room and spotted another couple by the doors. She looked at Amelia and said, “It was nice meeting you. I hate to cut it short, but I have some more visiting to do.”
Amelia faked a smile and allowed the woman to walk away. With wide-eyes, she looked at Zach as she walked to him.
“I see you’ve met my great aunt Cathy,” he said. “She’s crazy.”
“How many crazy people do you know?” Amelia joked.
He laughed. “Too many.”
“Is there anyone else I should meet?” Amelia asked.
Zach scanned the room. He shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
Their conversation was interrupted. “Zach, may I have a word with you, please?” the priest asked.
Zach stood and followed the priest to the side of the room, out of earshot. Amelia watched as Zach nodded his head as the priest spoke to him. Zach’s jaw dropped. Amelia watched Zach’s expressions. His face twisted with emotion, like it had the night before. She read his lips as he said, “Really” to the priest. The priest confirmed his question with a nod of his head. They finished their talk and Zach returned to the pew next to Amelia.
“What was that about?” Amelia asked.
&nb
sp; Zach mumbled something under his breath. Amelia couldn’t make out what he had said.
“Was it serious?” Amelia persisted.
Zach grabbed her hand and held it as he turned to her. His eyes focused on hers, a look of shock on his face. “The priest is like an uncle to me. He’s been close to my grandma and me for as long as I can remember.”
Amelia sat quietly as Zach explained the relationship between the priest and his family. She listened intently as he talked about the priest helping his grandma after his grandpa had passed away. Amelia compared it to the small town of Linford where she grew up. Everyone helped everyone.
When he paused, she asked, “So what did he tell you?”
Zach dismissed her question as he shook his head. The priest asked the crowd for their attention. He concluded the service and advised everyone to meet at the graveside at Fairshore’s cemetery. Everyone stood and walked out of the church in a single file line.
On the drive over to the cemetery, they followed the hearse. Zach kept a fair distance between them and the car in front. Amelia wondered if he would tell her what the priest had told him. She watched him as he focused straight ahead. Everyone crowded around the casket as the priest finished his prayer. They sang Amazing Grace and ended with an ‘amen’. Amelia held onto Zach as she stood close by his side.
* * *
“How was the funeral?” Bailey asked Amelia.
Amelia shrugged. “It was like any other funeral, I suppose.”
“What’s wrong?”
Amelia told Bailey about the service and how the priest had pulled Zach aside. She told Bailey Zach had dismissed her questions about it, so she had no choice but to drop it.
“That’s strange,” Bailey stated. “What was his facial expression like while he was talking to him?”
“Like he was in shock,” Amelia said.
Bailey tapped her fingers on the table. “That is definitely weird.”
“What do you think it could be about?”
Bailey shrugged her shoulders. “Hard to say. My guess is if it was important for you to know, Zach would’ve told you by now.”
Amelia shrugged and said, “You’re right, but it bothers me not to know.”
“I’m sure he’ll tell you eventually.”
“Time will tell,” Amelia said.
“Did he say what he was going to do with her house and the store?”
“We’ve decided to keep the store, but haven’t talked much about it. Everything’s at a snail’s pace right now. He said he needed a couple days to think about it and clear his head.”
Bailey took a drink of her pop. “He’ll come around.”
“I hope so. The other night was definitely out of character for him.”
Bailey raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
Amelia told her about how irritated Zach had been with her when she discussed the funeral arrangements and the lawyer. “He has these moments…”
“I wouldn’t worry too much about them. Grief has five stages. The main one being anger. I’m sure he isn’t angry with you, but he’s angry for losing his grandma.”
“I know that. It’s just hard,” Amelia admitted. “I don’t always know what to say or do.”
Bailey reached across the table and covered Amelia’s hand with hers. “You keep doing what you’re doing. You’re not doing anything wrong. He’ll be back to normal before you know it.”
“I sure hope so,” Amelia ran her finger around the rim of her glass. “It’s like walking on egg shells lately.”
Chapter Eight
Amelia finished supper. She scooped the food onto the plates and set them on the table. She glanced at the clock on the microwave – 6:55. He should have been home ten minutes ago.
She thought about Crazy Courtney and recalled the last time they had bumped into her. It was a normal Saturday afternoon until Courtney showed up. Amelia had been at the furniture store with Zach. She had decided to help him with the clearance sale. Zach had marked his furniture half off because he had heard a rumor. The rumor was a family of six had moved to Fairshore. He had hoped to get plenty of sales that day.
Crazy Courtney had walked into the store unnoticed and had approached Zach in the back room. Amelia shook her head to dismiss the memory.
The front door creaked and Zach walked in. “Hey, babe, sorry I’m late,” he apologized as he kissed her forehead. “What’s for supper?”
Amelia poured milk in two cups and sat them next to the plates. “Just the regular. Chicken with mashed potatoes and corn.”
Zach scrubbed his hands in the kitchen sink. “It smells good.”
Amelia pulled a chair out and sat down. She picked up her fork and took a bite. Zach sat across from her. She looked at him. He looked and acted normal. His face was clean shaved. She realized he must have shaved this morning before he left for work. Amelia continued to watch him as he ate. To her, he seemed chipper. She wondered why he was in a better mood today than he had been the last few days.
“What’s the matter?” he asked when he locked eyes on her. “Everything okay?”
“Yes, everything’s fine. How’d your day go at work?” Amelia asked.
“Actually it went very good. I sold a lot of furniture,” Zach told her.
Amelia smiled. It made sense now why he was so happy. “That’s great!” Amelia exclaimed before she took another bite of her food.
Zach raised an eyebrow and asked, “Was that a sarcastic remark?”
“No, it wasn’t. I’m happy for you. It’s great the furniture store is getting business,” Amelia stated as a matter of fact.
“Okay, just checking. I know I haven’t been myself lately. It has been a lot for me to handle,” Zach stated.
“Yes, you’ve had me worried,” Amelia admitted.
“No need to worry about me,” Zach said as he helped himself to another scoop of potatoes. He glanced at her from across the kitchen. “I’m not doing anything wrong, am I?”
Amelia furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head. “No, you just haven’t been yourself lately.”
Zach sat down in his chair and took a large bite of his potatoes. Amelia could see the pain in his face as he tried to hide it. She decided to drop the conversation and she changed the subject. “Bailey has been going to her mom’s house quite a bit lately.”
“Oh, really? That’s good isn’t it?” Zach asked as he placed his plate in the sink. “Do you want me to do the dishes?”
Amelia walked into the kitchen. She placed her plate and glass in the sink and said, “No, I can get them later.” She grabbed a container from the cupboard and filled it with leftovers from supper. “I think it’s a good thing, but I’m not sure she’s going up there to visit her mom.”
Zach chuckled until he realized Amelia was serious. “What else would she do in Bexley?”
Amelia refreshed his memory about the trip her and Bailey had taken in the fall. She told him how they had met Benny, a clerk at the gas station in Bexley. Zach raised his eyebrows and looked at Amelia wide-eyed. “I think she’s going up there to visit him and not her mom.”
Zach shrugged. “She’s a grown woman, Amelia.”
She furrowed her brow and said, “I know that. I just don’t know what to think about it.”
Zach shrugged his shoulders and said, “Well, there’s nothing to really think about it, is there? I mean, she’s a grown woman and she can do what she wants.”
Amelia shook her head. It frustrated her Zach had missed her point. “Never mind.”
Zach smiled and nervously chuckled. “What?” he asked while he watched her leave the room. “Where are you going?”
When Amelia did not answer him, he followed her into the living room. “What are you thinking, Amelia?”
“It’s nothing. I don’t think you’d understand anyways,” she stated defensively.
Zach wrapped his arms around her and sat her down next to him on the couch. “Are you afraid she’s going to leave you?”
His voice was calm and supportive. Amelia was surprised he had figured it out. She looked up at him and nodded. “I know it’s silly of me to think like that.”
“Not at all. She’s your best friend,” Zach said.
Amelia thought of when she had left Linford. She now knew how Alisa had felt when she had told her she was leaving Linford to live in Fairshore. Amelia’s heart sank. The thought of Bailey leaving Fairshore saddened her.
“Hey, cheer up. It’s not the end of the world. She hasn’t even confirmed your suspicions yet,” Zach stated as he nudged Amelia.
“That’s because I haven’t talked to her about it,” Amelia said.
“Well, maybe you should,” Zach suggested.
“I will eventually. With everything going on, I want to make sure everything is okay.”
“Everything is going to be okay,” Zach reassured her. He kissed the top of her head and asked, “You want to watch a movie?”
Amelia shook her head. She wasn’t in the mood to watch a movie. She wanted to talk to him. She had too many thoughts and doubts to sort through.
Zach hugged her tight. “What do you want to do then?”
His voice was mellow and calm. She shrugged her shoulders and asked, “Can we just talk about everything?”
“Sure, we can always talk,” he assured her.
Amelia thought about how she was going to start the conversation. “Did you have a chance to look at the guest book for the funeral?”
Zach tilted his head and asked, “Yes, why?”
“Is there anyone’s name you don’t know?”
Zach shook his head. “Not that I can remember. I knew everyone who showed up.”
Amelia hesitated before she mentioned the man she had seen at the back of the church. “He was short and stocky with a leather jacket on. He had dark facial hair and a hat on.”
Zach sank into the couch. Amelia watched as a look of concern crossed his face. “There’s no way it could be…”
Zach battled against his thoughts for a moment. Amelia asked, “Who do you think it was?”
Unexpected Chances (Fairshore Series Book 2) Page 3