by Christina Li
Her lawyer, Mr. Davenport, arrived promptly at ten o’clock. Violet had dressed nicely in a simple light brown A-line skirt with a darker colored brown turtleneck. She threw over that her favorite leather blazer. Her hair had taken a little longer because she couldn’t decide if she should leave it down or put it up in a chignon. In the end she elected to do the chignon. As she opened the door for the lawyer, she admitted to herself that she was really nervous. She just couldn’t figure out why.
“Violet, it’s so nice to meet you,” said Mr. Davenport, shaking her hand at the door.
After seating him in the family room and getting him a cup of coffee, she sat down herself to listen to what he had to say.
“I assume you didn’t have any trouble finding the house?” he asked.
“No, the drive was much easier than I thought it would be. The Coffee House next door is a real perk,” she replied.
He chuckled at her joke as opened up his brief. “Your aunt told you the conditions of the will, yes?”
“She said only that I had to be here in person in order to claim my inheritance.”
“Yes, and your uncle specified that I actually ensure you are here in the house before giving you the deed.” He hesitated. “There’s a little more that my secretary must have neglected to include in the letter.”
Violet’s stomach did a series of advanced gymnastics. “What would that be?”
“The conditions of the will state that you have to live in the house for three months before you can claim full ownership. I am to visit you once a month to verify that.”
Violet was stunned. She had planned to be there for only a couple of weeks, not three, long months! What was she going to do? “I’m not sure I can afford to do that.”
“Your uncle has set aside a small allowance for you to help pay for expenses. It’s not very much, though.”
Violet’s stomach finally stopped the acrobatics. Now, it resembled a churning volcano. She hoped it would behave a little while longer. “How much?”
“It’s $4000 total, I’m to give you the first $1000 now and the next two at the beginning of each month, with the last payment to be at the end of the third month.”
“A thousand dollars a month. I guess I can eat lots of ramen noodles.”
“He thought you had another source of income. I’m afraid that is the extent of your inheritance. If you do not consent to stay for the entire time, you will forfeit the entire amount. If you choose to leave early, you can keep the money you have received thus far, but would forfeit the house and any other money to be given to you.”
“I didn’t bring enough clothes with me. I suppose I could drive back and get some more.”
“I’m sorry, the will specified that you were not to leave the Chicagoland area for the required three months.”
Now that touched a nerve. How could her uncle be so dictatorial? How could this lawyer’s secretary have neglected to put this very important information in the letter?
As she sat there steaming, Mr. Davenport said, “I’m sorry about my secretary’s oversight.” He looked a bit peeved, himself.
Violet let out a small sigh and answered, “It’s not your fault. I guess I’ll have to make do. Perhaps my aunt can ship me some more clothes.”
“Tell me the cost. I’ll cover them.”
Surprised at his kindness, Violet said, “I really appreciate that.”
He handed her a check and started packing up his briefcase. Then, he stood up and shook her hand again. As he walked to the door, he said, “I’ll see you in another month. Also, I’m instructed to periodically drive by to make sure you are actually living here. If your uncle wasn’t an old friend of the family, I would not have allowed him to make us all go through all this trouble.”
Violet smiled. It was good to behold this calm, in control lawyer having a little feeling. He was human after all.
The reality of her situation didn’t really hit her until later.
***
After rubbing his palms against the side of his kakis, Sam knocked on Violet’s door. It was lunch time, and he hoped she would let him take her to eat somewhere. It wasn’t a date, exactly. Why did his palms have to sweat now?
When Violet opened the door, Sam noticed that her smile was a little shaky. “How did your meeting with the lawyer go?”
She tried to talk, instead she burst into tears. Not quite sure what to say, Sam led her over to the porch swing and sat with her, letting her cry it out. Finally, he asked, “What happened?”
“According,” she stopped and swallowed. Then she tried again, “according to the conditions of the will, I’m supposed to stay here for three months.” Tears were still rolling down her cheeks.
Sam would have done just about anything to comfort her, but he couldn’t help the fact that he wanted to do his own happy dance right about then. Now, he had time to get to know her. Three months wasn’t very long, but it might be long enough to determine if this was the girl the Lord had for him. Of course, he didn’t plan on marrying her after only three months, but that was enough time to at least give him a sense of where things might head in the future.
“Violet, I’m really sorry you’re so upset about this, but is it really so bad?” he asked.
She sighed and looked down. “Yes, it is. I didn’t plan for this. I only packed enough clothes for two weeks.”
“Isn’t this every girl’s dream? An excuse to go shopping?” Sam tried to get her to laugh.
She smiled, but still didn’t look at him. “I can’t afford to go shopping. At least my aunt should be able to ship me some more. Really, I miss her.”
Sam squeezed her hand, but didn’t keep holding it. “So, is it just the two of you?”
“Yes, after my parents died, she was all I had. I didn’t even know I had an uncle until about a week ago. I guess, now, she really is the only family I have left in the world.”
“You have a church family.”
Finally, she looked at him. “Thank-you. That means a lot. It’s that, this city, this house, it isn’t really home. You know what I mean?”
Sam smiled at her and nodded. “I want you to know, I’m your friend and you can talk to me anytime.”
“You won’t be bored?”
“I can’t imagine ever being bored around you,” he replied. He was glad when she actually laughed at that.
“Thank-you,” she said again.
As he stood, he said, “You look hungry. Want to go get a bite to eat? I was thinking of a little pizza place I know.”
“That sounds really nice,” she said as she stood as well.
Sam grinned, relieved. “My car is parked in back of Mom’s Coffee House.” On the way to his car, he couldn’t stop thinking about her beauty. He hadn’t gotten to see her with her hair down yet. He wondered how long it was.
Chapter 10
“The thing is, my uncle has given me an ‘allowance,’ but I’m not sure it’s quite enough. I make a bit from book sales, but that’s not a sure thing. It could all disappear tomorrow. I might need to seriously consider looking for a job here.” Violet was sitting across from Sam sipping a Diet Pepsi and munching on a bread stick.
“I’ll look around and see if anyone I know has any openings.”
“It’s all so strange. Yesterday, I was only going to be here for two weeks. Now, there’s three months to plan for. It’s a bit overwhelming.”
“I can imagine, but can’t your aunt send you some things?”
“Yes. I hate to put her to the trouble, but the conditions of the will won’t even let me go and get anything. I must stay here. I can’t even spend the night somewhere else. It appears my uncle was somewhat eccentric.”
“Hmm,” Sam agreed. It did seem a bit dictatorial. Still, he had to admit he was very thankful to the crazy old gentleman. “Well, if you get lonely, call me or Ivy or even Mom or Dad or Jesse. I’m sure Ivy would be willing to spend the night if you needed
her.”
“Your sister is amazing. The police department is lucky. She did a couple of sketches for me. She’s really talented.”
“I agree. She’s helped them to find a lot of criminals, and she’s only been full time for about a year now.”
“Oh yes,” Violet remembered, “I wanted to ask when you might let me see your morgue. It would really be great for my research.”
“How about tomorrow afternoon?” Sam couldn’t believe he had actually found a girl who was not only not freaked out by his job, but so interested she wanted to see it for herself.
“It would be really great if I could observe an actual dead body. Goodness, that sounds terrible,” she said, blushing.
Sam chuckled. “Don’t worry. There are several bodies waiting for me. It’s tragic, really, but it’s my job.”
Violet was quiet. She hoped she hadn’t offended him. The more time she spent with him, the more she wanted to. Whoa girl! You’re only going to be here for three months. You’re not really looking for that kind of relationship. Just friends. But, what a great smile and dimples too!
Sam’s cell phone rang. Checking it, he said, “I’m sorry, that’s work. I’m going to have to take you home.” There was obvious regret in his voice.
“Of course. This is your job. I only hope taking me home doesn’t mess you up.”
Sam was amazed. She didn’t consider herself at all. “Come on. Don’t even try to help with the check. This is my treat.”
Violet put her wallet back into her purse. “I really appreciate this. You’re a good friend.”
“Thanks,” he replied, hoping that they could be more in time.
***
Later that evening, Sam, Jesse, and Will were all together in Sam’s apartment. They all lived in the same building and had played a tough three man basketball game earlier in a nearby gym. Now, they were sitting around eating take out Chinese.
“So, where were you today for lunch?” asked Jesse. “Mom said she had seen your car parked out back, but you didn’t come in.”
Sam blushed. “I took Violet out to a pizza place for lunch.”
“The girl pepper sprays you and you take her out on a date?!”
“It wasn’t really a date. She was upset by some news, and I thought it would be nice to let her talk for a while.”
“Did you pay the bill?” asked Will.
“Well, yes,” Sam answered.
“Then it was a date,” Will replied.
“You’ve only known her for what, two days?” said Jesse.
“Aren’t you moving a little fast?”
Instead of replying, Sam looked at Jesse.
Will asked, “What was the news she was upset by, if it’s all right to share?”
Sam was grateful for Will’s redirection. He loved his brother, but there were times... “It’s all right. It’s no secret. Her lawyer said that the conditions of the will state that she has to live in her uncle’s house for three months before she can have the deed.”
“Wasn’t she only supposed to be here for two weeks?” asked Jesse.
Nodding, he replied, “That was her original plan. Now, she has no choice. She has to stay or she forfeits her inheritance.” Sam paused, then, “She was really upset about the whole thing. She can’t even go home to get more of her things. It seems her uncle was a bit eccentric.”
“Hmm,” said Will. “Sounds a bit like a dictator. Is the house really worth it?”
“Violet was wondering that too, but this house represents her chance to go full time as a writer. It’s an answer to her prayers. There’s a little more to it than she expected, that’s all,” he answered.
Jesse wasn’t sure he liked it that Violet was staying longer. She seemed nice enough and all, but was she right for his brother? Sam seemed to be really taken with her, and that worried him. He had watched Sam’s heart break before. He didn’t want his little brother to suffer again.
“What do we really know about Violet besides the fact that she lives with her aunt, she’s a crazy writer, and she’s from the boondocks?” Jesse asked.
“Well, we know she doesn’t have a police record,” said Will, smiling.
“She loves the Lord. She goes to church. She is kind, and she loves her work. Have you bothered to read one of her books yet? She’s really good,” Sam was definitely getting annoyed.
“I did last night,” Will replied. “I’ve only been able to read the first few chapters, but Sam’s right. She really is pretty good.”
“I downloaded one too and okay, so she’s a half-way decent writer. Why does she live with her aunt? Why doesn’t she live on her own? She is an adult, right?” Jesse fired at Sam.
“Her parents died when she was fourteen in a terrible car accident. She told me more about it at lunch today. That was a really tough time in her life. She doesn’t remember much of the accident itself. It was a hit and run, never caught the guy. Her aunt took her in and got her through her teen-age years. They’re very close. Her aunt had cancer not too long ago, but now she’s in remission. She’s the only family Violet has left. They kind of take care of each other.”
“Okay, but the book I read had a pretty rough murder scene in it. Not gory or anything like that, but she killed off her hero’s fiancé but didn’t really have him deal with it. He went on and solved the case, got the bad guy, end of story.” Jesse didn’t like the way that part was handled in Violet’s book at all.
“That’s part of Colonel Brighton’s character. Keep in mind, he’s supposed to be British. They don’t show emotion very much. Also, getting the bad guy might have been his way of dealing with his pain.”
“Uh, guys,” interjected Will, “this is fiction. Who cares? It’s just a story.”
“But, how does Violet handle the tough stuff in real life? Will she deal with it, or will she run away and hide? Her Colonel Brighton went back home. He didn’t even visit the girl’s parents.”
“Again, it’s fiction,” repeated Will.
“What do you have against Violet? We’re just friends right now, and I’m praying about it and seeing where the Lord leads. If the Lord says, ‘No,’ then it’s no. Either way, I’m trusting Him,” said Sam.
“I don’t want you getting hurt again.” Jesse’s voice sounded a little husky.
Instantly, Sam forgave him. He put his arm around his brother in a side hug. “Don’t worry about me. I’m a big boy now, and I’m never alone.”
“It’s my job as big brother to keep an eye on you and Ivy.”
“I’m so glad I’m an only child,” said Will. “Too much responsibility being the oldest and a big pain in the neck if you’re one of the younger siblings.”
Both Sam and Jesse threw napkins at him.
“I thought we adopted you into the family a long time ago,” said Sam.
“With you guys I have the best of both worlds, all the fun of brothers and a sister, none of the responsibility.”
“Yeah, until Ivy finally meets, the one,” Sam teased.
Both Jesse and Will groaned loudly.
“She’s pretty picky, we still have a little while,” Sam tried to comfort.
“At least there’s that,” said Will. “You know, sometimes, it’s so strange. I don’t feel like I’ve grown up yet and I’m in my twenties now. I mean, in some ways, I still think of us all as kids, but we’re not. We’ve all got careers.”
“Well, I suppose the three of us can continue to scare off anybody at church who looks too long at Ivy,” said Jesse.
“And I’ll keep an eye on her at work,” said Will.
“If she could hear us talking about her, she’d have our heads,” said Sam.
“You’re probably right,” said Will.
“Anybody up for foosball?” asked Jesse going to Sam’s foosball table.
Sam didn’t tell Will or Jesse that he was supposed to meet Violet tomorrow to let her see the medical examiner’s rooms and the morgue.
He figured he’d see how things went and tell them about it later… maybe.
Chapter 11
Violet didn’t want to call her aunt and tell her the bad news. However, her aunt beat her to the punch and called her. She briefly considered not telling for a bit, but practicality won. She needed more clothes and shoes.
She was surprised that her aunt took the news so well. Aunt Mabel said they would celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas in January. Her aunt was unable to come up for Thanksgiving or Christmas because she’d already committed to volunteering at the local food kitchen. She rejoiced that Violet made some good friends in the church so soon. Perhaps she might get together with them.
Violet felt a little deflated when she got off the phone. She wasn’t sure what she expected, but why wasn’t her at least angry, or upset, or… something?
A few hours later as she was going through some more closets and drawers, her phone rang.
“Hey, there, Girlfriend, how’s city living?” It was Sue.
Here Violet expected a friend who understood. Or at least she’d let her vent a bit before telling her to get her attitude straight. “Oh, Sue, it’s really good to hear from you. Rolling Hills is okay, I guess.”
“How is the traffic? Have you gotten lost a lot? How was church? Have you made any new friends? Are there any handsome gentlemen you need to tell me about? Of course, I have to check out anyone who might be interested in you.”
“Good heavens! Let’s see, traffic is doable. I’ve only gotten lost twice, so far. Church was awesome. I’ve made new friends with this great family, especially Ivy and Sam, and their brother, Jesse, and their best friend, Will. Ivy is a sketch artist for the police department, Will is a police detective, Jesse is a cyber-detective, and Sam is a medical examiner. Their parents are the sweetest people in the world. Doctor Givens is a heart specialist and Mrs. Givens owns the Coffee House, which is right next door. I suppose Sam and Jesse and Will are good looking. I’m pretty sure Ivy is interested in Will though.”
“Wow. That is awesome! I’m so glad for you!” She paused, then, “Your aunt called. She told me what happened. I am already planning a trip up there.”
“You are so sweet. That would be terrific.” Violet smiled to herself. What a wonderful friend.