Carolina Mercy (A Southern Breeze Series Book 2)

by Regina Rudd Merrick

  “Are you trying to say I’m overprotective?”

  She laughed out loud. “Yes, sir, I am, and you may as well face that fact, and she may as well too. Now, are we going to talk business, or are we going to spend what’s left of my life sitting here gabbing?”

  Smiling, Jared took out his notebook. “Business it is. What were you thinking of asking for the property?”

  “How much do you want to give me for it?” Miss Alma narrowed her eyes and smiled at him. “I know you want it, and I know you’re a fair man. What do you think?”

  Jared looked over at Sarah, who had been sitting back, enjoying the exchange between the two, and quirked an eyebrow at her. “I think I need to think about it, and I need to show Sarah the house. Would that be all right?”

  Smirking a little, Miss Alma looked from one to the other and said, “I wondered how long you could wait to show her your old homestead. Make yourselves to home.”

  They had entered the house by the front door, passing across the large front porch that held a porch swing on one end and a conversation area of rockers on the other end. He could tell she was a fan of the roses.

  When Jared got up to show Sarah around, he looked around at the living room. The house, built in 1916, showed its age, but overall, it was a sturdy, well-built house. The original gold tile on the fireplace and hearth was still intact, the dark-stained oak woodwork virtually untouched except for periodic cleaning and polishing, and the quarter-sawn oak plate rail in the dining room held pictures, plates, trays, and other mementos of Miss Alma’s life.

  “It’ll need work.” Jared glanced at Sarah to get a feel for what she thought about taking on a project like this.

  “Yes, but Jared, this house is over a hundred years old! I mean, you couldn’t build a house like this for less than a million dollars these days, and you can’t get wood like this anymore.” She ran her hand along the door facing that held pocket doors between the living room and dining room.

  “If I recall, the kitchen and bathrooms will need major renovations.” He pointed out the negatives, trying to keep things neutral, but he couldn’t help but feel confident at her reaction.

  Sarah laughed. “Don’t they always? When I bought my little house in Kentucky, I had to renovate the kitchen. Of course it was tiny,” she said as they peeked into the kitchen at the back of the house. She grimaced. “And this one is too.”

  “Yeah, this was the one room my mom hated when we lived here, but she could never convince Dad we needed to gut it and start over.”

  “You’re right. It’s a big project.” She looked back at him with a tender smile. “But, Jared, think about what we’d have.”

  He grinned as he observed her taking in all that the house could be. It was no mansion like Pilot Oaks, but it had been a fine home in its day.

  “I know.” Leading her down a hallway, they came to a small bathroom and office area in the back corner. “This used to be a porch, and they enclosed it, from what I’ve been able to figure out, around 1935.”

  “It’s tiny, but usable. Good powder-room size.” Sarah nodded as she looked at the dated bathroom.

  As they came back through the house, Jared looked out the French doors in the front to see Miss Alma sitting on the porch swing with her knitting, tapping a foot to the floor to keep the gentle movement going. She was determined not to interfere with this decision. Reaching for Sarah’s hand, Jared said, “Let’s go check out the upstairs.”

  Walking up the sunny stairwell hand-in-hand, Sarah couldn’t help but compare it to the stairwell at Pilot Oaks. Where the staircase in the antebellum mansion had a graceful curve and a stained glass window, this one had a simple window in the landing to let the morning light shine in and light up the entire hallway on the second floor. “Oh, Jared, this is beautiful,” she said, taking in the perfectly proportioned stairs and the mixture of painted balusters and more oak on the treads and handrail.

  The upstairs was painted a sunny yellow and held three bedrooms and a bath. The bath was large, and as with many bungalows built at that time, there was a little alcove for the toilet, and the plaster on the walls was etched to mimic subway tile and painted with glossy yellow paint. She reached out to touch the cool, shiny plaster wall. Such an interesting texture. “I’ve seen pictures of plaster work done like this.”

  Sarah turned and walked to the middle of the roomy hall, looking at each of the three roomy bedrooms, imagining a young Jared running up and down the stairs. She was deep in her thoughts when she felt a hand on her arm.

  “Hey, that back bedroom? It was mine and my brother’s.” They walked to the end of the hallway and into the room that had not two windows, which would be the norm for a modern house, but seven large double-hung windows. Jared pulled her to the windows facing east. “If you look through the trees right there, you can see the water. And in the wintertime, the view is amazing.”

  “I can imagine.” She could imagine their own children playing in the floor, running back and forth between the two smaller bedrooms, and in and out of the master bedroom in the center. Sarah smiled and turned to Jared. “This is a beautiful home, Jared. I can see why you love it so much.”

  “I do love it, but I don’t have to have it.”

  “Why not? I thought acquiring this house was one of your main goals in life?” She inserted a teasing note into her voice, unsure of the look in his eyes.

  He shook his head. “Maybe at one time, but my goals shifted a little bit recently.”

  “Oh? When?”

  “Around the middle of last June.”

  Sarah knew she would melt if he didn’t kiss her, and soon. And he did.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Slow down. Now tell me again. He bought you what?” Lucy was sitting on the floor in the middle of her dad’s office, going through papers. She wanted to get this done before she left the next day for South Carolina. The open house was coming up, and she had volunteered to help keep Sarah from going nuts. Jared’s words, not Sarah’s.

  “He bought me a house, Lucy. The house he grew up in. I can’t believe it. Here we are, getting ready for the wedding, and he buys us a house!”

  Lucy couldn’t tell if she was excited or if she was overwhelmed. Probably a bit of both. “Are you okay with this? I mean, did he talk to you about it?”

  “We went and looked at it. Lucy, I fell in love with it like I knew I would. I can’t wait to show you.”

  “Well good. I was wondering if you were upset or happy about it. Tell me you’re not moving in immediately. I thought you were moving into Jared’s house until you found another one.”

  “That’s still the plan. There will be lots of renovations, and we didn’t want Mrs. McGinty to have to move out until she found something. She’s a sweetheart, best friends with Prudie! I admit I was in overwhelm-mode for a bit. Oh, Luce. I’ll be glad when you get here. It’s all getting so close. Any bites on your house?”

  “I’ve had a couple of people looking at it. One seems pretty serious.”

  Sarah was quiet on the other end of the line. “How do you feel about it?”

  Feel? She was beginning to feel numb about everything. She took in a deep breath. “I’m okay. I mean, I’m a little sad about it, since I’ve lived here longer than any other place in my life, but it’s just a house, and without Daddy, it doesn’t feel like home.”

  “I get it. Are you still planning to come this week? You’ve got a lot on you right now; I hate to add to it.”

  Lucy could hear the reticence in her voice. “Don’t worry about me. I’ve got a real estate agent. I’ve heard a good one is worth their weight in gold.” She laughed. “I plan to leave first thing in the morning and be there by nightfall. Has Jared got me lined up with a job for the open house?” A change of subject might get Sarah back on track.

  “He has. You’ll be my flunky.”

  “But aren’t you Jared’s flunky?”

  Sarah’s laugh came trilling over the phone. “Yep. That means yo
u are ‘flunky, grade 2.’ Or maybe Assistant Flunky? Flunky-to-the-flunky?”

  “Hey, whatever gets me inside those pretty houses works for me. I gotta go. I’m knee-deep in Dad’s paperwork and want to get this done before I go to bed tonight.”

  “Okay. Be careful tomorrow, and let me know how you are along the way.”

  “Yes, Mother.” Lucy’s voice flattened in good humor. “Talk to you tomorrow. Love you, friend.”

  “Love you, too, friend.”

  Lucy pushed the disconnect button on her phone and put it down with a sigh. Would Tom be around? She wondered if his mom had sold that amazing house. For some reason, she hoped not. She really wanted to have Sarah and Jared’s shower in that wonderful place.

  One pile down. Bank statements from the last five years. Sure, you only had to keep three years’ worth, but her dad believed in covering all his bases. She put them in a cardboard banker’s box and labeled it with a marker. Underneath all the statements, in the bottom of the last drawer, she found a box. It was fire-proof.

  Strange. The deeds, insurance papers, and all the other important stuff had been in the safe. This wasn’t locked, so it was not something in danger of being stolen.

  She opened it. As she did, photographs spilled out. It was packed full to overflowing. It was a wonder the latch even kept it closed. On top were the most recent pictures of herself and her dad at a church event. As she worked her way through the stacks of images, she found her school pictures, family pictures of when her mother was still with them, and at the bottom, her baby pictures mixed with wedding pictures.

  These were his precious memories. Not the deeds, not the insurance papers or wills, but his family. She had often been a little jealous of Sarah and the fact that she had her family all around her and was settled here. Dad was settled in a different kind of way. He might not be sentimental about “stuff,” but he was about his family. He didn’t want to take the chance of any of his memories of his family being destroyed by fire. It was a legacy she could take with her and make a home wherever she was. Life is short.

  “Oh, Daddy. Why did you leave me?”

  She was mopping up tears and blowing her nose furiously when her phone rang. She looked down at it and sighed. Not who she had hoped. That would be too much of a miracle. It was Ben. She waffled over answering long enough that it stopped. Whew. That was a close one.

  As she put her phone back down on the floor beside her, she heard a quiet “ding” indicating voicemail. Great. What about Lydia? Weren’t they seeing one another now? Listening to the voicemail, she was torn.

  “Lucy, this is Ben. We need to talk. Dinner tonight? I’ll call you back in ten minutes. If I don’t get you, call me back? Bye.”

  Ben was a nice guy. Really nice. Sometimes too nice.

  When he called her back that night, she couldn’t say no to dinner with him. He was the perfect gentleman tonight, treating her like a princess. She could almost be convinced a bird in the hand, but she didn’t feel anything.

  “Lucy, I know before you left after your dad’s funeral you said there wasn’t a future for us, and I respected that. You’ve heard of ‘fight or flight?’” His look of intensity made her a little nervous.

  “Yes, Ben, I have.” Great. He was going to analyze her using sports and animal metaphors. Why did she suddenly feel a giggle longing to surface?

  “It’s all about adrenaline and endorphins. Adrenaline can do weird things to your mind when you’re in crisis mode. Sometimes you make rash decisions.”

  “I’ve heard that. Look, Ben––”

  He put a hand up to interrupt. “Hear me out. I know you think you made the right decision breaking it off with me, but are you sure? Luce, I’m still attracted to you.”

  He reached over to take her hand that was resting on the table. Her heart beat a little faster. God? Is Ben who you have for me? I’m so confused. “What about Lydia? I thought you two were dating.”

  His face got redder. “We decided to cool it for a while. I’d like a second chance with you, Lucy. You’re all alone. I can’t stand the thought of that.”

  Her eyes flickered up to his and realization hit her. Wait. She wasn’t all alone. She had a great big, wonderful God with her all the time. She had friends like Sarah. She was blessed. So blessed and loved by God that she had no business settling for a husband for whom she had no passion. Oh, they could have a future together, but was it the future she wanted? And Ben wasn’t in love with her.

  “Ben, you do me a great honor, and believe me, I appreciate it. You see, I’m not all alone. I have God. He has the very best in mind for me. He sent you to me when I was lonely, but he sent you to me so I would have a friend, not a boyfriend. I see that now.”

  “But Luce . . .”

  She tilted her head and gave him a rueful grin. “Ben, I saw the look on your face when I mentioned Lydia. You need to get things straight with her. She’s a wonderful woman.” She could have laughed when she saw the sheepish look on his face.

  “She is.” He looked at her intently. “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure. As a matter of fact, I’ve met someone. I don’t know if he feels the same way I do. If he doesn’t, God is in control, not me.”

  “I do love you, Lucy. Maybe not in the way you want to be loved, but as a friend, you are tops.”

  She smiled at him through a mist of tears and squeezed his hand. “You are too.” She chuckled. “Hey, I could never have gotten Josh Scott to do anything if you hadn’t let him work out with the football players.”

  “That’s no big deal. It was good for the guys to have someone to look after. He’s their mascot now.”

  Bless his heart, he looked relieved.

  Now it was up to her. She was going to get answers, one way or another. No turning back.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “You know, Emmaline, this wedding planning thing is fun. I really think I’d like to do this.”

  Lucy had been tasked with being the liaison between the bride and the wedding planner, and she loved every minute of it. Her love of organization, of interpreting what people say and what they mean, and design all spoke to her like nothing outside of education ever had. Working with special needs teenagers had prepared her to work with anyone.

  Emmaline Quincy, of Quince Wedding Designs, laughed and answered in her slow coastal drawl. “Oh, it has its moments, believe you me, but when a weddin’ turns out perfectly, you can’t help but bask in the beauty of it all. This one is gonna be a humdinger.”

  “Sarah has loved everything you’ve put together.”

  “I couldn’t have done it without you. Poor Sarah. Trying to take those real estate classes, her mama hundreds of miles away, and moving to a new place? That can be a recipe for disaster.” Emmaline pulled her pearl-studded watch pendant around to read the hands. “I’ve got a meeting in thirty minutes, and in an hour I have to pick Sophie up from soccer practice.” She looked sideways at the younger woman. “Now if I had a business pah’tner.” She raised an eyebrow at the surprised look on Lucy’s face. “Forget I said that. Just tuck that thought away for later.”

  “I will. I never considered doing anything but teaching. What am I saying? I’ve got a teaching degree and an estate to settle, and Sarah’s wedding to boot.” Could she? Yes, Lord, all I need is another issue to pop up in my life.

  “Teachers have summers, you know. That’s the busy season. Just a thought. I’ve got to run. Let me know what Sarah decides on the centerpieces, and we’ll get the stuff all ordered.”

  “Will do. I’ll try to sway her to the one I like.”

  “That’s what a weddin’ planner does, dearie. You’d be great.”

  Lucy laughed. “Well, I can be persuasive when I want to be.”

  Except when it comes to a certain six-foot-four-inch tall police detective.

  “I thought Lucy already gave Jared and Sarah a shower?” Tom scowled as he helped Charly scrub the porch and hose down the furniture.

 
“That was in Kentucky. This one is for people here, and it’s a surprise, remember?” Charly threw a soapy sponge at him.

  “Watch it, kid. I have a lot better aim than you.” He grinned and threatened her with the same sponge.

  “I need you to get that corner with the sponge.” She made sure he was doing it to her specifications. “You haven’t said anything to Jared, have you?”

  “If anybody can keep a secret, I can.”

  “I know. We want this to be a surprise.”

  “It will be. Tomorrow night they will come for a casual supper with family and find fifty people here.”

  “What about the cars?” Charly looked worried.

  Tom raised a hand. “All arranged. Pastor Bill is going to run a shuttle from the church parking lot to here, and the happy couple will be none the wiser.”

  “Good. I knew you would take care of it. Lucy was worried.”

  He glanced at her studied avoidance of his face. She was determined to bring Lucy into every conversation they had. “Is this a straight-up shower, or are there silly girl games we men will have to endure?”

  The dirty look on her face rivaled the actual dirt on her face. “Watch it, Bub. Lucy and Mom are in charge of food and decorations, I am in charge of games. And I’ve got some good ones.”

  “Not spin-the-bottle, I hope.”

  She gave him ‘the look.’ “Good grief. What are we, seventh graders?”

  Mom opened the screen door and walked out on the porch. “Well, I can’t tell if it’s clean or not, but it sure smells good out here.”

  “Mama, we could eat off of this porch, it’s so clean.” Tom got up and kissed his mother on the cheek.

  “That’s what I like to hear, son. Charlotte, when you get to a stopping point, I need you to pull out the good linens to use for the shower. They may need to be cleaned and pressed.”