The money was my inheritance from my grandparents, but I didn’t have access to it until I was forty years old. I decided to hold onto it and pass it along to you girls when I was gone.
Gracie - I’ve been hard on you over the years. Being on my deathbed, I see things a lot more clearly now than ever. I guess death does that to a person. I’m sorry for the times I’ve been unkind to you. Looking at you always reminded me of your father who I miss, even now, more than life itself. I could never allow myself to love you fully because I was always afraid of losing you like I lost him. Makes no sense when I say it now, but it is what it is.
I am leaving Eva the $300,000 for one reason. She needs to see what she’s made of. I know you, Gracie can fend for yourself, but Eva hasn’t had to grow up yet. I want her to see if she can become something bigger than she is. My fear is she will blow the money and need more, which is where the two million comes in.
I’ve decided in order to get this money, she has to change. She has to make amends and depend on you for emotional support. She has to work hard to get the money, and in the process, I hope she will change. I created a spoiled brat, but maybe I can fix it in death. Who knows?
Either way, if you’re reading this letter, my wish is you girls will hold tight to each other and find a way to use my money for good. And, Eva, my intention is for you to give Gracie at least half of the money.
Love,
Mom
“See? She wanted you to have some of the money, Gracie. She did love you in her own warped way,” Eva said with a smile.
“Unbelievable. Well, it all worked out, so maybe she did know something we didn’t,” Gracie said smiling over at Randy.
“Can I have my job back?” Eva finally asked Brice through her tears.
“We’ll see… I might need to look over your resume again,” he said with a sly grin.
“Very funny…”
Chapter 9
Christmas had always been Eva’s favorite time of the year, and this year was no different. She’d been with Brice for over a year, and their love was unlike anything she’d ever experienced in her life. He cared for her, and he made sure she felt safe each and everyday. As O’Malley’s thrived, she felt better and better about herself as a person and a business woman. Zeke’s health improved, and doctors said he was in remission again which allowed him to come back to work a few days each week.
During his off time, Brice and Eva enjoyed being together more. She’d moved into his home a couple of months ago, enjoying his famous home cooked meals every night. And when he’d proposed to her just before Thanksgiving, she gladly accepted. Gracie had continued to insist they split the money, but Eva held out. Of course, she knew through the small town grapevine Gracie had set aside half the money in a trust fund for her sister and her own children one day.
Gracie hadn’t quit her job at the diner, saying she enjoyed being with her friends in town everyday. But she had cut back on her hours a lot, and Randy was able to leave his job as a janitor to pursue his passion of writing. As he worked on his first novel, a science fiction fantasy, Eva could tell her sister’s marriage was better than ever. In fact, Gracie and Randy had taken several romantic trips to make up for the ones they didn’t get to take while they were worried about money.
Eva had continued to work with Brice and Zeke on making O’Malley’s a legend in the area. Adding karaoke nights and events had increased revenues by thirty percent already, and Zeke was excited about the new direction his business was taking. Eva seemed to be just the tonic the two men needed to have a good relationship. It helped Zeke adored Eva, and she would often run Brice’s ideas through herself so Zeke would agree. It was a funny inside joke to Brice and Eva, but it seemed to work well for the business.
“Sis!” Eva yelped as she opened the front door to see her sister standing there. “When did you guys get back?” she asked.
“Just a few hours ago!”
“Where is she?” Eva asked clapping her hands together.
“Randy is getting her out of the car right now,” Gracie said with a huge smile. The couple had just returned from picking up their new baby daughter they’d adopted from Guatemala.
“Eva, meet Lucia,” Randy said as he walked to the door with a bundled up baby. With a dark tuft of hair and bronzed skin, she was instantly enamored with her new niece.
“She is so beautiful,” Eva cooed as a tear rolled down her cheek. “Come on in.”
The two sisters sat down as Eva held Lucia in her arms. She knew she couldn’t wait to be Lucia’s aunt, and she was excited to think about having her own family with Brice one day too.
“Where’s Brice?” Gracie asked.
“He ran to the store, but he should be home soon. Hi, Lucia…” she said as the baby opened her eyes. “Welcome to the family.”
“I was going to hold out until Brice got here, but I’ve got some news…”
Just as Gracie started to speak, Brice walked in carrying two big grocery bags filled to the brim with food.
“Oh, wow! Is that her?” he asked as he dropped the bags on the counter. “She’s gorgeous… Name?”
“Lucia,” Eva said smiling up at him.
“And look at you, Eva, looking all motherly,” Brice said smiling. “Can’t wait to see you holding our babies one day.” Eva smiled back and her heart melted when she heard him talking about that. For a moment, she marveled at how much a year could change things.
“Gracie was just about to tell me something,” Eva said as she tore her eyes away from Lucia.
“Yes. While we were in Guatemala, I wasn’t feeling well. Turns out, Lucia is going to have a brother or sister in a few months!” Gracie said laughing.
“Seriously? Oh my goodness!” Eva said trying not to scare the baby. “But you didn’t try IVF yet…”
“I know! It was natural! I even went to see a local American doctor there in Guatemala, and she confirmed it. We heard the heartbeat! I’m about ten weeks along, and I had no idea. I guess I was so busy with adoption stuff I didn’t notice I was even late.”
“What a miracle!” Eva said. “I am so happy for you guys. You deserve it.”
“And you deserve all good things too, sis. Even though these past few years have been hard, I wouldn’t change a thing knowing what I know now. Sometimes, I guess you have to go through some pretty deep valleys to get to the mountaintops,” Gracie said smiling.
“I guess so. Well, I guess you guys need a bigger house, huh?”
“Yes. A little house shopping may be in order next week,” Gracie said squeezing Randy’s hand.
“You will stay in Mill Creek Crossing, won’t you?” Eva asked, worried her sister might take off to another city or state.
“Of course we will stay here,” Gracie said smiling at her bundled up baby. “My family is here, and that includes Brice and you. We are so happy to get a chance to have an extended family for our kids. Did you hear that? I said kids! More than one!” Gracie said giggling as she touched her stomach. “It’s so hard to imagine where my life was this time last year. Maybe I wasn’t able to get pregnant because I was holding so much anger at you and at Mom for so many years. Once I let it go, I was able to get pregnant…” Gracie said pondering.
“Maybe. Either way, we are both different people now, and we can start over from here,” Eva said. “Merry Christmas, Gracie,” Eva said as she planted a light kiss on baby Lucia’s forehead.
“Merry Christmas, Eva.”
THE END
##
Afterword
Thank you so much for buying and reading "A TIME TO LOVE" … A Mill Creek Crossing Romance. Since word of mouth is so critical to readers and authors alike, I would really appreciate it if you'd pop back to Amazon and leave a review of this story. It will only take a minute or two, but you opinion is priceless.
About the Author
According to her family Angelina Rose was a sweet child … maybe a little shy. She often spent a lot of time making up sto
ries rather than running around and playing outside with her brother and sister. She won several writing competitions and used the prizes to help her single mother pay the bills.
Angelina Rose lives in the mountains in Australia with her husband, her two poodles and two bombay cats.
Whether you're in need of a quick "pick me up" or on the lookout for a fast-paced, breathtaking adventure … you're in the right place. Sit down with and get lost in one of her romantic short stories today.
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A Mill Creek Crossing Romance…
LAKESIDE LOVE - A Mill Creek Crossing Romance
The Starting Over Series… The Reunion:
EMMA's VACATION
ASHLEY's MOUNTAIN RETREAT
CLAIRE's REBUILDING CONTRACT
SHELBY's CHANCE MEETING
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Copyright Information
All rights reserved. No part of this may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the Author.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Afterword
About the Author
A Time To Love (A Mill Creek Crossing Romance) Page 7