Deal of a Lifetime

by T. R. McClure

“Hello, Aunt Hope, Aunt Jean, Uncle Bob.” From the looks they gave him, Alex had the feeling he had been the topic of conversation around the table.

  “Be careful, Jean.” Max resumed his seat at the head of the table. “My son, Alex, has a tendency to throw old people out of their homes.”

  “Dad.” Alex’s hands automatically flexed, and he resisted the urge to flee. “It wasn’t like that.”

  “You were interviewed on national news. Sure came across that way.”

  “I didn’t displace them.” Alex looked out the kitchen door at Will and Carrie having fun talking to Cy and Mike. He never should have come into the house. He faced his father. “They moved into fine nursing homes. The husband needed special care.” He glanced through the door again, wondering if Sera were out there somewhere.

  “That’s right. That’s why you should’ve left them alone.”

  He needed to see Sera. “We needed the property.”

  “All about money with you, isn’t it? Nice job, Alex.”

  * * *

  SHE WAITED UNTIL almost dusk before giving in to her grumbling stomach. Chance was right. There was nothing in the house to eat but peanut butter and jelly. He had eaten all the bread but a piece of crust. Since he had commandeered the truck, she drove the golf cart along the edge of the road to Cy’s. Feeling silly showing up in the retrofitted golf cart, she parked in front of the house and walked around back.

  The first person Sera saw was Alex. He was leaning against a tree, staring at the brown bottle in his hand.

  “Long time no see.”

  Her words brought a smile to his face. “Sera. I didn’t think you were coming.”

  She took the bottle from his hand and took a sip, then handed it back. “I wasn’t going to, but we don’t have any food in the house and I’m starving.”

  “Let’s go get you a plate. I’m a little hungry now, myself.”

  As she chose potato salad, baked beans and an unrecognizable cheesy dish that may have had broccoli in it, and grabbed a hamburger, she observed Will and Carrie deep in conversation with Mike, the airport bartender. She motioned to Alex. “You did it.”

  He grinned. “I did. Let’s go sit over here.” He led her to a bench half hidden under a giant oak tree.

  “Who’s that?” Alex pointed toward the patio.

  Sera had been so busy concentrating on balancing her plate and cup that she hadn’t noticed any of the other visitors. She looked up.

  The sight of Chance, sitting on the patio strumming his guitar, surrounded by a trio of women, shouldn’t have surprised her. “That is my baby brother.”

  Alex’s eyebrows rose. “That’s Chance?”

  She nodded. “Not what you expected?”

  “I don’t know.” He set his empty plate on the grass. “I guess I thought he’d be more like you. He looks kind of...”

  “Flashy?”

  “Something like that.” Alex gave her a steady look. “Your brother must attract quite the following in Nashville.”

  “I really don’t know. He doesn’t share much of his life with me. I do know that Nashville is full of guys just like him. Whether he has what it takes to rise to the top remains to be seen.”

  “Cy looks happy. You must have given him the good news.” He rested against the bench and stretched his arm along the back behind her.

  Sera leaned into him. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world. “I did and he is.”

  “How is Hope taking it?” Alex brushed a strand of hair from her face.

  “Not well.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. I saw her briefly earlier. She was in the kitchen with the older folk, including my dad. He took it upon himself to inform everyone my specialty is throwing old people out of their homes.”

  “Ouch.”

  “I don’t think I’m on your great-aunt’s good side anymore.”

  “Join the club.” Despite the festive atmosphere, Sera was having a hard time getting in a party mood. From the sounds of things, so was Alex.

  “Earth to Sera.” She felt a tap on her shoulder. “What are your plans?”

  “The Hunters are selling their house in town. It’s on the same street as Hope’s friend Mrs. Hershberger.”

  “So you’ll stay in the area.”

  “It’s either that or move her into the nursing home in town. Don’t tell my great-aunt, but I did take a tour. You know, come to think of it, I saw that they have staff trained for all sorts of conditions.”

  “So?”

  “Your couple, the one that was separated...”

  “Don’t remind me.”

  “They were separated because the facility didn’t accept patients with dementia, right?”

  “Thanks for thinking of me, but their extended family all live down east. I doubt they’d want to move up here.”

  “The company that owns the nursing home in town has multiple locations. Maybe they have a place where they could both go. Your dad wouldn’t have anything to bug you about.”

  He chuckled. “Yes, he would. He’s still mad I didn’t come home and work for him.”

  “Well, you can’t have it all, can you?”

  “What will you do?” Taking her plate, he set it on the grass next to his.

  “Maybe take some classes at Penn State. I can commute from home.”

  “What about Nomi’s offer?”

  She jerked her gaze from the party guests to Alex. “You knew she got the scholarship reinstated?”

  “Nomi texted me.” He took both her hands in his. “You would be close to the city again.”

  Sera squeezed his fingers. “But what about Hope and Shawn?”

  “What about you, Sera?” He leaned closer.

  Sera’s breath grew short. She stared into the brown eyes, trying to interpret his question. Was he asking what she thought he was asking?

  “Sera! Hey, did you try the pulled pork?” Cy dipped his head to miss the lower branches of the big tree. Sera pulled her hands from Alex’s and picked up her plate.

  She turned to Cy. “Not yet. I was headed over there, though.”

  Cy looked from Sera to Alex and back again. “By the way, I wanted to apologize for leaving you stranded in New York. Lucky for me Alex was able to step in. We’ll reschedule, okay?”

  “Maybe.” Sera glanced at Alex, wondering if he had told his cousin about moving her to his apartment. Alex was stabbing macaroni salad with a plastic fork.

  “I’ll pay. You’ll be out from under the farm, so you should be doing better.” He again looked from one to the other. “How’d your great-aunt take the news?”

  “Not well.”

  “I was afraid of that. She’ll get over it.”

  Sera shot him a glance, irritated at the offhand remark. “Last Chance Farm has been her only home, Cy.”

  “I know. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.” He took her empty plate from her hands. “I have a favor to ask. Alex was supposed to stay here for a couple weeks while he works in the area but I’m renovating the upstairs. Can he stay with you?”

  “Again? Cy, you’re taking advantage.” Alex stood.

  “I’ll give you some cash for rent. It’ll work out for both of us. He can help you gather up the necessary papers. I’ll come over tomorrow afternoon. We can tie up the loose ends.”

  Sera flashed on her brother’s surprise return, the smile he had given her when he said he was available, that she no longer needed the power of attorney. Before, he had flown in and flown out, visiting friends, making connections, with hardly a word for her or Hope. Suddenly he’s available? Something was definitely up with her little brother. Tying up loose ends might be a problem.

  * * *

  “WAS I MISTAKEN, or do I see a little spar
k between you and the lovely Sera?” Carrie hooked Alex’s arm as he passed by. Sera had accompanied Cy in search of the pulled pork.

  “What? Oh, no, of course not.” Alex thought he and Sera had been well hidden on the bench, but he should have known the sharp-eyed Carrie would notice.

  “Why not? She’s pretty, she’s smart. She would be good for you.”

  “How do you figure?”

  “She would remind you life’s not all about work.”

  “Look who’s talking.”

  Alex’s mother came up to them. “Carrie, it’s been a long time. So nice that you could come.”

  “Will’s here, too.” She pointed to where Will and Mike sat in the grass listening to Chance play guitar.

  “We haven’t seen you two since law school graduation.”

  “When you stole Alex away from us with the promise of bright lights and fast cars.” Max appeared behind his wife.

  Alex groaned. “Dad...”

  But Carrie only laughed. “Bright lights, maybe, Mr. Kimmel, but your son and cars do not mix. It’s a good thing we have public transportation in the city.”

  “We were just leaving. Excuse us.” Beverly tugged on Max’s elbow and steered him toward the line of cars. Alex guessed his father was in for a lecture of his own.

  “We should head back, too.” Carrie gave him a sympathetic look.

  “So soon?” Cy approached with Sera, who was deep in conversation with her brother.

  Slinging the guitar to his back, Chance gave Alex a wide smile. “So, you’re Cy’s cousin. The lawyer from New York.”

  “Alex.” He reached out to shake hands.

  Chance seemed to hesitate before shaking hands. “Chance Callahan.”

  Alex winced. The guitar player had a strong grip. “You’re the country Western singer from Nashville.”

  “I currently reside in Nashville, but I’m from Bear Meadows, just like my big sister. In fact, Last Chance Farm is technically half mine.” He tilted his head and a curly lock of dark hair fell over his forehead. He flashed a smile. “Did you know that?”

  “I heard.” Alex had a feeling that the ready smile was a technique the singer was accustomed to using.

  “You’re the one who talked my sister into selling to Cy. I’ve haven’t seen any numbers yet, but I’ll lay odds Cy is getting a good deal.”

  Alex’s muscles tensed at the man’s implications. “Now, wait just a minute...” Bad enough his own father accused him of putting money before people. But this kid?

  Still smiling, Chance held up a hand. “Just sayin’, my man, just sayin’. Now if you’ll excuse me, I should get Aunt Hope back...home.” He emphasized the last word and then strutted across the yard, the eyes of several females following his every move. From the excited voices as he entered the kitchen, Alex figured Chance was as popular with the older generation as he was with the younger.

  He felt a tug on the back of his shirt. Sera stood behind him, her eyes darting from him to Carrie and Cy, who were talking. “Ready to go?”

  “Am I staying with you? I don’t think your brother would approve.” At his words, Chance emerged from the kitchen and helped his great-aunt down the steps. “Or your great-aunt, for that matter.”

  “He’ll take Aunt Hope home and then come back here to party. Trust me, I know my brother. He’s a night owl.”

  “Then maybe I should go back to your place, although no doubt Chance will make me sit in back and go over potholes on purpose, hoping to bounce me off into a ditch. Hey, wait a minute. You two do have some similarities.”

  His words brought a chuckle and a slap on the arm.

  “I happen to have the best seat in the house for Cy’s fireworks,” she told him.

  He looked down into twinkling eyes that were the color of the Caribbean Sea. At this point, he would go anywhere with her. “Where?”

  Sera reached for his hand and pulled him into the shadows at the side of the house. “On top of the hill in my apple orchard. Just the two of us.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”

  Standing at the bookcase in the front room, Chance rifled through the shelves. “Just looking around. Do you know where Mom kept our baby books?”

  “No clue. Why?” Sera walked into the room and checked out their mother’s desk. Still messy.

  “Just wanted to see how cute I was as a baby.” He smiled, but his attention was still on the bookcase. In cutoff jeans and a T-shirt, he looked exactly as he had in high school. Except for the two-day growth of dark beard.

  “You must be going into adoration withdrawal. You better fly south as soon as possible.”

  Chance closed a book and returned it to a shelf. “I needed a break.”

  “Can I help you find something?” Alex entered the room. He was wearing khakis and a checked shirt.

  Chance frowned. “You’re staying here?” He looked at his sister. “Why is he here?”

  “Chance, please. You’re being rude. Cy asked if he could stay here while he’s renovating.” The night before, she and Alex had ridden the golf cart past the house and up to the apple orchard, where they had a perfect view of Cy’s fireworks display. And no distracting relatives.

  “Sera, you are so naive. The man is appraising the property for his cousin. You’re giving him access to everything.”

  Alex came and stood beside her. “I’m not taking advantage of anyone.”

  Sera held up her hands like a traffic cop. “He’s cleaning up a mess of legal papers that have been all over the house for ten years. I certainly haven’t had time. Besides, he’s paying rent.”

  Taking a seat on the sofa, Chance gave them both a long look. “Rent. He’s paying you rent? How convenient.”

  Sera wasn’t sure what had happened in less than twelve hours to make the two men so antagonistic toward one another. “I came to tell you lunch is ready. Aunt Hope made lasagna just for you, Chance.” She poked him in the chest with her finger. Maybe feeding the two men would put them in a better mood.

  Chance smiled as he tried to grab her finger. “Because I’m her favorite.”

  “We’re eating in the dining room.” She led the way down the hall and into the first room off the kitchen. She came to a stop in the doorway. “Hi, Shawn. I didn’t realize you were coming over for lunch.”

  “Your great-aunt invited me.” He handed Sera a bag. “I brought you two some candy from the new store in town. I know you like chocolate.”

  Sera peeked into the bag stuffed with a variety of confections. Puzzled, she glanced at her hired hand. “This must’ve cost a fortune, Shawn. You shouldn’t have.”

  He shrugged. “It’s the least I can do. I appreciate sharing a meal with the family. I hope you don’t mind.” His gaze zeroed in on Alex, coming in behind her. “I’m Shawn Murphy, young man. And who might you be?” His round face bore half a smile.

  “Alex Kimmel.” Alex returned the grin, which led Sera to wonder if the two men already knew each other. She shook it off. With Chance’s surprise return home, she had enough to think about without inventing another conspiracy.

  “Pleased to make your acquaintance.” He gave a nod to Aunt Hope, who had set a large dish of steaming lasagna at one end of the table and was ladling out chunks with a spatula.

  She gave Sera a look. “Been a while since we ate in the dining room. I thought we could use the extra space. Nice to have the family together again.” Her gaze paused on Alex. “And of course company is always welcome.”

  Sera glanced from Chance to her great-aunt to Shawn, about to point out Shawn wasn’t family, either, but she didn’t want to hurt the older man’s feelings. Instead, she motioned to Alex to sit, and she took the chair next to him, her growling stomach reminding her all she had so far that day was co
ffee. “This smells wonderful, Aunt Hope. It’s been a while.”

  Aunt Hope returned her smile. “It’s been a while since I’ve had anyone to cook for.”

  Forking off a bite of the Italian dish, the mozzarella stretched in a long string from the plate to her mouth. Her great-aunt was right. Between the two of them, they barely ate enough to make cooking a formal meal worthwhile. So they had gotten in the habit of just picking. Sera looked around the table.

  “Salad, garlic bread... Thanks for coming, guys.” Sera smiled, happy for the first time in a long time. So what if she didn’t know why Chance was home? He had a weird schedule. And Shawn had been around so long he was almost family. As for Alex... “I hope you were hungry.”

  He nodded, before turning to the woman at the end of the table. “This is delicious. Thanks for including me.”

  “Where’d you run off to last night, sis? Cy was looking everywhere for you. Pass that last slice of garlic bread.” Chance reached out for the basket. He was already on his second helping of lasagna.

  Handing him the bread, Sera was curious as to what would’ve prompted her brother’s question. She searched the green eyes so similar to hers for a clue. “When I left he was deep in conversation with Dr. Hannah. I think he’s interested.”

  “I thought he was interested in you.”

  “He’s interested in the farm, not me.”

  “But you two used to date.”

  “We went to the prom. No big deal.” Finishing the last bite on her plate, Sera stood and took her plate into the kitchen. When she returned, she acted as if she had forgotten Chance’s comment. “Cy is coming over in an hour. Are you finished?” She reached for Chance’s plate.

  He put his hand over hers. “Can we talk a minute?”

  “Good idea. Let’s clear the table first.” Belying her ninety-some years, Aunt Hope jumped up. Chance carried the dishes and then returned to the table. He gave Alex a pointed look. “Would you excuse us, Alex?” He smiled. “Family business.”

  Alex looked down at the half-finished meal on his plate. “Sure. I should get started on those papers in the den.” Balancing his plate, silverware and glass, Alex disappeared into the hall.