Hope wasn’t sure if she imagined it, but the woman’s eyes seemed to light up. In no time at all, Hope found herself in the changing room, and the woman, whose name was Crystal, carried in one item after the next. And by the time Hope got out of that store, she had spent a big chunk of change, was weighted down with several bags and outfitted in Wranglers and belt, a black pair of Charlie One Horse mules, a white T-shirt topped with a black leather vest, and she even had on silver earrings.
“Look at you,” Erica said when Hope located the girls at a pub table in a corner. “You look like you’re ready to rodeo, girl!”
Hope laughed. “Crystal at the western store helped me out. Do I look ridiculous?”
“You look hot,” a woman with short, highlighted hair told her. “All you need is a good hat.”
“And a cowboy,” added a thin woman with dark curly hair.
“This is Bobbie,” Erica nodded to the short-haired woman, “and Selena,” to the curly-haired one. “And this is my old friend Hope.”
“You’re the one named after the Middle Sister?” asked Selena.
“So you’ve heard the tale.” Hope pulled out a stool and sat down.
“Well, everyone in town already knows South Sister.” Bobbie said this in a way that suggested she wasn’t overly fond of Cherry.
“Bobbie works for the newspaper,” Erica informed Hope.
“Hardly a week goes by but what that sister of yours doesn’t make it into the Nugget.” Bobbie laughed. “Not that I’m complaining. News is news.” She narrowed her eyes at Hope. “In fact, the story of you three sisters all living back in town again might be interesting. Didn’t your mom die climbing one of the Sisters mountains?”
“She was on her way to climb,” Hope said quietly.
“Which one?” asked Selena.
“Middle Sister.”
“Your mountain?” Selena looked sympathetic.
“Well, I don’t own the mountain,” Hope pointed out. “But, yes, the one I’m named after. That didn’t make it any easier on me.”
“Well, at least she didn’t die on the mountain.” Bobbie studied Hope. “This really would make a nice human interest story. Would you be willing?”
Hope shrugged. “I guess. I mean if my sisters are.”
“Well, we know Cherry would be willing,” teased Selena.
“Are your sisters talking to you yet?” asked Erica.
Of course, that got the other women interested. And, without telling everything, Hope filled them in a bit about inheriting her grandmother’s house and how not everyone had been too pleased. But as she told them, she realized that she hadn’t really seen Faye’s response yet. It was possible that Faye would be okay. Hope would give her a call in the morning—maybe even use the newspaper article as an excuse to touch base with her. Hope knew some people would think it strange to need an excuse to call one’s own sister, but then, Hope’s sisterly relationships weren’t exactly the norm. And judging by Cherry’s chilly welcome to the neighborhood, it wouldn’t be getting better anytime soon either.
Chapter Eleven
“Did I wake you?” Hope asked Faye after the phone rang several times.
“No, not really.” But her voice had the roughness of sleep still in it.
“How’s it going?” Hope asked cheerfully. “Are you still buying that condo in Pine Meadow?”
“If all goes as planned, I think so.”
“I’m staying over at Nona’s now.”
“Is that weird?”
“Weird?” Hope frowned at the cracked linoleum beneath her bare feet. “How do you mean?”
“I mean because Nona died there. Does it feel weird or creepy? Have you seen any ghosts?”
Hope laughed. “Not yet. But Nona died peacefully in her sleep. I doubt she’d want to come back and haunt me.”
“No, being that you were her favorite and all, I guess not.”
Hope heard the edge of bitterness in Faye’s voice. “Are you mad at me, too?”
“No, of course not.”
“Jealous then?”
“Maybe I’m just curious.”
“As to why Nona left everything to me?”
“It does make me wonder.”
“Want to come over for coffee and talk about it?”
“Maybe. Do you even have coffee over there? As I recall, Nona quit caffeine a few years ago.”
“I noticed she only has decaf, and it’s instant. But I could run out and—”
“Never mind. I’m staying at Jody’s and it’s near the Coffee Company anyway. I’ll grab us both some. How about a pastry, too?”
So Hope gave Faye her coffee order then took Andy outside to do his business in the backyard. So Faye was staying at Jody’s house. Hope had wondered why Faye and Monroe hadn’t stayed at Cherry’s. But being at an old best friend’s house made sense. Faye probably felt more comfortable with Jody than she did with Cherry. And, oddly enough, Hope felt relieved to know this. So maybe Faye and Cherry weren’t that close either. Not that it was a surprise, since Faye was nine years older than Cherry and they had never been close. But for some reason, Hope had assumed they were buddy-buddy and she was the odd girl out.
By the time Faye arrived, Hope had dug out several old lawn chairs and a rickety metal table, given them a quick dusting, and set them in the sunshine in the backyard.
“A garden party, I see.” Faye set down the coffees and paper bag.
“Monroe’s not joining us?” Hope sat down carefully in what appeared to be the weakest chair and hoped that it wouldn’t collapse. And before she picked up her coffee, Andy jumped into her lap as if she’d invited him.
“Monroe had already left the house before I got up.” Faye took the lid off her coffee, letting the steam escape. “I’m hoping that’s a good sign. Maybe he’s taken a walk or a bike ride or something outdoorsy. Jody’s husband is letting him use his mountain bike while we’re here.”
“That sounds like fun.” Hope mentally added mountain bike to her ever-growing list.
“So what’s up with you?” Faye asked as she broke off a piece of croissant. “Are you seriously considering staying in Sisters?” Faye laughed in a slightly mean way. “The old lady got you over a barrel, didn’t she?”
Something about the way Faye said “old lady” sounded disrespectful, and yet Hope didn’t want to question this. She was trying as hard as she could to win Faye’s trust again.
“I think Nona sensed by my letters that I wasn’t feeling that happy and fulfilled in Portland.”
“Really?” Faye looked interested. “I always assumed you had quite the life there.”
“I’m sure it could look that way to an outsider. But the truth is I don’t enjoy corporate law, and even the city was starting to lose its appeal. I think maybe I really was ready for a change. I just didn’t know it.”
“So you’re really going to do it? You’re going to stay on here?”
“I’m going to try.”
“But what happens if you fail? I mean does someone else get a chance at the house…and everything?” Faye looked hopeful.
Hope bit her lip.
“I’m sorry to sound nosy, Hope, but she was my grandmother, too. In fact, she was my grandmother first.”
Hope just nodded. “Were you and Nona ever close? I mean I don’t really remember you being over here much, but then it seemed like you were all grown up and off doing things with your friends…trying to get away from the little kids.”
“Well, you and Cherry were a lot younger than me. And Mom was pretty busy with you two for a while. I had to have a life.”
“Right…” What Hope wanted to say was that if Faye hadn’t taken the time to spend with Nona, was it fair for her to think Nona should leave everything to her just because she was the oldest? And, really, what was fair?
“Listen, I don’t want to sound greedy, Hope, but you have to admit that it’s odd that Nona left everything to you. I mean what about Cherry? Here she’s been, livi
ng right next door to Nona all these years and fully expecting to get something out of it.”
Hope took a slow swig of her latte as she stroked Andy’s smooth coat. Hadn’t she read somewhere that petting an animal was supposed to lower one’s blood pressure?
“And then there’s Monroe and me. Nona didn’t realize that I was split up with Jeff. But if she had, would she have offered the house to me? And I was already considering moving back here. Do you see what I’m thinking?”
“I do.” Hope nodded. “In fact, I thought those same things. But according to Lewis, the attorney, it’s out of my hands. Nona wrote this thing out with him and it’s supposedly airtight.”
“It’s not as if I’d contest the will.” Faye took another bite of croissant. “But I do question the fairness of it. And so does Cherry.”
“Look, if it were up to me, I’d say how about a three-way split.”
“But it will be your money eventually, Hope. I mean if you stay for the full year. What then?”
Hope shrugged. “I don’t know. There will be taxes and the expenses of fixing the house. And a year feels a long ways off to me right now.”
“Well, for the sake of sisters and family…I hope you’ll be fair. And, just so you know, Dad wasn’t too with you happy either.”
Now this just irked Hope. “You know, it was Nona’s decision to do this…not mine. And, as the attorney pointed out because apparently Nona told him, you and Dad got Mom’s insurance benefits. Cherry and I didn’t. And then Dad practically gave Cherry the house. So maybe Nona felt it was my turn to be on the receiving end.”
“But you have it all,” Faye protested. “You have a great job, a beautiful condo in the city, a cool car, a boyfriend and—”
“For starters, Curtis and I broke up. And I’m sure everything looked great to you when you visited me a few years ago, but you were only there for one night. You don’t know how my life really was. And, like I said, I was feeling pretty disenchanted.”
“Well, from the outside looking in, it looked good.” Faye stood now.
“Are you leaving?” Hope stood, too, causing Andy to jump down to the grass with what seemed a disgruntled expression, although she wondered if it was possible for an animal to show feelings.
“Yes.” Faye’s tone was crisp, all business. “I should go check on Monroe. Right now, he’s all I’ve got.”
“You’ve got me,” Hope told her.
Faye gave Hope a skeptical look. “So you say.”
“You do,” Hope protested. “I’m your sister.”
Faye looped a strap of her worn-looking purse over her shoulder. “See ya around,” she called as she walked away.
Hope looked down at Andy. “I guess you’re all I have.” He wagged his tail as if this suited him just fine. “I’ll bet you’d like a doggy treat, wouldn’t you?”
He happily trotted toward the house with her. She knew she’d been spoiling him a bit, giving him treats probably more than she should, but it was still sort of the honeymoon period, and for Nona’s sake—as well as Andy’s—she wanted to be sure he was happy. And that he liked her.
They had barely gone back in the house when she saw the old turquoise pickup pulling into the driveway. She opened the side door and waved to Brian. He had on a straw cowboy hat, light blue T-shirt, and faded jeans. She watched as he and a slightly built redheaded boy wearing a baseball uniform got out of the truck. Hope smiled at the image—it could’ve been from a Norman Rockwell painting. Brian waved and called a greeting to her, but the boy lingered back as his dad gently nudged him toward her.
“Hope, I’d like you to meet my best friend Jack. Jack, this is my old friend, Miss Bartolli. If all goes well, I’ll be doing some work around her place.”
She stuck out her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jack.”
He timidly shook her hand then nodded. “You, too, Miss Bartolli.”
“And I hear that you’re a friend of my nephew Harrison. Did you know he lives right next door?”
Jack glanced that way and brightened.
“And I’ll bet that he’s home if you wanted to go say hey.” Both the Lawson vehicles were in the driveway so it was a pretty safe bet. In fact, she’d been wondering if Avery was going to come over. Or maybe Cherry was putting her foot down.
“Is that okay?” Jack asked his dad.
“Fine with me. I have some looking around to do here anyway.”
And just like that, Jack took off.
“Jack’s mom remarried a few years ago. It’s a guy who lives a ways out of town, so Jack doesn’t get to run next door and play with neighbor kids like we did when we were growing up.”
“He seems like a sweet kid.”
“Thanks, he’s a little shy, but good-hearted.”
She held the side door open for him. “Want to come in?”
They went through the enclosed back porch that also served as a laundry room. Then Brian stepped into the kitchen. He shook his head as he patted the side of a wall cabinet. “You sure you don’t want to replace these old things?”
“Not unless I replaced them with ones that looked very similar.”
“You could get a lot more storage space if you ran them up to the ceiling. And you could have painted cabinets if you like. They do it all. And I have a cabinetmaker friend who’s looking for work.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Cuz what I’m thinking is that if we put in a dishwasher…” He patted the countertop by the sink. “…It should go right here. That means I’ll be cutting into this cabinet and I could end up with a big mess of splinters.” He nodded over to the wall where the fridge stood. “Also you’ve got some wasted space there, and it could be filled in some if you decided to go with new cabinets. Now, I don’t want to tell you what to do, but in the long run it might be the simpler way to go.”
She considered this. “How long does it take to make new cabinets?”
“Being that Rick’s not real busy, I’m sure he’d get right on it. Maybe a couple of weeks. It’s not a big kitchen.”
“And then I wouldn’t have to paint them.”
He nodded. “That’s right. And painting cabinets is not a job for a beginner painter or for the faint at heart. First, you have to remove all the hardware, and then you have to clean and dry them and then sand them and then you still have to paint both the inside and outside at least a couple of times. Even then, it’s a trick to make them look good. On top of all that, it’s smelly.”
“All right.” She held up both hands. “I am convinced.”
“So what I’m thinking is I should demo this kitchen. But will you miss it much?”
She shrugged. “I can eat out.”
“And I’ll try to do the bathroom as quick as possible, and I’ve got the plumber lined up, and I know a good tile guy, but there will be some inconvenience.”
“I still have my Portland condo,” she said suddenly. “And I need to pack some things up and see about listing it. Maybe I could synchronize that with your work.”
He nodded. “That’d be great. Then we could really move in here and get things done.”
“So what do I need to do to get the ball rolling?” she asked eagerly.
“You need to take a look at this estimate and if you feel it’s fair, sign it.” He grinned. “I know you’re a lawyer so I’m sure you’ll check it out carefully, but I can promise you, you won’t find a better deal in town. And you can check out my dad’s company, too. All the info and contractor board numbers are there. It’s all legit.”
“I’m sure it is.”
“I wouldn’t mess with a friend.”
“I appreciate that.”
“And I figure if I do a good enough job, I might entice you to go to dinner or something…I mean later on down the line.”
“And I might be inclined to go.” She smiled. “Thanks for getting this to me so quickly.”
“I want to do some more careful measurements now,” he said as he pulled ou
t a yellow tape. “The sooner we get the subs scheduled and the demo done and the cabinets being built, the sooner we can put it all back together.”
“How long do you think it’ll be?”
He scratched his head. “I’d like to say by the end of June since we won’t be changing any plumbing or electrical that I can see, but that’s probably optimistic. Still, if everyone gets it together, it could happen.” He looked around. “And it’s a small house and from what I’ve seen pretty solid. So I’m hopeful.”
“Great. I’ll read over the contract today, and if it looks good, I’ll sign it and get back to you as soon as possible.”
“And then I’ll get to work.” He continued to measure in the kitchen. “And these measurements will make things happen that much quicker.”
Andy was barking out in the yard, so Hope excused herself to see who it was this time. Already Nona’s house was feeling like Grand Central Station.
“Hey,” called Lewis, “I just thought I’d stop by and see how you’re doing.”
“Oh, I’m glad it’s you,” she told him as she waved the contract. “I was just going over an estimate for fixing up the house. Is there a certain budget I should be sticking to?”
“As long as the improvements go to the house and you save the receipts, I think you should be fine.” He glanced over at the pickup. “Is that Brian’s truck?”
She nodded. “He’s in there measuring now.”
“He and his dad do good work.”
“That’s what I’ve heard.” She gave him the quick lowdown on her plans and how she even planned to do some of the painting herself, and he said they all sounded like good improvements.
“Just keep me posted and make your check requests a day in advance and we should be good,” he said.
“And I’m not pulling out all the stops,” she assured him. “I want the house to be solid and nice, but I also want it to look like a forties bungalow.” Then she told him about the reclaimed fir floors and having painted cabinets.
“Don’t tell me you’re having fun,” he teased. “And to think we had to twist your arm.”
“Well, I’ve barely begun. But I think it could be fun.” She stooped down to pick up Andy. “And he seems to like me.”
Love Finds You in Sisters, Oregon Page 10