Going Home

by Judith Keim

  Kenton continued to stare out the window. “It won’t ever be the same without him.”

  Rafe pulled the Cadillac up to the front of the inn and waited while Kenton helped Lettie out of the car. “I’ll bring your bags inside.”

  Before they were halfway up the front walk, Mrs. Morley burst out of the house. “Kenton! Kenton! I’m so sorry!” She held out her arms, and Kenton went into them.

  In moments, Kenton straightened and, wet-faced, wrapped an arm around Lettie. “We were both able to see and talk to Dad and to tell him that we’re married now. He seemed really happy about it. Right, Lettie?”

  “Yes. He said ‘good’ and then later he called me ...” she stopped to catch her breath. “He called me what sounded like ‘good girl.’” The tears that had welled in Lettie’s eyes slipped down her cheeks in hot streaks.

  Mrs. Morley said, “Bless your heart. Come here.” She wrapped her arms around Lettie, and the three of them held onto each other.

  Rafe carried their suitcases past them into the house.

  After a few moments, Mrs. Morley pulled away. “Let’s go inside. Mr. Barnes called to say that he and Rex’s accountant would arrive at the end of the week. I’ve got rooms ready for them. My understanding is that they will be with us for two nights.”

  As they neared the front door, Rafe headed out of the house. “I placed the suitcases in the front hall. I wasn’t sure where you’d want them.”

  Mrs. Morley’s eyes widened. “My word! That’s right. Lettie, we’ll have to move you into Kenton’s room.”

  “Thanks for everything, Rafe. Talk to you tomorrow,” Kenton said woodenly. Lettie took his hand and felt a tremor of grief roll through him.

  “Sure thing,” Rafe said. “You know my family and I are here to help any way we can.” He went to the car. “I’ll put the Fleetwood back into the garage and leave. See you tomorrow.”

  Kenton and Lettie followed Mrs. Morley inside.

  “Guess I’d better take the suitcases up to my room,” said Kenton, giving her a woeful look. “God! I can’t believe that Dad is gone!”

  “I’ll help Lettie gather her things,” said Mrs. Morley, bustling away and leaving them standing in the front hallway.

  Kenton sighed and pulled her into his arms. “This isn’t how I envisioned bringing you home.” He lowered his lips to hers. “Sorry.”

  As they stepped apart, Lettie stared into his eyes, miserable with grief. “The important thing is we’re home and together.”

  “You’re right.” He drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Meet you upstairs. I’ll move things around in my closet for you.”

  Her eyes widened. “What are we going to do about our stuff at the beach? Your car?”

  “We’ll figure that out tomorrow.”

  ###

  After Lettie and Mrs. Morley had settled her few things in Kenton’s room, she went downstairs. Kenton was in the library, sipping a glass of red wine.

  “Come have a seat,” he said, indicating the empty wingback chair opposite him.

  She did as he asked and then quietly accepted a glass of wine from him. Her thoughts whirled inside her head. What was going to happen next? Would the inn have to be sold? With Kenton leaving soon, there was no way she could run both the inn and the vineyard.

  “I’ve asked Mrs. Morley to make us something light for supper,” Lettie said. “I don’t know about you, but I’m bone tired. Still, I should probably help her.” She started to rise.

  Kenton waved her back into her chair. “No, Lettie, you don’t work here anymore.”

  “But ...”

  He held up a hand to stop her. “It’ll all be resolved soon. Dad told me some of his plans. We’ll see exactly what he set in motion after Lew Barnes and Dad’s accountant get here.”

  Her emotions barely under control, Lettie managed to speak. “Okay. Whatever you say.”

  A short while later, Mrs. Morley came to the door to the library. “I have a hot meal ready for the two of you. I thought it might be cozier for you in the kitchen, but if you want me to set places for you in the dining room, I can do that.”

  Kenton looked at Lettie. “Okay?” At her nod, he said, “The kitchen would be great. Thanks, Mrs. Morley.”

  ###

  Lettie sat at the kitchen table reminding herself that it was okay for Mrs. Morley to wait on her, that it was only proper. But she knew it would take a long time for her to feel it was right. She’d always been the one to wait on others.

  After they’d finished their meal, Mrs. Morley said, “I’d better get on home to Pat. He’ll come pay his respects tomorrow, Kenton. I suspect a lot of others who’ve been working here as well as friends from town will want to do that too.”

  “Thanks. Guess we’ll have to set up some sort of a reception, but we’ll talk about it later, after we meet with Mr. Barnes.”

  “Of course,” Mrs. Morley said kindly, placing a hand on his shoulder. “See you tomorrow. Someday, we’ll have a little celebration for the two of you.” She gazed at Lettie and turned to Kenton. “My blessings to you both.”

  After Mrs. Morley left, Kenton turned to her. “Ready for bed?”

  She rose from the table, set her water glass in the sink, and followed him out of the room.

  Upstairs, in the bedroom she’d once cleaned, she undressed.

  Before sliding on the nightgown she’d bought for her wedding night, Kenton came up behind her. “Don’t,” he whispered. “I want to feel your skin next to mine.”

  After preparing for bed, they each eased beneath the warm, soft comforter on Kenton’s bed and faced one another.

  Kenton reached out and stroked her cheek, gazing into her eyes with such sorrow her heart clenched at the sight.

  “I’m so sorry, Kenton. I truly am,” she said before kissing him.

  Kenton’s arms wrapped around her tightly. Their kiss extended for several moments, a wordless sharing of grief that was more intimate than anything they’d experienced.

  When they finally pulled apart, Kenton said, “I just want to lie here with you, to feel alive.”

  Understanding his need, Lettie fit her body to his shape and cuddled against him. Within minutes, with his head on her chest, he fell asleep. It was a long time before Lettie joined him. In a matter of days, she’d experienced her happiest moments, and now her saddest. Both Rex and Kenton had welcomed her into their lives. She’d never stop loving them.

  ###

  The next morning, Lettie awoke to an empty bed. Puzzled, she listened for sounds of Kenton, but all was quiet. She slipped out of bed and went to the window. He was sitting on a bench in the small garden between the main house and the wing where his bedroom was.

  On this cool December day, his breath came out in puffs of steam as he talked to himself.

  Curious, Lettie slipped on a pair of jeans and a sweater and went downstairs. She let herself out a side door and walked into the garden.

  Kenton lifted his head and smiled at her.

  “What are you doing, honey?” she asked.

  His grin was sheepish. “Just talking to my Dad. There were so many things I wanted to tell him.” He held out his hand to her. “I wanted to tell him how happy you’ve made me.”

  With fresh tears threatening, Lettie came over to him, took his hand, and lowered herself onto the concrete garden bench beside him. “You’re the one who’s made me happy.”

  “I love you, Lettie,” he said. “Dad knew it even before you did.”

  “I love you too, more than you’ll ever know. But it’s too cold for me out here. Come inside. I’ll fix us a quick breakfast. It’s going to be a busy day.”

  “Okay.” He stood, and still holding her hand, followed her into the house that seemed so empty with Rex gone.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  A few days later, Lewis Barnes arrived at the inn. Instead of the tall, commanding figure Lettie expected to see, he stood at about five-eight, was on the pudgy side, and had wispy, light-brown
hair. But his intelligent, gray eyes made it clear he was no fool. He studied her with unabashed curiosity as she was introduced to him.

  “So, you’re Lettie, the woman who captured Kenton’s heart and Rex’s too,” he said, surprising her.

  “Yes, sir, Mr. Barnes,” Lettie replied, unsure if that was the correct response.

  He waved her formality away. “Call me Lew. I look forward to knowing more about you.” He turned to the man beside him. “And this is Bernie Randolph, Rex’s accountant.”

  Lettie smiled politely. “Nice to meet you, Bernie. Kenton will be right down. He’s changing his clothes.”

  “Where would you like us?” Bernie said. “I need to spread some papers around.”

  Lettie studied him. About the same size and in similar physical shape as Lew, he lacked Lew’s burgeoning self-confidence and spoke softly. He brushed a hand through his dark curls and gazed at her somewhat shyly with dark eyes.

  “Why don’t we use Rex’s office in the north wing of the house? I think you’ll be comfortable there.” Lettie still felt uneasy about using the family’s quarters, but she wanted them to have privacy from neighbors, friends, and vineyard workers who were stopping by with casseroles and other food.

  Lettie led the men into the office. Its off-white walls, long windows overlooking the garden, and simple stone fireplace were all part of a bright, open space in stark contrast to the dark library that Rex had preferred in the main house. A blue Oriental carpet with red and gold accents was offset by chairs on either side of a couch. They were covered in a small-print, navy fabric, which went well with the white-and-blue-checked fabric covering the couch that appeared both masculine and welcoming. Two red-leather chairs faced a large, glass-topped, wooden desk that sat in the middle of one wall and faced the entrance.

  “This is great,” said Lew. “Give us a few minutes, and we’ll be ready to talk.”

  “May we bring you some coffee, tea, water, wine, anything?” Lettie asked.

  Lew checked his large gold watch. “It’s after noon, and we had lunch a few hours ago. How about a glass of wine?”

  “Sounds good,” said Bernie.

  Kenton arrived, and while introductions were being made, Lettie slipped out of the room to find Mrs. Morley. She was in the kitchen talking with Rita Lopez. Their conversation stopped when they noticed her.

  “Yes, what is it?” Mrs. Morley said.

  “The men are going to share a bottle of wine. I was thinking we should offer them some food.” Lettie stopped talking. There was no way she was going to ask Mrs. Morley to serve it.

  “Oh, yes,” said Mrs. Morley. “Good idea. How about I put together a cheese, cracker, and fruit plate for them?”

  “That would be lovely. I can come back to pick it up, if you’d like,” Lettie said.

  “No, no,” said Mrs. Morley. “Kenton and I agreed that you’re not to be working at your old job now that you’re his wife.”

  Lettie blinked in surprise. “But it’s an awful lot of work for you, Mrs. Morley. Of course, I’ll help you.”

  “Thanks, hon, but I’m thinking we’d better hire Paloma on a regular basis.”

  Unwilling to argue in front of Rafe’s mother, Lettie said, “Sure. We’ll talk about it.”

  Back in the office, Lettie sat down beside Kenton on the couch. “Mrs. Morley will bring in the glasses and a snack for us.”

  Kenton stood. “I’ll get one of Dad’s better wines out of the wine cellar. Be right back.”

  After he left the room, Lew spoke up. “Well, Lettie, lots of changes for you. I understand you were in foster care in Dayton, Ohio. I bet you’re wondering how in the world you ended up here in the Willamette Valley.”

  “It sometimes feels like a dream,” she said. “But when I saw the inn and stood on the porch looking out over the hills, I knew I’d found the home I was supposed to have all along. Of course, I never thought I’d be anything but the maid, but I didn’t care. The land spoke to me, you know? The vines are like soldiers lined up ...” Thinking of what lay ahead for Kenton, she stopped, closed her eyes, and gripped her hands together. When she opened her eyes, the men were staring at her with concern. “Sorry,” she said. “I sometimes talk too much. At least, that’s what I’ve always been told.”

  Lew said, “Rex liked the fact that you were open with him, that you loved the land. How would you feel if the land were sold?”

  Lettie swallowed hard. “I ... I don’t know. It’s not my land, but I hoped I could stay and work here. This place, this land means so much to me.”

  Lew’s gray-eyed gaze pierced her, and then he smiled.

  Kenton and Mrs. Morley returned to the room together. Lettie rose to help Mrs. Morley find a place for the food, but she waved Lettie away, set the plate down on the table, and left the room. After Kenton had opened the wine and poured some into each of the four glasses, he lifted his glass and said in a shaky voice. “Here’s to Rex Chandler!”

  “Hear! Hear!” said Lew.

  Bernie and Lettie raised their glasses and joined in the chorus of sad notes.

  Lew cleared his throat. “The official reading of Rex’s will is scheduled to take place a little later. But, I want to go over some of the details with you two beforehand. It’s important that we all have a clear understanding of it.”

  Kenton and Lettie exchanged worried glances.

  “First of all, Kenton, your father told me he talked with you about the future of Chandler Hill before he met with me a few weeks ago. It was his understanding that you had every intention of seeing the inn grow and succeed along with the development of the winery. Is that correct?”

  “Yes,” said Kenton. “Dad really pushed me on it, to make sure I was on board.”

  “And you, Lettie, now that you’re married to Kenton, which Rex foresaw by the way, how do you feel about those plans? Living in the valley and working the inn and vineyards is not a glamorous life. Are you going to be okay with it?”

  Lettie clasped her hands together. “It would be a dream come true.”

  Lew leaned forward. “Okay, then. The next question. What if something happens to Kenton? Would you be willing to do as both he and Rex wanted and stay here, completing their plans?”

  She turned to Kenton and took his hand in hers. “I pray nothing happens to him.”

  “But if it does?” Lew said, pressing the issue.

  “I can’t imagine leaving here,” said Lettie honestly. “It’s like I’m supposed to be here. And when Rex’s ashes are scattered here like he requested, he’d want me to stay. I know he would. For several evenings last summer and fall, he and I sat on the back porch together talking about many things. He even sometimes read poems aloud to me to keep his vocal cords in shape.”

  Lew sat back in his chair. His eyes remained on her, making her wish she’d taken more care readying herself for their visit. She, like Kenton, had been so grief stricken that she hardly cared what she wore or how she looked. She let out a long sigh and gazed out the window. She’d been as honest as she could be. Lew and the others would have to believe her or not.

  “What’s this all about?” Kenton said. “The will is the will, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, but I needed to be sure in my own mind that after knowing Lettie for so little time, Rex was right in wanting to include her in his sizeable estate. He wanted me to be as convinced as he was about the two of you carrying on his plans for Chandler Hill.”

  “And now?” Kenton challenged.

  “And now I know Rex was right. The two of you will remain with the land. Because Rex hasn’t worked in some time, most of his funds were sunk into this venture. He grew to hate Hollywood and never liked the idea of leaving money behind to be spent in any crazy fashion. His one marriage taught him how greedy, how careless people can be with other people’s money.”

  “Yeah,” scoffed Kenton. “My mother.” He straightened. “She’s not going to make a grab for this place, is she?”

  Lew shook his head. “
She has no legal grounds to do so. Now, I’m going to turn the meeting over to Bernie.”

  Bernie lifted a three-ring binder out of his briefcase. “I have here a complete set of plans for the Chandler Hill Inn, including plans for two more expansions. Rex had hoped to show these to you himself. His aim was to go from six guest rooms to thirty, a nice manageable number for a small, upscale property. Also included are his ideas for the construction of a tasting barn for the time when guests could come for a fabulous experience at the winery here on the property. Rex was well acquainted with how Napa and Sonoma are growing and envisioned the same thing happening here in the Willamette Valley. We have invested his money in such a way that his plans should be able to be completed over several years.”

  Kenton and Lettie went over to the desk and stood by Bernie. He opened his notebook, and like Christmas unfolding before them, the drawings of what Rex had envisioned spread in front of them like a gift. Lettie’s heart thudded with excitement as she realized what an enormous amount of work had gone into the planning stages, from both architectural and financial points of view. Chandler Hill Enterprises, as the company had been named, was a big deal.

  The thought of her ever running it alone sent acid to her stomach.

  Bernie laid a hand on her arm. “Don’t worry. Lew and I have been hired to guide you and Kenton through the process, should it be necessary.”

  “Good idea,” said Kenton, studying the sheets of paper. “I’ve always been interested in the winemaking aspect, but I’m not interested in running an inn.” He turned to Lettie. “Do you think you could learn to do that in addition to learning how best to grow the grapes?”

  Lettie bobbed her head with more confidence than she felt. If Rex trusted them to carry on, she’d make sure to do her part, no matter what it was.

  “We can go into this in more detail later,” said Bernie. “In fact, in the time before you leave for boot camp, Kenton, we will spend many hours on this. For now, this is enough.”

  “I agree,” said Lew. “I’ve asked José Lopez and Mrs. Morley to join us shortly for the official reading of the will.”