“Please help yourselves,” she said.
“Aren’t you the good hostess.” Her mother’s painted lips dripped sarcasm.
Jen waited. She knew Sara would get to the point of her visit soon enough. She didn’t have long enough to take more than one sip of her beverage.
“So when do I get my share of the inheritance?”
“I don’t think Mr. Donne mentioned Grandmother leaving you anything. Did he contact you?” She managed to keep her tone of voice neutral.
“Yeah, I flew in for the funeral. More than I can say for you.” An accusing long blood red fingernail pointed in Jen’s direction.
“I didn’t know.” Jen lowered her eyes.
“Well, you should have kept in touch. Anyway, I want what’s due me.”
“Mother, I have nothing to do with the terms of Grandma’s will. You really have to take that up with Mr. Donne, not me.”
“I’ll just bet I do.” Sara puckered her lips as if she’d been sucking on a lemon.
“In any case, I don’t get a penny unless I live here for two years. So I have nothing to offer you.”
“Fine. We’ll just see about that. I’ll be back. Don’t think I won’t. You’ll be sorry if you don’t do what’s right by me.” Her mother’s gaze was as menacing as her threatening tone of voice.
After Sara and Frank slammed out of the house, Jen sat on her chair for several minutes, too stunned to move.
Linda Coleman entered the room with a dust cloth in her hand. “Did I see your mother?”
“I’m afraid so.”
Linda flashed her a warm smile. “Mrs. Stoddard, your mother always did have a sharp tongue on her. Sorry, I couldn’t help overhearing. Don’t let her get to you.”
Jen found tears had formed in her eyes. “Thank you, Linda. Please call me Jen. I appreciate your support.”
“You’re going to find that there are lots of good people in this town, ones who’ll want to know you if you’ll give them the chance.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“Oh, I know I am.” Linda Coleman touched her shoulder.
Jen couldn’t help comparing Linda’s family to her own. Except for Grant, they were kind-hearted and friendly. Well, her grandparents had been fine people too, in her opinion. Maybe Bloomingvale was the right place for her.
Chapter Eight
Late that afternoon as Jen left the house and started to drive away, departing for the inn, a strange sound whizzed across the open front car windows from the driver’s side through the passenger side. She was startled by the sound. Her heart began to pound. Jen glanced over at the thicket of overgrown shrubs and trees to the side of the grounds that led back into woodlands. Had the sound been a bullet? If so, it had nearly hit her. Her hands shook on the driver’s wheel as she took off at high speed.
One block away she heard the police siren and saw the flashing lights. She groaned. Not again! He signaled with his hand, pointing his index finger for her to pull over. It was all she could do not to burst into tears.
Grant Coleman approached the car like a gunfighter in a spaghetti western. “I thought you learned something the first time,” he said. “Guess I was wrong. License and registration.” He held out his hand with a bored, impatient gesture.
“I have a very good reason for speeding.”
The smile was more of a smirk. “I’ve heard them all, but you can try.”
“As I left my grandmother’s house, a bullet passed through my car. I had the windows rolled down. So they weren’t broken, but it just missed hitting me.”
He stared at her. “Maybe it was a kid with a BB gun. Are you certain it was a bullet breezing by you? How familiar are you with weapons?”
“Not familiar at all, but I know what I heard.” Jen swallowed hard.
He let out a loud laugh. “In Bloomingvale? I doubt that very much.”
“So you’re not taking this seriously?” She folded her arms over her chest.
“Admit it. You’re just looking for an excuse to keep me from writing you another ticket.” His intense gray eyes bore into her like the steel blade of a dagger.
Jen raised her chin and stiffened her spine. “You are so wrong. Why don’t you check the area near the house, just to see if you can find anything?”
“Waste of time.” He leaned toward her and she felt his breath on her cheek which caused her to shiver. “Tell you what I will do though. I won’t write you a ticket this time because that’s the most creative excuse I’ve ever heard.”
“So glad I managed to amuse you,” she said.
Jen watched him drive off. He was probably still laughing, the sexy jerk. Several people had come out of their houses and were staring at her. Jen managed to restart her car and drove off before others gathered. She certainly didn’t want to make a spectacle of herself. Letting out a shaky breath, Jen wasn’t certain now if she’d really heard what she thought she had. A professional law enforcement officer didn’t think anything of it. She supposed it might have been nothing at all. Maybe it was a child with a BB gun as he suggested. But try as hard as she might, Jen couldn’t convince herself.
“Mommy!” Aaron saw her waiting and ran into Jen’s arms.
She hugged her son and held him to her. “I missed you so much.”
She ran her hand over his hair that was as a newly minted copper penny. Jen loved the little boy scent of him. In truth, she loved everything about him. She tried to kiss him, but he pushed her away.
“Kissing is yucky. It’s for little kids. I’m big.”
Jen smiled. “Yes, you are. How did you enjoy camp?”
“It was cool. Me and my friend Josh caught a frog. We had to let it go though. Our counselor said it would die if we kept him. So we set it free.”
“That was good. Creatures are meant to live in the wild not in captivity.”
Maryann stepped forward and hugged her. “Aaron and I enjoyed the plane ride, didn’t we?”
“Yeah, it was an excellent adventure.”
“Did you see lots of planes at the airport?”
“Lots and lots. They took off and they landed. So cool!” Aaron’s face was pink and beaming, showing the kind of enthusiasm only a child could experience.
Jen smiled. “We’re going to have another adventure. My grandmother left me her house and we’re going to live in it.”
Suddenly the smile faded from Aaron’s face. “For how long?”
“Well, it might be for a long time. We’ll have to see.”
“Okay, as long as we get back in time for school.”
Maryann looked at Jen, her green eyes enlarging. Jen knew exactly what her friend was thinking. Selling Aaron on remaining in Bloomingvale might be a real challenge. Jen wished she had Maryann’s marketing skills.
Jen drove them past Main Street with all its charming shops, the brick casements filled with flowers and plants at this time of the year, adding considerable beauty.
“Very nice,” Maryann said. “Don’t you think it’s pretty here?” She turned to Aaron.
“It’s okay, I guess.” His small shoulders rose in a noncommittal shrug.
“We started fixing up the house,” Jen said. “I think you’re going to like it. There’s a lot to explore. The workmen are still around. You can watch what they’re doing.”
Aaron seemed to perk up. “Okay, that could be fun.”
“You bet it will,” Maryann said with a big smile and gave Aaron a thumbs up.
Chapter Nine
The month of August had become hot and humid. They didn’t call these the dog days for no reason. Add to that the house wasn’t air-conditioned and she, Maryann and Aaron were all uncomfortable. Jen made a mental note to discuss this situation with Rob Coleman.
“I really would like central air throughout the house,” she told Rob when he arrived at the house.
“So would I,” Maryann said. “It’s positively sweltering.”
“You have an idea how much it would cost?” Rob sco
wled.
“A lot?”
Rob gave a quick nod. “Got that right. More than you can afford right now. The house was built long before there were such things as air-conditioners let alone central air. The wiring and duct work alone are major jobs. Tell you what I could do, put in a more powerful attic fan for the time being. Also, we could put window units in the bedrooms, kitchen and parlor area. How would that be?”
“Thanks, Rob. That will help a lot.”
Maryann eyeballed the good-looking man working in her friend’s house. She liked what she saw. Rob Coleman had a broad back and shoulders and well-muscled biceps. Ordinarily, she didn’t pay much attention to construction workers, but he was different. You could tell a lot about a man from the way he treated children, and Rob was very good with Aaron.
“Can I help you work?” Aaron asked Rob.
“Sure you can. I can always use a good helper, as long as your mom doesn’t object.”
The man had patience and answered the boy’s questions without being rude or patronizing. Maryann really did like that. She even liked the dimple that winked in his right cheek and his deep baritone voice.
After Jen left them to run some errands, Maryann turned her attention on Rob Coleman.
“So have you lived here all your life?”
“Except for serving in the military.” He gave her the full extent of his smile which she had to admit was something to behold. “You always been a big city gal?”
“No, I lived in Connecticut originally. But I took my M.B.A. at Fordham in New York. I did an internship in Manhattan and have been working there ever since.”
“Good credentials.”
“Oh, I don’t know. It didn’t seem enough to impress my employers. They downsized my department.”
“Tough break. So you’re between jobs?”
“For the time being I’m taking advantage of Jen’s hospitality.”
“Well, there’s plenty of room in this big old house.”
“I guess when it was built, people had large families.”
“Suppose so.” He wiped his sweating brow with the back of his hand.
“Would you like something to drink?”
“You can leave a pitcher of something cold outside for us workers to drink. Seems like it’ll be real hot today.”
She tried to ignore the fact that he topped her by a good several inches and very few men of her acquaintance did. He was all lean, hard muscle. She wasn’t looking for a summer fling, but if she were, Rob Coleman would fit the bill very well indeed.
“Are you working on the roof today?”
“We sure are. We’ll try to see if we can patch it, but I think it’s going to need replacing.”
“I suppose there are lots of leaks in old houses like this one.”
He gave a nod.
That morning, Maryann brought out several pitchers of lemonade and placed them on the redwood table out back. Around eleven-thirty, as she sat at her laptop by the kitchen table updating her resume, Rob Coleman returned.
“We’ll be chopping down some of the hedges,” he said.
“Don’t do it until you’ve talked to Jen. You should get her approval first. She took Aaron over to the elementary school this morning. I’m certain they’ll be returning soon.”
He stepped forward so close that she felt his warm breath on her cheek. He wiped his sweating face with the back of his large, callused hand. She studied him thoroughly. He was a few years older than she was. But he gave a young impression. Broad-shouldered and powerful, dressed as he was in faded jeans and work shirt, if one looked only at the work-hardened body, he could easily pass for twenty. But there were lines etched in the weather-beaten face. He had strong features, and his eyes were a clear dark blue.
“Those thorny bushes have got to go. They’re murdering us.”
“I’m certain Jen won’t mind, but you do have to ask her permission.”
He smiled at her showing even white teeth. “Haven’t you heard the saying it’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission?”
He went back out and her eyes followed his departing body. She let out a deep sigh. Time to get back to working on her resume. Must not lose perspective. Best to avoid distractions. Getting another job was number one on her to do list.
Chapter Ten
“Why did we have to visit the school here? I don’t understand. Aren’t we going back home at the end of the summer?” Aaron’s voice was practically a whine. His eyes narrowed.
Jen gently touched his shoulder. “Let’s get a treat at the bakery and then we’ll talk about it, okay?”
Aaron’s mood immediately improved. Jen didn’t intend to bribe her son with food, but a little bit of sugar made the medicine go down a lot better.
The woman working behind the counter at the bakery had snowy hair. She might have been elderly, but her hazel eyes sparkled.
“You always had the best chocolate cream donuts.”
“We still do. Would you like one?”
“Why don’t you make it a dozen donuts and give us a variety?” Jen was thinking of Maryann, Rob Coleman, and his crew.
“My pleasure,” the woman said with a big smile. “And what would you like, young man?”
Aaron looked around the displayed pastries with eyes larger than his stomach. “That one.” He pointed to a chocolate cupcake with coconut frosting.
“My favorite too.” The woman’s pronouncement was delivered with a wide smile.
Jen studied the donuts. “Those Boston crèmes look yummy and what kind of jelly donuts do you have?”
“We baked apricot and blueberry for today.” The woman pointed to them in the display case.
“A half dozen of those would be great.”
After handing Aaron his treat, the woman boxed the donuts and handed them to Jen.
“I like this place,” Aaron said sniffing the air. “It smells good here.”
“We agree,” Jen said with a smile.
“You seem familiar,” the woman said, turning her head to one side.
“I used to live in town a long time ago. I was Jennifer Morrow then. My grandmother recently passed away and I’m living in her house now. Her name was Velma Pritchard.”
The woman extended her hand. “I’m Aggie Bigelow. You might say this bakery is something of a landmark in Bloomingvale, been a family business for over a hundred years. I knew your grandmother and your grandfather too. Good folks. You be sure to come back again often. We bake fresh bread and rolls every day.”
“We’ll definitely be back, Mrs. Bigelow,” Jen said.
She paid for the purchases, and took the box of goodies into her hands. Then she led Aaron to the town square which had numerous benches beneath large shade trees. They sat down together and Jen watched Aaron wolf down his cupcake.
“This is really good, Mom. Aren’t you going to eat one too?”
“A little later, sweetheart. Back at the house so they can be shared. There’s some things we need to talk about. I thought it might be good to discuss them between us in private.”
“You mean without Maryann?” He gave her a questioning look.
“Or anyone else. Yes, just you and me.”
Aaron finished gobbling down his cupcake and Jen automatically handed him a napkin. She waited while he wiped his mouth. He threw her an impish grin and she thought what a good-natured child Aaron was, and how much he reminded her of his father.
“Honey, when I was a child, I saw a pair of shoes in a store window. I fell in love with those shoes and wanted them so badly. They were shiny patent leather just perfect for parties. I asked my grandmother and she offered to buy them for me as a birthday present. When we went to the store, they didn’t have them in my size and I was terribly disappointed.”
Aaron nodded solemnly. “They couldn’t order the shoes for you?”
“No, there were no others. But the gentleman who owned the shoe store told me that although the shoes looked pretty, they were actually not very
comfortable. He brought out another pair of shoes, not as pretty but very comfortable. You know what? They became my favorites. The point I’m trying to make is that we don’t always get what we want but sometimes what we do get is really good, maybe even better. We just need to keep an open mind. We don’t always know what’s really best for us. Does that make any sense to you?”
Aaron turned his head from side to side. “I guess.” His dark brown eyes, so like her own, appeared thoughtful. He dangled his feet over the green bench and stared at the grass beneath.
“We’re going to be living in my grandmother’s house for at least two years. The house is a gift from her to us.”
Aaron got to his feet. “But we live in New York. We don’t live here.”
“This is a good place. It’s where I grew up. I think we could be happy here.”
Aaron’s chin trembled. “My friends aren’t here.”
“You can make new friends.”
Jen tried to place her hand on her son’s small shoulder but he shrugged her away.
“I don’t want to stay here.” She could tell that further discussion at this time would be pointless. Aaron’s chest heaved and he looked ready to burst into tears.
“I have to take these pastries back to the house before they melt in the heat.” Jen could see the idea of moving to Bloomingvale had taken Aaron by surprise. She decided to beat a strategic retreat for now. She bit down on her lower lip wondering if he would come around. If not, she would be faced with some hard choices.
Chapter Eleven
Rob Coleman entered the house through the kitchen door. “Could you get us another pitcher of something cold right away. It’s hot as Hades on that roof today. You’ll find some corpses if you don’t keep the water coming.”
“I was just about to do that,” Maryann said. “Great minds think alike.”
She noted that he was red-faced, perspiring profusely, proof the heat was taking its toll.
“We’re back.” Jen and Aaron entered the kitchen.
Maryann saw that Jen was carrying a bakery box. “Something tasty?”
The Inheritance Page 4