The Settlement

by Ali Spooner

  “Thanks, I’d like to get a start on this last row.”

  “You know I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face today after the news you gave us last night,” Terri said as she began raking.

  “I hope to hear from the bank tomorrow,” Cadin said. “Hopefully early morning, so we can make this final.”

  “Will you come by the store and let me know?” she asked.

  “May I bring Lexie with me?”

  “You certainly may,” she said.

  “You have a deal then.”

  They raked for another hour before Cadin finally said, “I think we’ve done enough for today, I’m bushed.”

  “Go enjoy a nice hot shower and I’ll put the tools away for the night,” Terri said.

  Cadin smiled a tired smile. “Thanks, I’d appreciate that.”

  †

  The shower worked magic in relieving the weariness from Cadin’s body. When she finally emerged from the shower and dressed in clean clothes, she felt revitalized and hungry. She looked at her watch and smiled. “Time to eat.”

  She was the last to arrive in the dining room. The women were bustling around preparing to serve the meal when she walked inside. “There you are. We were starting to get worried,” Miss Betty teased. “Have a seat and we will be ready in just a few minutes.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Cadin took a seat at the table. Less than a minute later, she jumped when her cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out to find she had missed a call from the bank. Fortunately, there was a voice mail. “I’ll be right back,” she said and stepped outside. She took a deep breath and pushed the button to listen to the message. The smile on her face grew wider as the woman stated she was calling to set up a time for a closing on the house she was buying and would appreciate Cadin giving her a return call first thing in the morning.

  †

  Terri caught her eye when Cadin walked back into the room. The smile on Cadin’s face told her she had gotten good news. She returned the smile and then went back to preparing a plate for Lexie.

  “This meal smells terrific,” Cadin said as Terri handed her a plate with a healthy portion of fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, and a mound of sweet corn.

  Cadin took her plate to the table and waited for the others to take their seats. They joined hands while Sister Frances blessed the meal and then she and Lexie hungrily attacked the food.

  Between bites, Cadin looked up at Sister Frances and asked, “Who would you recommend to cater a meal?”

  “Cater, here in Greensboro? My child, did you get too much sun today?” she teased.

  “Okay, let me rephrase, where can I go to get a meal big enough to feed us?”

  “I’d recommend the BBQ spot on the edge of town. They make great pulled pork and ribs. Are you tired of our cooking already?”

  “No, ma’am, the food here is to die for, but tomorrow night we are having a celebration,” she said.

  Every fork at the table stopped in midstream as heads turned to look at her. “What are we celebrating?” Sister Frances asked.

  “Can’t say,” Cadin said. “It’s a surprise.”

  “Oh great, now we won’t sleep a wink tonight,” Miss Betty teased.

  “I would recommend getting a good night’s rest. We have plenty of work to do ahead of us,” Cadin teased back.

  “You are cruel, Cadin Michaels,” Terri said with a chuckle.

  Cadin just smiled and took another large bite of chicken. When she swallowed, she turned back to Sister Frances. “Will you take me to this BBQ place tomorrow in your car?”

  “I’d be delighted,” she answered.

  Cadin fought off all attempts to get a clue to what she was up to throughout the rest of the meal, but she easily dodged all the probing questions.

  When they finished the meal, Miss Betty and Sister Frances carried plates and three delicious-looking pecan pies to the table. “Who would like coffee?” Miss Betty asked. She took orders and returned to the kitchen as Sister Frances started slicing and serving the pie.

  †

  “I take it you got the news you were expecting?” Terri asked after the kitchen was cleaned and she had joined Cadin and Lexie for a walk.

  “I got a voice mail from the bank wanting to set up a time to close on the house,” she answered with a huge grin. “Hopefully, by tomorrow night, we will have keys to your new home.”

  “That is going to be so exciting. I love your idea about a celebration tomorrow night too. It will be a very special treat for all of us and give Miss Betty and Sister Frances a break from cooking.”

  “I will give the bank a call as soon as they open in the morning,” Cadin said as she held the door open for them.

  Terri asked, “Will you two work before you call or wait until you have more information?”

  “That depends on the boss lady. If she gets up early again, we can get some work done before going to the bank,” she said with a wink to Lexie.

  “Will you make sure I’m up early, Mommy?” Lexie asked. “I want us to finish tomorrow so we can start on the garden.”

  “I will wake you up once I’m dressed for work. Is that early enough?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Lexie answered.

  Terri smiled at her daughter with pride. “Get those teeth brushed and your pajamas on and I’ll tuck you in.”

  Cadin changed clothes and joined Lexie in the bathroom to brush her teeth. “I’m going to sleep like a log tonight,” she told the smiling child. “I’m whipped.”

  “Me too,” Lexie said, rubbing her tired eyes.

  She climbed into the bed and looked over to see Lexie tucked under her covers. “Goodnight, boss,” she said.

  Lexie looked at her with a grin. “Goodnight, Cadin.”

  †

  After breakfast, Cadin and Lexie took their tools from the shed and went to work. Cadin set her alarm on vibrate for nine to remind her to call the bank and slipped it into her pocket. There was half a row left to rake and she tackled the challenge while Lexie started collecting the pecans. She was determined to finish the project today so they could begin work on Miss Betty’s garden tomorrow.

  When the phone vibrated in her pocket, Cadin pulled it out to silence the alarm then dialed the number for the bank.

  The woman who answered the phone put her directly through to the loan officer who said she had the paperwork ready for signing. Pleased, Cadin agreed to an appointment at three to close on the house. That would give her plenty of time to finish the pecan harvest, close on the house and be ready to feast with the others where she would make her announcement.

  “We’re all set,” she said to Lexie with a grin. She placed the phone back in her pocket and carried the canister inside to empty it before returning to her raking.

  †

  They emptied the last canister and put away their tools at noon. Miss Betty had sandwiches and chips waiting for them after they washed their hands.

  “What are you two going to do now that you are finished harvesting?” Sister Frances asked.

  “I have another project I need Lexie’s help with. We are going to take a look at it after we shower and dress in some clean clothes,” Cadin said. “We’ll be back in plenty time to get the BBQ,” she added.

  “Good, I’ve already called in the order and they promise to have it ready by a quarter past five,” Sister Frances said.

  “Good deal,” Cadin said as she finished her sandwich. “Ready to get cleaned up?” she asked Lexie.

  “Yes, ma’am,” she said as she drained her drink.

  “We’ll be back later today,” she said as they left the dining room.

  “We need to shower and put some jeans on,” she told Lexie.

  Lexie smiled up at her. “I know. Mommy has already laid my clothes out for me.”

  “Cool.”

  Terri had laid out a pair of jeans and green T-shirt for Lexie. She also had a pair of cowboy boots and socks placed on the bed. “That should do nicely,” sh
e said as they stripped out of their work clothes and walked to the showers.

  †

  Cadin pulled out her spare helmet and did her best to tighten it on Lexie’s head. As she feared, it was way too large, but it would have to work for now. She straddled the bike and then told Lexie how to climb onto the back of the bike.

  “All set?” she asked. “Would you like to see the house before we go see your mom?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Lexie said.

  “Hold on tight then,” she said and smiled when Lexie’s tiny arms circled her waist. Cadin started the bike and drove it out to the street. She drove carefully, winding her way through downtown, past the bank, to Miss Betty’s house and parked in front.

  †

  Lexie’s mouth was hanging open when she turned the bike off. “This is beautiful,” she said. “I can’t believe we can actually live here.”

  “Very soon, you will have your own room,” Cadin said as she unbuckled the helmet. “Want to look around?”

  Lexie took her hand and they stepped onto the front porch. She peeked through the windows and when they walked around to the back of the house, Cadin lifted her up to look through the higher windows.

  “Wow, this is awesome,” she said as Cadin placed her down on the ground.

  “Want to see the garden and our next project?”

  Lexie nodded excitedly and followed her behind the garage. She frowned when she saw the overgrowth of the garden.

  “Relax it’s not as bad as it looks. We can handle this.”

  “If you say so, Cadin,” she said with a doubtful look on her face.

  “Trust me on this. Let’s go see your mom and then ride to the bank.”

  †

  It only took a few minutes to find Terri, busy stocking the cereal shelves.

  She looked up to see them approaching and smiled. “Hey there you two, I take it you have good news.”

  “The closing is at three,” Cadin said.

  “Cadin took me by the house, and it’s so cool, Mom, you’re going to love it,” Lexie said.

  Terri ruffled her daughter’s hair. “I’m sure I will, sweetheart. Did you finish your harvesting today?”

  Lexie looked up at her wearing a proud smile. “Yes, ma’am, we did. Sister Frances said she was going to have to rob a bank to pay me.” Lexie looked at her mom with a confused look. “She won’t really, will she Mom?”

  “No, honey, that’s just an expression. It means you made a lot of money.”

  “Cool,” Lexie said.

  “Would you mind if Lexie goes to the bank with me or would you rather I take her home?” Cadin asked.

  Terri looked at Lexie patiently awaiting her answer. “I don’t see why she can’t go with you.”

  Lexie hugged her mom. “Thanks, Mommy, I’m having so much fun riding Cadin’s bike.”

  “You just continue to hang on tight,” Terri said.

  “No worries there, Lexie’s got a death grip on my waist,” Cadin said.

  Terri smiled. “I guess I will see you back at Sister Frances’s then.”

  “See you soon,” Cadin said and turned to walk back to her bike with Lexie in tow. “Let’s go buy a house,” she said as she straddled the bike and offered Lexie her hand.

  “Let’s do it,” Lexie said as she took Cadin’s hand and scrambled onto the bike.

  †

  Elizabeth, the loan officer, met Cadin and Lexie at the receptionist’s desk. Cadin glanced toward George’s office and when he saw her looking at him, he dropped his head back to the document he was reviewing. She smiled and followed Elizabeth back to the cubicle and helped Lexie into a seat, then sat across from Elizabeth.

  “This is a very fast closing,” Elizabeth said. “I’ve never had a deal move this quickly.”

  “I offered George a deal too good to be true,” Cadin said.

  “You must have. He can be pretty tough to deal with,” she whispered.

  Cadin smiled. “You just have to know how to work him.”

  “Remind me to give you a call the next time I want to buy a house.”

  “I’d be delighted to help you negotiate,” Cadin answered.

  “Well let’s get to it.”

  †

  For the next forty-five minutes, Elizabeth explained each document then Cadin signed each page. She was about to get writer’s cramp from signing her name when Elizabeth announced the document in her hand was the last.

  “Now all I need to do is package up your copies of the documents and hand you the keys to your new home.”

  Cadin turned to Lexie and held her hand up for a high five. “We’ve done it,” she said.

  Elizabeth handed Cadin a thick manila envelope and a set of keys. “Congratulations,” she said and offered Cadin her hand.

  “Thanks,” she said and turned to Lexie. “Let’s go celebrate.”

  “All right,” Lexie said and followed her out of the bank.

  She placed the paperwork in her saddlebags and handed Lexie the keys. “Slip these into your pocket,” she said.

  Lexie crammed the keys deep into her pocket and then waited for Cadin to fasten the helmet.

  Cadin checked her watch. They’d made good time inside the bank. “Want to go look at the inside?”

  “Yes,” Lexie said.

  “Okay, let’s ride.”

  †

  She took the keys from Lexie and opened the front door. Reaching for a switch she flipped it up and was surprised when the lights came on. She would ask Miss Betty to call and transfer the utilities to her name tomorrow or the next day. “This is really nice,” she said as she followed Lexie through the house.

  “It’s so big,” Lexie said, her eyes growing wide with delight.

  “It will be perfect for the three of you.”

  They walked through the entire house and Cadin was pleased to find that the interior was in good shape and shouldn’t take much to clean. When they walked back outside, she handed Lexie the keys. “Lock her up,” she said.

  Lexie took the keys and turned the lock. She looked up at Cadin who said, “You keep them.”

  Lexie smiled and tucked them away in her pocket.

  †

  When they arrived home, they found everyone sitting around the dining room tables shelling pecans.

  “You’ve made a good dent in those today,” Cadin said as she slid in beside Sister Frances.

  “You two worked so hard to collect them, we had to start shelling to get ready for the market next week. Miss Betty counted them for us and I owe you forty dollars, Lexie.”

  “Wow,” Lexie said.

  Cadin wasn’t sure Lexie comprehended how much money that really was, but Lexie would have been happy if it were ten dollars.

  “I’ll go to the bank tomorrow and get your money, if that’s okay with you,” Sister Frances said.

  “That’s fine, Sister Frances,” Lexie said. “You really don’t need to pay me after all you’ve done for Mommy and me.”

  Terri’s chest swelled with pride at her daughter’s comment. She was growing up way too fast.

  “Nonsense, we had a deal and you’ve earned every penny of the money,” Sister Frances said.

  Cadin also smiled proudly at Lexie’s behavior. “What can we do to help?”

  Sister Frances looked at the clock to find they had a half hour before they would leave to pick up supper. “Will you and Lexie start filling those bags for us? Unbroken halves in one bag and pieces in another?”

  “I think we can handle that,” Cadin said. “You want wholes or pieces?”

  Lexie thought for a second. “I’ll take the pieces,” she answered.

  Cadin took out two Ziploc bags and opened one for each of them. “Let’s do it.”

  They filled bags while the others continued to shell. When it was time to leave, Sister Frances turned to Cadin. “Are you ready to go?”

  “Yes ma’am, I am.”

  “The others will clean up here and set the tables for dinner
, so if you’re ready, let’s go.”

  Cadin followed Sister Frances out to the car and climbed in the passenger seat. Sister Frances slid in behind the wheel and turned to Cadin. “I don’t know what you are up to, but I have the feeling you are going to spring some big news on us tonight.”

  “You’re right, I am,” Cadin said. “You will find out within the hour.”

  “You are a difficult woman,” Sister Frances said with a smile. She started the car and pulled out of the drive.

  †

  When they returned, Terri and Miss Betty came out to help carry in the bags of food and spread it out on the table. After everyone took their seats, Sister Frances gave thanks for the feast before them.

  “If I can have just a few more minutes of your time, we can get on with the meal,” Cadin said.

  Everyone turned to give Cadin their full attention. “I have some good news I want to share with you all.” She nodded at Lexie who pulled the keys from her pocket and laid them on the table.

  “What are those for?” Sister Frances asked.

  “They are the keys to Miss Betty’s home,” Cadin said.

  Miss Betty looked at her, confusion written all over her face. “I don’t understand. How did you get the keys to my home?”

  “I got them from the bank when I bought your home back today,” Cadin said.

  “You did what?” Sister Frances said.

  “I bought the house back from the bank, but there are some special circumstances with this deal. Are you ready to hear them?” she asked Miss Betty, who was already crying.

  She nodded her head. “Yes, thank you, Cadin.”

  “I bought the house in the name of the Missy Foundation. She’s the woman I told you about the other night, so the house isn’t actually in your name for tax purposes, but the house is yours.” Cadin took a breath. “As I said I do have a couple of requirements. First, I want Terri and Lexie to move in with you on a temporary basis to give them a home. No offense, Sister Frances but Lexie needs her own room and the opportunity a stable home can give her.”

  “No offense. I agree with you completely,” Sister Frances said.

  “I would love to have them live with me,” Miss Betty said.

  “That is not a permanent solution, but it’s a start. Terri will pay you one hundred dollars each week. Half of that you will put in a savings account for them and when they are ready to move into a place of their own, they will have startup money. The other half, you use as you see fit. Your only expenses will be the utilities. The foundation will pay any taxes and insurance on the property.”