by Mia Ross
“Hey, Tucker,” she said softly, scratching underneath the stars-and-stripes bandanna tied around his neck. “How’re things here?”
Brows furrowed in that Lab way, he cocked his head and whined. “I know,” she sympathized. “But don’t worry. It’ll be okay.”
He answered with a couple more tail thumps, then settled his chin on his paws as she stepped over him to knock on the back door. When a familiar voice yelled for her to come in, Caty smiled and went inside.
All the windows were open, and whirring fans drew fresh air through the house. There were four women in the kitchen, one spooning batter into muffin tins, another emptying the dishwasher. The other two were arguing over how much coffee to put in Marianne’s commercial-grade double-pot coffeemaker.
With her graying hair and slender build, a casual observer would think the smaller one was at a disadvantage. Anyone who knew her knew she hadn’t lost an argument since she was old enough to talk. A longtime widow with eight grown sons and grandkids numbering in the twenties, Ruth Benton had the courage of a lion. And the heart of a pussycat.
“Ruthy, I should’ve known you’d be here.”
The field general of the little army dropped her point midsentence and turned to her with a delighted smile. “Caty Lee McKenzie, is that you?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Ruthy rushed over to fold her into a hug, then grasped her arms and pushed her away to look her up and down.
“Too skinny,” she chided, pressing her lips into a disapproving line. “What? They don’t have decent restaurants in Charlotte?”
“None as good as yours.”
“You could learn how to cook.” Ruthy took a pair of ruffled red oven mitts from the counter and pulled them on. “It’s not that hard.”
“Not for you ladies, anyway.” Caty included the others with a smile, then focused back on their leader. “The tables outside are full of food. What’s all this?”
Ruthy moved a wire rack to a clear spot on the counter. “Those kids will have enough to do without worrying about what they’re going to eat the next couple days.”
Caty looked around and laughed. “Couple days? I think they’re set for the week.”
“It’s not much.” Harland’s favorite chef waved off the compliment with her spatula, using it to transfer one of the yummy-looking pastries to the cooling rack. “Just a little of this and that.”
From the side porch, Caty heard voices and the sound of a filling washing machine. “Are they doing laundry?”
“Sure are. There’s a mountain of it back there, some clean, some not. I set two of John’s darlings on it. Told them they could each keep a pair of his boxers for their trouble.”
Caty grinned. “He doesn’t wear boxers.”
“They don’t know that,” Ruthy replied, the laugh lines around her eyes crinkling as she winked. She shoved a tin of her famous blueberry muffins into the oven and turned to Caty with a suspicious look. “And how do you know that?”
“Truth or dare, junior year.”
The older woman studied her long and hard, then chuckled and shook her head. “If you ask me, a man’s old enough to live on his own, he’s old enough to do his own laundry.”
“Marianne likes taking care of him. Besides, his house is about a hundred yards away.”
“Still, he could come up here and take care of it himself. She’s got enough to do, what with teaching and taking care of her kids and this big house. I don’t know how Ethan got by without her all those years.”
“He didn’t eat as well, that’s for sure,” Caty agreed, sneaking a piece of flaky crust that had fallen on the counter.
Ruthy saw her do it but just smiled. “I always thought you and John would get together.”
Actually, he’d asked. Many times. Caty adored him, and tempting as it was, she had no intention of joining his endless collection of admirers. “Why ruin a good friendship?”
“All the time you were in college, you never brought a beau home. I know you had them, but did you bring them to meet me? Not once.”
“I didn’t want you to go stealing them away from me,” Caty replied with a grin.
She hmphed at that. “More likely you had that nose of yours buried in your books. You always did.”
“That’s what it takes to be successful.”
Ruthy pinned her with a knowing look, and Caty got the distinct impression that those wise blue eyes could see right through her. These days, she was accustomed to dealing with acquaintances, people who respected her but didn’t really know her. Sometimes she thought Ruthy knew her better than she knew herself.
“You’re way too serious, sweet pea. If you want to help, I’ve got plenty of big pans that need washing.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Caty stepped out of her gorgeous but very impractical shoes and set them on the mat by the back door. Then she rolled up her sleeves, tied on an oversize apron and started scrubbing.
Chapter Two
Feeling very out of sorts, Matt took a couple deep breaths to calm his temper. He wasn’t easy to rile, but the very classy Caitlin McKenzie had gotten under his skin in record time. Maybe it was the intelligence driving her sharp tongue. Or the way she had looked at him with more sympathy than he deserved. After his nasty parting shot, he figured he wouldn’t get any more of that from her. It was his own fault, but he regretted starting out so badly with her.
Then again, he thought as he approached his family, that was the least of his problems.
His younger sister Marianne saw him first, and he couldn’t miss the annoyance she quickly tried to mask with the smile she usually reserved for company.
“Kyle,” she said, “why don’t you and Emily go in the kitchen and get a snack?”
“Sure, Mom.” He spun his little sister around and headed her in the right direction. “C’mon, Emmy. Grown-ups wanna talk.”
As they walked away, Matt was struck by how much taller his nephew had gotten. Eight years old, Kyle had a longer stride than Emily’s, but he slowed down to match her smaller steps. Responsible was the word that came to mind. He had to be, since his father had taken off four years ago, just after Emily was born, leaving Marianne to fend for herself.
“The kids were great during the funeral,” Matt said when he realized they were all waiting for him to say something.
“Thanks,” Marianne replied in the clipped, polite voice she probably used on telemarketers. “So were you.”
“You sound surprised.”
“I was.”
“You’ve been on my back since I got here,” Matt shot back. “I came as fast as I could.”
“Maybe if we’d had your new phone number, we could have reached you in time to…” Her voice trailed off, and tears started gathering in her eyes. With a frustrated sigh, she said, “I think I’ll go see if Ruthy needs help finding anything.”
As she walked away, John plunked a hand on Matt’s shoulder. “Don’t mind her. Losing Dad this way has been real tough on her and the kids.”
“It’s more like she still hasn’t forgiven me for leaving home fifteen years ago,” Matt complained.
“Actually, she understood that. It’s the never coming back she has a problem with.”
“I was back for Christmas.”
“Not last Christmas.”
“I told you.” When he realized how loud his voice was, Matt notched it down. “My boss booked a lodge in Telluride and one of his friends cancelled. I’ve always wanted to go, and all it cost me was a plane ticket.”
John didn’t respond to that. His disgusted look said it all.
“What do you want from me?” Matt demanded. He had nothing to apologize for, and he didn’t like being made to feel otherwise.
“I don’t know,” John shot back, eyes narrowing to icy blue slits. “Maybe for you to visit ’cause you want to, instead of feeling like you have to. Now that you’re in Charlotte, it’s not that far. Caty manages to get here every few weeks.”
“I have a life, y’know.”
Swooping in from the side, his baby sister, Lisa, wedged herself in between them, snaking her arms around them.
“We all have lives,” she reminded them in her peacemaker tone. “But right now, we have to stick together.”
That got their attention, and they let the pointless argument drop. They’d replayed it a hundred times at least, and Matt suspected John was as tired of it as he was.
When the porch door opened, they all glanced over to see Caty coming down the steps. Wearing an apron way too big for her, she set down on a nearby table the tray of finger sandwiches she was carrying. She’d ditched the fancy shoes, Matt noticed. Her bare feet made an interesting contrast with the buttoned-up skirt and blouse she was wearing. He wondered how her hair would look down around her shoulders, curling around those sparkling green eyes.
Get a grip, he warned himself sternly. She was very far removed from the kind of women he usually spent his time with. Then there was the whip in her voice when she basically scolded him for being male. It stung more than it should have, and he knew better than to ignore it.
Now, though, she was all warmth and caring as she hugged John and put a comforting arm around Lisa. “How are you two holding up?”
“Okay, I guess,” Lisa answered. “I didn’t get to talk to you earlier, but I was so happy to see you at the service.”
“Ethan was one of my favorite people. If he hadn’t organized that scholarship fund for me, I’d be drowning in student loans instead of just wading.”
“Ever since you were little, he knew you’d do something important when you grew up,” Lisa reminded her. “Dad just figured he was helping things along. He said, with you as his lawyer, he’d never have to worry about legal stuff again.”
“He convinced a lot of people in Harland to contribute money so I could afford to go to Boston College.” She paused with a fond smile. “It was an investment, he told them. When they needed a lawyer, they’d know one they could trust. Most of them couldn’t afford it, but they gave anyway. I’ll never forget it.”
That sounded like his father, Matt thought with more than a little pride. His dad had a knack for seeing things in people that even they didn’t know were there. If he’d seen it in Caty all those years ago, there must be something to it.
“Did Ruthy put you to work?” John asked as Caty removed her apron.
“Just a little. How’s Gina doing?”
“Fine,” he answered smoothly. “I think she’s seeing that plumber who just moved to town.”
“When I was here last, she was seeing you.”
He shrugged. “Things change.”
“There’ve been at least two since her.” Lisa ratted him out. “And those are only the ones I know about.”
“No promises, no hard feelings,” John said with a grin. “Right, Matt?”
“Don’t drag me into this,” he protested, raising his hands. “I don’t know where you learned that stuff.”
“From you,” Lisa informed him curtly. “Leading by example.”
“Anyway,” Caty said, “I’ll be in town awhile. If there’s anything you need, just let me know.”
Her interpretation made Matt wonder if she was trying to protect him from another tongue-lashing. Considering the way she’d reamed him out, it would be pretty sporting of her.
“Tomorrow’s Friday,” Lisa reminded her. “Don’t you need to get back to work?”
For some reason, Caty hesitated before saying, “I decided it was time for a visit.”
While she chatted with John and Lisa, Matt was only half listening. There was more to her extended stay, but she clearly intended to keep it to herself. Matt knew all the classic signs, and there was no missing them. She was obviously close to his family, and he’d quickly learned she wasn’t shy about speaking her mind.
Whatever she was hiding, it must be serious. He barely knew her, but the thought of the pretty lawyer being in trouble really bothered him.
* * *
Around six o’clock, the last of the relatives left and the house was empty. After all the activity, the quiet rang with a sad finality. Caty was packing the last of the dishes into Ruthy’s catering carts when the Sawyers came into the kitchen.
“I just can’t believe it.” Sinking into a chair, Lisa stared down the table at the head seat where Ethan usually sat. “He’s gone.”
As she dissolved into tears, Marianne sat beside her and put an arm around her shoulders. “It’ll be okay, Lise. We’ll be fine.”
“No, we won’t,” Lisa sobbed. “We won’t ever be fine again.”
Patting her back, Marianne glanced at the far counter, which was still stacked with containers of food. “What in the world?”
“Ruthy,” Caty answered, handing over a handwritten note.
“‘The fridge is full, coffee’s ready to go,’” Marianne read out loud. “‘Warming instructions on everything. If you need me, call anytime. All my prayers tonight are for you kids. God bless you all.’”
Lisa sniffled, dabbing her eyes with a tissue.
Matt opened his mouth, but Marianne cut him off with a stern look and a quick shake of her head. Grimacing, he crossed the kitchen to get a glass from the cupboard and fill it with water. As he stood with his back to them and stared out the window, Caty noticed the stiffness in his broad shoulders.
At least his brother and sisters had said goodbye to Ethan. Matt would never have that chance. How on earth would he get past that?
Not that it was any of her business, she cautioned herself. He was a grown man, and he made his own decisions. Why he’d chosen to neglect his family was none of her concern. She wasn’t in a position to advise him and, even if she were, he probably wouldn’t listen. Only a fool intruded where she wasn’t wanted. Which reminded her, she really didn’t belong here right now.
“Marianne, could I borrow your van to go into town? They’re holding a room for me at the B and B.”
“Don’t be silly.” Standing, Marianne turned on the flame under a teakettle labeled Full. “You can stay here. We all are.”
“Matt’s staying with John, and the sofa bed in the living room is comfy,” Lisa added as she thumbed through a basket of tea bags on the table. “I’ll be in our old room with Marianne, so you’re welcome to it.”
“It’s been a long day, Caty.” John took the seat across from hers and opened a jar filled with Ruthy’s famous oatmeal cookies. “You’ve been running around helping with everything, on top of that long drive. Just stay here and relax.”
Only one Sawyer hadn’t invited her to stay, and the silence stretched awkwardly as they all stared at Matt’s back. He didn’t seem to notice.
“Matt, is it okay with you if I stay?”
“Sure,” he answered without turning around. “It’s not my house.”
“It is now.” Marianne pinned Caty with a hard look. “Isn’t it?”
“We’ll go through all that later,” she hedged.
“We’ll go through some of it now.” Handing Lisa a steaming mug, Marianne sat down with her own. “I know Dad redid everything about a year ago, and since you were his lawyer, I assume you helped him do it. Next week, I’m supposed to start prepping my room for my new class. Kyle starts school the week after and Emily’s registered for pre-K. If we need to move, I have to know. Now.”
Caty hesitated. There were good reasons for not releasing estate details so soon. Emotions were too raw, and people needed time to deal with their loss before they
got practical. Another reason was that if they got caught up in the provisions in the will, they put off grieving, sometimes with very serious consequences.
There were steps in the process, and it was best to go through them in the order dictated by psychologists who were experts in the field. In a psych class, Caty had learned about Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, who put the stages of grief into a nice, neat list: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. The Sawyers were still in denial. Intellectually, Caty knew they should go through the others before she told them anything.
Then she thought of Ethan, how deeply he loved his family. He wouldn’t want Marianne and her kids worrying about where they were going to live.
She began by giving Marianne a reassuring smile. “I can tell you all the buildings and land within three acres of the main house are yours. Provided you let John live in the carriage house as long as he wants.”
Marianne visibly relaxed. “Thanks, Caty. I should’ve known Dad would do it that way.”
“What else can you tell us?” Lisa asked.
They’d finally gotten Matt’s attention. He didn’t join them at the table, but he’d turned and at least appeared to be listening.
“We’re all here,” Marianne added. “And I’m sure you know the important things. Why not handle it now?”
Pushing aside her misgivings, Caty relented because she knew it was what her client would want. “Ethan’s major assets were his life insurance and the farm, which goes to the four of you. Whatever you do with it has to be a unanimous decision.”
Matt moved to the island and leaned in, looking like a drowning man who’d found a rock to cling to. With his bitter comment about staying away from Harland so fresh in her memory, she suspected that was exactly how he felt.
“You mean we can sell the farm?” he asked.
Caty circled the table with a somber look. “Provided you all agree, yes.”
“Well, I don’t want to.” John crossed his arms stubbornly, glaring at nobody in particular.
“There’s two thousand acres here,” Lisa chided.