By Summer's End (Christian Fiction)

by Rosemarie Naramore

  By Summer’s End

  by

  Rosemarie Naramore

  Cover photo by Collette Jochim

  All the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  By Summer’s End

  © Copyright 2014 by Rosemarie Naramore

  All rights reserved.

  For Brenda McKinney

  Thank you for your kindness and generosity. I don’t know what I would have done without you.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Chapter Thirty-two

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Chapter Thirty-five

  And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

  Matthew 21:22 (KJV)

  Chapter One

  Holly Holton pressed the key into her hand. It had arrived in the mail only moments before, along with a letter from her great uncle. “My home belongs to you now,” the old man had written in a shaky hand. “I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I have.”

  Her uncle Benjamin noted that she would be hearing from the executor of his will shortly, but that he wanted her to have the key in order to access the home as soon as her circumstances allowed.

  Holly stared at the key for several long, stunned seconds, and then read the short letter a second time. Was her uncle still alive? Perhaps living in a retirement home? Had he passed away?

  She wasn’t certain what to think, or even whom to call. She hadn’t received a letter from his executor, nor had she ever received any correspondence from her uncle before. She searched her brain, wondering, had she even met the man?

  Still shocked from the receipt of the key and letter, she dropped into a chair at her dinette table. She ran a hand through her blond hair and narrowed her blue eyes in thought. Had she met Uncle Benjamin before?

  Yes. Yes! One time, perhaps sixteen years earlier. She’d been about twelve years old and had attended a family reunion with her father’s parents—long since dead now. That’s right. She had met him. She recalled a man already getting on in years. He was tall, thin, slightly stooped, and still had had a cap of thick silver hair.

  She remembered a man of few words, with a sweet serene smile, who had spoken to her only briefly. But what had they talked about? Had she made some sort of impression on him then? She couldn’t think of a single reason why he should leave anything to her, let alone his home.

  When the door to her small apartment opened, Holly plastered a welcoming smile on her face. Her half-sister Brianna entered the living room, shrugging out of her coat as she simultaneously closed and locked the door behind her.

  “How was your day?” Holly asked, smiling.

  “Fine.”

  The girl refrained from making eye-contact and started for her room. She remained so stoic and uncommunicative, it broke Holly’s heart. Of course, she had reason for her melancholy, but…

  “How would you like to go out to dinner tonight?” Holly asked.

  “Why?” the girl asked glumly.

  Holly’s smile brightened. She had wonderful news to share. She’d just inherited a house! “Well, I have some interesting news.”

  “Does it have anything to do with me?” the girl asked in a bored tone, pretending to study the black polish on one of her fingernails.

  “Actually, yes, it does, considering you’re living with me now.”

  The girl emitted a beleaguered sigh. Holly was well aware that Brianna was living with her under protest, since the court system hadn’t granted her petition to live with a friend. After her parents had been killed in a car accident, Brianna hadn’t wanted anything to do with Holly. Sadly, Holly could understand why. The two girls hadn’t had a relationship prior to the tragic loss of Brianna’s parents.

  Although the girls had the same father, Alex, he had divorced Holly’s mother when Holly was twelve and had gone on to remarry and have another family. He had seemingly forgotten about Holly.

  As much as Holly had wanted to be a part of his life, and her sister’s when the girl was born, neither her father nor his new wife had had any interest in fostering any kind of relationship with her. She had been heartbroken, but thanks to a loving mother and stepfather, had come to terms with the absence of her biological father. Tragically, she had lost her stepfather to a heart attack when she was nineteen and her mother to illness five years later.

  She’d been devastated and knew that she more than anyone could understand what Brianna was going through. Unfortunately, Brianna was tight-lipped and unwilling to share her feelings with her big sister.

  And why would she confide in Holly? She was a virtual stranger to her.

  “Hey,” Holly said brightly, “why don’t you finish up your homework so it won’t be hanging over your head all weekend? Before you know it, it’ll be time to leave for dinner. I’ll let you choose the restaurant.”

  “I’m not hungry.”

  “Well, then, it’s a good thing we won’t be leaving for a couple hours. Come on,” she urged, “let’s go out. I don’t feel like cooking tonight.”

  Brianna watched her suspiciously. Holly understood that too. Why would Holly suddenly suggest dinner out when she always prepared meals at home? Holly was frugal to the point of obsession, so Brianna probably had been taken by surprise.

  “We can’t afford to go out,” the girl said, her voice monotone.

  Holly took a shoring breath, endeavoring to retain her patience. Even a fun outing was a reason for Brianna to challenge her authority—not that she really had any sort of influence with her. Brianna had only the week before run away from home and Holly had had to track her to her friend’s house in her former hometown. The situation had required that she take a day off of work and had involved the local law enforcement. Holly had lost a full day’s pay, which she could ill afford.

  Brianna had fought tooth and nail to remain with her friend, but even a brief visit to the home had shown Holly that Brianna could not stay there under any circumstances. The home was in disarray, empty alcohol containers were everywhere, and a whole cast of unsavory characters seemed to be lounging in every room of the small home. There was no evidence of parental supervision anywhere and Holly was mortified that Brianna was drawn to a clearly dysfunctional home situation. She had to wonder what kind of a life she’d lived with their father. One day, if Brianna ever showed any sign of warming up to her, she would ask her. But she wouldn’t press for now.

  Holly forced a smile. “We deserve a treat. Both of us.”

  The girl looked doubtful, but finally acquiesced. “Whatever.” She headed for the one bedroom in the apartment.

  Holly h
ad given it to her and had begun sleeping on the pull-out sofa the very evening Brianna had moved in. She felt the girl deserved a room to call her own after everything she’d been through.

  Holly folded the letter from her uncle and tucked it carefully into a top drawer in the kitchen. She held the key briefly, stared at it as if it might suddenly evaporate, and then placed it in the drawer.

  She stood quietly for a moment, envisioning her uncle’s home in her mind’s eye. Of course, she had no idea what it looked like or what condition it might be in. What if it was a dilapidated older home, more suited to demolition than human habitation?

  She gave herself a shake and glanced heavenward. “Lord, forgive me. You’ve just given me a gift and I should be looking on the bright side. Brianna and I have a home!”

  Holly began tidying up the small apartment—it was surprising how quickly the place became cluttered with two young women living there—and then sat down to pay bills. It was Friday and she couldn’t bear the idea of those bills looming over her for the duration of the weekend. It was better to face the music and be done with it.

  She began by paying her household bills first, followed by the small balance on her single credit card. She saved the hospital bill for last. With a steadying breath, she picked it up and stared at it for a long moment. The balance read $34,717, substantially reduced from the original $61,033, but still daunting, nonetheless. She’d been chipping away at the bill for the past three-plus years, applying every extra penny toward it.

  When her mother had originally become ill and sought treatment, it had been a shock to discover the owner of the small bakery where she had worked for years had dropped medical coverage on her employees. She hadn’t told them she’d stopped paying their premiums, allowing them to continue working under the misimpression they were covered. Upon learning her mother had no insurance, and was suffering from a catastrophic illness, Holly had agreed to assume responsibility for her mother’s healthcare bills without hesitation, and despite her mother’s vehement protests. Her mother had ultimately passed from her illness, but Holly had no regrets for her actions. They had bought her an additional six months with the mother she adored. She would have paid any price to be with her mother even a single day longer.

  Holly hurriedly wrote out the check for nearly seven hundred dollars per a prearranged payment plan with the hospital and stuffed it into the envelope. If she continued on course, she figured she would have the debt paid off in just over four years. On that day, she would celebrate, because though she had no regrets for incurring the debt, she would certainly be glad to be out from under it. As a teacher at a preschool and daycare, she didn’t earn much to begin with, but the lion’s share went toward her debt.

  Holly suddenly thought of her uncle’s house. Was it paid off? Certainly it had to be, wouldn’t it? Would her uncle have left her a home with a mortgage? No, that wouldn’t make sense. And if the home was paid off, and now belonged to her, it would free her up to apply the money she currently put toward rent to the hospital bill.

  Leaving the kitchen, Holly sat down on the sofa in her living room. Moving into her uncle’s home would mean leaving her job and her town, since if she remembered right, Uncle Benjamin lived out of state. Just to be sure, Holly rose and walked into the kitchen. She pulled the letter from the drawer and this time, honed in on the address he’d written at the bottom of the letter. Uncle Ben lived in Washington State.

  She struggled to remember what she knew of the state. Nothing, really. From high school, she recalled it was called the Evergreen State. It was easy to deduce the state had an abundance of trees. If memory served, the state was known for rainy weather and a volcano that had erupted sometime in the early eighties. She hoped her uncle’s home wasn’t within close proximity to a live volcano.

  She returned the envelope to the drawer and went back into the living room and sat down. Her mind began to race. If she did make the move to Washington, she would have to secure other employment, although she was certain she could find another job in a preschool. Perhaps she might even apply at a private school or church.

  She wondered, would Brianna be okay with leaving her school? She had only attended her new school for a short time. Holly knew she was struggling to both make friends and to come to terms with leaving behind everything she knew in her old hometown. Would it be unfair to her to expect her to start fresh once again?

  Or would it be unfair to her to forgo the opportunity to offer her a real home? Holly suspected both she and her sister might benefit from change—moving would mean both would have to put down new roots. Maybe they might even forge a relationship, since they would be in the same boat—starting over. Maybe they could actually become a team, facing and overcoming obstacles together.

  Currently, Brianna viewed Holly as an adversary. Oftentimes she was downright hostile toward her. Regardless, Holly loved her, despite never having the opportunity to know her until now. Years before, when she’d heard she had a baby sister on the way, she had been thrilled. She had expected to have a relationship with her, but had been sorely disappointed.

  Her father’s abandonment of her hadn’t caused her to harbor any ill-will toward her baby sister. In fact, she had sent her cards and gifts for every special occasion. She wasn’t deterred from sending the gifts, even when her father and his new wife marked the items ‘Return to Sender.’ Each time the cards and gifts were returned to her, Holly placed them in a large container for safekeeping. She had told herself long before that she would one day track down her sister and give her the items, as a means to demonstrate to her how much she truly cared for her, regardless of what her father and mother might have told her.

  Holly had yet to give the items to her sister, however. The time just hadn’t seemed right. Considering she had given the girl the gift of savings bonds for many special occasions and milestones in her life—her stepfather had suggested it—she was fearful Brianna might cash them and use them to hop a train or board a plane. She feared she might lose her and never be able to find her again.

  As she sat, contemplating her future and the upcoming decisions she would soon have to make, she felt her eyelids growing heavy. It had been a long Friday at work. Before too long, she drifted off to sleep.

  “Well, are we going or not?” a voice intruded on her dreams. It had been a good dream too. Holly and Brianna had moved into their new house. It was a stately Victorian, beautifully appointed and boasting every modern amenity. Despite being on a large acreage, the entire property was manicured and beautifully landscaped. It was perfect.

  “Well?” Brianna demanded.

  “Uh, yes, we’re going,” Holly said with a yawn. “I’m sorry. I must have dozed off.”

  Brianna gave her a bored look. “I’m hungry.”

  “Okay, then. Give me a minute and I’ll freshen up.”

  Brianna rolled her eyes. “Hurry.”

  ***

  Holly reached for a slice of pizza and took a big bite. The combination pizza was delicious and made her realize the homemade varieties she cooked at home were definitely an inferior version of the real thing.

  She glanced at her younger sister. The girl seemed equally enthralled with the pizza. Holly couldn’t help smiling her way. She had given Brianna the choice of any restaurant in town and Brianna had selected the pizza place, noting she’d clipped a coupon from the paper while Holly had been sleeping. It was a thoughtful gesture and gave Holly some measure of hope that she and Brianna might someday find common ground. If Brianna recognized Holly was doing the best she could with the limited resources at her disposal, then she was showing a maturity beyond her years.

  “This is delicious,” Holly enthused of the pizza slice. “I could eat the whole pie.”

  “It is good,” Brianna conceded. “I haven’t had pizza in a while. Dad used to…” Her words trailed off and Holly noted she veiled her eyes by looking down at the table.

  “He used to what?” Holly said cheerfully, hoping to enga
ge her in conversation.

  “Nothing,” she murmured. “Nothing.”

  Holly reached across the table and patted her hand. “You can talk to me, Brianna. I’m always here if you need me.”

  The girl’s eyes flashed angrily. “Oh, that’s a joke!” she cried. “You never cared about me before!”

  Holly was taken aback, but resisted the urge to snap back. She was twenty-eight, the adult of the two, and her sister only knew what her parents had told her. She had to wonder what that was. She took a deep breath. “Brianna, what did your parents tell you about me?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” she murmured, failing to make eye contact.

  “Please. I’d like to know.”

  She hesitated, but finally spoke, “Mom said Dad wanted to see you, but that you wouldn’t come to our house. She said your mom hated us and had poisoned you against us. Dad said you were jealous of me and even if you’d wanted to see me, he was afraid you might hurt me.”

  Holly’s eyes widened with shock. She felt the bile rise up in her throat. Hurt her!

  Holly swallowed over the lump in her throat. She tamped down the anger that threatened. She uttered a silent prayer, asking God for patience. She felt a peace settle over her and sat silently, weighing her words. What should she tell her sister, who had been so diabolically misinformed? Brianna knew only what her parents had told her, and although they had lied to her, did she really want to tell the girl the truth and thereby cause her to both question and doubt her parents? She was distraught enough after losing them. Finding out they had lied to her might destroy her.

  “Brianna, there are two sides to every story,” she said calmly.

  “That’s all you’re going to say? You’re not even going to deny it?” She gave a brittle laugh. “You’d be lying if you tried to tell me you cared about me—or my dad.”

  Holly watched her sister, her heart breaking. It had to have hurt her, knowing she had a big sister and being told that sister wanted nothing to do with her. She was twelve years older than Brianna, and from the girl’s point of view, old enough to see her if she’d wanted to.