“You’re telling me you haven’t driven Meadow Lane for over six weeks?”
She gave a shrug. “I guess I haven’t. I’ve been busy around here too, and more often than not, I use the new road into town. Why?”
He raked a hand through his hair. “It’s…”
“It’s what?” she asked, as she followed him out of the well-appointed kitchen in the family’s expansive home.
He strode into the den and dropped into a sumptuous leather chair. He registered the luxury of the chair—the feel of the fine leather against his hands—and suddenly remembered the chair in Ben’s place. He recalled the young girl talking about having an appreciation for that chair, since it was the only one they had in the room.
But, it had been clear the girl had lived a different lifestyle previously. She’d spoken about her parents as if they had been wealthy, or rather, lived as if they had money. Where were her parents now? And since she and Holly were sisters, why did the girl speak as if she was divulging new information to her older sister? He was thoroughly confused, but what confounded him even more was that he’d left the home wanting to know more about its occupants.
“Earth to Ryan,” Annabelle intoned. “Speak.”
“It seems there are people living in Ben’s place.”
She smiled uncertainly. “I don’t understand.”
“A young woman and her teenaged sister. Uncle Ben’s nieces. He left the place to them, apparently.”
“Yes, I know that. I mean, the part about him leaving the house to family. Do they plan to have it moved soon?”
He sighed. “I get the distinct impression they believe the land is theirs too.”
“Whoa,” she said, shaking her head. “I don’t understand. Why didn’t Forrest tell them different?”
“Because Forrest hasn’t met with them yet. Apparently, he’s been out of town too.”
“But…”
“I’m surprised you didn’t know Forrest was called away for a family emergency,” Ryan cut in.
“Hey, I’ve been totally out of the loop—or any loop for that matter.”
“Yeah, I know. Young love and all that rot.”
“How did you get so cynical?” she asked, watching him with frustrated eyes.
“How did you get so sappy?”
Annabelle glanced off into the distance, a soft smile playing at her lips. “I met Harrison, that’s how.” She aimed a pointer finger at him. “Mark my words, it’s going to happen to you too. You’re going to meet some woman and suddenly, you’ll be waxing poetic.”
“Never going to happen,” he said confidently.
“Oh, yeah?” She pinned him with a look. “So… I take it you’ve evicted the squatters from our property?”
He looked sheepish. “No, I’m afraid not.”
“You’re telling me that my hard-nosed, businessman brother didn’t drop-kick them off the front lawn?”
“How could I?” he moaned, rubbing his hands across his face. “They moved here from out-of-state. They don’t appear to have much. It won’t be cheap moving that home, and I doubt they happen to own a piece of property nearby. This is …bad.”
“Bad? Not for you, and isn’t that what matters most?” She watched him with accusing eyes.
He sent her a scalding glance. “You have a fairly negative opinion of me, don’t you?”
“I do not!” she scoffed. “But you are first and foremost about the almighty dollar.”
“Wow. You really don’t think much of me, do you?”
“Stop. I love you and you know it.” She measured him with a glance. “It’s time you and I sat down and made a decision about the property, however.”
“Have you … had a change of heart?” he asked, hoping she had. More than anything, he just wanted to sell it and be done with it.
“No. I still think you and I could build a riding arena and barns. I’ve been doing some brainstorming and I think it would be awesome if we could offer riding trails, as well.”
“It’d be a huge commitment from both of us,” he said. “And I can’t…”
“Commit. Yeah, that’s always been your trouble.”
“Would you cease and desist with the relationship jabs,” he implored. “I know you think I’m some sort of playboy.”
“No, I don’t. I think you haven’t found the right girl, that’s all.”
He was surprised by the statement. “But you adored Maggie.”
“Yes, I adored Maggie, but not for you. You need a stronger woman, a go-getter, a…”
“A what?”
“A Christian.”
“Annabelle, don’t go there.”
“I have to go there. You’re my brother, and someday, when I’m in heaven with Mom and Dad and Ben, I’d like to see you there too.”
He waved a dismissive hand and rose from the chair. “I have to go.”
“Are you going to speak to Uncle Ben’s nieces?”
“Not today.”
“Reeaallly?” she murmured, drawing out the word.
“Really,” he said crisply. “I don’t have time.”
“You want me to drive over there. I’ll try to make it as painless as possible for them.”
He pressed his eyelids shut. When he opened his eyes, his sister could see his pain imbedded within their depths. “Painless? Yeah, I’m sure they’ll be whistling a happy tune when you’re done,” he said sarcastically.
“Ryan, what do you care? Why do you care? This is business. If you get your way and we do sell to these out-of-town developers, Ben’s family will have to be evicted anyway.”
“I know. I know. But let me handle it, okay?”
“Okay.”
He started off, but she stopped him with a question. “Hey, you haven’t seen Fluff, have you? I haven’t seen him for a couple weeks. I’m half-afraid a coyote got him.”
“I’m afraid Fluff is now ‘Dave’ and is living with Ben’s family.”
“Well, that ungrateful cat!” she cried. “We’ve only had him since he was six weeks old.”
“Yeah, go figure.”
***
Ryan climbed into his truck and started driving. He had no specific destination in mind, but had some thinking to do. Once again, Annabelle had confronted him with her plans for the property. Ironically, it’s exactly what the potential buyers had in mind for the acreage. They were going to open a riding arena, horse boarding stables, and offer lessons to the public.
He’d seen the plans they’d drawn up and he had to admit, they were impressive. They intended to remain true to the beauty of the countryside, offering a series of carefully carved trails tailored to particular levels of riding experience. The arena was state-of-the art, the stables designed for the comfort of its equine occupants.
He realized it would be a real boon for the town of Battle Ground, and a real draw for horse lovers in the Southwest Washington region, as well as the nearby Portland area.
But… He knew there was nothing these outsiders could provide that he and Annabelle couldn’t. She was fully committed to the idea and had been for some time. He, on the other hand, just didn’t know if he was ready to give his life over to a project that would require just that—his life.
He would have to remain in Battle Ground, or nearby, and would need to be onsite each and every day while the venture was being built. He would likely have to be onsite when it was complete, overseeing the day-to-day operation of the business.
He couldn’t hold off the buyers much longer—they’d given him the duration of his trip to think—nor could he stall Annabelle much longer. The decision was tough enough without adding the complication of Ben’s family to the mix.
How could he tell them they had to move, and not only move, they had to pick up their manufactured home and take it with them?
Almost of their own volition, Ryan’s hands seemed determined to drive toward Ben’s old place. Perhaps he should just stop by Holly and Brianna’s place and tell them the bad news. It
was actually unfair to withhold the information from them.
He considered that. It was unfair. They needed time to make arrangements, and if he postponed telling them the news, they might not have the time to make plans. That would be wholly unfair. Yes. He had to tell them.
When he arrived at the home, he immediately spotted Brianna in the front yard. She was sitting cross-legged on the lawn, painting a chair with one hand and petting ‘Fluff-Dave’ with the other.
She heard him pull in and glanced up. Smiling broadly, she carefully placed the paint brush on the top of a small can and rose to a standing position. She scooped up the cat and waited for him to approach.
“Hi!” she said cheerfully as he drew near.
“Hello. Hey, is Holly around?”
She shook her head. “I’m afraid not. She works at a preschool in town. She usually works a dayshift, but she was just called in to work a later shift.” She shrugged. “I guess someone got sick and they needed to cover her shift.”
“Oh, okay. I guess I’ll have to come back another time.”
“Can I give her a message for you? She’ll be home at midnight. Well, not until about twelve-twenty, allowing for drive time.”
It occurred to Ryan that the young girl was awfully forthcoming with detailed information about her sister’s comings and goings, and with a veritable stranger. She’d just verified she was going to be home all alone too. “Uh, no message. I’ll need to talk to her another time.” He turned to leave, but turned back. “Brianna…”
“Yeah?”
“I’m a nice guy—trustworthy—but frankly, you don’t know that to be true, since you’ve only just met me today.”
“Okaaay.”
“You’ve just told me your sister’s whereabouts, what time she’ll be off work, and that you’ll be here all alone.” He winced. “It’s a good idea to always give people the impression you’re here with other people—preferably a man. Sorry, I know that sounds sexist but it is what it is.”
“But that’s why I named my cat ‘Dave.’ So people would hear me call him and think there’s a man inside.”
“Oh, okay, well, that’s good. But…”
“I know. You’re right. I need to be more careful. I guess I’m not used to being on my own.”
He gave her a questioning glance. “My parents died not long ago and…” Her words trailed off.
“I’m so sorry, Brianna. I lost my mom when I was seven. My dad was older when I was born, so I lost him when I was young too.”
“I’m sorry for you too,” she said.
“So … you moved in with your sister?”
“Yes.”
“You’re fortunate to have each other. I know from experience, since I have a sister too.”
“How old is she?” Brianna asked, hopeful she might her close to her age.
“She’s twenty-eight. Three years younger than I am.”
“Do you live close by?” she asked with interest.
“A mile or so up the road,” he answered.
“In the big house?” she asked, her eyes wide with surprise.
“ ‘Fraid so,” he answered, smiling.
“I love that house. It’s so beautiful—like a painting. And did I say, ‘big’?”
“Yeah, it’s big, all right. But it sounds as if you lived in a nice big home too.”
“Yeah, but it never felt like home,” she mused aloud, and then appeared shocked by the admission. “Sorry. It’s weird, but I’ve been having all sorts of thoughts come into my head lately. It’s like I’m getting—what’s the word?—clarity. Yes, that’s it. I’m starting to see things from my past a bit more clearly.”
She paused, deep in thought, and Ryan gave her a moment to herself. She suddenly broke into a wide smile. “This little place feels more like home than my old house ever did,” she declared, her eyes conveying her surprise at the epiphany.
“It does?”
“Yeah, it really does.” She glanced around. “I love it here. People have told us that once it starts raining around here, it never really stops. I hope they’re exaggerating, but even if they’re not, I think I’d still love it here.”
“That’s … good,” he said wanly. Good for her, horrible for him.
“I’m sorry you missed Holly,” she announced, and then pointed toward the chair she’d been painting. “I’m giving it a base coat, so she can finish it tomorrow. She’s really talented.” She cocked her head, eyeing him thoughtfully. “Yep, that’s Holly. Talented, smart, beautiful,” she listed. “I could go on and on and on.”
Ryan realized the girl was apprising him of her sister’s fine attributes, and suddenly reminded him of Annabelle, who was also guilty of conspiring to set him up with assorted friends and friends of friends.
“She seems very nice,” he said neutrally. “As I said before, you’re lucky to have one another.”
“Very lucky,” Brianna agreed. “We’ve gotten close. I mean, really close, considering we only met a few months ago.”
Chapter Eleven
Ryan was still pondering Brianna’s announcement that she had only just met her sister when he received a call from a friend. Apparently the guy was moving and had loaded the last of his worldly possessions into a U-Haul, save his huge refrigerator. He needed help with the behemoth appliance.
The timing of the call was inopportune, since he really had wanted to hear what Brianna had to tell him. If he was being truthful with himself, he really wanted to hear more about her sister. She seemed like a good person—beautiful inside and out—which would make her … anything but his type.
He suddenly remembered that upon his departure from her house, he had urged Brianna to pack up her painting supplies and to go inside. It was getting late and she was a beautiful young girl—a veritable mirror image of Holly. And as the brother of a beautiful sister, he knew the attention Annabelle drew from nearly every male that crossed her path. He was actually grateful to Harrison, as he had assumed the worry about Annabelle and to his credit, was very protective, but appropriately so.
He was relieved Brianna had followed his advice and gone inside. Perhaps it had been presumptuous of him to advise her, but he couldn’t help himself. He grimaced when he remembered his parting advice to the girl. “You need a dog. A big dog.”
“Stupid. Stupid,” he muttered aloud. He’d just suggested Ben’s niece get a dog, when he was soon going to be evicting her and her sister from the property. What the heck had he been thinking?
As he drove toward his friend’s home, the enormity of the situation gripped him. What would Holly and Brianna do when he delivered the awful news? Where would they go? Would they return home?—wherever that might be.
When he arrived at his friend’s place, his long-time buddy was sprawled out on the front steps of his place downing a bottle of water. He rose slowly and grinned. “Thanks for coming. I knew I could count on you.”
“Jim,” Ryan said, smiling ruefully, as he extended his hand.
Jim grasped his hand and pulled him into a hug. “Good to see you, buddy. How was your trip?”
“Excellent.”
“I missed you, man.”
“Yeah, well, it seems like I got home in the nick of time. You have a refrigerator to load,” he said ruefully.
“Yep. I’m moving.”
“Where?”
“Outside of town a few miles. I picked up a little place on an acre of land.”
Ryan slapped him on the back. “I’m happy for you. I know you’ve always wanted a little breathing room.”
He grinned. “You got that right. ‘Course, I’ll never have the kind of wiggle room you have out at your place.”
Ryan attempted a smile, but it came off as more of a grimace.
Jim read the worry on his face. “Hey, what’s up? I can see something’s bothering you.”
“Let’s load the fridge and then I’ll fill you in.”
“Sure. Okay. I’ll buy you dinner after.”
; Soon, the men had the U-Haul packed. They headed to one of the local pizza places in Battle Ground.
“I’m hungry,” Jim said, as he dropped into a booth. “What sounds good to you?”
“Anything,” Ryan answered, still seeming preoccupied, as he sat down across from his friend.
A waitress appeared and took their pizza order. “A couple sodas too,” Jim added, and then turned his attention to Ryan. “What’s on your mind?”
Ryan shook his head and glanced around the restaurant. “Same thing that was on my mind when I left for my trip.”
“I thought the reason for that extended trip was to clear your mind, to enable you to arrive at some clarity with regard to your extensive land holdings,” he teased.
Ryan made a face. “Yeah, well, it didn’t help me, I’m afraid.”
Jim cocked his head. “Well, your would-be buyers have been doing a lot of PR around these parts.”
“What … are you talking about?”
“Local paper covered them,” he informed.
Ryan frowned. “That’s odd. Why would they approach the paper when a deal hasn’t even been made?”
He shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe the paper got wind of the prospective deal and contacted them.” He laughed. “‘Course, that doesn’t account for the billboard…”
“Wow. You’re serious?”
“Deadly,” he told him. “These folks mean business and apparently they’re pretty confident in you, my friend.”
“Confident I’m going to sign on the dotted line, you mean?”
“Yep.”
“Well, they don’t know me, do they?”
Jim burst out laughing. “Well, I do, and I’m fairly confident you’re going to sign.”
Ryan shot his friend a dirty look.
“There’s … more to this story, isn’t there?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I know you.”
“Apparently pretty well,” he admitted drolly.
“Talk.”
Ryan proceeded to fill him in on the situation with Ben’s former home and the apparent confusion about the property.
By Summer's End (Christian Fiction) Page 7