Twist Of Faith

by Darlene Fredette

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Praise for Darlene Fredette

  Twist of Faith

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Acknowledgment

  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

  Thank you for purchasing this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  The man shifted his weight.

  Suddenly, the air cooled around her. For the first time since she spied him in her home, Katrina stared face-to-face at her intruder. Past the pain, she saw a strong jaw line and a chin framed by the shadow of a goatee, or as they say in Paris, a French beard. A perfect set of lips held a thin moustache and his brown layered hair fell just above his chin. Dark brown eyes kept her gaze captivated. Johnny Depp has broken into my house.

  His face didn’t belong to someone who made a living from breaking-and-entering. This face belonged to a refined and hard-working man. She could tell there was more to the story behind those eyes, but the instant she stared at his lips, her thoughts turned to mush.

  He stumbled to stand, leaning on the wall for support. Johnny Depp kicked the wood, sending it rolling to the other side of the room.

  Katrina, now believing he meant no harm, accepted the hand he offered to help her from the floor. She ignored the tingling sensation running up her arm, knowing the fuss couldn’t be from the strong hand holding hers.

  He inhaled a deep breath and opened his mouth to speak, but shook his head instead. Frowning, he pointed a finger toward the card on the floor and limped to the exit, slamming the door behind him.

  She bent to pick up the card, which read, Donaldson and Porter, Architecture and Contracting, Nick Porter. Her shoulders dropped. “Damn!”

  Katrina now had less than twenty-four hours to master the art of groveling.

  Praise for Darlene Fredette

  “Darlene Fredette keeps tension at a fever pitch, engaging the reader’s full attention.”

  ~Long and Short Reviews

  ~*~

  “Once I started LAW OF ATTRACTION, I couldn’t put it down. This book has it all, steam, suspense, and action to the last page.”

  ~Lori Power, author

  ~*~

  “LAW OF ATTRACTION, super cute, quick read. Great characters that seem real enough, you feel like you know them.”

  ~Wendy, Wall-To-Wall Books

  Twist of Faith

  by

  Darlene Fredette

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Twist of Faith

  COPYRIGHT © 2015 by Darlene Fredette

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contact Information: info@thewildrosepress.com

  Cover Art by Tina Lynn Stout

  The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  PO Box 708

  Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

  Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

  Publishing History

  First Sweetheart Rose Edition, 2015

  Print ISBN 978-1-62830-896-9

  Digital ISBN 978-1-62830-897-6

  Published in the United States of America

  Dedication

  To Rick and Christine,

  for always being there for me.

  Acknowledgment

  To my editor, Leanne Morgena,

  for sharing your knowledge.

  Chapter One

  Katrina Witherspoon gave Glen Watson an empty stare while pretending to listen. The sunlight from her attorney’s open office window cast the shadow of a songbird perched in a tall maple tree onto the beige walls. Nothing could lift her spirits today, not even the bird’s delightful song. She had avoided the elderly man’s calls for days, dreading the details of her grandmother’s will, because once they were read, Gram’s death would be all too final. Unfortunately, her grandmother’s attorney—now Katrina’s legal advisor—was very persistent.

  He had tracked her down earlier at the cemetery. “I’ve been trying to contact you all week, but you haven’t returned my calls. I suspected I might find you here.”

  “I brought fresh flowers for Gram’s grave,” she had told him, but Glen’s stern frown showed his disapproval.

  “You know your grandmother wouldn’t approve of you being here. She’s probably telling me, correction, ordering me, to get you out of this cemetery.” He waved a hand toward the headstone.

  True, Gram wouldn’t want her hiding out in Oakwood Cemetery every day grieving her passing. She’d want Katrina to stand tall and get on with the day’s business, because as Gram always said, Work comes first. Our business is our survival. There’s no place for weaklings at the top.

  Now, Katrina sat across from Glen, in his office, sipping a cup of tea. She glanced out the window, while he took a moment to flip through the papers on his desk.

  Glass and steel skyscrapers filled her view. The Louvre in the First Arrondissement District caught her attention. The breathtaking site was the world’s most-visited and historic museum, which displayed more beauty when the glass pyramid illuminated the night’s sky.

  Glen had welcomed Katrina to Paris the first day Gram brought her to this beautiful place. Katrina was sixteen, and Glen’s very masculine office, furnished in large, cherry wood furniture, made her feel quite uncomfortable. Now twelve years later, the well-designed office didn’t seem so scary. On the contrary, the space was warm and welcoming, much like the man who sat across the desk.

  As her grandmother had, Katrina respected and trusted Glen with their business and financial affairs. He was not only their attorney, but also a dear friend. She sensed his anguish and knew that behind his profound expression, he, in his own private thoughts, mourned her grandmother. When Faith Witherspoon passed away, she not only took a piece of Katrina’s heart, but a portion of Glen’s, too.

  When Glen and her grandmother were in public, their relationship was all about business, but alone, they shared a special bond that went beyond friendship. Katrina witnessed, on many occasions, their stolen moments of lingering hand touches and tender kisses. Glen, a widower, obviously had strong feelings for Faith, and though they were reciprocated, Katrina’s grandmother was more restrained in her expression.

  “Here’s the document I was searching for.”

  The silver-haired attorney’s voice brought her attention to the task at hand.

  He studied her over the rim of his reading glasses and passed her the tissue box on the corner of his desk.

  Katrina pulled a tissue from the box and dabbed her damp eyes. She swallowed past the dry lump in her throat.

  “My apologies, Katrina, for loading this on you today.”

  “I knew this meeting wouldn’t be easy, that’s why I avoided you.”

  Glen nodded.

  The pain of missing her grandmother got worse with each passing day. Everyone told her the heartache would ease, but it didn’t. Katrina was no stranger to this misery. Her grandmother had rescued her from the darkness of her parents’ death twelve yea
rs ago, but with Gram’s passing, Katrina had no one left to save her.

  She played with the crinkled tissue on her lap, focusing on something other than the tears she fought to control. “If I hear one more person tell me how much they miss my grandmother and that they understand how I’m feeling, I’ll scream.”

  Glen gave her a consoling smile. “Katrina, Faith’s passing is very hard to accept. No words can remove the grief you feel. She was a wonderful woman and a social pillar in this town, adored by everyone who had the privilege of meeting her. Faith will be missed by many.”

  Katrina inhaled a deep breath of air, regaining her composure. She normally maintained control over her emotions, even during the funeral and the service afterward. Witherspoon women never showed anyone how much they were hurting.

  “The loss will take time to let go, but you’re a strong woman. Your grandmother saw to that.” Glen emitted a gentle laugh.

  “I don’t know how to go on without her.” She straightened her seated position in the large armchair. A piece of her heart was gone. How could she stand alone? “Gram was the one who led the way.”

  “Now, your turn to lead,” he told her. “And the first step to moving on is to finalize these documents.”

  Katrina agreed with a sharp nod, not because she wanted to, but because of her grandmother’s voice in her head. “No loose end gets tied on its own.” She voiced the words often spoken by her grandmother.

  “As quoted many times by the smartest businesswoman I ever met.” Glen winked. “Your grandmother is—” He stopped and cleared his throat. “She was a longtime friend and very special. I remember the day I met her, the grand opening of her first café.” The wrinkles around his eyes deepened. “Faith had a presence about her. All gazes were on this beautiful, mysterious woman who commanded the room. When she spoke, she was strong and confident. Everyone listened. You can imagine my surprise when she sought my legal advice regarding her business. I didn’t believe such a strong-willed and intensely independent woman would be caught asking anyone for help.” He chuckled. “Boy, she was a force to be reckoned with.”

  Katrina leaned back in the chair and laughed with Glen. “Gram did love being the center of attention.”

  “Indeed, she did. Her determination is what I admired most about her. She never gave up. Twenty-five years later with forty-nine, very successful With-Her-Spoon Cafés across this country and beyond, she had a lot to be proud of.”

  Katrina swallowed before speaking. “She’s my inspiration.” She then closed her eyes for a brief second.

  “I can still recall when she brought you to my office the first time. Faith was devastated from the sudden death of your parents, your mother being her only child. She hid her pain and put all her attention on you, took you under her wing and distracted you from your grief.” Glen paused, staring down at the papers on his desk. “I think taking care of you was the only time in Faith’s life when she thought she might fail. Her child-rearing days were long over, and now she had custody of her stubborn sixteen-year-old granddaughter. But you challenged her, and Faith never backed down from a good challenge. She was determined to transform you from a tomboy into an elegant lady.”

  Katrina remembered giving her grandmother a hard time. She gripped the arm of the chair. Anger had stirred when she was uprooted from her home and friends in Montreal, and then registered in a snooty all-girl school. The worst part had been dressing in frilly dresses and attending the most boring parties. As soon as she had graduated from university, Katrina was pressured by Gram to put her master’s degree to work. Her first position was to handle the business’ finances. Katrina wasn’t confident she had sufficient training to retain such an important position. “Gram had confidence in me even when I didn’t.”

  Glen stared for a moment. “Dear Katrina, when I look at you, I see a younger image of Faith. You have her beauty, sophistication, intelligence, and you hold the same determination in your eyes that I recognized in hers many years ago. You’ll have a rough road ahead, but you’ll land on your feet. You’re too much like your grandmother to fail.” He lowered his head.

  The memories of her grandmother were too much for the older man. Katrina reached across the desk and patted his hand. “Thank you, Glen, I appreciate your help. I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t here to handle this.”

  With an index finger, he nudged his glasses further on his nose, cleared his throat, and tapped the papers into alignment. “You probably already know, you’re the sole beneficiary in your grandmother’s will. The only exceptions are a few donations to her favorite charities. I’ll require your signature on several forms, and then Faith’s assets will be placed in your name immediately.” He quickly shuffled through his papers before continuing. “This is the document I wanted to bring to your attention. There are a few pieces of real estate you’ll want to review. The villa in Venice, the chalet in Switzerland, and the flat in London. Then there’s the property in Canada.”

  “Canada?” Katrina leaned forward. She knew about the other properties. They’d spent many holidays at each one, but without Gram, the homes no longer held any sentimental value. Selling them would be a wise decision. “I didn’t know Gram owned real estate in Canada.”

  “She didn’t own this property. You do.” He passed the property deed to Katrina. “She signed the house over to you on your twenty-first birthday.”

  A gasp escaped her lips. Really?

  Glen paused, his brows drawn into a frown. “I thought you knew.”

  Katrina stared at the deed, memories flooding her mind. How could she forget her childhood home in Montreal? “After my parents’ car accident, Gram handled the funeral arrangements, packed my belongings, and brought me to Paris. I assumed she sold the property.”

  “Two years ago, Faith went to Montreal—on the tenth anniversary of your parents’ passing.” He shook his head. “I thought the idea was ludicrous, but she insisted she had to go.”

  “I remember. She said she went on a business trip. When she returned, all she said was that the trip was productive and didn’t mention any details.”

  “I believe she wanted to save you the heartbreak. While she was there, she met a young family. The man had lost his job due to downsizing, and they had another baby on the way. Faith’s heart went to them, so she offered to let them stay at the house, but they wouldn’t accept her free boarding offer. The rent they paid went into the upkeep of the house and property.” He checked the file, running his finger down a spreadsheet. “They moved a year ago, and the house has been empty since.”

  “I can’t believe she didn’t tell me.” Katrina shook her head. “You can proceed to relinquish those four properties. They don’t mean anything without Gram.”

  Frowning, Glen glanced from her to the document, and then back.

  The knot in her stomach twisted. “Glen?”

  “There’s a clause regarding the Montreal property.”

  “Such as?”

  “Your grandmother added a clause insisting you return to oversee a renovation before its sale.”

  “What!” She shifted to the edge of her chair, sitting rigid with tension. “Why would she do that?”

  Glen shook his head. “I believe the home held sentimental value. Faith mentioned your mother’s reaction to the house when she and your father were looking to buy. They knew the house was the home for them, where they’d build a future together as a family.”

  Katrina frowned. Over the years, she had thought about returning to her childhood home, but couldn’t face the hollowness she now felt about the place she once loved. “Why couldn’t I handle the renovations from here? I don’t understand why she’d insist I go to Montreal.”

  “Keep in mind you already retain ownership of this property, giving you the right to contest the clause.” Glen leaned back in his chair and scratched his chin. “Perhaps your grandmother wanted you to have the chance to say goodbye before selling.”

  She knew the home meant a
lot to her parents and at one time, had been special to her, too. Finding out her grandmother had retained her childhood home was more than she had expected, and the knowledge filled her head with many unanswered questions. “How can I say no to Gram’s last request? I’d feel as though I failed her if I did.” She shrugged. “So, where do I start?”

  “Your grandmother already took care of the basics.”

  “Wow.” Katrina leaned back in the chair, amazed by her grandmother’s actions. “Did Gram ever fail to cross a T?”

  “Not since I’ve known her.” Glen’s eyes held a flicker of pride. “Several months ago, Faith made a visit to Montreal. Through a business associate, she was provided the information on a contracting company. She wants this particular company assigned to the renovation.”

  Katrina’s jaw dropped open. Gram travelled extensively for business meetings, but one of those meetings was personal—one of which Katrina should have been included. “I can’t believe she did all this without advising me.”

  “I was just as surprised when she requested I add these details to her will. I wanted to get a heads-up on the condition of the property and called the contractor to have the property checked out. Your grandmother paid someone to perform regular upkeep of the outside property. As for the house, it’s old and hasn’t seen many updates. To sell at top dollar, the house would require a complete overhaul.”

  Her temples throbbed. “How soon can they start the renovation?”

  “That’s where we have a problem.” He tapped his pen on the papers. “I knew you’d want to get the ball rolling, but the construction owner said he’s swamped in jobs. The earliest he can schedule your project is the fall.”

  Glen knew her well enough. No way would she put off Gram’s final request. Katrina didn’t know the reason behind her grandmother’s selling terms of this property, but they must have been of great importance to make a point of noting the conditions in her will. She’d been through similar experiences with the cafés and the end solution was to throw a generous bonus into the equation. “The project has to be now and through this contractor. Gram was not one to ask for much and I intend to follow through.”