“Laura died four years ago,” he said. “Jace, I didn’t mean to steal her—”
“Don’t.” Jace put his hand up so his brother wouldn’t continue. “Don’t apologize. As long as we’re saying things we should have said ages ago, I want you to know I no longer hold it against you for marrying Laura. I know now that I liked Laura, liked her a lot, but I wasn’t really in love with her.” He knew what he felt for Kelly was much stronger than anything he’d felt for Laura.
“When I saw you two together, your love shone so bright, even I could see it. But I was so angry with you for the years of hurt, that Laura was just the final straw.”
“Thanks for that,” Sheldon said. “It’s weighed heavily on my mind for years.” Jace turned toward Sheldon. “Where did you go?” Sheldon asked. “After the wedding? After you left here.”
“I don’t remember a lot of it,” Jace said. “I bummed around, drank. I was in Germany and Italy for a while.”
Sheldon glanced at him.
“I surfaced in Greece, dirty and out of money. Then I signed on to a freighter and ended up in South America. In Colombia I got a job as an engineer for a water company. I stayed for three years.”
“Why did you come back?”
“The Kendall is my home.” Jace stated it matter of factly, without emotion. “And Ari needed better medical care. We returned a couple of months ago. Kelly took us in and gave me a job.”
“She told me you were no longer here.”
“I’m not. The job ended.” Jace was embarrassed to admit why he’d been asked to go.
“Is Ari very ill? He doesn’t look it.”
“He’s not ill at all. The diagnosis in Colombia was incorrect. He had some allergies, but he’s a healthy boy and he loves horses.”
Sheldon smiled. Jace realized that was probably the first smile he could ever remember on his brother’s face, except where Laura was concerned.
“How long were you with Ari’s mother?”
It appeared his brother was trying to make up for the years they hadn’t been in touch, in a short space of time.
“Never was. Ari is not my biological child. I adopted him. His mother died in an explosion. She saved Ari by throwing him to me. I couldn’t find any relatives of the boy, so I adopted him.”
Again Sheldon smiled and nodded. Jace had the feeling his half brother was approving of his actions. This was new. Sheldon differed with all his decisions, even if it was just to be contrary. Time had changed more than his appearance. He was a different man inside and out.
“So, how did she die?” Jace asked, returning to the story of Laura.
“Breast cancer. She had surgery, chemo, radiation, but in the end nothing could save her. Her last days were awful, she was in so much pain, the morphine offered only some respite.” Jace could see Sheldon was struggling with telling the story. Even now his brother loved Laura. “When Laura died, I lost all interest in doing anything.”
Sheldon’s voice was full of sorrow.
“I wasn’t a good manager of the Kendall anyway. I’d never been good at it.”
Jace remembered the books he’d seen and how the Kendall had been losing money for years.
“While Laura was here, she was the one who kept things on track. She was the better manager. But after her death, everything went to ruin.” He took a moment to glance at the barn. “But it appears Ms. Ashton has put a lot of the glory back in the house and grounds.”
“She’s trying to make the place self-sustaining. That’s why there are so many people in the house today. She opens it to the public once a week, collecting fees to pay for upkeep. I was against it at first, but I realize it couldn’t be done without some sort of compromise, and Kelly is doing a great job.”
“It’s good to see it like this. When I left it was practically falling apart. I’m amazed at what she’s accomplished.”
Jace scanned the area, too. There was a lot that was different now. But it was good different.
He knew some of Kelly’s plans for the future. He had hoped maybe he and Ari could be a part of them, but that was no longer on the cards.
* * *
KELLY HAD TOO much going on with the open house to worry about what was happening between Jace and Sheldon. Yet she couldn’t concentrate on anything else. One of the guides had a mishap, though, and Kelly had to take on leading his tour group.
Throughout the day she’d handled question after question about everything from the china and wall coverings, to when the house had central heating installed—the answer to that one, the 1920s.
She was relieved when five o’clock arrived and the last guests left the gift shop and returned to the parking lot.
Curious to know how the conversation between Jace and Sheldon was going, she went in search of the two brothers. It wasn’t long before Kelly heard male voices on the back porch. She couldn’t help herself, she went to the kitchen and gathered a tray and added iced tea, a couple of sandwiches and several tea cakes that were becoming a specialty of the Kendall. At the screen door, she listened for any sign that Jace and Sheldon might be arguing. Instead of a fight, she could hear laughing. Balancing the tray with one hand, she pressed on the door and stepped outside.
Jace twisted around in his chair and looked at her. Immediately, he was on his feet and coming forward to take the tray. Sheldon made room on the table at which they were sitting and Jace placed it there.
“You’ve been here so long, I thought you both might need some food.” She tested the atmosphere for tension and found it only slightly charged. She tried to figure out what was going on. Were they agreeing to a plan for the Kendall?
Kelly had a sip of her iced tea. “Jace, I hope it’s all right, I told Ari we could go for a ride before dinner.”
“Dinner?” Jace checked his watch. “I didn’t realize it was so late.”
“You’re all welcome to stay.” She included both men in her gaze and they nodded. It was the hospitable thing to do, but that wasn’t the only reason Kelly invited them. She missed seeing Ari and Jace. And she wanted to know what the brothers were discussing and what Jace was going to do about the Kendall’s sale.
Now that the Kendalls were reunited, however precariously, they could pose a united front and push her out. They’d been together for more than two hours. What had they talked about? Was any of their discussion related to the Kendall and wrestling it back due to a technicality in the paperwork?
Kelly was determined to find out.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
THE FORMAL DINING room had a table and chairs to serve twenty. With only five of them for dinner, it was much too large for tonight’s meal. Rather, a smaller and more intimate room lay off the kitchen. It looked out on the western side of the house, across the porch and into the far woods. The sun had not yet set, but it was on its way down. Flowers had been added to the room, giving it a subtle fragrance. Kelly placed folded napkins and china on the table. She used the good silver and crystal glasses.
The members assembled, a little awkwardly, and took seats. Ari had eaten earlier and was playing video games on a handheld device.
“Sheldon, why don’t you sit there instead?” She pointed to a seat opposite the one Jace was standing behind. She sat next to Jace.
Kelly hoped they’d be able to break the ice at dinner. She had a purpose for wanting to speak with the brothers. She wondered if they had an offer to present to her. Drew and Mira were there for moral support.
“Sheldon, did you have time to see the house?” Drew began. “Kelly has done a wonderful job restoring it.”
Sheldon smiled at her. She thought how opposite the two brothers looked, even with different mothers. “Jace took me on a tour before dinner. Kelly, you’ve done a lot.”
She nodded toward him, acknowledging his sincere words. “I found some old photographs of the rooms and used them as a basis for some of the restoration.”
Earlier, she’d offered a member of the kitchen staff extra wages if she
’d prepare a simple dinner for the group. Fortunately, Grace had agreed, and they now began to pass the serving dishes around the table. The main meal consisted of a salad, seared fish with fresh asparagus and glazed sweet potatoes. Sheldon refused the wine, but accepted a glass of water.
Kelly took the opportunity to switch subjects. “How do you like living in North Carolina?”
“It’s warmer. We rarely get snow and the sunsets are amazing.”
“What do you do there?” Mira asked.
“I work at a boat yard. I clean the hulls. Do repairs.”
“Do you plan to stay there, settle for the long run?” Kelly asked. It was the perfect opening for her to find out his agenda. Why had he shown up at the Kendall out of the blue?
“I think so,” he said.
She nearly closed her eyes in relief.
“I have a job. I don’t plan to keep it for the rest of my life.”
“What do you plan to do?” Mira asked.
“I’m thinking of becoming an electrician.” He went on to explain his reasons and that he’d already begun to learn about it.
“I’m glad to hear that,” Jace said. “I know it’s hard to change from one thing to another. I’m about to do the same thing.”
Kelly’s fork clattered onto her plate. All eyes went to Jace.
“I got a job today,” he said.
“Job?” Kelly questioned.
He nodded. “That’s the reason for the suit.” He leaned back in his chair.
The room was deathly quiet. Yes, Kelly had thrown him off the farm, but in the back of her mind, she thought he’d come back. If he didn’t challenge her for ownership, then she thought they would resolve their differences, but if he had a job...
“Where?” she asked.
“County land office. I’m the new engineer for Duchess County. Sort of like a surveyor. I enrolled Ari in that day-care center, which he loves, and I’ll be looking for a permanent place for us to live.”
“That’s a lot of change,” Mira said.
“It is, but we can’t live here. And my savings aren’t going to let us continue to live at the motel.”
He was in a motel. Kelly felt like a louse. How could she throw him and his son out with no place to live? She felt her face grow hot.
“Maybe Kelly will let you come back until you find somewhere else,” Sheldon said. “This is a big house. I’m sure you two can get around without bumping into each other.”
All the eyes that had been on Jace were now on her. They silently asked for a response.
“Of course,” she said. What else could she say. “We have the horses and Ari loves riding them. I don’t imagine it will take long to find a nice place. Not in this market.”
“We’ll talk about it later,” Jace said. He must have heard the reluctance in her voice.
“Staying here until then sounds perfect,” Mira stated. “Ari can still go to the day-care center and he’ll have this treat to come home to until you get off work. I’m sure that job could send you away at times.”
She looked at Kelly. “And you love having him around.”
Kelly glared at her cousin. She felt like the walls were closing in, yet there was nothing she could do to stop them. Even her own family wasn’t standing up for her. Mira was throwing her into the lion’s den.
And they both knew why.
As dinner ended and the dishes were being moved to the kitchen, Jace stopped Kelly. Angling her onto the porch, he leaned with his back to the railing. Kelly faced him.
“I’m not going to stay here,” he told her.
She took a breath before asking, “Why?”
“Ari and I need to be settled.” She thought they could settle here, but didn’t say it. She’d become used to having them around.
“What about the Kendall?” she asked.
“The Kendall is yours.”
Kelly blinked, unsure she’d heard the words she so wanted to hear.
“Sheldon is returning to North Carolina,” Jace said. “Ari and I will find a small place. He’ll go to school and I’ll work. The Kendall is yours.”
Kelly felt numb. She moved to one of the rocking chairs and sat on the edge of it.
“You’re not going to challenge me on it?”
Jace smiled and shook his head.
“What changed your mind?” she asked.
“I realized it’s just a house. In Colombia, our apartment was small, but we were happy. We don’t need the Kendall for that. Now that I have a job and day care for Ari, we need to get on with our lives. We should have done this when we first arrived.”
Kelly thought of the Kendall without them and her heart lurched. She was getting what she wanted. So why didn’t she feel like she’d won?
* * *
SHELDON STAYED FOR four days, enjoying the hospitality of Kelly and the Kendall. Consequently, Jace was also underfoot. Kelly couldn’t turn a corner without seeing one or the other of the brothers. Ari was also by her side. He enjoyed day care, but couldn’t wait to get to the horses when it was home time.
Sheldon left on a Saturday. Ari said goodbye and hugged his uncle. It was a moment that Jace seemed to appreciate given his wide smile. Then she and Ari mounted a horse and went for a ride while Jace took his brother to the bus station. She and Ari rode longer and farther than ever before. Ari sat in front of her. She took him to the place where she grew up. It was about a mile beyond the Kendall’s south border. Her house was still there, although it was occupied by another family. The neighborhood had changed. When she lived here it was poor and run-down. Since then new families had moved in and fixed everything up.
Slipping down from the saddle, Kelly reached up and helped Ari to the ground. She tied the horse to a nearby tree at the edge of the neighborhood.
“Where are we?” Ari asked.
“This is where I used to live,” she told him. “I thought you might like to see it.” She sat down on the curb and pulled Ari onto her knee.
Ari looked around. “Which house was yours?”
“The yellow one over there.” Kelly pointed to a small, neat house with a bay window and a black door.
“Who lives there now?”
“Some other people.”
“Don’t you want to live there?”
“I live at the Kendall. I like living there.”
“Can I live at the Kendall, too?” he asked.
Kelly wasn’t sure how to answer that. She’d love for Ari to live there, but that was impossible. “Don’t you want to live with your dad?”
“Yeah. I want him to live at the Kendall, too. It’s got our name. Does that mean it belongs to us?”
She repositioned him closer to her. “It’s not that easy. It does have your name, but it was sold and someone else owns it now.”
“You own it?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she said, using his word.
“We used to stay with you. Can’t we do it again?”
“That’s a very hard question, too. You see, your dad worked for me when you lived there. But he has another job now. It’s closer to your day care. And next September you’ll be going to school.”
“We can’t do all that and still live at the Kendall?” His voice was straining and Kelly knew he would start to cry soon. She wanted to cry, too. She wanted them back, both of them. But things were complicated. How could she ever trust Jace again?
Kelly stared at her old house again. In the front yard was a pink bicycle. The owners must have a daughter. Kelly wasn’t sure she’d have a family of her own and it seemed less likely now. She loved Jace, but she couldn’t see it working out between them.
“Come on, Ari. Let’s go back.”
The two mounted the mare and Kelly led it into a slow walk. After a while they were back at the fence and heading for the Kendall.
“Dad!” Ari called as Jace came into view. Kelly stopped the horse and helped Ari get down safely. He took off in a dead run for Jace. She watched the scene as father and son
greeted each other. Then she turned the mare toward the stable. Inside she began the procedure of rubbing the horse down. She didn’t really need it. They hadn’t ridden the horse hard. It didn’t even break a sweat. But Kelly wanted to give Jace time to collect Ari and leave the Kendall.
She took more time than necessary. When she came out of the stable Jace and Ari were no longer where she’d left them. She didn’t see them anywhere. Kelly was both relieved and disappointed. It was nearly dinnertime, but she wasn’t hungry. She thought she’d go for a drive. She hadn’t been out of the Kendall in weeks except to run errands for the estate.
As she entered through the back door to get her car keys and purse, Jace came in and met her. “Oh, hi,” she said. “I thought you and Ari were gone.”
“Ari’s watching something on television. I wanted to talk to you.”
This was it, Kelly thought. “Why don’t we go—”
“For a walk,” he finished for her.
“What about Ari?” she protested. She didn’t want to be alone with Jace. It was far too dangerous. Her feelings were too strong and he was supposed to be her enemy. It was getting dark. And while Ari was a poor substitute for a chaperone, he was all she had.
Jace took her hand and led her out the front door. “We’re only going to circle around the house. Ari knows where we are and we’ll also be within shouting distance if he needs us.”
“Did Sheldon get away all right?” Kelly asked, going down the steps.
“He did. He liked his visit, but said he was looking forward to going back to North Carolina.”
“He seemed different from how you described him.”
Jace pulled her arm through his. Kelly resisted a little, but didn’t fight him.
“He’s different from what I remember, too. Seems he’s changed and for the better. Kind of surreal, acutally.”
“How do you mean?” she asked.
“His manner was calm, accepting, way less confrontational than it used to be. When I first saw him again, I was prepared for him to berate me for some offense. Instead, he apologized.”
“So you two mended fences.”
“Not totally. Have to admit I kept waiting for the real Sheldon to show up. I figured he had an ulterior motive and I was trying to figure out what it was.”
Summer on Kendall Farm Page 20