Across the country, in a large yellow house with blue trim, a young woman read a similar letter. Would she please meet next week to discuss Pru’s will? Puzzled by the summons, Simone Teabury, owner and innkeeper sat back in her desk chair. If it was just some papers, why wouldn’t he bring it, and try to filch the cookies they were famous for. Simon Walker never passed up cookies. A summons to his office seemed foreboding.
The inn was quiet, there was no reason to walk over and see if he had a second to speak about it now. No sense putting off what should be a fairly easy transition of the Inn into her name only. She swung by the kitchen and put 6 cookies into a small box for Simon, he was always sneaking sweets now that his husband put him on a diet. Probably shouldn’t help him, she thought as she walked out into the April sunshine. A gentle breeze fanned at her hair as she stopped to absorb the ridiculous beauty of her home. As she walked down the street, people waved and called out greetings. Most of them, she knew by name and she stopped several times to chat about the day. Finally at her lawyer’s office, she went in and greeted his secretary. “Hi Anna!”
“Simone, hi. Did you need to see him? He’s got a few minutes now.” Anna said as she turned from her monitor.
“I do, thanks.” She proceeded into the office. “Simon, what’s with all the mystery?”
The man behind the desk drew his glasses off and stood. “Hi Simone.” He came around the desk and embraced her, having known her since she was a child. “Sit, sit.” He gestured to a chair opposite the desk.
“So” Simone blew out a breath and set the cookies on his desk. “What’s up?”
He rested his elbow on the desk. “We need to talk about Pru’s will. She had some requests, personal items she wanted you and the others to have. I’ve detailed them here.”
Simone looked down at the list with eyes gone blurry. “That’s really sweet. She knew I loved those emerald earrings.”
“There is one other thing. It has to do with the inn itself. Your grandmother and Pru drew up these wills when Susan first got sick. They wanted everything to be very clear cut for you.” He drew in a sharp breath. “Pru has left her half of the inn to her nephew, a man named Gavin MacCallum. I’ve asked him to come next week to meet about this.”
She couldn’t breathe. Her whole heart seemed to sink down to her feet and break into a million pieces. “She did what?” she whispered.
“She decided that she wanted to leave a legacy to him. I don’t believe they were close, but she felt a responsibility, since he’s estranged from her brother.”
Simone looked down at the will, the words that seemed to be destroying her whole world. “Can I fight this?” She asked, clearing her throat. “I’ll buy him out, I might have to mortgage the inn, but I can do it.”
“We can discuss the terms of a buyout when he comes next week. I wanted you to have a heads up on this Simone, not be blindsided next week.”
She stood slowly. “Thanks Simon, I appreciate that. If you’ll excuse me, I need to go now.” She turned and left, walking slowly at first. Once she hit the street, she began running.
It was a long run, but she did not flag. People turned to stare as she streaked past, tears flowing from her eyes. Finally, she reached the point where the land ended and it was only sea. Once there, she screamed long and loud and collapsed on the sand. She curled her fingers around it, felt the individual grains as they bit into her hands. She did not know how long she lay there, but finally she sat up. She whisked the sand off her face and the tears from her eyes. The letter was still clutched in her hand, she smoothed it out and folded it neatly into her pocket.
“Feel better?” A voice drawled behind her. She whipped her head around to see a fortyish woman, with graying hair and a pair of wire rimmed glasses perched on her barely lined face. She wore jeans and a man’s shirt untucked.
“How’d you know where I was?”
“Simon called and told me you bolted.” She lowered herself beside Simone. “And seeing that you always come here in times of crisis, it didn’t take much deduction.” She smoothed Simone’s hair away from her face. “What is it baby, you can tell me.”
“She left her half to her nephew, Mel.” Simone fished the letter out and handed it to Mel.
“Pru? I didn’t know she had a nephew.”
“She does and he owns one half of the Teaberry Inn.” Simone rested her head on Mel’s shoulder. “How could she? How could she do this to me?”
“I don’t know. She never mentioned this to me.”
“She never mentioned HIM, Mel! Not in the entire time I knew her. Now, some stranger is coming into my business, and I have to run everything by him.”
Mel stood and held out a hand. “We need to tell the family.”
Simone shook her head. “I can’t. Not yet.”
“Simone Katherine Teaberry, get off your ass!” Mel crouched in front of her and shook her shoulders. “Are you going to sit here feeling sorry for yourself, or are you going to face this the way we taught you?” Mel grasped her hands and pulled Simone to her feet. “Now, we are going to go home and tell our family this, and we will make the best of this situation. It is what it is sweetheart, and no amount of screaming, crying or wishing is going to make it different.” She brushed Simone’s hair back from her face. “C’mon, let’s go and tell them.”
“Thanks Mel.”
“That’s what I am here for.” They walked back to the inn, arm in arm. Mel was the closest thing to a mother that Simone had left. Mel was her mother’s best friend and had helped to raise Simone from a baby. When Mel met Jane, twenty years ago, they fell madly in love and now drove everyone crazy with their ceaseless bickering. Mel and Jane ran the “Just Right” bakery across from the Inn and kept the inn stocked with their delicious baked goods, and their signature cinnamon buns. They lived on the 3rd floor of the Inn with the rest of the family.
The inn came into view, a grand old lady with 3 floors and a lovely front porch. The windows were lit and the sounds of Jerry’s guitar floated on the sea air. She could see Bonnie Murphy, the inn’s chef and her dear friend on the porch waiting for her. She was a tall girl, with long blonde hair and kind eyes. Next to her was Kerry Halloran, Simone’s sister in everyway except blood. They looked worried until they spotted the pair coming down the street. “There they are!” shouted as she vaulted over the rail. She ran towards them and enveloped Simone in a hug. “You ok honey?”
“I’m fine, and I only want to tell the story once, so let’s go inside ok?” Simone took Kerry’s hand as she reached the porch. “Are the guests out of the parlor?”
“Yes, it’s empty.” Kerry’s eyes were worried as she met Bonnie’s over Simone’s head. They walked inside the inn and led Simone into the parlor. Mel rushed off to get the rest of the family and gather there. They held her hands while she told the news, they held her head while she cried and they held her together as she came to accept it.
"When is he coming?" Kerry asked as she rubbed Simone's back.
"Next week." She looked up at Kerry. "We should probably put him in Pru's room."
"I'll take care of it." Kerry smiled at Simone. "It's going to be just fine."
Jerry came off the chair that he was sitting in and crouched in front of Simone. "I'll beat him up for you."
Simone laughed and kissed his cheek. "My hero." She sighed as she scrubbed her hands over her face. "We'll handle it, just like we handle everything else."
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