By Summer's End (Christian Fiction) (5 page)

Holly
woke early to the sun streaming in through the gaps in the bedroom curtains. 
For a brief couple seconds, she was unsure where she was, but when she felt the
mattress shift, she turned and spotted her sister sleeping beside her.  She
smiled when she remembered both where they were and why they were here. 

This bedroom was hers—in her new house. 
She carefully threw back the covers and flung her legs over the mattress.  Her
feet hit the floor and shivered.  It was nearly summer but still quite cold. 
She hurried to the restroom and sent a longing look at the shower.  She didn’t
really need one, but decided to take one anyway.

After luxuriating in the shower for
several moments, she turned off the stream of water and reached for a towel
she’d hung on a nearby rack.  She hurried to retrieve a pair of jeans and a top
from her suitcase on the floor beside the bed.  She dressed quickly but still
felt a bit chilly.  After retrieving a sweat shirt from the suitcase, she
slipped into it and then headed for the kitchen to make a pot of coffee.

The evening before, she’d seen a coffee
maker on the kitchen counter, as well as several coffee mugs dangling from
hooks on the underside of the upper cabinets.  She took down two mugs, looked
inside and found a coating of dust, and hurriedly washed them clean.  After
cleaning the coffee carafe and starting the grounds to brewing, she checked the
time.  She was eager to reach the executor of her uncle’s will, but it was
still too early to make the call.

Brianna soon joined her in the kitchen,
having readied for the day.  “I hope you don’t mind, but I took a shower in
your room,” she said.

“Not a problem,” Holly assured her.  “We
can share the master bathroom if you like.”

“Thank you.”  She beamed.  “I’ll probably
go back and forth between bathrooms.”  She crossed the room to a large window
overlooking the pastureland behind them.  “It’s a sunny day,” she said happily.

“It’s beautiful.  A little chilly, but
so pretty.”  Holly grinned.  “I did a little reading on Washington State before
we left, and I understand it rains quite a bit here.”

Brianna weighed the information with a
side-to-side tip of her head.  “I guess it’s a tradeoff for all this green.”

“I’m sure you’re right,” Holly said with
a smile.  “Hey, are you hungry?  I was about to pour myself a bowl of cereal.”

“Sounds good, but I’ll get it.”  She
retrieved two bowls and passed one to Holly.  After pouring cereal and milk
into each, and returning the milk to the fridge, she joined her sister at the
table.  “What’s on the agenda today?”

“Well, first off, I need to call the
executor, to see if I can learn anything.  I’ll probably have to meet with
him.”

“And after that…?”

Holly gave her a questioning glance. 
“Did you have something in mind?”

“We could … go horse shopping…”

Holly stared at her sister’s hopeful
face.  Brianna grinned winningly and emphasized her dimples by poking each side
of her face with her pointer fingers.  Holly burst out laughing.   “How do I
say ‘no’ to that face?” she wondered aloud, but quickly sobered.  “I think we’d
better settle in and find out exactly how much of this property belongs to us
before we make any big animal purchases,” she said reasonably.  “Besides, I
imagine there’s a lot of preparation that goes into bringing home a horse.  And
I know nothing about them.”

“But I know a lot about them,” she
assured her.  “And I promise I’ll take care of her.  I’ve done it before.  Will
you at least think about it?”

“Of course,” she promised.  “Once we’ve
spoken to the executor, we’ll know more.  Until then, however, we’d probably
better take it slow.”

“But if the barn is ours…?” she
persisted.

“I will consider it.  You have my
word.”  She suddenly realized she was currently unemployed and would need to
find a job sooner than later.  

Brianna noticed the sudden frown on her
face.  “What is it, Holly?”

“I need to start looking for work as
soon as possible.”  She glanced around the home.  “We’re going to need some
furnishings.  You are definitely going to need a bed of your own and a dresser
and…”

“A horse,” she interjected with a
laugh. 

Holly gave her a mock-stern glance. 

Brianna pulled her cell phone out of her
pocket and checked the time.  “Hey, it’s after eight o’ clock.  Should you call
the executor now?”

“May I use your phone?  I don’t have a
cell phone and we don’t have phone service set up here.”

“We should feel lucky we have
electricity,” Brianna observed.

“Yes, we should.” 

Holly hurried to her bedroom to retrieve
the paperwork from the executor.  She returned shortly and Brianna passed her
the phone.  After dialing, Holly waited with bated breath for someone to pick
up.  She realized her heart was pounding and her hands had gone clammy.  She
was more nervous than she’d originally realized.

“Is anybody there?” Brianna asked.

Holly smiled encouragingly but wondered,
was anyone going to pick up?  The executor had told her he was always in his
office by eight.  Finally, finally, someone picked up the phone.  “Forrest
James’ office,” a nasally voice said.

“May I speak to Mr. James, please?  My
name is Holly Holton.  Mr. James is expecting my call.”

“I’m so sorry, but Mr. James was called
away for a family emergency.”

“Do you … know when he might be back?”

“I’m afraid not.  Is there anything I
can help you with?”

 “Well … I don’t know.  Uh, well, maybe
you can tell me something.  My uncle, Benjamin Holton, left me his home.  The
thing is, I don’t even know if he passed away or if he’s…”

“I’m so sorry, but he did pass away.”

“Oh, okay.”  Holly felt a stab of pain
at his loss.  She didn’t know him, but he’d been kind enough to remember her in
his will.  She couldn’t help but have fond feelings for him.  She wished she
could have known him.

“I’m so sorry for your loss.  He was a
wonderful man,” the woman told her.  “Ben and I attended the same church.  He
was beloved by all—but then, you already know that.”

She hadn’t known that, and was uncertain
how to respond.    

“Oh, my, I have another call waiting. 
Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Well, uh, let’s see.  Oh, I should ask… 
Uncle Benjamin sent me a key to his home, since he willed it to me.  He told me
in a letter that he wanted me to have access to the home.  Is it okay for…?”

“For you to stay there now?” she
clarified.

“Yes.”

“I understand it’s fine for…”  Her words
dwindled off.  “Will you hold for a moment?  I have another call and…”

Before Holly could answer, the woman was
gone.  She soon returned, her voice harried.  “Was that everything?”

“Uh, well…”

“Ask her about the barn.  Is it ours?” Brianna
prompted from beside her.

“I’m afraid I have another…” the woman
began.

“Can you tell me if the barn is ours?” Holly
quickly asked.

“Give me a moment and I’ll…”  She was
gone for a moment but soon returned.  “Uh, yes, I think I see here—I believe—you
may take ownership of any outbuildings…”  She paused.  “I’m sorry.  Someone has
just come in.  I really have to go now.  If you have additional questions, I’m
afraid they’re going to have to wait until Mr. James returns.  I’ve just
started working here, so I’m not really qualified to help…”  The line went
dead.

Holly passed Brianna her cell phone. 
She shook her head.  “I guess Uncle Benjamin’s executor had a family emergency
and had to leave town.”

“When will he be back?”

“The woman who answered the phone
couldn’t say.”

“But she did say the barn is ours?”

Holly gave a shrug.  “She said any
outbuildings are ours.”

“What about all the pastureland…?”  She
burst into a big smile.  “Wait!  It has to belong to us.  If the barn is ours,
and it’s behind the fence,
and
… it’s sitting on the pasture, then…” 
She gave a whoop of triumph.  “It’s ours!”

Holly wasn’t certain how to respond. 
She felt slightly uneasy.  “Brianna, until we do talk to the executor, we
probably shouldn’t assume anything about the outlying property.”

“But … we can hope, right?”

She smiled.  “We can always hope…  And
pray.”

“It
looks so good!” Brianna declared, as she stood back and assessed the work she
and Holly had just done to the front yard of their new home. 

Holly, kneeling on the grass, rose from
her knees and moved to stand beside her sister.  Her eyes passed over the front
yard.  “It’s gorgeous,” she agreed.  “The lawn is completely filled in, and
thanks to the bit of rain we’ve had, it’s actually green.”

“And the flowers beside the porch steps
look so pretty,” Brianna observed.  She smiled in her sister’s direction.  “I
can’t wait until we get a porch swing.”

“I know.  I’ve been thinking a lot about
that.  I can’t wait to enjoy a quiet summer evening on our very own porch.”

Brianna cocked her head.  “The chairs
look nice.”  She and Holly had found the two chairs at a second-hand store and
intended to refurbish them.  Both needed the legs stabilized before they were
safe for use, but it turned out, both women enjoyed a project.  It was
something the sisters had discovered they had in common.

“They’ll look nicer after we’ve painted
them,” Holly told her.  “Maybe we can start when I get off work tomorrow.”

“Or … I can sand them and give them a
base coat tomorrow, while you’re working.  That way, you can
finish
painting them tomorrow.”

“You really don’t mind my tole painting
attempts,” Holly asked, giving her an assessing glance.

“Attempts?  You’re an artist!”

Holly laughed and threw an arm over her
sister’s shoulders.  She remembered meeting Brianna for the first time, and how
surly and uncommunicative she had been.  She recalled weeks of animosity and
anger emanating from her, but now…  Brianna had been transformed.  She seemed
to love the country, as did Holly.

They had lived in their home for six
weeks and had spent that time beautifying both the inside and outside.  The
front yard was nearly done.  Holly was pleased with their efforts, and was most
delighted with the small Pacific dogwood tree Brianna had gifted to her the day
before.  Holly was hopeful he tree would grow and flourish and always remind
her of the progress she and Brianna had made toward becoming sisters.

“Hey,” Brianna said, smiling winningly
at Holly, “since the house and lawn are coming along, maybe we can start
getting the barn ready for…”

“A horse,” Holly finished for her drolly,
giving her a mock-frustrated look.

Brianna gave her an imploring look in
return.  “I mean, summer won’t last forever, and it would be good for my future
horse and I to have some good weather together, so we can get acquainted and
also have time to enjoy riding in our pasture while it’s dry.”

Holly smiled indulgently, but once
again, was forced to remain the voice of reason.  “I’m afraid until we hear
from the elusive executor, we’re going to have to hold off on acquiring animals
of any size.”

“Even a cat?”

Holly groaned.  She knew her sister was
referring to the large cat that had taken up residence on their porch.  She was
well aware that Brianna had been feeding it for the past couple weeks.

She emitted a beleaguered sigh and threw
her hands in the air in defeat.  “You can have the cat—if he sticks around.”

She smiled smugly.  “He spends most of
his time on our porch.”

Holly laughed and headed toward the
house.  “Hey, is your cell phone on the countertop in the kitchen?  I’m going
to try that executor again.”

“Yeah, it’s there.  I’m going to feed my
cat and I’ll be right in.”

Holly shook her head as she stepped into
the house.  She was well aware her little sister had just conned her into
keeping the cat.  She hurried to place the call, and once again, was informed
the man was still out of town.  Unfortunately, his assistant was little help,
as usual.

Holly turned toward the front door when
she heard the sound of the door knob turning.  Brianna walked in, smiling, and
carrying her cat.  “He loves me,” she said of the obviously contented animal.

Holly sighed.  “Well, what are we going
to call him?”

“Dave.”

“Dave?” Holly repeated, surprised by her
sister’s choice of monikers for the scruffy orange cat. 

“Yeah, I figure if any bad guys ever
show up here, and they happen to hear me call out the name, ‘Dave,’ they’ll
think twice about coming in.  They’ll think a man lives here with us.”

“Oh, well…  Good thinking.  I guess.”  Holly
laughed and noted Brianna was watching her with a speculative glance.  “What?”

“Why don’t you ever date?”

She was taken aback by the question. 
She dated.  Well, she’d dated.  In the past.  Years ago…

Brianna laughed at her sister’s
bewildered expression. 

“Why are you asking about my dating
life?” Holly asked, folding her arms across her chest.

“Because it appears you don’t have one.”

“I…  Hey, we’ve just made a big move
across country.  It’s not as if I’ve had the opportunity to meet anyone.”

“Are there any handsome single fathers
at the preschool where you work?” Brianna asked curiously.

“No, I’m afraid not.  We only care for
small children at the preschool.  We don’t admit fathers…”  She laughed at her
joke.

Brianna gave her a chagrined glance. 
“You know what I mean.”

Holly had managed to secure a day
position at a small preschool/daycare in town.  So far, she really enjoyed it
and considered herself fortunate to have found the work. 

“Holly,” Brianna pressed.  “You’re being
difficult.”

Holly relented and decided to answer the
question.  Brianna was like a dog on a bone when she wanted answers to questions. 
“If there are any single dads, I haven’t noticed.  I’m too busy to notice.”

“Busy with what?” Brianna inquired, as
she stroked the purring cat.  “Our house is coming along.  The outside is
looking better…”

“What am I busy with?” Holly mused. 
“Plenty.”  She checked her watch.  “Hey, it’s lunch time.  I’m busy with meal
preparation,” she said with a pert lift of her chin.

Brianna followed her into the kitchen
and sat down on a stool at the center island.  She glanced around.  “I like it
here.”

The words, spoken sincerely, caused Holly
to turn toward her.  “I’m glad.”

“Are we driving into town later?”

Holly nodded.  “Yes.  We need to go by
the bank.  I need to put your bonds into a safety deposit bank.”

“Bonds?”  Brianna furrowed her brow.  “I
thought there was only the one in the display box.”

Holly shook her head, confused. 
“Display box?”  Her eyes widened.  “No, Brianna, it’s not a display box.  It’s
a storage container.  Here, I’ll show you.”

Brianna took over assembling sandwiches
for lunch, while Holly ducked into her bedroom.  She soon returned with two
small metal boxes.  She sat down and Brianna joined her at the island.  “Look,”
she directed, as she carefully removed a stack of bonds from one box, as well
as a stack of twenty-dollar bills from the other.

Brianna gasped.  “I thought there was a
single bond on top, and the same for the twenty.”

Holly passed her the stack of bonds and Brianna’s
eyes widened.  Each one was a one-hundred dollar series I bond.  “Holly,” she
said softly, “how many bonds are there?”

“Well, let’s see…  I sent you one for
your birthday and Christmas each year, so…”

“Two a year for fifteen years…”  Brianna
did a quick mental calculation.  “Holly, that’s three-thousand dollars.”

“Yes, that sounds right.  Oh, plus
interest…”

“And you sent these to me?”

“Yes, but they always came back
unopened.”

“Good thing,” Brianna said with a sigh.

“What do you mean?”

“If Dad and Mom had known there was
money in the envelopes, they would have kept it.”

Holly gave her a startled glance. 
“Would they have?  Money intended for you?”

She nodded with resignation and then
passed the stack of bonds back to her sister.  “Holly, you keep the bonds.” 
Her eyes brightened.  “Put them toward your mother’s medical bills.”

She shook her head adamantly.  “No.  The
bonds belong to you.  I figured you could put the money toward college. 
Hopefully, we’ll be able to continue to build on your college fund.”  She
reached for the box of twenties.  “Maybe you can start a savings account with
these,” she said.

Brianna reached for the box and
extracted the stack of twenties.  It was thick and obviously a lot of money.  “Holly!”

She smiled.  “I sent them in cards for
many of the holidays.  I’m sorry I opened them when they came back, but I
wanted to keep the money stored for safe-keeping.”

“I saw the cards,” Brianna said with a
small smile.  “You did so much for me and I never knew.”

“It was my way of showing I cared.  Of
course, I was pretty upset when your parents sent the items back, but…”  She
shrugged.  “At least you have them now.”

Brianna eyed the stack of twenties.  Holly
read her mind.

“We’ll talk about a horse later.  I have
no idea how much a horse would cost.”

“It really depends,” Brianna said. 
“I’ve been checking on Craigslist, and…”

Holly gave her a warning glance.  There
was no point in getting excited until they’d met with the still-absent
executor.  She finished making the sandwiches and passed one to her sister. 
“When we’re done eating, we’ll drive into town and stop by the bank.”

“Okay,” Brianna said glumly.  “It’s
just…”

Brianna chuckled.  “It’s just what?”

“Summer is nearly half over now and…”

“I know.”

When they had finished their lunch, Holly
gathered up Brianna’s bonds and twenty dollar bills and sealed all in a couple
of gallon-size Ziploc bags.  She glanced around.  “Do we have everything?”  She
spotted the cat curled up in a ball in the lone chair in the great room.  “Put
Dave outside, please.”

“He seems to love our new chair,” Brianna
observed.

They had found the chair at a nearby
Goodwill.  It was worn, but was well-built.  They had draped a throw over it
and each evening, jokingly fought over the single chair in the room.

“We need another chair,” Brianna said,
her eyes doing a pass over the room.  “We can always use the twenties to buy a
new…”

Holly shook her head.  “No.  That money
is yours—for a rainy day.”

Brianna’s eyes twinkled.  “From what I
understand, I’ll have plenty of rainy days to choose from.  I guess it really
does rain a lot here.”