Christmas On Nutcracker Court (30 page)
Read Christmas On Nutcracker Court Online
Authors: Judy Duarte
“Thanks, ma'am.” He handed her an electronic device to sign. After she scratched out her name, he gave her the envelope, hopped into the truck, and drove away.
She was just about to write a note for Grant and leave her phone number, when she heard his car drive up.
“I hope you don't mind,” she told him, “but I signed for this delivery. If I hadn't stopped the courier, he would have taken it back to his station.”
“I don't mind at all. Thanks.” Grant took the envelope, glanced at the return address, then tossed her a smile. “I'm glad you're here. I've wanted to ask you something.”
“What's that?”
“Would you like to have dinner with me one of these eveningsâand maybe take in a movie?”
The question nearly sucked all the words she'd ever learned right out of her.
“What about Carly?” she finally asked.
“What about her? It's not like we have a commitment to each other.” Grant's gaze locked on hers, and her heart spun dangerously out of control.
“But that would be awkward,” she said.
“Not for me.”
Lynette didn't know how to respond, especially since she couldn't quite form the word no.
“If I had my choice in the matter,” he added, “I'd rather go out with you. So what do you say?”
Yes
came to mind, but so did thoughts of both Susan and Carly. Opting for time to think, she said, “I really hadn't planned on dating anyone.”
came to mind, but so did thoughts of both Susan and Carly. Opting for time to think, she said, “I really hadn't planned on dating anyone.”
“Why's that?”
She didn't want to tell him that she'd made bad choices when listening to her heart, and that her marriage to Peter had been more of a business decision based upon a trusted friendship. But she doubted that he would understand, and she feared he'd realize that she still harbored a few too many insecurities than a woman ought to.
So instead of answering, she nodded at the FedEx envelope in his arms. “Important papers?”
If he thought it was odd that she'd bypassed his question completely, he didn't mention it. Instead, he said, “I sold a piece of property out of state, and the agent's scanner is on the blink. He had to overnight the paperwork instead of e-mailing it to me. So time is of the essence.”
“You mean you could miss out on the deal?”
“No, but I need to sign the settlement statement and get it back to him so the deal will close before the end of the year.”
“The tax stuff can be such a headache, especially capital gains and that sort of thing.” Fortunately, Peter's CPA took good care of her so she didn't have to worry too much.
“Actually,” Grant said, “I had a couple of bad investments earlier in the year, which left me in a jam. So I need the cash to turn things around for myself.”
He was having financial problems?
That in and of itself was a good reason not to go out with him. What if he went broke? Or worse yet, what if he thought Lynette ought to bail him out, risking her nest egg?
“What's the matter?” he asked.
Had he read her reaction in her face? If so, she tried to feign indifference. “Nothing's wrong. I just realized that I was supposed to . . . go to the bank and sign some papers myself. I can't believe that I nearly forgot.” She was lying, of course, but hopefully he wouldn't come to that conclusion.
As she turned to go, clutching her purse close to her side, he called out, “Lynette, wait a minute.”
“I really can't.” She didn't dare stick around any longer. Not while Grant was turning her heart on end.
Goodness, he was the kind of man she was growing more and more attracted to, which meant that she could decide to ride off into the sunset with him, only to find herself parked in front of the poorhouse.
About the time she reached for the door handle of her car, Maggie stepped out on Helen's porch and called her name.
“Can it wait?” Lynette asked, feeling as though both Grant and Maggie had it in for her.
“I'm afraid not,” Maggie said. “Dawn Randolph just called. Rosa collapsed while washing dishes at the soup kitchen. She's in an ambulance and on her way to the hospital.”
“Oh, no.”
“Do you mind giving me a lift to Pacifica General?” Without waiting for an answer, Maggie was heading down the sidewalk with her purse.
“Of course not.” As Lynette slid behind the wheel, her heart pounding with real fear instead of that which might only have been imagined, she looked over the hood at Grant.
“Let me know if there's anything I can do to help,” he said.
“You can pray,” Maggie told him, as she climbed into the passenger seat.
Lynette barely waited for the woman to close the door, then she put the car in Drive, her fear growing by leaps and bounds.
If Maggie suggested that Grant pray, then things must not look at all good for Rosa.
Chapter 18
Before entering Lydia's House, Susan sat a while in her car, studying the estate that had once belonged to Alejandro Montoya, the patriarch of Fairbrook's most successful pioneer family.
The grand, three-story brick mansion sat on a hilltop overlooking Mulberry Park on one side, and providing an impressive view of the Pacific Ocean on the other.
According to what Barbie had told her, the ornate house had been custom-built during the World War I era and modernized over the years to provide handicap access. But it had always been surrounded by lush, park-like grounds encircled with a black wrought-iron fence.
Both Lydia's Houseâthe building itself, as well as the foundation that had been created to benefit adults with developmental disabilitiesâhad been named after Alejandro and Josefina Montoya's youngest daughter, who'd been twelve years old when she suffered a serious head injury after being thrown from a horse.
Lydia had lived, thanks to the best surgeons and medical care available at the time, but the bright and effervescent young girl who'd dreamed of owning a stable full of Thoroughbreds when she grew up would never be the same again. And the Montoyas had to accept the hard fact that their beloved child would need constant care the rest of her life.
Doctors had advised the parents to find a suitable institution in which to place her, and while they'd gone so far as to check out several, they'd refused to send the girl to live with strangers in settings like the ones they'd seen.
In the early sixties, Alejandro suffered a debilitating stroke. At that time, the family began to worry about what would happen to Lydia when her siblings and her parents passed away. So they'd created a charitable foundation that would provide housing and training for other adults like herâwhether their disabilities were genetic birth disorders or conditions acquired later in life.
From then on, Lydia's House filled that special need within the community.
In the early eighties, Lydia Montoya passed away in the only home she'd ever known, but the foundation named in her honor continued to provide the same loving care to all the other residents.
Deciding that she'd taken enough time to brace herself for the afternoon's festivities, Susan slid out from behind the wheel of her car, reached for the plate of brownies she'd baked earlier, and started for the house.
As she made her way from the parking lot to the lawn, she thought about the twenty-three people who lived on the property, one of whom was Ronnie Ferris, Hank's brother. Unlike Lydia Montoya, Ronnie had been born with his challenges.
Susan had met him a time or two, when Stan and Donna Ferris had brought him home for a weekend, but it hadn't gone well. Ronnie had been agitated and noticeably troubled, which had made Susan uneasy. Eventually, the Ferris family had realized that Ronnie was happier with his friends and caretakers at Lydia's House, in the surroundings he'd become accustomed to over the years.
It was then that Susan had realized that Hank was even more uncomfortable around his older brother than she'd been.
She tried to reassure herself that Ronnie would be comfortable, that he wouldn't cry or strike out at people here, but she had no idea what to expect from the other residents.
It's only for an hour or so,
she told herself. She'd make an excuse to leave, and it would soon be over.
she told herself. She'd make an excuse to leave, and it would soon be over.
When she reached the front door, which had been adorned with a holiday wreath hung by a big red bow, she raised her fist to knock, then spotted the bell and rang instead.
Moments later, a stocky young woman with Down syndrome opened the door. Her dark hair had been woven in a French braid and tied with a green ribbon that matched her green velvet dress.
“Merry Christmas,” she said with a bright-eyed smile. “Come to the party.”
Susan stepped inside the estate, which had been decked out in holiday splendor. People milled about, but it was easy to differentiate the residents from the guests.
They're just like you,
Maggie had said.
Maggie had said.
Still not convinced, yet wishing it was true, Susan followed the woman into the house, where holiday music played softly.
Without warning, the woman stopped short and turned. “Do you have a friend who lives here? I can take you to them.”
“I'm a . . . Well, I'm a friend of Ronnie Ferris.”
“I know him.” The girl bit down on her lip. “I think he's upstairs. He can't come down yet.”
Was he throwing another fit? Agitated like before?
Susan glanced at her watch, making note of when she arrived and when she could make her excuse to leave.
“What's your name?” the woman asked.
“Susan. How about you?”
“I'm Stephanie. I live here. And I helped make the sugar cookies.”
Susan reached out her hand. “It's nice to meet you. Thank you for being such a good hostess.”
Stephanie beamed at the praise.
Just like you . . .
“That's a pretty dress you're wearing,” Susan said.
Stephanie gave a little curtsy. “Edna made it for me. My daddy and my sister bought the . . .” She glanced down at the green velvet, then tugged at it.
“The fabric?”
Stephanie nodded. “Yes, and she made my slip, too. Do you want to see it?”
Susan smiled. “No, you better not show me here. But I'll bet it's pretty, too.”
“And it's soft.” Stephanie bent over, lifted the hem of her dress anyway, and revealed a white satin slip trimmed in lace. “See?”
“Very nice. I wish I had a pretty dress and slip like that.”
“I can ask Edna. She's going to be here today. So is my daddy and my sister.”
“I'd like to meet them.”
Stephanie beamed. “They aren't here yet. That's why I'm waiting by the door. My sister is going to play the music, and we're going to sing.”
“Cool.”
Stephanie nodded, then brightened. “Want me to show you where to put the cookies?”
“That would be nice.”
Moments later, after being led to a large dining room, Susan was instructed to hand her plate of brownies to a woman wearing a Christmas apron. She introduced herself as Tanya Sullivan, the mother of one of the young men who lived at Lydia's House.
“Don't these look yummy?” Tanya said. “My son is going to love these.”
While Susan looked over the spread of goodies on the dessert table, Barbie joined her and slipped an arm around her. “I'm so glad you came, Susie. Come on, I want to show you around.”
As Barbie gave Susan a tour of the kitchen, the library, and the classrooms where the “kids” learned life skills, she took time to introduce various residents along the way, each one decked out in holiday attire, their smiles as bright as Stephanie's had been.
Maggie had been right; those who lived here
were
just like the Lils in many ways, but they had a childlike innocence and honesty that Susan had lost years ago.
were
just like the Lils in many ways, but they had a childlike innocence and honesty that Susan had lost years ago.
Instead of taking a seat in an out-of-the-way place and waiting for the time she could make an early escape, Susan found herself glad that she came to visit and looking forward to the party.
Of course, she'd yet to see Ronnie Ferris.
A bit curious about why he hadn't joined the party, Susan said, “Stephanie, the woman who answered the door when I arrived, told me that Ronnie hasn't come downstairs yet.”
“We thought it would be best if he rested until the party got underway.”
“Is something wrong?”
“He's been diagnosed with heart failure and tires easily,” Barbie said. “In fact, we're afraid this might be his last Christmas.”
“I'm sorry.”
“So are we. He's been a special part of our family for a long time, although some people might not understand that.”
Hank certainly hadn't.
And as a result, neither had Susan. Sadly, for the first time since their marriage, she felt remiss by that and decided an apology was due. “I'm also sorry that Hank and I weren't more . . .” She wasn't quite sure how to phrase it. She wasn't sure that “compassionate” was the word she was looking for, since Hank had always been generous with his checks to the foundation, something Susan had never minded.
“Hank had a difficult time accepting Ronnie's limitations,” Barbie said.
“Do you think he was embarrassed by his brother?”
“Somewhat. And then . . .” Barbie paused. “Well, after his engagement to Brittany, it became even more of an issue.”
“His
engagement
?”
engagement
?”
“You didn't know that he'd been engaged to someone else before the two of you were married?”
No, he'd never mentioned it to her.
The stunned look on Susan's face must have been a dead giveaway to her utter surprise, because Barbie went on to explain. “Hank was in his third year at college when he met Brittany, and he fell fast and hard. By the time Christmas rolled around, he'd given her a ring and had invited her to Fairbrook to meet the family. I'm not exactly sure what happened while she was in town, but she broke up with him and flew home earlier than she'd planned.”
“Did Ronnie have something to do with their split?”
Barbie glanced around as if checking to see that their conversation was private. It was, but she lowered her voice anyway. “Hank never actually said, but that's when I noticed him distancing himself from Ronnieâand from the rest of us, for that matter. My folks and I can't help thinking that Brittany was afraid that she and Hank would have a baby with genetic imperfections, although we don't know that for sure.”
Barbie looked to Susan, as though seeking some kind of confirmation. But even though she'd suspected that Hank was afraid to have a child for that very reason, he'd never come out and actually said it. So she kept that to herself and just listened.
“About the time Hank and Brittany broke up, he began to insist that Mom and Dad find a home for Ronnie.”
“Is that why your brother's here? Because Hank pushed your parents to place him in a home?”
“Not really. They knew that there was only so much they could do for him, and they also knew that they were getting older and wouldn't be alive forever. So they started checking out various facilities. But when they toured Lydia's House and saw all they had to offer, as well as how happy the residents were, they knew it was the right place for Ronnie.”
From what Susan had seen so far, she suspected that they'd been right.
Barbie glanced at her wristwatch. “I'd better check and see what's keeping Ronnie's caregiver. He's supposed to be bringing him downstairs in a wheelchair.”
“Where should I wait?” Susan asked.
“Mom and Dad are out on the lawn, so that's a good place to meet. I know it's a little chilly outside, but Ronnie likes to walk the grounds with us whenever we come to visit.”
Before either Susan or Barbie could make a move, one of the residents, a young man, cried out, “Look what I found!”
Susan turned to see him stooped over and picking up a coin that had been lying on the floor. When he straightened and lifted up a penny, he burst into a grin. “It's a lucky day.”
She thought of the ditty she'd learned as a child:
Find a penny, pick it up, and all the day you'll have good luck.
Find a penny, pick it up, and all the day you'll have good luck.
“Congratulations,” she said with a smile.
The young man glanced at the penny in his hand, bit down on his bottom lip, then looked at Susan and grinned. “Here, you can have it.”
“Oh, no.” Susan wasn't about to take away his joy or his treasure. “You're the one who found it.”
“But it's Christmas. And it's good to share.”
Barbie slipped her arm around the young man and gave him a hug. “I'm so proud of you, Joseph. And you're right. When you give love or share your blessings with others, there's always enough to go around.”
Susan thought about Maggie's magic treasure story. How strange that someone who might be considered mentally challenged understood a concept she was just now grasping.
“If you'll excuse me,” Barbie said, “I think I'll go get Ronnie myself.”
Minutes later, Susan found Stan and Donna Ferris outside, seated on a concrete park bench near a fountain. As they greeted each other, Donna thanked her for coming. “It will mean so much to Ronnie to have you here today.”
Susan didn't think that was possible. She'd only been around the man a few times.
Moments later, Barbie approached them, pushing her brother's wheelchair. Ronnie, who was in his late fifties and balding, wore a bright red vest, a white T-shirt, and dark sweatpants. Susan hadn't seen him in years, but she would recognize him anywhere.
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