Page 168 of Share with Me

You know, musical instruments are meant to be seen and played, not locked in vaults.

Ivan’s words came back to her.

She frowned.

“What’s wrong?” Yun asked.

“Bummer. The appraiser is on vacation and won’t be back until after I’ve gone home to Atlanta,” Brinley said. “How about this? I’ll give you twenty-six thousand dollars now for the Steinway. After the new appraisal, I will pay you the balance of what it’s worth.”

Yun’s eyes were wide. “You think it’s worth more than that?”

“A lot more. My guess is it’ll top thirty. But its history is priceless. It would be an honor to keep the Steinway for you so we won’t forget its history.”

Yun was visibly moved. “Thank you, Brinley.”

“I can transfer the money now to your bank account. Or would you rather I write you a check?”

“A check. I’m old school. I don’t know much about electronic bank transfers.”

But you know what it is.“Or would you rather I give you cold hard cash in unmarked bills?”

Yun laughed so hard her cup was rattling on the saucer.

Brinley glanced at her iPhone. “It’s not nearly three o’clock. The bank is still open. What say you if I write you a check and we go to the bank now and you deposit it?”

“Now? Right now?”

Brinley smiled.It’s just spending money.

Besides, the old piano was cheaper than any other musical instrument in her collection. And way cheaper than what Ivan had called the “stupid Strad” that was still unrecovered. While Ivan was all huffing and puffing about the five-point-four-million dollar Strad, Brinley was more concerned about recovering the other family heirloom. She’d pay a whole lot more to get the 1698 Damaris Brooks Stradivarius back into Brooks family ownership. In fact, she’d pay whatever the private collector would ask.

And I mean whatever.

If she had to sell some of her stocks at Brooks Investments, so be it. Grandpa Brooks had spent his entire life looking for that violin. And now she and her parents were very close to completing his quest.

“Yes, before you change your mind,” Brinley told Yun.

“I’m not going to change my mind. I know you’ll take good care of the piano.”

“I will. When the SISO Museum of Musical Instruments opens up, perhaps I’ll loan your Steinway to it along with the rest of my string collection.”

“A collection? How many instruments do you have?”

“Not many. They belonged to Grandpa Brooks. He gave it to me before he died. But it was missing his great-great-whatever-grandma’s violin.”

“Yes, you mentioned the Strad at Zoe’s birthday party.”

It had only been a couple of months, but it seemed so far away.

How could she ever forget thatAir? The way he had looked at her when he played it?

Our song.

The pain in her chest intensified. She breathed in and out gingerly.

I can’t forget him. Help me, Lord.

The sooner she went back to work, the better. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to move the piano today.”

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