Page 220 of Share with Me

“Who could that be?” Ivan asked.

“Oh, that’s probably my housewarming gift.”

Ivan’s eyebrows shot up. “You brought me a housewarming gift? As if renting this house to me at one-tenth the price isn’t enough?”

Brinley walked past him and reached the door before Ivan did. She greeted the two men.

“Where do you want it, ma’am?”

“Get it into the house and let him decide where to put it.” Brinley pointed to Ivan, who looked perplexed.

“Is there a bigger door than this and maybe not so many steps?” one of the men asked.

“There’s a handicap ramp in the garage,” Ivan said. “It leads to the foyer. The garage door is open. I was airing out some things.”

“That’ll do, sir.”

Brinley stepped out onto the porch, and Ivan followed her. He looked out into the driveway. Brinley watched him stare at the plain moving van. She was sure he couldn’t figure it out. It was a good thing their regular van with the company name stenciled across the side wasn’t available today.

“You’re getting me furniture?” Ivan scratched his head.

Brinley bit back tears as Ivan’s jaw dropped when he saw what rolled out of the back of the van. Then she laughed out loud as he practically jumped off the porch to greet Yun’s Steinway Victorian upright piano, which Brinley had ordered tuned and polished after she had taken it out of the vault.

The piano movers rolled the piano into the garage next to Matt’s car—which he had let Ivan borrow—and up the ramp and into the house.

“Where do you want this?” one of the guys asked Ivan.

“Right there.” Ivan stepped toward the same wall where the Steinway had stood for decades.

After the movers left, Ivan was still staring at his grandma’s piano. His back was to Brinley.

Brinley gave him time. She stood to the side and waited.

Finally, Ivan turned around. “Grandma sold the piano toyou.”

“I thought you knew that.”

“No, I didn’t. She said it was going into a museum.”

“Yes. The SISO Museum of Musical Instruments, but it’s not built yet, as you know. And what else did she say?”

“That maybe someday the piano might make its way back to the McMillan family.” Ivan stepped closer to Brinley. “Just like someday the Damaris Brooks Strad might return to your family.”

“I guess yoursomedayis happening sooner than mine.”

“Trust God, Brin.” Ivan stroked her shoulders.

Brinley cheered up. “Better not let your new piano students touch this antique.”

“No. I’m buying two pianos from a small church in Darien. They’re closing and they have a few old pianos in their Sunday School classrooms that need to go. Matt’s helping me transport them here.”

“Thinking of adding teachers already?”

“Got a great deal on the pianos I couldn’t pass up. I brought Matt with me and he’s the ultimate negotiator. He bought all the oak pews and stained-glass windows from the church and asked them to throw in a couple of pianos. Want to see my flyers?”

Like an excited entrepreneur, Ivan led Brinley to the kitchen. On the island table, a small, old beat-up laptop whirred to life when Ivan pressed a key. He sat on the barstool and scooted closer to the screen. He tapped a few times, then slid the laptop toward Brinley.

“I’m putting these flyers all over the place.” Ivan’s eyes lit up. “Listen.Always wanted to learn the piano, but never had the chance? Or second time around at the piano? Choose thirty- or sixty-minute lessons. Babysitting provided.What do you think?”

---