Page 25 of A Family Affair: The Ring
The visual of Grandma Esther clutching an ax between her arthritic hands made Melanie stifle a smile.“Now that would have been something to see.”
Another laugh, this one deeper.”I’ll bet it would earn a front-page spot in theMagdalena Press.I can picture it now.Esther Russell takes on the oak.”
She could see why everyone loved Cash.It wasn’t just the good looks, the engaging smile, or the words that said he would never take himself too seriously.It was the way he made people feel comfortable in an uncomfortable situation.Nate Desantro was a standup, honest guy, but it would be a stretch to say the man madeanyonefeel comfortable, his wife excluded.Melanie had witnessed another side of the man tonight when he spoke of his wife and children.The frown had softened, the deep voice gentled, and those dark eyes sparkled.Who would have thought it possible?
“So, about the car...”
Melanie sighed.“Yes, the car.Maybe someone was trying to send me a message.”Her lips twitched.“Pop asked to drive it.”
Cash slapped a hand on his knee, howled.“No kidding?Pop in a BMW.I would have wanted to see that.”
Pop had been so excited and now she’d have to tell him it wasn’t going to happen.“There were rules and I told him he’d have to get the okay from Nate and if he did, we’d go to the school parking lot.”
“You know Pop’s got a lead foot, right?”
“I was not aware of that.”She glanced at the crunched hood of her car.It was just a car, but if she hadn’t hesitated… She thought of Will’s words, his anger and the fierceness in his expression when he’d spoken about the seconds that could have taken her life.He’d disappeared to the backyard a while ago to help the other men clear up the rest of the brush, but something had happened between them tonight in the Casherdons’ kitchen.While she couldn’t identify it, shefeltit when she looked at Will or caught him watching her as she picked up twigs and small branches.
“Guess we’ll have to see about getting you a rental.Let me know what your insurance company says.”Cash rubbed his jaw as if considering another possibility.“Tess and I might be able to share the SUV for a week or so and you could borrow my truck—”
“Absolutely not.You’ve done so much for me, and I amnotgoing to inconvenience you anymore than I already have.Once I contact the insurance company, I’ll get a rental, and no one will have to give up their vehicle.”
“It really wouldn’t be a big deal.”
The man was kind, handsome, compassionate, and she could see why Grandma Esther called him her second son.“No, Cash, but thank you and thank you for always watching out for my grandma.”
“Esther was like family.I loved her.”His voice turned hoarse.“I miss her.”
Cash’s words stayed with her the rest of the night as she lay in bed, listening to the wind and another bout of rain.So many people had loved her grandmother, cherished her wisdom and spunk, and they truly missed her.A few of the men had offered their condolences tonight, shared a story and a smile regarding Esther Russell and her spunk.
Did you know she once chased a coyote out of her backyard?
Your grandmother taught your grandfather how to drive a stick shift!
She rototilled her vegetable garden and trimmed the bushes?
I remember the time she fired a shotgun in the air to scare the deer who were munching on her tomato plants.
The stories spanned decades and had been shared in families as an inspiration and a reminder of the woman’s spirit and goodwill.Melanie had always known her grandmother was a special person but hearing it tonight made her even more determined to honor this remarkable person in the only way she knew how—by going through her belongings with respect and consideration.No dumpsters, no mass discards.There was a lifetime to understand and perhaps if she took her time, she’d find peace and maybe even a bit of happiness.
As she drifted to sleep, she thought of Will and what he’d said before he left.Your grandmother would be proud of how you pitched in tonight.It doesn’t matter how long it took you to make it back here.He’d paused, his gaze intent, his expression unreadable.What matters is that you came back.
She woke the next morning to slivers of light spilling through the blinds and the sound of birds chirping.Melanie eased out of bed, made her way to the window and peeked through a slat.The backyard was scattered with leaves and twigs, but the major branches had been sawed and piled up.Cash said there were more trees to address, and he’d send someone out to get an opinion and a quote on what needed to be done.She hadn’t planned on a storm like this to distract her from taking care of the inside of the house, and she certainly hadn’t planned on losing her car.
Why wasn’t she more upset about the car and the annoyance of getting it repairedandfinding a rental?Add that to the storm cleanup and going through Grandma Esther’s things?That was a lot, and yet, she’d slept through the night, no headache, no upset stomach, none of the signs she usually exhibited when stress overtook her.
If she were back in Pittsburgh, in her other life, she would not have the patience to deal withanyof this.But here in Magdalena, there’d been so many people who’d pitched in that she couldn’t employ her usual refusal of assistance.Why hadn’t she accepted help before?Why had she thought she had to do everything andbeeverything to everyone—except herself?What had she been trying to prove?All she’d done was lose herself and her ability to find joy.
That had to stop because she had to find a way to move forward in her life.Would she return to the pressure-filled adrenaline of an emergency room or critical care setting?Or would she opt for a calmer, quieter aspect of healthcare?Would Pittsburgh be the city she’d return to, or would she find a new location?
Grandma Esther had once told her,We are who we are, the good and the bad, the old and the new.We can’t pretend otherwise, but we can grow and change, and learn from the parts of ourselves that need to be reworked.
What a wise woman she’d been.Melanie washed up, tossed on a sweatshirt and jeans, and headed to the kitchen where she made coffee and a bowl of oatmeal with raisins, brown sugar, and a splash of cream.Just like Grandma Esther used to make for her.She was on her second cup of coffee and twelfth to-do item, when she heard the rumble of an engine outside.Had Cash sent a tree person already?
Melanie pushed back her chair, made her way to the front door, opened it—and froze.Will eased out of the silver blue Mustang convertible; tall, lean, wearing jeans, a T-shirt, and tennis shoes.The sunglasses shielded his eyes as he approached the steps, his long strides closing the distance in seconds.When he spotted Melanie, he offered a wave and a half smile.Why was he here?And why had he driventhatcar?
She opened the door and stepped outside.“You still have Genevieve?”
“Of course I do.”The smile inched wider as he removed his sunglasses, hooked them on his T-shirt.“How could I get rid of the old girl?”
