Page 6 of A Family Affair: The Ring
Those words led Melanie to a forty-something counselor who didn’t sugarcoat words or observations.You’ve got a mess in your past and a man at the center of it.Until you gain closure with him, you’ll never find peace.Of course, Melanie had fought that observation for months, until Grandma Esther called one day and asked if she’d visit.Then the reality of the disaster and confusion she called her life hit her.Melanie took a leave of absence from work and scheduled a time to visit her grandmother—and settle the past with Will.
Grandma Esther died three days before Melanie’s arrival.Her father moved the memorial service to the small town outside of Pittsburgh where they’d spent the last eight years, away from Magdalena and the people who knew all about Esther Russell’s penchant for collecting ceramic cats, baking from scratch, and Dean Martin’s signature croon.The minister in the new town had never met her, never asked about her crocheted afghans or the time she chased a coyote from her backyard.Why would he when he hadn’t known her?
Esther Russell deserved more than a generic eulogy and three songs, even if her own family didn’t think so.It was the way the minister mispronounced Magdalena that sent Melanie into tears, made her realize she needed to go back to the town where she’d grown up, where she’d last felt alive and hopeful for the future.She’d do it for herself, and for her grandmother who had a right to more than a lackluster farewell.
And she’d do it for Will, because he might be as lost and confused as she was...and he did not deserve that.
When the doorbell rang a short while later, Melanie was still contemplating those questions.She’d arrived yesterday afternoon and no one even knew she was coming other than her parents.But when she reached the front door, she recognized the tall blonde on the other side, as beautiful and graceful as she’d been at twenty.
Tess Casherdon.Everybody knew about the tragedy that tore her and Cash apart days before their wedding and how years later, they found their way back to each other.“Tess?You haven’t changed a bit.”
The raised brow and laugh said she doubted those words, but the humor in her voice said she welcomed them.“I’m not exactly sure that’s accurate but I’ll take the compliment.”She held up a pan covered in foil, her smile spreading.“My husband’s been busy.I hope you like lasagna.”
Daniel Casherdon was the kind of man every woman dreamed about… Gorgeous.Charming.Devoted to his wife.And he cooked!“Are there any talents your husband doesn’t possess?”
A shake of her blonde head, followed by a sigh.“He’s got quite a few but don’t ever tell him I said that, or his head will grow five times larger than it is now.”Another shake of her head, a dip in her voice.“That man is something else.”
Talk about emotion and pure love.After all their years apart, Cash and Tess deserved happiness.“I love lasagna.There’s no eating one helping.”She accepted the casserole dish from Tess, nodded toward the living room.“Would you like to come in?I’ve got water, coffee, tea…”
“No, but thank you.I just wanted to welcome you and tell you how much we loved your grandmother.”Those green eyes filled with tears, and her voice wobbled.“Esther was special, and she doted on Cash.He’d stop over to change a lightbulb, reset her smoke alarm, or just to sit on her porch and chat.Sometimes she’d even drink half a beer with him.And when the kids came over?”Big sigh and a soft “She loved seeing them.We knew her time was coming, but it was still very hard.”A sniff, a clearing of her throat.“She was ready, but… I guess we were the ones who weren’t.”
If Melanie hadn’t let fear keep her from returning to Magdalena, she might have less regret...less guilt...She might have memories of those last days and wouldn’t need a neighbor to relay the details.“Did she tell you I planned to visit her?”When Tess nodded, Melanie continued, “We were both so excited, but she passed three days before my trip.”Why did she feel it necessary to slip in that information as though to imply she cared about her grandmother too, even though she hadn’t been back in eight years?
“Esther kept telling us how she wanted to plan a big dinner once you got here, and she’d pull out the fancy china, the crystal, and the tablecloths.All of it, and she didn’t care if the kids made a mess because she wanted a celebration.We were going to plan the whole dinner and we started it two days before…”
Melanie nodded, blinked hard to keep the tears from coming.“I loved my grandma, and I should not have waited so long to come back.I should have done it for her and now it’s too late.”
Tess laid a hand on her arm, said in a gentle voice, “She knew how much you loved her, don’t ever doubt that.Come on, let’s get the lasagna in the fridge before your arms tire out.”
Melanie followed Tess into the kitchen, comforted by her kind words.She wanted to hear more about her grandmother’s life these past several years, and Tess Casherdon might be the person to fill her in.Of course, that would require sharing, and revealing emotions, but it would be worth it to hear about her grandmother’s life and the friends who’d been there for her when her own family had not been.
4
Will Callahan scrolled through the spreadsheet, examined the profit and loss column for Addie’s Chocolates.Small company.Good projections.Decent growth.If the husband-and-wife team continued this trend, they’d meet their five-year goal.This couple was just another example of Rae Darlington Tramont at work.The woman continued to convince and encourage others to turn their “hobbies” into profitable businesses and she’d enlisted Will’s help.He didn’t mind, in fact he enjoyed the excitement and the endless possibilities of start-ups, but people didn’t always understand the dynamics of keeping a company solvent.The main principles were simple: don’t overspend and donotspend what you haven’t earned.Orders can be cancelled, items returned, sodo not spendthat money until you’re sure it’s yours.And don’t overspend what is yours.
Some people understood that concept right away, but there were others who chased the next “whatever” price tag and no matter how many conversations Will had with them, they still bought the sports car, the high-tech computer, the tickets to Hawaii.Those were the ones who weren’t going to make it, and regardless of how solid their product was, mismanagement would take them down, every single time.
It wasn’t just the small businesses or new owners who often needed a bit more handholding and repeated clarification.Some of A.J.Fergus Accounting’s larger clients, run by second-generation owners, wanted the paycheck without the work.
You’re always going to have the client who wants to tell you what is and isn’t a tax deduction,Andrew Fergus said.Those are the ones you have to watch, try to guide, and if you can’t, cut them loose.In another year or so, this will all be your headache.Will’s boss had laughed and adjusted his wire-rimmed glasses.I’d retire today, but I haven’t figured out what I’m going to do.You know, the problem for a lot of people isn’t leaving the job—he’d paused, rubbed his jaw—it’s what the heck are you going to do when you retire?I’m not a golfer… Don’t exercise though Donna’s been after me to join a gym.I might do that, you never know.We can always visit the grandkids, but I don’t want to get into the babysitting business… And then there’s travel.I would like to see the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone.Donna’s always wanted to take a cruise to Alaska...Still, those are vacations, not real life.What the heck would I do all the other days?
Take up a hobby?Will had asked.
Hmm.I’ve always been somewhat interested in photography.
Or you could teach a class at the community college if you wanted.
Those dark eyes had lit up behind his glasses, a smile inching across the perennial frown.I could do that.Hmm.I certainly could.
Will and his boss had been having this conversation for seven months now, but the conversations had grown longer, more detailed, and Andrew had even contacted the community college officer who expressed a serious desire to have him teach an advanced accounting class.When he told Will about the conversation with the college, the man had been more excited than the time his wife bought him tickets to the NASA Research Center.
I could teach accounting and wouldn’t have to worry about clients who don’t understand deductions or taxes.No more letters from the IRS, no working long nights and weekends… No more tax season or dealing with people who think they can run a business just because they know how to make a beaded bracelet or knit a scarf.Creative types don’t always understand that having a business means you run it like a business.You don’t work only when you’re in the mood or have no better offers… You work because it’s what you do… You produce… That’s creating and that’s being a professional, and if you want to take your art and turn it into a business, then you act like a professional.
He was right on that one, but people didn’t always understand that concept, at least not in the beginning.Will had tried to help them with two-hour seminars on starting and keeping a business profitable and Christine Desantro was a huge help.Brains, beauty, humor, kindness—all wrapped up in the perfect package.She and Will had been working together for the past few years.He’d send clients her way for financial planning and investment advice, and she’d refer people for tax assistance.Win-win, for sure.
Will turned back to the document he’d been revising, updated a few columns and closed the file.It was going to be a full day, with a 7 p.m.meeting scheduled to end the day.The night appointments weren’t horrible though Delaney sure complained about them enough.You’re never available.Why can’t they see you during the day?I miss you.When will I see you again?
It should bother him more that he didn’t see his “girlfriend” for two or three or even four days.Phone calls were fine, but he didn’t like to hang on the phone, talking about nothing, though there had been a time...He cleared his throat, thought about Delaney and her neediness.She was the one who needed another hobby, but she was already a partner in her father’s insurance business, a yoga instructor,andshe filled in at Barbara’s Boutique & Bakery over the holidays.Hadn’t she mentioned something about contacting Harry Blacksworth for a waitress job one or two nights a week?Since you’re never available.
