“It’s fine,” I assured them. “Ruby isn’t saying anything that’s not true. It wasn’t a sham to me at the time, but now I think it was something Richard had gotten himself into and just didn’t know how to get out of.” I glanced over my shoulder when we heard another car driving past. “Speaking of Richard.” I was never so happy to see Grady’s car. “I think my boy is going to see me. I better get on out of here.”
I hoisted the bag up on my shoulder and waved goodbye while I hightailed it down the street toward my house. What Grady had told me a little bit ago in the church about him and Julia not seeing eye to eye on a few things was still on my mind, and he probably wanted to talk about it.
I’d invite him to walk the third loop of my route. When he was a little boy, he’d come on my routes and enjoyed visiting with the neighborhood dogs.
When I tugged the cart into the gate of Courtney’s house, I noticed Grady was sitting on the front step with her.
“Mom, I thought you’d be done with this loop by now.” He jumped to his feet like he was surprised I’d even be around there. “I guess you know Courtney.”
“Yes. We are neighbors.” My brows rose. “I’m guessing you’re waiting for me to walk down?” I questioned in hopes he’d seen me up at the Front Porch Ladies.
“I. . .” Courtney looked between me and my son. “I needed someone other than my aunt Florence to talk to, and Grady has been great since I moved here.”
I didn’t like the way she emphasized great.
“Yeah.” Grady shrugged. “She needed some help with the mulch, so I told her I could come by and help since Wes couldn’t make it.”
“I’m guessing that Julia’s doctor appointment went okay.” I wanted it known that I was not liking this situation. “I’m sure the baby is fine. I’m going to be a grandmother. First one for Grady and my daughter Julia.” I laughed. “I call her my daughter even though she’s the best daughter-in-law in the world.”
Uneasy, Courtney shifted her knees in a few different directions.
“Yep.” Grady rubbed his hands together. “The doctor said everything is good. She called me right before I got here because the doctor was running early and she got in while I was at the scholarship announcement.”
“How did that go?” Courtney shifted her train of thought, and I didn’t like it one bit. “I was going to ask Aunt Florence about it, but her news left me dumbfounded and realizing she’s completely lost her marbles like my family thought.”
“I’m sorry, what?” I questioned and began to stack her boxes on the step. Grady came over and helped me.
“Aunt Florence told me she and Zeke Grey got married a little bit ago at the courthouse. She said it’s been in the works for a while, and she’s already changed her will. My dad is going to die when he hears this. Maybe I won’t tell him. She didn’t have him sign a prenuptial agreement, and if I’m being honest, I don’t care if she got married and changed her will. It’s the prized painting she gifted him as a wedding gift that makes me most upset.”
“Prized painting?” I was a little taken aback. “I had no idea Florence loved art.”
“Art? Rare art that was supposed to go to the family charity.” Courtney’s chest heaved up and down. It appeared that anger and sadness warred within her.
“Tell me about your family charity.” I was very curious.
Florence did a lot of charity around Sugar Creek Gap, but it was never done out of the goodness of her heart. There was always a string attached. Even the smallest of donations.
When I was the Sugar Creek Gap High School Booster Club president back when Grady was a student there, I’d asked her to donate to the football team’s new uniform fund. Not only did she require her name be mentioned over the PA system at the games, thanking her for her help in getting the new uniforms, but she wanted a plaque at the concession stand.
“We have a family charity out of our hometown of Minneapolis that helps children with college scholarships. It’s really no different than the church scholarship Aunt Florence is involved in.” Courtney suddenly snapped out of the anger part of her emotions. She shuffled her feet along the sidewalk. “I guess she can do what she wants. But the painting would help so many kids in our town, and we’d already planned for that painting in our future.”
“That’s a really great cause, but she might really be happy.” Grady looked at me. “My mom is dating my uncle, but not really my uncle.” He snickered because it sounded so goofy. “He was my dad’s best friend, and now she’s happy. Isn’t happiness what matters?”
A bit of relief settled in my heart when I heard Grady give some heartfelt advice, making me truly know he was nothing like his father, like he thought. His dad would never pick happiness.
“My happiness is the family charity. I’ve worked there all my life, even all the way through college. I’m next in line to take over as the president of the charity and replace her, but now she’s saying she’d like to go to the board and ask them to appoint Zeke Grey.”
“But you have a job.” Grady seemed really confused.
“I just went to college because Aunt Florence told me I had to go to college. My heart is in philanthropy work like our family charity. Aunt Florence is getting up there in age. She’s been making some very poor decisions that prompted my family to send me here to keep an eye on her.” She shook her head.
“Maybe you should’ve kept an eye on her instead of other things,” I murmured as I stacked the last box on the step, referring to her having Grady help her with the mulch.
“Mom,” Grady gasped and looked at me.
Who was the parent now, I wondered, feeling a little ashamed I’d let my words slip out. Apparently Courtney didn’t even hear because she just kept on rolling with her story.
“I literally stomped in my house to physically get away from her and Zeke because I was mad enough to strangle her. I called my dad, and he said I had twenty-four hours to get her to sign an agreement he’s faxing over. He said force her if I had to.” Courtney laughed as if it were a joke, though her words still sent chills up my spine. She looked at me and threw her hands up. “Oh gosh, not that I want to force her to do anything.”
Grady took the liberty to speak for me, and it didn’t sit well. “We totally get how you think someone you love is one way but totally the opposite.”
I knew Grady was talking about his father, but I didn’t like how he was telling Courtney, a stranger.
“Well, I’m sure Florence is happy. Zeke is a very nice man.” I left out the part he’d lost all his money and may have a different motive to get married. In the end, it was Florence who had to live with her decision.
“Let’s get to the mulch.” Grady looked at Courtney and smiled. “It’ll make you feel better getting some of that pent-up anger out.”
I gulped. Grady sounded and looked exactly like his father in that instance.
“Where’s Wes?” I questioned Grady because he’d mentioned how he’d given the job to Wes.
“Wes is pretty bummed about losing the scholarship, so it’s just me.” Grady’s brows rose, and he gave a very awkward grin.