Charlotte rolled out the last of the bread dough into a circle, cutting it into triangles as she might slice a pizza. She rolled each one up into a crescent shape and placed them onto a cookie sheet. After covering the rolls with a lightweight kitchen towel, she set them aside. She was debating whether she should make baked ziti or heat up the leftover salmon when she heard the front door open.
A flutter of excitement rippled through her. Jake had driven to Richmond to take care of legal matters and said he planned to look for more details on the information she had given him. Maybe he had found something about the Richardsons. She hurried into the hallway, coming to a halt when she saw a woman around her age standing in the front hall rather than Jake.
The woman looked equally surprised to see her. Tall and thin, her light-brown hair was perfectly styled, and Charlotte was certain her clothes were designer. Her green eyes were the same shade as Jake’s, only hers held suspicion rather than warmth.
“Who are you?” she asked shrilly. “And why are you wearing my mother’s favorite shirt?”
“I’m Hannah.” Charlotte looked down at the soft flannel button-up she often wore over T-shirts in an effort to ward off the evening chill. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know this was her favorite. Jake said it would be okay if I borrowed a few things.”
“Well, it’s not okay. I want you to go take that off right now,” she said sharply.
Speechless, Charlotte’s cheeks flushed, and she hurried past the woman and up the stairs. So much for making a good impression on Jake’s sister. Mortified by Kennedy’s reaction, she went into her room and took off the borrowed clothes. Though she had hoped not to have to wear them again, she changed into her old-fashioned blouse and skirt.
She debated whether she should hide out in her room until Kennedy left, or at least until Jake returned home, but a glance at the clock on the wall revealed that wasn’t an option. The last time she had checked on Abigail, she’d been reading in her room. It was only a matter of time before she looked at the clock and decided she should come help with dinner.
The front door opened again when she was halfway down the stairs. Jake stepped inside and looked at her quizzically. “Why are you wearing those clothes?”
Charlotte searched for words as color washed into her cheeks once more. Sheer embarrassment prevented her from replaying her conversation with Kennedy. Instead she said, “I believe your sister is here.”
“Kennedy?” He took several long strides until he reached the living room. “Kennedy, what are you doing here? I didn’t know you were coming to visit.”
“Obviously.”
Confusion filled Jake’s voice, along with an edge of defensiveness. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Charlotte stood in the front hall, not sure what to do. She wanted to go check on Abigail, but she didn’t want to pass into Kennedy’s view either.
“Let me get this straight,” Kennedy said sharply. “You inherit the house, and the first thing you do is bring a girlfriend here and tell her she can go through our mother’s things? What were you thinking?”
“It’s not like that,” Jake said. “Not that it’s any of your business, but Hannah lives here in the house with Grandma. I’m still living in my place out back.”
“Desiree said you had a girlfriend living here.”
Charlotte edged closer but remained out of sight.
“What if she is my girlfriend? What does that have to do with you?” Jake asked. “Hannah has been a lifesaver. She spends nearly all day with Grandma, working in the garden, looking at old pictures with her. She does all the things you and I should do if we weren’t always so impatient to get on with our own lives.”
“I thought you were going to put Grandma into a nursing home. You know things with her are only going to get worse.”
“Actually, she seems to be doing better since Hannah got here.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that Hannah was wearing our mother’s clothes.”
“So what. I told you to go through Mom’s things and to take what you wanted. You’re still welcome to do that.”
“Why isn’t your girlfriend wearing her own clothes?”
“She had a luggage mishap. We were going to go into town so she could buy a few things, but since she could borrow Mom’s stuff, we haven’t gotten around to it.”
“Then I think it’s time you get around to it. Now,” Kennedy demanded.
“You know what, Kennedy. You’re right.” Jake emerged back into the hall and motioned to his sister to follow.
Mortified to be caught eavesdropping, Charlotte took an automatic step back.
Jake looked at her as though he knew she’d been there the whole time. “Hannah, would you please go get my grandmother for me?”
“Sure.” Charlotte moved past him and found Abigail in her room. “Miss Abigail, would you like to go sit in the living room for a while?”
“Oh, yes. That sounds like a nice idea.” Abigail went through her routine of putting a bookmark in her book to mark her page and setting it on the table before pushing herself to a stand. Normally Charlotte didn’t mind her deliberate and slow pace, but she sensed Kennedy probably didn’t have a well of patience with the elderly, whether she was related to them or not.
When they reached the living room, Jake reached out and took his grandmother’s arm. “Grandma, you have a visitor. Kennedy is going to stay with you and help you fix dinner while Charlotte and I go out for a while.”
“What?” Kennedy’s voice was a whisper, but that didn’t diminish the obvious shock in her voice.
Abigail didn’t seem to notice Kennedy’s surprise. “Is it already dinnertime?”
“Not quite, Miss Abigail,” Charlotte said, hoping to head her off. “Maybe you can set the table while you’re waiting for Kennedy.”
“Okay.” She shuffled a few steps before turning back to Charlotte. “Don’t forget I want to walk in the garden after we eat.”
“I remember.” Charlotte waited for Abigail to retreat into the kitchen before she turned to Jake. She didn’t know exactly what was going on between his sister and him, but the last thing she wanted was to see Abigail used as a pawn.
Before she could voice that thought, Kennedy rounded on Jake. “What kind of game are you playing here?”
“You said I should take Hannah shopping now. That’s what I’m going to do.” Jake took a step toward the door. “It won’t hurt you to spend a little time with Grandma. Maybe it will help you appreciate how much Hannah is doing for our family and how little effort you are making in that regard.”
“That’s absurd. I only came over because . . .” Her voice trailed off, but Charlotte wasn’t sure if she’d forgotten her initial reason for her visit or if she didn’t want to announce it to them.
“You came over because Desiree whined about my new girlfriend,” Jake stated confidently. “I dated Desiree in high school, for heaven’s sake. When is she going to move on?”
“She’s been in love with you for a long time.”
“Love is just a word to her, one she uses to get what she wants,” Jake told her. “Maybe it’s time you stop letting Desiree manipulate you. She has a gift for saying the right things and making you feel good about yourself, but ultimately, when she has to choose between what she wants and what’s best for someone else, her wants win every time.”
“You can’t just leave me here.”
“Stella is right down the road. I’m sure she can come help out if you can’t handle a visit with your own grandmother.”
“Jake, that’s not fair.”
Jake ignored her, reaching out to take Charlotte’s arm. “Come on, Hannah. Let’s go.”
Charlotte stood firm. “Your grandmother is not a burden to be passed off as a punishment.”
“You’re right, she’s not. But this is one of those times when Kennedy needs to stop complaining about problems she’s creating unless she’s willing to be part of the solution.”
“Jake . . .”
The command in his voice surprised her when he said, “Let’s go.”
Caught between twin waves of hostility, Charlotte looked from Jake to Kennedy and back again. It didn’t take her long to decide she’d rather deal with an annoyed Jake than his equally annoyed sister.
She let him lead her outside, his hand still firmly on her arm. As soon as the door closed behind them, she voiced her objection again. “Jake, your grandmother is not a pawn, and neither am I.”
“Just get in the truck, Hannah.” Jake let go of her arm, took the porch steps two at a time, and yanked open the door to his truck.
She folded her arms and glared.
“Please?” Jake forced the word out.
Her own temper brewing, she walked deliberately to the truck, climbed in, and slammed the door closed herself.
Jake climbed in beside her, not speaking to her as he started the engine and headed down the drive. They drove in silence as the miles stretched out, anger sparking silently between them.
Charlotte envisioned Kennedy turning her own frustrations on Abigail and found she wanted to be back at the house to make sure Abigail wasn’t treated poorly. Clearly Jake was determined to follow through with his plan, and Charlotte found herself at a loss for words. For the first time since meeting him, she realized she didn’t understand him nearly as well as she thought she did.