AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“We think there may be.” Brock clears his throat. “We’d like your permission to take the box and its contents back with us to the States.”
Ennis frowns.
For a moment, I’m not sure he’s going to allow us to take it, and this will have all been for nothing.
But then, “Of course. I knew when I let you look that I would have to part with those things. You do what you need to do, Brock.”
“Thank you so much,” Brock says.
“Yes, thank you,” I echo. “Brock and I understand how much this stuff means to you, and we will return it intact if we can.”
Ennis sighs and takes a sip of the Chianti next to his plate. “No. Don’t worry about that. I don’t have many years left in this life, and the more I’ve lived and the older I’ve gotten, the more I understand thatthingsreally don’t matter. Things can be gone in an instant. What matters are people. Relationships.” He swallows back a choke. “Memories.”
His words touch my heart. Their truth flows through me, and even though my family lost its livelihood in that fire, I know we will survive. Because we are all here. We have each other.
No matter what Pat Lamone tries to do to Callie and me, she and I will survive.
And the Steel family? They will survive. They always do.
But Patty Watson? Beautiful, vivacious, redheaded Patty Watson? Her life was taken from her. And somehow her bones ended up on the Steel property.
Life is so unfair to some.
“Tell me,” Ennis says, “how is Ryan?”
“He’s good,” Brock says. “Did you ever meet his daughters?”
“Only the first one, Ava. I returned to England shortly after she was born.”
“You wouldn’t recognize her now,” I say. “She’s the rebel of the Steel family. She wears her hair in this gorgeous pink color.”
Ennis smiles. “Does she? Do you have photos?”
“I do,” Brock says. “I have photos of all my family. I’d be happy to show them to you after dinner.”
“I’d like that a lot.”
“Ryan and his wife, Ruby, will celebrate their anniversary soon,” Brock says.
“Yes, I remember. Thanksgiving. I always loved that American holiday. Imagine, a whole holiday devoted to being thankful. Sometimes we forget to express gratitude for all that we have. Sometimes we…”
I glance at Brock. He slightly shakes his head at me.
Silence, until—
“I’m sorry,” Ennis says. “I get a little emotional about Patty, but it does help to remember all that I have to be thankful for. Tell me. How are Dale and Donny?”
“They’re good,” Brock says. “Dale is the master winemaker now.”
Ennis smiles. “I knew he would be. Even when he was young, I could see he had the gift. He was so creative. So quiet and contemplative, but creative. And Donny?”
“The city attorney for Snow Creek,” Brock says. “Aunt Jade retired.”
“Did she?” Ennis chuckles. “I never thought I’d see that day.”
Brock and I smile.
But Ennis’s countenance changes, goes darker. “Your family has been through so much,” he says. “Jade was a light for your uncle. A light he badly needed.”
