sheet of paper open before him and read:
“To my daughter, Faith Amy Lee, I leave my 1957 Harley-Davidson, and all the money in my bank accounts. I also leave her half of my shares in the vineyard, in which I still hold an interest. Finally, I leave her the condominium in Pennsylvania to dispose of as she sees fit.
To my partner and friend, Jacob “Jack” Johnson, I leave the other half of my shares in the vineyard, the main house with the fifty acres around it, and my Victory motorcycle.
To my former manager and friend Robert Lafferty, I leave the cottage and all the remaining livestock.”
The lawyer paused in his reading. Faith looked at Jack and said, “I thought you said he sold the vineyard?”
“He did. But he kept some of the shares.”
Faith stared at him for a minute, then said to the lawyer, “Who owns the majority shares in the vineyard now?”
When Mr. Farrell looked at Jack, she turned back to look at him with a smile on her face.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jack was relieved that she wasn’t angry. There was a reason.
“Grant asked me not to tell anyone. Including you. Time enough to know all that once he was gone.”
Mr. Farrell interrupted their conversation, resuming the reading of the will.
“One further item remains to be disposed of. Faith’s mother, Eileen Lee, bequeathed me the heirloom jewelry passed down to her by her mother before she died. Eileen asked me to make sure that our daughter received her mother’s inheritance.”
He looked at Faith. “Ms. Lee, if you wouldn’t mind removing the letter and reading it. I think you’ll find it is very important.”
Something in the way he said it made Faith open the box quickly. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of a matching set of sapphire-and-diamonds bracelet, earrings, and necklace. An envelope was on top. She immediately pulled a single sheet of paper from it, on which a message had been written by hand. As she read it, the tears bloomed in her eyes and roll down her cheeks.
“Faith...honey? What’s wrong?” Jack reached for her hand, and she gripped his tightly, smiling through her tears.
“Nothing’s wrong. Everything is fine, now. Everything.”
“What does it say?” Bob asked, his curiosity obviously getting the better of him.
Faith handed the note to Jack, who read it slowly.
Dear Faith, Your mother and I have loved you since the moment we knew you were coming. I’m sorry I disappeared on you. If you’re reading this, the safeguards have held and the jewels are yours free and clear. I have never stopped loving you, and I needed to take care of you. That’s why I gave you Jack.
Jack stopped reading, his eyes growing misty, and he had to clear his throat before he continued.
He is a good man, and though he’s older than you by a lot of years, he will never do you wrong. He will never let you down. You can trust him. I do. I love you, baby girl. Dad
Jack handed back the letter to Faith and stood up, walking to the window that overlooked the park. He did not hear the rest of the conversation. He was too busy thinking back over Grant’s behavior in the last six months of his life.
Suddenly, everything he had not understood made perfect sense. Why he insisted that Jack look out for her. Why he had suggested the road trip, even though he must have known a flight would have been simpler and cheaper. Why he had made sure to tell Jack so much about Faith, especially in the last six months. He had been set up, just as she had been, but he couldn’t find it in his heart to be angry with his friend. After all, he got his wish, as far as Jack was concerned.
He knew what he felt for Faith was not something he could deny, and it seemed likely to be a permanent and growing emotion. He could only hope her responses to him since that night of
“To my daughter, Faith Amy Lee, I leave my 1957 Harley-Davidson, and all the money in my bank accounts. I also leave her half of my shares in the vineyard, in which I still hold an interest. Finally, I leave her the condominium in Pennsylvania to dispose of as she sees fit.
To my partner and friend, Jacob “Jack” Johnson, I leave the other half of my shares in the vineyard, the main house with the fifty acres around it, and my Victory motorcycle.
To my former manager and friend Robert Lafferty, I leave the cottage and all the remaining livestock.”
The lawyer paused in his reading. Faith looked at Jack and said, “I thought you said he sold the vineyard?”
“He did. But he kept some of the shares.”
Faith stared at him for a minute, then said to the lawyer, “Who owns the majority shares in the vineyard now?”
When Mr. Farrell looked at Jack, she turned back to look at him with a smile on her face.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jack was relieved that she wasn’t angry. There was a reason.
“Grant asked me not to tell anyone. Including you. Time enough to know all that once he was gone.”
Mr. Farrell interrupted their conversation, resuming the reading of the will.
“One further item remains to be disposed of. Faith’s mother, Eileen Lee, bequeathed me the heirloom jewelry passed down to her by her mother before she died. Eileen asked me to make sure that our daughter received her mother’s inheritance.”
He looked at Faith. “Ms. Lee, if you wouldn’t mind removing the letter and reading it. I think you’ll find it is very important.”
Something in the way he said it made Faith open the box quickly. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of a matching set of sapphire-and-diamonds bracelet, earrings, and necklace. An envelope was on top. She immediately pulled a single sheet of paper from it, on which a message had been written by hand. As she read it, the tears bloomed in her eyes and roll down her cheeks.
“Faith...honey? What’s wrong?” Jack reached for her hand, and she gripped his tightly, smiling through her tears.
“Nothing’s wrong. Everything is fine, now. Everything.”
“What does it say?” Bob asked, his curiosity obviously getting the better of him.
Faith handed the note to Jack, who read it slowly.
Dear Faith, Your mother and I have loved you since the moment we knew you were coming. I’m sorry I disappeared on you. If you’re reading this, the safeguards have held and the jewels are yours free and clear. I have never stopped loving you, and I needed to take care of you. That’s why I gave you Jack.
Jack stopped reading, his eyes growing misty, and he had to clear his throat before he continued.
He is a good man, and though he’s older than you by a lot of years, he will never do you wrong. He will never let you down. You can trust him. I do. I love you, baby girl. Dad
Jack handed back the letter to Faith and stood up, walking to the window that overlooked the park. He did not hear the rest of the conversation. He was too busy thinking back over Grant’s behavior in the last six months of his life.
Suddenly, everything he had not understood made perfect sense. Why he insisted that Jack look out for her. Why he had suggested the road trip, even though he must have known a flight would have been simpler and cheaper. Why he had made sure to tell Jack so much about Faith, especially in the last six months. He had been set up, just as she had been, but he couldn’t find it in his heart to be angry with his friend. After all, he got his wish, as far as Jack was concerned.
He knew what he felt for Faith was not something he could deny, and it seemed likely to be a permanent and growing emotion. He could only hope her responses to him since that night of
Similar Books
