Previously Loved Treasures (Serendipity #2)(28)

This wasn’t something Ida was jumping into blindly. Five different people had said the same thing. Susan Schleicher was ethical. Susan Schleicher was reliable. If you needed a lawyer, Susan Schleicher was the person you wanted.

Within minutes, an attractive blond woman came from behind the wooden door. “Good afternoon, Missus Sweetwater.” She extended her hand. “I’m Susan Schleicher.”

Ida knew immediately she’d made a wise choice.

~

When they settled in Susan’s office Ida explained her intent. “The only real asset I have is the house Big Jim built, but it’s sturdy and strong…”

Susan’s eyes focused on Ida’s face as she spoke, but her right hand moved with short quick strokes as she noted the things that were said. When Ida finished speaking, Susan said, “I doubt there’s a problem here. Are you certain you feel comfortable with the girl’s claim that she’s your granddaughter?”

“She didn’t claim it,” Ida said. “I sought her out.”

“And your son is not, or was not, married to the girl’s mother?”

Ida shook her head sadly. “You raise kids thinking you’ve taught them right from wrong, believing you’ve done the best for them, but sometimes our best just isn’t good enough.”

Susan reached across the desk and covered Ida’s hand with hers. “I know this is hard, but once the doctor cuts the umbilical cord that baby is no longer part of you. They grow up with their own likes and dislikes, and when they wander off it’s through no fault of ours.” Her words had the sorrowful sound of someone who had lived through such an experience.

“We’ll specify a token inheritance for your son,” she said, “which will acknowledge that he was taken into consideration. Then you can bequeath the remainder of your estate, including the house and land, to your granddaughter.”

And that’s how Ida Sweetwater’s will was drawn up. Thirty dollars would go to her son James, one silver dollar for every year of heartache he’d caused. Thirty pieces of silver, it was written.

Everything else she owned would go to Caroline.

~

When Ida left Susan’s office she stopped at the bookstore and purchased a copy of the new Betty Crocker Good and Easy Cookbook. It was time for Caroline to learn to cook.

~

That evening when Caroline asked if help was needed in the kitchen, Ida answered yes and handed her the cookbook.

“We’ll start with something simple,” Ida said. “A macaroni-and-cheese casserole.”

Caroline’s eyes lit up. “I can make that! I’ve done it for years.”

For a moment Ida was optimistic, thinking she’d misjudged the child, but when she set the ingredients on the counter Caroline stood there with a confused look.

“Where’s the package?”

“Package?” Ida said. “What package?”

“The one with the macaroni and cheese mix.”

Ida gave a chuckle, then explained how food tasted so much better when it was made from fresh ingredients. She opened the cookbook to “Dinner in a Dish” and thumbed her way through to page 42. “This is a good recipe and easy to make.”

Although Caroline had a dubious look on her face, she took the cookbook and began reading. Twice she read it through, then started. Whereas Ida cooked with a dash of this, a pinch of that, and handful of something else, Caroline measured every single ingredient right down to a few granules of salt or a single peppercorn.

“You don’t need to be that exact,” Ida suggested, but Caroline replied that she wanted to make certain it turned out right.

When the clock chimed six, Caroline was just sliding the casserole into the oven.

“Oh, dear.” Ida sighed when she saw Louie already sitting at the table. She pulled some sliced chicken from the refrigerator, tucked it between two slices of bread, and carried it to the dining room. Offering him the sandwich, she said, “Caroline is making dinner, and we’re running a bit late. This will tide you over.”

Louie scowled at the plate. “A sandwich for supper?”

“It’s not supper,” Ida said. “It’s just an in-between snack.”

“Oh. When’s supper?”

“In about a half-hour,” Ida replied. “I’ll ring the bell.”

~

With Caroline trimming the ends off the string beans one at a time, it took considerably longer than Ida expected and it was almost seven when she finally jangled the dinner bell. Other than a bit of grumbling about the time and Louie’s comment that Ida’s macaroni was a lot cheesier, the dinner went along fine.

As she was drying the last of the dishes, Caroline puffed up with pride and said, “I guess I’m not such a bad cook after all.”

Ida laughed and wrapped her arms around the girl. “Don’t you worry, honey. In a year or two you’ll be better than me.”

Although she enjoyed the vote of confidence, Caroline doubted such a thing was true.





Caroline





Have you ever been in a place where everything seemed so perfect you started thinking it was too good to be true? Just about time you start pinching yourself and wondering if it’s real, that’s when it all blows up in your face and what you thought was the worst that could happen, happens. That’s how I’m feeling right now. Mostly happy but a little bit scared.