Chapter 1
TESSA
Two years earlier
Walking into James Prescott’s law office was a bit surreal for Tessa.
She couldn’t believe her grandmother was really gone.
Even after attending the packed funeral for the beloved matriarch, it didn’t seem real.
Tessa and her grandmother had always been close, and they had grown even closer these past few years since Tessa had moved back to Hickory Falls, their small, north Georgia mountain town, to help Nana run their family’s resort.
Her family gathered in the small conference room in the lawyer’s office for the will reading. As Tessa guessed, Nana had been fair to everyone in dividing up her assets.
“Now for the property Hickory Cove at Lake Yonah,” Mr. Prescott stated. Tessa straightened in her chair. “Ruby Sinclair leaves Hickory Cove at Lake Yonah—property, furnishings, and all things associated with it—to her granddaughter Tessa Lee Sinclair.”
As everyone gathered in the lobby, hugging and preparing to meet as a family in the cozy coffee shop down the street, the attorney approached Tessa.
“May I speak with you privately for one moment?” he asked.
“Of course,” Tessa replied.
They reentered the attorney’s office and closed the door. “Please have a seat,” he gestured to the brown leather chair in front of his desk. He reached for a crisp, white envelope that remained on his desk.
“Your grandmother left this letter for you. There is one stipulation to her bequest. However, she wanted that to be kept private. Only you and I will know the contents of this letter.”
Tessa took the envelope from him, her hand slightly trembling. She saw her name written in her grandmother’s beautiful cursive across the front. She lightly traced her finger over the writing, then took a deep breath and opened the letter.
My dearest Tessa,
I am so proud of you, and I know that you will be a great success as the leader of The Hickory.
Please don’t be sad for long. I lived a wonderful life surrounded by family and friends, whom I loved very much.
You know how much I have missed your grandfather for these past 10 years.
I know I will be happy to be reunited with him.
Your grandfather and I had a wonderful 60-year marriage.
Not that it was all sunshine and roses—real, true love never is.
We had our ups and downs, we had our share of disagreements and discouragements, but at the end of the day, there was no one else I would have rather gone through all of that with.
Which brings me to the point of this letter – or addendum – to my will.
I feel that, despite all your successes, you have overlooked one thing in life.
And that is love. In the years since that boy broke your heart, I fear you have put up walls and refused to let anyone in, much less be open to the thought of being in love again.
Therefore, the addendum to my will is that for you to maintain ownership of The Hickory, you will need to be married by the time you are 30.
I know you must be shocked, but please don’t be angry. You deserve love and a husband and family. I fear that you will keep building your wall higher and higher and miss out on a great gift.
If you let yourself open up to the idea of love, I think you will find it is closer than you think.
All of my love,
Nana
Tessa sat frozen in shock. The letter floated to the floor. This grabbed her attention. She bent down and picked it back up. Looking at the attorney, she said, “What? I don’t understand. Why would Nana . . .”
The attorney leaned against the front of his desk. “I know this must be a shock for you,” he responded. “But I assure you, it is perfectly legal. Mrs. Ruby was concerned about you. She wanted me to make sure you understood that she meant this for your good.”
“What happens if I am not,“ Tessa breathed deep in astonishment, “MARRIED in two years? I’m not even dating anyone right now!”
“I’m afraid you will lose ownership. The property will be put up for sale,” he replied gravely.
“Are you sure? Is this real? This doesn’t sound like Nana,” Tessa protested.
“Yes, it is real and legal. Mrs. Ruby wanted me to reassure you that she was certain it would not come to the property being sold,” the attorney said.
“I’m just in shock. That the law would allow some matchmaking scheme to dictate my future!” Tessa replied. She knew her grandmother wanted her to get married. She just hadn’t realized how much.
“Mrs. Ruby and I have known each other for years. She and my mother were great friends. I assure you that she felt she had your best interest at heart,” Mr. Prescott said.
“I guess so,” Tessa murmured. She and her grandmother were as close as a grandmother and granddaughter could be. She knew Nana only wanted the best for her. “I just need some time to wrap my head around this. Thank you.”
Tessa rose and gathered her things. She still had to meet her family at the coffee shop and pretend that she hadn’t just been dealt a huge curveball.
“Please feel free to get in touch any time. I will be happy to counsel you through this,” Mr. Prescott said. “Tessa, your grandmother really loved you. She just wanted the best for you.”
“Yes, I know. Thank you,” Tessa gave him a small smile as she left the office.