Chapter 13
She wasn’t going to catch a single break, was she?
Natalie sighed as her grandmother made herself comfortable at the kitchen counter.
“Sure,” she said. “I don’t know about what, exactly?”
“Don’t play dumb, dear; it’s dreadfully tiresome.
” Sarah eyed Natalie as they both let the silence settle.
She was much better at this game than Natalie had ever been despite being determined to get better at it.
The tea in her cup was getting cold, and it hadn’t been exactly delicious, but she sipped it anyway.
“You are annoyed with me,” Sarah said. “For getting an expert in. Do you think it is slightly against your research skills? Or perhaps you just don’t like him?”
Natalie prickled. “Can’t it be both?”
“Well, of course, it can,” Sarah replied.
“Why didn’t you tell me you knew about the blight? And on that—how did you even know about it?”
“Oh, well,” Sarah said. “In the case of the latter, I may be old and sickly in your eyes, but I am still running this place. Every few days, I get someone to run me out on one of the four-wheelers and look around. I noticed the speckling a few weeks ago and thought it was rainburn after that big cloud burst we had followed by all that wind and sun. When you came back all worried and distant, I went out again and found it.”
That made her feel the tiniest bit better; at least she hadn’t been bumbling along in ignorance while her grandmother waited for her to notice something she’d picked up on months ago. “And the former?”
“You won’t like this answer,” Sarah said. “But it was because I wanted to see if you would tell me. So often, you keep everything to yourself because you’re so concerned with what people think of you.”
The prickle in her chest turned into a scratch. “When you say it like that, it sounds so shallow, Gran. It’s not about what people think of me; it’s about not wanting to disappoint or let you down. It’s not my reputation I’m worried about; it’s failing you.”
Her grandmother reached across the table, placed her hand on Natalie’s, and squeezed it briefly. “My dear, you are the furthest thing from disappointment. If I felt let down by you, you would not still be in this house.”
She shot a look at the old woman, who rolled her eyes.
“Well, you might still be living here,” Sarah admitted. “But you wouldn’t be even vaguely involved with the estate, let alone in the line for taking it over one day.”
That one she could believe; her grandmother wasn’t cruel, but she was a shrewd businesswoman.
“And yet, you’re disappointed in me for how I’ve handled this,” she replied, knowing her grandmother would not appreciate her tone.
“No, I’m impressed that you took almost every step I would have,” Sarah corrected. “If you get seventy-five percent on a test, do you not find the answers to the ones you got wrong?”
This had always been her grandmother’s reasoning for delivering critiques, whether sought out or not. Sarah never seemed to appreciate that sometimes people didn’t want feedback—or at least, not immediately after being told they had failed to deliver.
“This is an opportunity for you,” Sarah said. “Ian is a bright young man who is very interested in what we’re doing here, and I think he will be good for you.”
Natalie laughed. “Excuse me?”
“Because he’s not blinded by how nice you are, he won’t let you get away with any cheek,” Sarah said, her eyes gleaming. “He’ll give you a run for your money.”
“Gran, you talk like he’s moving in, not delivering a report.”
A grin spread across her face. “Well, no, he’s not moving in, per se.”
With every word her grandmother spoke, Natalie’s stomach dropped.
“Gran…what is it?”
“He won’t be moving in; that would be too much,” Sarah continued. “But he will stay in the guest house while you two research this blight and find the solution.”
“While we do what?” Natalie exclaimed. “You can’t expect me to work with him day in and day out. That man is a nightmare to talk to, let alone work with. Gran, come on, please don’t do this.”
Innocently, her grandmother toyed with one of the rings on her fingers. “Are you suggesting a breach of contract?”
“What? You contracted him?”
“Yes,” she said, grinning. “In exchange for studying this unknown blight, he is providing his professional services free of charge. It would be very expensive to hire someone of his caliber…”
Standing from her chair and starting to pace, Natalie kept repeating her grandmother’s words in her head until she finally managed to splutter, “And he’s living here? Why?”
“Convenience,” she said. “Besides, he is very expensive normally. The room and board helped seal the deal.”
“You really are trying to kill me,” Natalie said. “This is so unfair. I don’t understand what is going through your mind.”
A knock at the door caused them both to turn and stare at Maddy, who was standing there awkwardly. “Uh, Natalie? I hate to say this, but your current beau and your ex-fiancé are at the door for you, and they both have flowers.”
Maybe it was possible to throw up from stress.
“What? Why?”
“Uh…” Maddy muttered. “I don’t know?”
Natalie peeked her head into the hallway.
Maddy was right; they were like two awkward teenagers waiting for prom dates, each holding bouquets, and neither looked too happy.
They both smiled, though, as they saw her.
Then, they waved in unison before turning to glare at each other.
They couldn’t have done it better if they had rehearsed it.
Today was proving to be a long one--maybe the longest in history.
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BOOK 8 in the Cali Reunion Series