Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Current Day
The cafe was relatively quiet, which gave Rita a chance to relax. She sat in her tiny office in front of the computer, a cup of coffee in hand, peering out the back window at the small courtyard. Winter was over, and spring had begun with a few tiny green shoots on the honeysuckle vine that covered the trellis over the courtyard. It was a month since Matilda had married Ryan. And even though she’d been against it, she had to admit it hadn’t changed anything about their lives. The two of them still lived separately, although they were spending more and more time together. He’d taught Matilda to drive, so now she was able to transport herself around the county. And he’d taken her to meet his family.
Rita had wondered how that would go, but it seems Matilda hit it off with his mother and they’d become fast friends. She didn’t want to remind Matilda that the relationship wasn’t real and she had every chance of breaking his poor mother’s heart when it ended. No one wanted to hear her point of view on the subject. They were young and impetuous and they’d do whatever they wanted to do. She still thought it was naive and careless, and bound to end in tears.
But instead of ruminating on that particular subject while she stared into the back garden, she was thinking about Julie’s birth, all those years ago. And how scared she’d been at the prospect of losing Helen. She’d thought several times that she would have to raise Julie for her sister. But in the end, Helen had pulled through and hadn’t died until Julie was an adult. So, although Rita had done her best since to be there for her niece, she didn’t need her as much as she might’ve if the labor and delivery had gone differently. And for that she was grateful, on Julie’s behalf as well as her own. Every moment they got to share of this life had been a blessing.
There was a knock at her office door, and Rita spun on her office chair to see cousin Cathy Lambert standing there in a bright turquoise leisure suit with a matching headband. Her blue eyeshadow offset her eyes, which were narrowed to go along with her scowl.
“There you are, Rita. Daydreaming again, I see.”
“How nice of you to drop by, Cathy. Can I help you with something?”
Cathy took a seat without being asked. She sat with a ramrod straight back and picked at her long, painted fingernails. “I need to talk to you about the cafe.”
“Oh?”
“You know Uncle Ray and Daddy built this place together?”
“Of course, I know the story well.”
“And when Daddy left, he and Uncle Ray had an agreement.”
“What kind of agreement?” Rita asked as she leaned forward to better focus on her cousin’s words.
Cathy cleared her throat. “They agreed that when they passed, the cafe would go to their first borns. Both first borns. To be shared.”
“Hmmm…”
“That’s you and me, Rita. And both Uncle Ray and Daddy have passed. Which means, this cafe is just as much mine as it is yours.”
Rita crossed her arms and glared at her cousin. “Cathy, what on earth are you talking about?”
“You know it’s true,” Cathy continued. “We’re supposed to be running this place together. But you never let me get a leg in.”
“It’s my cafe,” Rita replied, indignantly. How dare Cathy waltz in here after all these years of Rita slaving away to keep the doors of the Honeysuckle Cafe open and claim a share of ownership. It was just like her.
“It belongs to both of us.”
“Do you have any documentation that proves it?” Rita asked.
Cathy’s eyes narrowed. “Do you have any to prove your ownership?”
Rita blanched at that. It was well known her father hadn’t left a will. Much to the dismay of the entire family. But so far, no one had questioned his estate. When Helen was alive, she hadn’t wanted the cafe or the house. But she had inherited their savings as her portion. Which had now gone to Julie to pay her way through college and help put a downpayment on an apartment when the time came.
Cathy looked smug. “You have no proof of inheritance. And I’ve spoken to my lawyer. She thinks I have a chance to win back my share.”
“Uncle Bill walked away from the cafe. He gave up any rights to the business when he did that.”
“You know why he walked away,” Cathy spat, as she stood to her feet. “You’ve got no right to throw that back in my face when you’re to blame for it all, anyway.”
“I’m to blame? That’s rich.” Rita stood to her feet, her heart thundering in anger as adrenaline surged through her veins. “You know what I’ve been through. And for you to come in here and try to make my life even more difficult than it’s already been is just … well, it’s typical of you. You don’t care about anyone but yourself.”
She’d lost a husband, a sister and both parents in a short space of time. The whole family knew what she’d endured and how much grief she’d experienced in her life. Most of them had compassion on her, but not Cathy.
“We’ve all been through things, Rita. But that doesn’t change the facts. And the fact is, this place is as much mine as it is yours. And it’s time I claimed my ownership stake in the business. You’ll be hearing from my lawyer.”
She stomped out of the office, slamming the door shut behind her. The sound reverberated through the cafe. The cafe manager, Amanda, popped the door open a few moments later looking worried.
“Are you okay, Rita? What was all that about?”
Rita sank into her chair with a sigh. “Just my greedy, selfish cousin doing what she can to bring on a heart attack. Nothing for you to worry about.” She chuckled. “Life never stops handing out lemons, does it?”
Amanda shook her head with a frown. “Doesn’t seem like it. Do you want me to chase her down and kick her butt for you?”
Rita laughed. “Not this time. Maybe next time though, so rain check?”
Amanda grinned. “You got it.”