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Her grandmother’s house had always had a certain element of character, compared to the other homes. Besides the lavender hydrangeas planted around the base of the raised porch, she also kept a collection of wind chimes, birdhouses, and painted gourds all over the porch. The house reflected her grandmother’s eclectic personality.

  Cindy exited the car, hearing the light tinkling sounds as the breeze drifted through the décor, the sounds of childhood. She had not even made it to the front step before the door flung open.

  “There you are!” Nan stepped out with arms wide, rushed into the yard and scooped her up into a huge bear hug. “I thought you’d never get here!”

  “Hi, Nan,” Cindy said.

  Nan shuffled her inside before grabbing her suitcase, carrying it as if it were light as a feather, her long flowered skirt swishing around her sandals. Cindy could not keep from smiling as the woman dragged them both into the house.

  “Come in, come in! I’ve got soup in the crock pot waiting for you. It won’t be ready for another hour though. I’ve got tea. Would you like tea? I can put on the kettle in no time at all.” She fluttered around the house, picking and adjusting the already pristine home.

  “Tea would be nice.” Cindy took a seat at the kitchen table, a relic from a bygone era, made of lime green Formica. The room filled with cheery welcoming scents of the rich chicken broth bubbling in the corner. Within moments, the tea kettle hummed on the stove. Nan poured two cups of hot water over the spiced tea satchels.

  “Cream, sugar?” she asked, peering over her shoulder.

  “Oh, both please,” Cindy replied.

  “Ah, it is a ‘both’ sort of day. Isn’t it?” Nan turned and sat down across from her, placing the steaming mug before the young woman. “So, tell me about New York. Is it as glamorous as everyone says?”

  Cindy sipped her tea, relishing in the cinnamon and comforting sweetness of the flavors. “Ugh, I’ve had enough of glamour,” she said. “Though I think you should visit the city sometime. You would love it there. It’s a wonderful place to visit.”

  “’But you wouldn’t want to live there?” Nan laughed.

  “Goes without saying,” Cindy replied.

  “Maybe so,” Nan said. “Besides, I think I have enough to contend with here in the ‘City of Burning Falls’.”

  The crinkles around her grandmother’s eyes somehow made them appear greener than usual. The only other indicator of her grandmother’s age was the silvery streaks through her long hair. Otherwise, Cindy thought she exuded a vibrant and youthful energy. “And a thriving city it is,” Cindy said with a smirk.

  “Perhaps, one day, I’ll visit New York,” Nan mused, peering out the window. “After an inevitable windfall.”

  “I could show you around,” Cindy mused. “You know what, Nan? I wonder if I could get settled in and unpack? I’d like to get the road dust off me, if that’s okay? Which is my room?”

  “Yes, of course! Let me show you where I’ve got you staying.”

  As they made their way through the living room, Cindy heard the clump sound of the mail being dropped into the box outside the door. Nan pulled open the door, waving and greeting the mailman already halfway down the path. His postal truck idled on the side of the road.

  Nan filtered through the small stack of envelopes. “Bill, bill, junk mail… Oh, what’s this?” She placed the rest on the side table and tore open the small white envelope. Her face went pale. “Oh, those rat bastards!”

  “What is it, Nan?” Cindy said with alarm at her grandmother’s rare outburst. “Is everything okay?”

  Nan collapsed into the chair closest to her, handing the pages over to Cindy, who read the words with a sense of dread.

  Dear Mrs. Sadie Carson,

  This has been our third attempt at contacting you on behalf of Stapleton, Stapleton and Howe Real Estate Company. The land parcel upon which you currently reside had been earmarked as a portion of property containing a good percentage of Berinium, a highly sought-after metal which contains a number of beneficial properties. As such, our client has been trying to reach out to you regarding acquisition of your property.

  My client is prepared to offer you a sizeable sum in exchange for this parcel. Please contact our offices at the number below to set up a scheduled time to meet at your earliest convenience, so we may move forward with our communications. My office will await your response.

  Sincerely,

  Bertram Howe, Esq.

  Stapleton, Stapleton, and Howe

  Continue this first-in-series tale HERE on Amazon…

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  [kM1]No comment. Just mistake.

  [kM2]He did? When?

  [kM3]