Chapter 15

Peanut kept drifting in and out of consciousness. Every time he came to, it was triggered by the reality of pain, and the blessed numbness of pain meds put him out again.

Awake, the only emotion he had was panic. He knew he was in a hospital and that he’d been shot because his doctor had told him, but he had no memory of anything before waking up here. His doctor also told him that would likely pass as he healed, but the fear that it might not was there. Peanut was so focused on remembering himself that he hadn’t been awake long enough to wonder if anyone was looking for him.

He was lost—as lost as a grown man could be.

No roots.

No identity.

Nothing to remember.

* * *

Ruby was holed up in her house, licking emotional wounds and preparing herself for the pity she was going to face. It was inevitable and nothing she could control. Yesterday had been a hell like nothing she’d ever known—worse than surviving Jarrod’s beatings, far worse than being kidnapped, because people from her past had done this, and the guilt was eating her up. She’d begged God to save Peanut, and He had, but the cost of Peanut’s life was the loss of his love. As much as it hurt, the relief of knowing he was alive was worth any amount of pain.

She wanted healing for him.

She prayed he’d get his life back.

And if she wasn’t part of it, that would have to be okay.

* * *

Melissa Dean had gone to sleep last night with the lightest heart she’d had since before Andy died. She’d walked around her house all evening, thinking about what she’d take with her and what she’d sell, because Elmer’s house was totally furnished. The Mathis furniture was older, but it was nicer than hers. And she’d taken care of it for him for so long that it was familiar.

She’d thought about which bedroom she would choose as her own, wondering how she would feel about taking Elmer and Cora’s master bedroom. But their sleigh bed was gorgeous and one of her favorite pieces in the house. Elmer would be laughing at her, telling her not to be such a goose. That was one of his favorite sayings. Just knowing there would be no more trips to Savannah to visit him made her sad, even though he would be closer when they laid him to rest right here in Blessings beside his sweet Cora.

When she finally gave up and went to sleep, it was deep and dreamless, but then she woke up at her usual time of six a.m. and frowned. Habit was going to be a hard thing to break. She could have rolled over and gotten a little more sleep, but she couldn’t wait to go to Elmer’s house—her house now. Seeing it as the owner would be far different than going there to clean.

She jumped up, showered, and dressed in record time, and then ate a bowl of cereal while making herself a to-do list for the day. Her phone rang while she was still eating. When she saw it was from Fred at the hardware store, she almost didn’t answer, and then her manners overcame her reluctance to talk to him.

“Hello.”

“Uh…hello, Melissa, it’s me, Fred.”

“I know who it is. Caller ID.”

“Oh yes, right,” he said. “I’m calling to apologize.”

“Thank you. Apology accepted.”

“Uh, well, I’m also offering you your old job back.”

“No, thank you.”

“I’m willing to give you a dollar an hour raise,” he said.

“No, thank you,” she repeated, then heard him sigh.

“Please, Melissa. I’m begging you.”

“What happened to Tommy boy?”

“I caught him stealing, just like you said.”

“That is not my fault, and your troubles are no longer my own.”

“I’ll give you a dollar-fifty an hour raise.”

Melissa sighed. “Did you talk to your wife yesterday?”

He snorted. “Of course.”

“And did she happen to mention seeing me in the dry cleaners?”

“No.”

“Ahhh, that explains my confusion about why you think I’d be so desperate as to come back with my tail between my legs just to fix your problems…problems, by the way, that you created.”

“What do you mean?” Fred asked.

“Yesterday I attended the reading of Elmer Mathis’s will and found out that I am his heir…to everything. I now own a business that I will be running, and I own a house that is paid for, and I am financially set for life.”

“You’re kidding,” Fred said.

Melissa’s eyes narrowed angrily. “No, I’m not. You’re going to have to hire and train a new employee, and be the one staying late and closing up for a really long time. It’s called karma, Fred, and if your nephew wasn’t a thief, and if I hadn’t inherited Elmer’s property, I’d still be out of a job and, pardon my bluntness, you still wouldn’t give a shit. Have a nice day.”

He was still talking when she disconnected.

She finished her cereal, put the bowl in the sink to soak, and then grabbed her heavy jacket and purse and headed out the door. All of a sudden, she couldn’t get to her new home fast enough.

The day was cool and the sky was too cloudy for the intermittent sunshine to make a difference, but she knew it would be chilly in Elmer’s house until the central heat warmed everything up, so she went through a drive-through to get a latte to take with her. When she parked at the property, eyeing it from the view of an owner, she could see the woodwork on the house needed painting. Time enough for all of that later, she thought, and grabbed her latte as she got out. The next-door neighbor came out on his porch again.

“Morning, Melissa. Are you going to keep cleaning the property now that Elmer’s nieces inherited?”

She grinned. “Actually, as it turns out, they didn’t inherit. I did.”

A big grin spread across his face. “That is awesome! I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. When are you moving in?”

“Within the week, for sure.”

“Well, I’m happy to have you for a neighbor,” he said, and went back inside.

“And I’m happy to be here,” Melissa said to herself, and headed to the front door.

She let herself in and then turned on the lights. The house was chilly, but it always warmed quickly. She took a quick sip of her coffee as she turned up the thermostat and started going through the rooms, eyeing furniture, trying to decide where she’d put any of her stuff, if she decided to bring it.

So far, the only things she intended to bring were her personal things, like clothes and pictures, and the things from her kitchen. The dishes she had were from her and Andy’s wedding shower, and her stainless-steel flatware was a favorite. She would definitely bring that, along with her pots and pans and her big mixer.

She checked the linens, and decided to bring all of hers. Some of these were very worn. Then she made sure there was hot water, that the thermostat was working, and that all of the appliances in the kitchen were in working order.

She moved from the kitchen to the living room and then stopped near the fireplace and turned around, still marveling at her windfall.

“I’ll be back,” she said, and then left the house.

Next stop, the CPA who did Elmer’s books. All she wanted him to know was that she wanted to keep him on the payroll, and she wanted a monthly statement outlining the incoming and outgoing money.

It was a fruitful morning.

It also occurred to her that she hadn’t called Niles Holland, her landlord, to let him know she was moving. It had been years since she’d signed the lease, so there would be no problem moving when she was ready.

She sat in the car after leaving the CPA’s office and gave Niles a call. As usual, he answered abruptly. He always sounded like he was angry, but she’d learned years ago that was just his way.

“Hello, Niles speaking,” he said.

“Hi, Niles. This is Melissa Dean.”

Niles was just getting over the mess he’d made with May Temple and wasn’t going to fall into ignoring his duties again.

“Melissa! How are you? Is everything okay at the house?”

“Yes, it’s fine, but I’m calling to let you know that I’m moving.”

“You’re leaving Blessings?”

She heard the shock in his voice and was somewhat comforted by the fact that people might actually miss her if she left.

“No, I’m moving into my new house. I inherited the Elmer Mathis estate.”

“Well, congratulations! I can’t think of anyone more deserving, and you certainly gave years of your life to his care. I will admit I’ll miss you as a renter. You were one of the best.”

“Thank you, Niles. I’m not taking the furniture, so I’ll have to sell it before I can clean out the house.”

“You’re not taking any of it?”

“No. Elmer’s house is furnished and I love the pieces.”

“Would you consider leaving it behind? I can get more for a furnished house than I could an empty rental. You tell me what you need to get for it, and I’ll write you a check.”

“Yes, sure I’d leave it. That would certainly simplify my life. I’ll figure up what I think it’s worth and let you know. If you don’t want it, no hard feelings. I’ll just have a one-day sale and sell it from the property.”

“Just give me a call,” he said.

“I will, and thank you again,” she said.

Melissa disconnected, then drove by the Piggly Wiggly to get some empty boxes for packing and headed home.