Elizabeth drove out of town after the reading of the will, Aunt Agatha's unopened letter on the seat next to her.
As she drove she thought about the shock that Mr. Avery had delivered. It was certainly going to change her life if she decided to accept it.
She heard a siren and looked up into her rear view mirror. "Seriously?" She sighed and pulled over to the side.
Jack got out of his patrol car and walked up to her. "Do you know how fast you were going?"
"No. I'm sorry. I just got some big news and I wasn't really paying attention to my speed."
"Good big news? Or bad?"
"I don't know. I'm still processing." She pulled her license and registration out and handed them to him.
"Listen. You've had a rough week. I'll cut you a deal. You go get a cup of coffee with me and I'll let you go without a ticket."
She squinted at him. "Is that ethical?"
"It's a gray area," he said with a wink.
"Uh huh. Well, I need to be at the airport in an hour. Would you be able to take me?"
"Coffee then airport?"
"Sure."
She didn't know what possessed her to agree to coffee and a ride to the airport in his cruiser of all things. Well, maybe it was how he looked in that uniform or the way his hair was perfectly messy…
Once they were inside the café close to the airport, he finally asked her what he'd been wondering. "So, what news did you just get that had you not paying attention to your speed?"
She sipped her coffee and stared into his green eyes. "Aunt Agatha left me an inheritance."
He nodded. "That's good, isn't it?"
"In a way it's an answered prayer. On the other side of the coin, it's scary. This will change my whole life."
"How so?"
"Well, my dream since I was a teenager has been to be independent, not rely on anyone. Be my own boss."
"You are independent. You live in Atlanta."
"I know but if I could live here? Closer to family and run my own business? It would be amazing."
"What business would it be?"
"She left me her house, Jack. The huge house on Lilac Lane is mine and enough money to fix it up and make it into a bed and breakfast."
"A B & B?"
"Yeah. I want to do it but I don't know if I have the guts to quit my job and move here. I mean, its risky, isn't it?"
"Maybe a little but think about it, Beth. The closest hotel or inn is twenty miles away. This would bring business to our little town and provide something we need."
"Yeah. It would."
"When do you need to decide?"
"I have a few weeks."
"What do you do in Atlanta?"
"I'm a paralegal for a law firm downtown."
"That's right. I think I remember Jesse telling me that. Do you enjoy it?"
"It's what I went to school for."
"That's not what I asked."
"I enjoy research and all that entails."
"Running a B & B is definitely different than being a paralegal."
"Yeah. That's what is exciting about it. Aunt Agatha taught me to bake so I know that I can do the breakfast thing. I know how to cook things like eggs and pancakes and French toast. I make an amazing quiche."
"I think you should go for it."
They finished their coffee but instead of getting up, they found more to talk about to the point where she lost complete track of time.
"Oh no!" she said, catching sight of the time. "I missed my flight! Shoot."
"Can't you just catch the next one?"
Instead of answering, she called her boss. "Sir, this is Beth."
"Hi, Beth. Are you on your way back?"
"Not exactly. I missed my flight."
"Well, maybe that's a blessing in disguise. You never take vacation. Maybe stay an extra few days."
"No, I really should get back."
"To what? We don't have any huge cases right now and Donnie is doing a good job in your absence. You trained him well."
"Well, if you are sure, I guess I could use some more time to wrap things up here."
"I'm sure. Now, enjoy your time with your family."
"Okay. I think I will. Thank you, sir."
"You're welcome. We will see you next week."
"Alright. See you then."
Next she called her next door neighbor. "Hey, Bree. It's Beth."
"Hey there."
"How's Bella doing?"
"Just fine. I took the kids over to see her this morning and she loved it."
"That's good. I have a favor to ask."
"What's that?"
"I missed my flight and then I decided to stay until next week. Would you be able to feed Bella until Sunday?"
"Of course. You spend time with your family."
"Thanks, Bree. I owe you one."
She put her phone down. "So you are staying for a while?" Jack asked, knowing the answer.
"Looks like it. My boss said to come back Monday."
"Great. Did you want me to take you back home?"
"Actually, do you mind taking me past Aunt Agatha's house? I can walk home from there."
"Sure."
Jack dropped her off and watched her find the spare key and enter the home before he headed back to work.
He was encouraged by the fact that Beth was staying a few more days. That meant he could potentially spend more time with her. Just having coffee was nice and he thoroughly enjoyed talking to her but he was thinking more of a date.
…..
Elizabeth wandered from room to room in the house she could technically call hers. Memories filled her from the weeks every year she spent with Aunt Agatha. They laughed a lot, talked a lot. In a lot of ways, she was Elizabeth's best friend.
As she wandered into the library she took a deep breath and inhaled the fragrance from the books. It reminded her so much of Agatha that her eyes filled with tears. "I miss you," she whispered. "I wish you were still here."
She made the decision right then that if she decided to do this thing, she wouldn't touch the library. It would remain just as it was as a tribute.
As she entered her Aunt's room off the kitchen, she imagined herself using that as hers. It was richly furnished and that wasn't Elizabeth's style but the room was large and had its own attached bathroom. She could furnish it to reflect what she enjoyed.
Elizabeth took a seat on the bed and opened Agatha's letter.
My dearest Beth,
You were in many ways a daughter to me. You brought light into my life when I needed it most. Our talks by the fire in the library and our baking days meant everything, dear one.
As you read this, my heart is no longer beating but know that with everything that I am, I love you.
I leave you my home because I know that you will put it to good use, whether by filling it with your own children one day or in some other way.
Use your strong imagination to make it what you love, what you enjoy, and use it to bring enjoyment to others.
There is only one other thing I must insist upon. The home is older and needs a bit of work. Please hire Jack Thornton as the person to smooth those wrinkles. He is talented and quite a looker, in case you hadn't noticed.
I love you, dear Beth. Don't make this decision lightly. Pray on it. Think long and hard about what you want out of life and then go for it! You deserve everything good.
Aunt Aggie
Elizabeth smiled at the letter. She had renewed resolve. It was no longer a question of whether she would accept the house. It was a question of how soon could it happen.
She did want to know why she named Jack as the person to remodel the house though. He had a job. An important one. Why tie up any free time he had with a huge job?
She took pictures with her phone of all the rooms. There were five bedrooms, six total if you included the one she would use. There were three bathrooms, including hers, but she would want one more added to make it work. The kitchen was in good shape but needed a bit of updating. The porch needed a bit of paint but it was in good condition and she wanted a porch swing added.
She made a list of things to talk to Jack about since Agatha insisted she use him and then she walked back to her parent's house, rolling her suitcase behind her.
….
That evening, Jesse's house
Jesse and Jack sat on the brown leather couch that engulfed the living room while they ate their pizza and drank their beer. "So, Clara is only having Beth as her bridesmaid and you are my best man."
"Alright." He took a long sip of beer to disguise the smile that wanted to break out. Dancing with Beth sounded like heaven.
"What, Jack?"
"Nothing."
"You had a look on your face. Like the fact that you would be walking down the aisle with my sister makes you happy."
"I didn't have a look."
"Yes you did. You got a thing for my sister?"
"I wouldn't call it a thing." Although, that was exactly what it was.
"What would you call it?"
"Dude, you have nothing to worry about. We only had coffee."
"When?"
"On the way to the airport this afternoon."
"So she's on her way back to Atlanta?"
"Nope. She sort of missed her flight."
"Why?" Jesse looked at him, a skeptical look in his eyes. "What were you two doing that you made her miss her flight?"
"Jesse, relax. We were drinking coffee and talking. That's it. Man, you act like you can't trust me or something."
"Jack, I don't mean any offense but she is my little sister. You can't blame me for wanting to take care of her."
"No offense taken but you know she can take care of herself."
Jesse stayed quiet for a moment. "Let's change the subject."
"Okay, let's talk about your bachelor party."
"I don't want one. I want this. You, me, beer, and pizza. That's it."
"You sure?"
"Yes. One hundred percent."
"Alright. Where are you going on your honeymoon?"
"I'm taking her to Martha's Vineyard. I rented a house on the water for a week."
"Nice. It will be beautiful weather for it."
"Exactly." Jesse's phone buzzed on the coffee table. "Hey, sweetie," he said, walking out of the room as he talked.
He wanted someone to call sweetie. Until he saw Beth again that day outside the church, he hadn't thought too much about it. Once he saw her, he instantly wanted a family. He wanted a house with a white picket fence and a few kids, not to mention a dog. He wanted to come home from work and smell dinner cooking and find his wife dancing barefoot in the kitchen as she cooked. It was an old fashioned way of thinking, but it was what he wanted.
Would it be with Beth? He would just have to be patient to find out.