"Girls, slow down a minute. This letter is clear that the new deed would be made out to the three of you, not just Rebecca. I suggest you make a few calls and get the details. Then decide from there."
"I don't care if it was a lake house in Charleston or a mansion on a hilltop somewhere. The fact that they've just abandoned the place and it's overgrown as Mom described is enough for me to wash my hands of it all. It sounds like too much of a headache for me. I have the kids and Wyatt to think about. I'm good." Abby pushed in her chair and left the kitchen.
"Does Dad know about this?" I wondered.
"I mentioned it to him, but he didn't have much to say about it,” Mom said.
You could tell that Rebecca had an attitude.
"Great. Whenever it seems like there's the slightest chance we can collectively get along, Abby starts her nonsense." Rebecca started gathering her things.
"Don't put this on Abby. You're missing the big picture. This is a joint decision. One that you seem very excited about without having much information."
"There you go defending her. This might be an excellent opportunity for us. And maybe it's not, but you'll never know if the two of you are going to dismiss it before we have a chance to check it out."
I shifted my focus back toward the barbecue and all that was good in my life. I didn't want any part of our great uncle's property, and I certainly didn't want sibling drama.
Lexi
Mom and I couldn't be more pleased with the arrangements for the fundraiser. We had a variety of auctions to bid on and games for the children to play. Local business owners and residents were arriving at the fairgrounds in droves. The only thing that would make this day even more special was seeing Cole. He confirmed he was coming, but I hadn't seen him since he finished my mother's kitchen.
"Lexi, don't look now. Cole is coming with Emmie and Payton." Mom warned.
"That's interesting. I don't recall extending an invitation to Payton."
"I didn't think you would. Just put on your game face and act as if you couldn’t care less."
"Will do."
Mom started walking over to greet them.
"Cole, it's so good to see you."
"Hi, Mrs. Donovan. You remember Emmie and Payton?" He placed his hand on Emmie's shoulder.
"Yes, sweet Emmie. It's been a while since we've seen each other. Your Dad talked about you all the time when he was working at my house."
"Hi.” Emmie spoke and then ran over to give me a hug.
"Payton."
"Hello, Carol."
"I decided to bring the whole crew with me. I figured since it's a fundraiser, the more, the merrier,” Cole said.
"Payton, how's business treating you these days? You must not have many customers if you have time to be here today."
"I have plenty of customers to keep me busy. Thankfully, my sister is looking after things so I could be here for a couple of hours."
She looked up at Cole, and he smiled back in a way that showed how much he cared for her. Maybe it was time that I let the whole thing go. My mother meant well, and I agreed with her for a long time. But today it was hitting me like a ton of bricks. Cole was making a choice to be with Payton. Who was I to stand in the way?
"There's no sense in all of us standing here. We have work to do if we're going to raise money for the children. Emmie, how would you like to help out at the cotton candy booth?" I said.
Emmie perked up. "That sounds awesome."
Mom continued to look as if she had a chip on her shoulder, as I tried to urge everybody to get going.
"Cole and Payton, feel free to take your pick about where you want to volunteer. I know the dunking booth is off-limits, but just about all the booths could use an extra hand."
"No problem. And before I forget, here's our donation."
Cole handed over a generous check which Mom gladly received. When they walked off, Mom approached me.
"You feeling okay? You seemed rather friendly and accepting of Payton's presence."
"Mom, you know I love you," I said.
"Lexi, I love you too. I just want what's best for you."
"Cole Miller is not what's best for me. I think we both know it. Look at him."
She glanced over at Cole, who was still walking hand in hand with Payton.
"He's head over heels in love with her. I want somebody who loves me that way. What we're doing… it's not right."
I walked away to give her time to think about what I said. When the time was right, I got Payton's attention to have a private conversation.
"Hey, Payton, do you have a minute to take a walk?"
"Lexi, I didn't come here for any drama. I'm just here to…"
"I know. I actually just wanted to say I'm sorry."
She looked at Cole, who encouraged her to come and hear me out. We strolled past some of the kids playing games and made our way to an area where we could talk.
"You deserve an apology from me. I've been giving you a hard time, and you don't deserve it. I'm sincere when I say that I'm sorry."
Admitting I was wrong was difficult, but it was time to correct the error of my ways.
"Thank you, Lexi. I have to admit I'm a bit surprised. You and your mother haven't been fond of me for a while now."
"Yeah, well, that stops today. Mom just wanted what she thought was best for me, and I went along with it. Who wouldn't want a good guy like Cole? For the longest time after Laura's passing, there was no one in his life. She thought we would be a good fit and I didn't disagree. Then you came along, and I didn't think it would last. It doesn't matter what I thought or
