Finally Home by Dawn Michele Werner Read Free Book Online Page A

she showed him seemed like charity to him!
    Gazing at the swaying oak trees planted in slim rows on each side of the road, she wished for a miracle. Something to give her a glimmer of hope that everything would be fine. As she turned right on the road that forked off to her house, she didn’t have to wait long. She got her miracle.
    ********
    Hurriedly, she pulled into the skinny driveway on the side of her house and parked the truck. Smiling through tears, she rushed from the truck, leaping onto her front porch and into her grandmother’s arms.
    “ Oh my sweetheart,” her grandmother crooned, smoothing down Amanda’s wild curls with her gentle hands.
    Pulling from her grandmother’s warm embrace, Amanda gazed at her fondly. “Grandma, what are you doing here?”
    “ Grandpa and I finally got your message yesterday evening...once we had finally turned the answering machine on. He is very upset about Thomas’ passing. Even more upset that he couldn’t make it on the flight here.”
    “ Is Grandpa ok?”
    “ He has a sinus infection and couldn’t fly. But I thought at least I should come and give support to Noah...and to you, sweetie,” her green eyes blinked away building tears. “You were just as close to Thomas as your grandpa and me. I’m sorry I missed the funeral,” she glanced over her granddaughter’s black dress.
    “ It was very sad,” Amanda lowered her eyes, grabbing her grandmother’s hand. “And Noah isn’t doing too well. He’s become very distant”
    “ That’s only normal, he’s grieving his father.”
    Amanda attempted a smile. “I know that. But it still hurts when I try to console him and he snaps at me or pushes me away.”
    A knowing glimmer appeared in the older woman’s eyes. “Since you and Noah were children, there has always been a special bond between you. I’m sure he will come around. Just give him some time to himself.”
    “ Let’s go inside,” Amanda shivered, wanting to drop the subject of Noah. “A few days ago, the weather had warmed but that was only temporary, I guess. It’s freezing tonight!”
    “ Not used to Texas weather yet?”
    Her arm curved around her grandmother’s waist. “Nope. But hopefully I have the rest of my lifetime to get used to it.”
    “ Of course you will, honey.”
    Amanda grinned as she opened the creaking front door. “Good thing you kept a copy of the house key. I would hate to think of you standing out here in the cold waiting for me to get home and let you in!”
    “ I thought for emergency sake, it was best to keep a key. I even have one for the main house,” she rubbed her wrinkled hands together and looked around the living area. “You’ve been here for such a short time but everything is unpacked and settled.”
    Amanda’s thoughts were still on the key her grandmother had to the main house. “Um, yes, I hate living out of boxes. Grandma...uh, about that key you have...”
    “ To the main house?”
    “ Yes...”
    “ Amanda, if you’d like, I can leave it here with you. Your grandpa and I won’t have much use for it in Florida.”
    “ Thank you. I would appreciate that,” she sighed deeply. “I’d like to have it just in case.”
    “ In case what?”
    Amanda hesitated in voicing her fears about the ranch. But after a moment of thought, she felt her grandmother would understand. “I don’t know what will happen to the ranch. Noah has always been open about his desire to sell it. And if he does, I’d like to be able to get into the main house before its bulldozed. Sentimental reasons,” she shrugged.
    “ No, Noah would never let that happen to the ranch!”
    “ Come on, Grandma Kate. You’re surprised? You lived here when Barbara West died. You know the situation that the Wests were in before that happened.”
    “ I never pried, darling. Your grandpa told me that there was a man interested in buying Moonlight Ranch but that Thomas was strongly against it.”
    Amanda stretched her arms above her head