Stardust A Novel by Carla Stewart Read Free Book Online Page B

cotton to talking on the phone regarding legal matters. Get your pretty self down here in the morning.”
    Obviously, Aunt Cora was up to something. What, I couldn’t imagine, but it would be like her to take matters into her own hands and ask Hugh to give me a job out of pity. Being the state typing champion my junior year hardly gave me credentials, but what else it could be escaped me.
    Hugh jumped up and pumped my hand when I went into his office, then leaned across the desk and gave me a peck on the cheek. “Good to see you, Georgia. You know Mrs. Palmer, I believe.” And in a grand gesture he held out his hand to Doreen Palmer.
    Heat engulfed my face. Embarrassment over not calling on her in so long. And in the tizzy of worrying over being summoned to Hugh’s office, I’d not even baked the cake I meant to take to her in consolation over Paddy’s passing. At least my manners took over, and I went to her and leaned over, gave her a kiss on her soft cheek.
    “I’m so sorry about Paddy.” Tears brimmed to the surface, but through the blur in my eyes, I could see her smile through deep lines of age and sorrow.
    “He was a fighter, I’ll give him that.”
    I tried to swallow, but shame and grief choked me. “You must think I’m awful. Not calling or bringing the girls by.” My nose ran along with a new surge of tears.
    “Don’t you be fretting. Gracious, you’ve had your hands full, and losing your own husband to boot. I couldn’t even make it to O’Dell’s funeral. Tell me, how was it?”
    I sniffed and blinked my eyes, trying to gain some control. Hugh handed me a handkerchief, and when I looked up to thank him, he nailed me with a look of stone.
    “Thanks.” I blew my nose and willed myself to calm down.
    Hugh cleared his throat. “Why don’t you have a seat?”
    I scooted the empty chair closer to Doreen, took a deep breath, and dropped into the seat.
    Hugh, however, remained standing, a document in his hand. “We’re here today at Doreen’s request. Paddy, as you are aware, passed away—rest his soul—and upon his being of sound mind and body when this instrument was established, this is his last will and testament.”
    My chest tightened as he read. At first I was curious. Intrigued. Then confused. Paddy had bequeathed me the Stardust Tourist Cottages. All of it except his and Doreen’s personal belongings.
    My heart sped up, and I was certain I’d misunderstood. While Hugh read on, Doreen reached over and took my shaking hand in her calloused, knobby one.
    “There are a couple of provisions. The first is that Doreen shall have access to one of the cottages for as long as she is alive or desires to occupy one. The second is you must continue the operation of the business for at least five years from the date of transfer of the property. You may assign a third party to run the day-to-day operations, but you may not lease or sell the property for the stated time.”
    As the news sunk in, the main question that surfaced was “Why? Why me?” And I asked it of Doreen, not Hugh.
    “Simple, sweetie. Paddy always took a hankering to you as a child. Said you had the Tickle spirit. And I think you reminded him of a picture he has… had of his mother. She was a spitfire. Like you, Paddy said.”
    My insides churned with the gravity of it. What did I know about running a tourist court? What did I know about anything?
    “I was crazy over him, too. But surely there were other nieces and nephews… or even you. Why wouldn’t you want to continue to run the Stardust?”
    She shook her head, her silver hair wispy and soft like a cloud. “The only other nieces and nephews are on my side of the family. Which is one of the reasons I’m anxious to finish the arrangements here. My family is from Oklahoma, and I’ll be going there next week for an extended stay. Maybe permanently.”
    Done. Just like that. In the blink of an eye, I’d been handed the keys to my future. Unfathomable. Undeserved. And