Read Online No Plans for Love by Ruth Ann Hixson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ruth Ann Hixson
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head here." He reached up to pull down what was taped to the underside of the top drawer. "It's an envelope. It says 'Sherry'." He passed it to her and turned to replace the drawer he'd removed.
"That's Gram's writing." Sherry tore open the envelope and removed the paper inside. Something small hit the floor and skittered away toward Mark.
He picked it up and stood up. "A key. What's the letter say?"
"It doesn't say anything; you have to read it." She read aloud, "Sherry, my dear little girl. Here is the key to the safe deposit box. I forgot to put it in my will but I want you to have it.
"There have been Winnettes in every war this country has ever fought back to before it was a country. They all kept diaries--from the French and Indian War until the present in Iraq and Afghanistan. The safe deposit box contains the diaries from the French and Indian War until the middle of the Civil War. Your cousin Hannah has the ones from then on.
"I know you will keep them in the family. Under no circumstances are you to allow Uncle Roy or your mother to get their hands on them as they are quite valuable and they would sell them. You are my dearest little girl.
"Love Gram."
Sherry looked up at Mark with trembling lips as tears wet her eyelashes. He pulled her into his arms as she wept for the grandmother she loved. She pulled back and swiped at her tears with her hand. "I'm okay."
"That letter tells you just how much she cared about you," he said softly. "You were always her little girl."
"If I had known she was so sick I would have come to take care of her, but no one ever told me. I didn't even know she died until I got the letter from her lawyer saying I inherited the house. Mom must have known but she didn't tell me. She knew I would leave if I knew."
"Is that letter dated?"
"July 11."
"We have to get that in to Mom as quick as we can. Come along."
"I have to get dressed first. I'm still in my pajamas." She wore a faded black sweat suit. She went to the dining room and got jeans and her favorite hot pink tee shirt before going to the bathroom. "I'm ready," She said when she returned to the kitchen. She picked up her hammer from the counter.
"What's that for?" he asked.
"To open the milk can where my purse is hid. Your father said I can keep them and they make good hiding places." She whacked the milk can lid to loosen it and took out her purse. She put the letter in her purse and slung the strap over her shoulder. "Let's go."
In the truck, she worked the key onto her keychain. She remained quiet until Mark commented about it. "I've been thinking about Gram. I'm not sure I can ever forgive Mom for not telling me she was sick. I could have come to take care of her and she wouldn't have had to go to a nursing home. It just hurts so much knowing Mom deliberately kept it from me."
Mark found a parking place across from the bank. They went straight to Jan's office where Mark entered without knocking. Sherry followed him in.
"Hi, Sherry," Jan said. "What can I do for you?"
Mark answered that question. "The lost is found. Sherry has the key to Violet's safe deposit box."
Sherry laid the letter on Jan's desk. Jan picked up it to read it. "This is very important. So is that date." She picked up the telephone receiver to place a call. "Hello. Gail?" She listened a second before speaking again. "Is your brother home?"
"Mom?" Sherry asked.
Jan nodded. "Do you have a portable phone? Take it out to Roy and tell him Jan Blakely at the bank wants to speak to him about a very important matter." Jan put her hand over the receiver. "He's out mowing the lawn."
While she waited, Jan put the letter in her printer and pushed a couple buttons. The printer spit out four copies. She gave one to Sherry. "This is for you. Oh, Roy, I'm sorry to bother you while you're busy but this is important. You won't need a court order to have the safe deposit box opened. Sherry has the key and a letter from your mother giving the contents to her. The
"That's Gram's writing." Sherry tore open the envelope and removed the paper inside. Something small hit the floor and skittered away toward Mark.
He picked it up and stood up. "A key. What's the letter say?"
"It doesn't say anything; you have to read it." She read aloud, "Sherry, my dear little girl. Here is the key to the safe deposit box. I forgot to put it in my will but I want you to have it.
"There have been Winnettes in every war this country has ever fought back to before it was a country. They all kept diaries--from the French and Indian War until the present in Iraq and Afghanistan. The safe deposit box contains the diaries from the French and Indian War until the middle of the Civil War. Your cousin Hannah has the ones from then on.
"I know you will keep them in the family. Under no circumstances are you to allow Uncle Roy or your mother to get their hands on them as they are quite valuable and they would sell them. You are my dearest little girl.
"Love Gram."
Sherry looked up at Mark with trembling lips as tears wet her eyelashes. He pulled her into his arms as she wept for the grandmother she loved. She pulled back and swiped at her tears with her hand. "I'm okay."
"That letter tells you just how much she cared about you," he said softly. "You were always her little girl."
"If I had known she was so sick I would have come to take care of her, but no one ever told me. I didn't even know she died until I got the letter from her lawyer saying I inherited the house. Mom must have known but she didn't tell me. She knew I would leave if I knew."
"Is that letter dated?"
"July 11."
"We have to get that in to Mom as quick as we can. Come along."
"I have to get dressed first. I'm still in my pajamas." She wore a faded black sweat suit. She went to the dining room and got jeans and her favorite hot pink tee shirt before going to the bathroom. "I'm ready," She said when she returned to the kitchen. She picked up her hammer from the counter.
"What's that for?" he asked.
"To open the milk can where my purse is hid. Your father said I can keep them and they make good hiding places." She whacked the milk can lid to loosen it and took out her purse. She put the letter in her purse and slung the strap over her shoulder. "Let's go."
In the truck, she worked the key onto her keychain. She remained quiet until Mark commented about it. "I've been thinking about Gram. I'm not sure I can ever forgive Mom for not telling me she was sick. I could have come to take care of her and she wouldn't have had to go to a nursing home. It just hurts so much knowing Mom deliberately kept it from me."
Mark found a parking place across from the bank. They went straight to Jan's office where Mark entered without knocking. Sherry followed him in.
"Hi, Sherry," Jan said. "What can I do for you?"
Mark answered that question. "The lost is found. Sherry has the key to Violet's safe deposit box."
Sherry laid the letter on Jan's desk. Jan picked up it to read it. "This is very important. So is that date." She picked up the telephone receiver to place a call. "Hello. Gail?" She listened a second before speaking again. "Is your brother home?"
"Mom?" Sherry asked.
Jan nodded. "Do you have a portable phone? Take it out to Roy and tell him Jan Blakely at the bank wants to speak to him about a very important matter." Jan put her hand over the receiver. "He's out mowing the lawn."
While she waited, Jan put the letter in her printer and pushed a couple buttons. The printer spit out four copies. She gave one to Sherry. "This is for you. Oh, Roy, I'm sorry to bother you while you're busy but this is important. You won't need a court order to have the safe deposit box opened. Sherry has the key and a letter from your mother giving the contents to her. The
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