Summer on Kendall Farm

When the sound of applause reached her, she knew the groom had just kissed the bride. Moments later she heard footsteps as the guests made their way to the ballroom. The wedding party had gone to have pictures taken.

A clap of thunder brought her attention back to the window. Kelly limped to her office. On the conference table, she picked up a folder, then went to her desk and propped her foot up. Checking the calendar, she saw that the next open house was three days away. She opened the folder and went over the plans. The crews were all ready. They’d broken down the rooms after the wedding and would come in the morning to prepare them for the open-house guests.

Flipping to the next page in the folder, Kelly saw the wedding plan and yesterday returned to her mind.

She’d watched the bride and groom from her office window, the same one that was now covered in rainwater. The couple loved horses and wanted photos in their wedding attire with them. Kelly pictured them and the photographer as they posed with the two mares. The wedding planner had told her that both bride and groom loved horses and that was the main reason they’d contracted to have their wedding at the Kendall.

Silently, Kelly thanked Jace for bringing the horses to the Kendall. Shaking her head she tried to dislodge him from her mind, but he refused to be assuaged. She saw the white gown and veil extending outward. But it wasn’t yesterday’s bride and groom that she saw. It was a little boy and his father romping along the back lawn. This time when the tears came, she let them fall.

Kelly didn’t know how long she stayed there, absentminded of anything going on around her. When she became aware of her surroundings, she realized the phone was ringing. Kelly dried her eyes with a tissue, took a long sobering breath and reached for the receiver. “Kendall Farm, this is Kelly Ashton,” she said without a trace of sadness in her voice.

For twenty minutes she spoke with a woman about a booking for a fiftieth wedding anniversary party for her parents. It sounded like an extravagant event and the Kendall would be a perfect venue for it. When Kelly replaced the receiver, she was no longer melancholy. The woman had reminded her to concentrate on the business at hand.

Kelly went over the rest of the plans for the next open house, checking off the jobs that had been completed. She could think of nothing that might be missing. Kelly was getting to know the regional suppliers and they were doing a fine job for her. She knew the success of the Kendall meant more income for the businesses associated with it. People would stop to eat in town or buy gasoline. Some might stay at the local motel or hotel.

She had business cards and flyers for local services in case someone asked for information on something they discovered at the Kendall. The gift shop was more profitable than she’d thought it would be. She smiled, thinking of the work Jace had done building the gift shop. When she walked through it after he’d done the remodeling, she’d touched every wall and window, proud that what she imagined was now real. And proud that Jace had been there to help with the creation. As much as he said he wanted no part of opening the house to the public, he’d realized the advantages of making it happen. Even returning on that first day and pitching in to help her.

Then she remembered waking up the next morning in her bed. She knew he’d carried her there. Ari had confirmed it for her, although she had a vague memory of floating through the air. She thought it had been a dream at first, but logic told her she didn’t walk to her bed and sleep in her clothes.

She missed Jace and wondered where he was.

* * *

SHELDON KENDALL IV stood at the end of the long drive. Trees lined both sides of the white fence. It was a different fence, he thought. The mailbox with Kendall Farm printed on it in red letters had also been changed. The old crooked one sitting askew on a rusting post had been replaced with a large white replica of the house. It sat sideways on the post with the doors open to accept the mail.

Cars constantly turned at one end of the property and drove down a paved road that hadn’t been there two years ago. Sheldon thought this must be one of many changes he’d encounter. Never had he expected to be here. But he’d come this far. He had to go the last mile. He may be leaving today with more scars than expected, but he knew he had to take this journey to its conclusion.

Another car passed him, driving too fast along the narrow road. He felt the wind whip through his secondhand suit in the aftermath of the car’s speed. Sheldon had shaved and had his hair cut for the trip. By the time he reached the end of the road, he’d removed the suit jacket and carried it over his arm. People were getting out of cars and crossing through a gate, then going to a small station on the side before heading up the seven steps that led to the large porch and the front door.

“What is going on?” he wondered.

Heading for the same small house, he looked inside.

“Ticket, sir?” a young blonde girl asked. She looked about nineteen.

“Ticket?” he questioned. What would he need a ticket for?

“For the tour? It’s $35.00.”

Sheldon calculated how many groceries he could buy for $35.00. He shook his head. “Is the owner here?” he asked.

“Ms. Ashton. I don’t know where she is. I’ll give her a call if you like.”

“I’d appreciate it.”

“What’s your name?” the blonde asked.

Sheldon told her, just giving his first name.

The girl made a call on a cell phone. After a moment, she began to speak. Her head snapped up at him. “Sheldon Kendall?” she asked.

He nodded.

Then she was back at the phone. A second later, she clicked if off and said, “Please go to the front door.” She pointed the way as if he didn’t know.

When he arrived there, a redhead was smiling at the guests going in and then she approached him.

“Sheldon Kendall?”

“Yes. I’m looking for Jason. I got a letter saying he’s living here.”

“I’m Kelly Ashton.”

“Are you the new owner?”

“I am. Let’s go somewhere more quiet.” She walked to the end of the porch, away from the crowds. “Jace isn’t here anymore. I’m sorry, but I don’t know where he went.”

Sheldon’s disappointment was telling. He gazed out at the lush lawn. It looked wonderful.

“Have you traveled all the way from North Carolina without telling him you were coming?”

“The letter I got is only a few weeks old. He said he was here.”

“He was, but he and Ari left about three weeks ago.”

“Ari?”

“His son. I guess he didn’t tell you about the boy, either?” Kelly said.

“His letter was very short.” It was so short that Sheldon could interpret little if anything from it.

“Why don’t you come inside and have something to eat and drink. And I’ll make some calls.”

“Thank you.” Sheldon had nothing else to say. He couldn’t just turn around and go back to the bus station. In any case, there wasn’t another bus until tomorrow night at the earliest. He adjusted the knapsack on his shoulder.

Kelly pointed to the parking lot. “As you can see we’re having an open house today.”

“Open house?”

“It’s a long story and Jace didn’t agree with it, but I offer paid tours of the house and grounds to the public. People love history, especially when there are period costumes and furnishings to see.” She started walking. Sheldon followed her. “I’ll cordon off the upstairs rooms for us.”

“I’m sure that will be fine.”

Kelly led him through the front door. At the grand staircase, she secured the velvet cord after the two of them went up the first step. At the top of the stairs, Sheldon looked back. There was a lot of coming and going. He remembered the parties they used to have when his father was alive. The foyer would be full of women in fancy dresses and men in formal attire. Now he looked at people wearing shorts and T-shirts with earbuds hanging around their necks.

“Sheldon?”

He caught up to Kelly. “You’re perfectly welcome to join a tour, or you can wait in this room until we find out where Jace is. He told me it was yours.”

Sheldon stepped inside his old bedroom and the rest of the world receded.

“I’ll get you something to eat,” Kelly said. “Is there something in particular you’d like?”

“Anything would be fine. Thank you.”

She smiled and closed the door.

Nothing had changed and everything had changed. The paint was different. Curtains replaced the heavy drapes that used to hang at the windows. The bed was the same, although the covers were new. The whole room was brighter. There was a small table sitting in front of the fireplace. He remembered it well. In fact, he could recall the dates of all the antique furniture. He knew when renovations had been done prior to his leaving. Obviously, from what he’d seen from the foyer to this bedroom, other changes had also been completed.

Sheldon’s room was huge and looked out one side of the house. In all the years he’d lived here, he’d never moved to the master bedroom, but preferred to remain in the room where he’d grown up. It had been redecorated. Laura had done that once, but her changes were gone now. The bed, a giant four-poster, sat between the windows. The fireplace was on the left with a sitting area in front of it.