Chapter 10 - A New Horizon
The silence in the dining room was absolute, broken only by the sound of Jessica’s quiet, broken sobs.
"And as for Oakridge Estates," I added, picking up my black leather handbag and standing up slowly. "I took the liberty of calling them yesterday. I canceled my reservation. But I transferred the non-refundable deposit into your name, Colin. Just in case you ever need a reminder of where greed leads."
I turned toward the door.
Richard Sterling opened the front door for me. The driver held open the rear door of the Maybach, the leather interior smelling rich and warm.
Before I stepped into the car, I stopped and looked back at my grandchildren, Lucas and Chloe, who were standing near the staircase, looking bewildered.
"Lucas, Chloe," I said gently. "Grandma loves you. You are always welcome to visit me during your summer breaks."
"Where are you going, Grandma?" Lucas asked softly.
I looked out at the rolling hills of Texas, feeling the fresh morning air fill my lungs—air that tasted like freedom, like justice, like dignity.
"I’m going home, sweetie," I smiled. "To my new house in Fredericksburg. I have three acres of peach trees, a huge kitchen, and a guest room waiting for anyone who knows how to treat people with love."
I stepped into the back of the Maybach. The door closed with a soft, solid thud, sealing out the noise, the greed, and the disrespect of the past four years.
As the car pulled out of the driveway, leaving Colin and Jessica standing in the cold drizzle of their shrinking empire, I pulled the two-dollar scratch-off ticket stub from my purse one last time.
I tossed it out the window into the wind.
May you like
My life wasn't over at seventy-three. In fact, sitting in the warm leather seat of my new life, watching the Texas sky open up into brilliant sunshine, I knew my life was just beginning.
THE END
