Raining In My Heart (Book One of the McKay's) (7 page)

Everyone glanced at
Wade
who looked as surprised as anyone.
Julie
took into consideration that her father had included
Cade
in the management too. Did he know?
No, that was silly, how could her father know everything?
He left that impression on people, but in reality, he didn't know everything.

"
Mr.
Wymer
's company shall be paid in full, and a
n
endowment of $25,000 a year will be released in his name at the anniversary date. Mr.Wymer has been respo
n
sible for my investments for some years now, and thereby responsible for the tidy sum I will leave my
children.

"To all of you, I loved you dearly,
even though I neglected to tell you very often, and I'm sorry I didn't show this all along
. All my daughters may walk tall and know that they are taken care of for the rest of their lives, whether they cho
o
se to work or be mothers.
This was a lifetime goal, one I achieved with complete satisfaction, knowing my plan had worked.
The only sadness I suffer is in not seeing at least one grandchild from you. But that is my fate and I go to my maker knowing he has another plan for me.
So finally, I say…
I love you,

"
Your father,
George
Bennett
McKay
."

Guilt riddled
Julie
once more when she realized how completely she had kept her daughter away from her father. It was a mistake and it was too late to rectify.
He'd been cheated of his own granddaughter.

Rams
e
y
looked at them all and
everyone seemed stunned.

Wymer cleared his throat. "That's all there is to it. No more surprises, thank God."

"There's got to be a way around this," Letty began.
"Why would he put such a stipulation in the will?"

Mr.
Wymer
shook his head
.
"I'm afraid there is no way around it.
I don't think it's such a bad stipulation.
One year out of your lives for your father's sake, shouldn't be too much to ask since you'll be four of the riches
t
women in the state of Texas, if you do."

"But what is to be gained by a year here?" Letty asked.

Julie
stared at Letty and had to agree, she saw no purpose.

"There is another letter your father left
, to be opened after that year.
I have no idea what it contains.
However, I must tell you that I am appointed as your father's trustee in this matter to see that the will is carried out to the letter.
All that you must do is live here for one year."

"But we all have separate lives,"
Julie
protested, feeling a quick
camaraderie
with Letty.

"Mm…and I sympathize, but that is what he wanted.
And if you ask me, it isn't that much considering what will be gained from it."

Wendy
nodded as though she understood it
.
"It isn't that much, really."

"From your point of view, you live here, now…but the rest of us."
Letty raised a knowing brow.

"I was going off to college this year, remember
?
"
Wendy
quickly reminded her.

"One question
.
"
Julie
pointed a finger at
Mr.
Wymer
.
"If some do this, and some don't, what happens?"

"The ones that don't stay will get no inheritance."

Everyone's mouth fell then.

"What possible reason could he have
?
" Letty gestured her hands in the air
.

"Who knows
?
Daddy was always a sly one."
Wendy
smiled sadly.

"When exactly does this go into effect?"
Julie
countered.

"The day after the funeral, I'm afraid."

"That's
ridiculous;
we have to have time…"
Julie
protested.

"That's how it reads…."

"Would you like some coffee,
Mr.
Wymer
?"
Wendy
asked
,
getting up from the side of the sofa.

"No, I must be going.
I'll be here tomorrow
,
of course
,
for the funeral. And ladies, I truly am sorry about your father. He was a good friend…still is."

Everyone shook his hand and
Wendy
saw him to the door.

Wade
made his way to the door, then before leaving he glanced at
Julie
.
"If any of you need anything, let me or
Cade
know."

Julie
nodded. "
Wade
," she called after him.

He turned to look at her
.
"Did you know about this stipulation?"

"No
,
ma'am."

"I can't imagine why he'd do this…"
San
d
y
glanced at her sisters.

Cade
strode through the room, rubbed his chin and smiled at the girls
.
"I'm afraid I can. He loved you all, but he always wanted you to be more….together. At least for a year you will be, give you time to think about what is important in life."

Julie
turned to look at Cade, standing at a short distance. "How do you know so much about all this?"

"Just from things he said before he died…"
Cade
met her glance head on.

Wade
adjusted his hat, cleared his throat and glanced around the r
oom
.
"Maybe he just needed to know you were all here together.
"

"But…we have jobs…careers."

"Yes
,
ma'am." He grimaced and walked out the door
;
Cade
followed after winking at
Julie
and tipping his hat
.

Chapter Three

Julie
moved to the kitchen where her sisters sat around the table, all of them looking as though someone had just told them they were all broke.

"I just don't understand why
,
" Letty mumbled
,
looping a finger through her coffee cup
.

Julie
poured herself a cup of coffee and joined them
.
"
Wendy
, were you here when he died?"

"No…I mean…I was over at a friend
'
s house.
Wade
called me."

"Was it his heart?"

"That's what
D
oc Marshall said
,
"
Wendy
added sadly.

"Did…you see the body?"
Julie
looked at her.
"Did you see him before it happened?"

"No…
I had spent the night over at
Jessica
's and phoned
D
addy that morning.
"

"Did you get him on the phone?"

"Yes
,
of course.
He didn't sound sick or like he had a care in the world.
He told me to stay as long as I wanted and he'd see me later. He was busy, he said.
Anyway…
Wade
and Cade both
took care of everything
. Said Dad wou
ld have wanted it that way. Both Cade and
Wade
and Doc Martin, they took care of all the arrangements. I didn't
want to see Dad that way
."
Wendy
looked up at
Julie
with tears in her eyes.

Julie
extended her hand to her
.
"I know
,
honey. It's just so hard to imagine Dad gone. I mean, the last time I talked to him on the phone, he sounded so strong and in complete control.
He never mentioned his heart."

Wendy
nodded
.
"He had a few spells."

"You should have let us know
.
" Letty frowned.
"It might have at least prepared us for all of this."

"I'm sorry
;
he didn't want to worry you.
And he didn't want anyone else down his throat about the medication he rarely took.
I hounded him constantly about not taking them.
It didn't seem that serious at the time, the doctor was quick to take care of him and assured me he was fine.
Besides, you can't lay all the blame on me. You are his daughters too, you weren't here.
"

Letty eyed
Wendy
with a scathing look.

"Well,
what
Wendy
says is true. It is our own fault. But…
at least we'll get to view him tomorrow,"
Julie
said shaking her head, trying to clear it.

"Uh…no, I don't think so"
Wendy
cleared her throat again.

"What do you mean
?
O
f course we will.
We are family. We have a choice of an open casket or not
,
"
Julie
insisted.

"Uh…no,
Mr.
Wymer
was explaining it to us before you arrived that Dad insisted the casket not be opened. He thought it might bring too much pain
,
"
Wendy
cried now.
"And I'm afraid I agree with that.
He wanted to be remembered as he lived.
"

"Honey, I'm sorry…but that's
ridiculous
. He's our father. I want to see him…"
Julie
insisted.

"I don't.
I want to remember Dad just as he always was, strong and in control. It's morbid to want to stare at a corpse
,
"
Sandy
admonished.

Julie
looked around at Letty
for her reaction to
Sandy
's outburst. Letty's brow raised and she glanced at
Julie
.

"And you, how do you feel about it?"
Julie
asked.

Letty stood up
;
now her frown was gone, but replaced by real tears in her eyes. Tears
Julie
hadn't expected
to see because Letty always tried to be in control like herself
. "I don't know.
It's my fault I haven't seen him in a long time.
I used to think I was the most c
omposed woman around, until
Wade
called me to tell me the news.
I've never given much thought to something like this. Maybe she's right, maybe we should
just remember him, as he was, e
specially if that was his request."

Julie
silently noted that
Wade
called
Wendy
,
Letty
and
Sandy
. That seemed odd, but she let it go, no use stirring up trouble. Besides, she was well over
Wade
.
Now that she'd matured, she
could see where the two brothers
would never be the same
.

All through the reading of the will
Wade
cast a protective glance at
Wendy
.

Sandy
stood up now
.
"I have no wish to see him like that. I'd rather remember the noble man he was."

Julie
bit her lower lip, she really wanted one more chance to say goodbye to him, but she was already out
voted.
Again guilt daunted
;
she'd had many opportunities to see her father, and never made use of them.
It was no one's fault but her own, and she was clearly out voted here.