Once Mated Twice Shy (10 page)

During the weeks
that followed Lettie set the schedule after deciding that the store could stay
open until someone said otherwise.  She kept her employees on the move and
urged them to work as often and as long as they could because any day could be
the last at Thompson’s Grocery.  She ordered stock, received the trucks,
opened, and closed the store.  Jordan was not happy about the long hours but
since she seemed to like it, he didn’t protest too much.  Now that she was the
boss, he brought her lunch and dinner and they ate in break room together every
day.  He helped mop and buff floors, put up stock, and answered questions from
customers sometimes.  Lettie surprised him with a paycheck at the end of the
second week and he laughed.  “I’m not an employee.”

“No but you’ve
worked so you’re paid.  Don’t get excited you didn’t make much.”  She laughed
one Friday afternoon.  It seemed odd that no one tried to stop them from
running the store but no one did.  She nearly expected the police to come in
and shut them down.  They’d continued after the funeral.  There were no
relatives to claim Mister Thompson so Lettie put him in their cemetery.  Her
friends, employees, and Jordan attended.  Jordan was planning a candlelight
dinner later this evening.  They were going to talk about pups.  The pack was
flourishing.  The cold frame gardens were sprouting and the pack brought in
more game than expected.  No one in the Summerville pack would go hungry this
winter or next.  Not only had they filled his freezer but their own freezers
were full of fish, venison, turkey, and duck, not to mention the squirrel. 
Mother Nature provided well when asked and it didn’t hurt.  Lettie’s season was
ending soon and he wanted to try for pups.  He wanted to give it his best
efforts.  He grinned to himself.  She had no idea what she was in for later. 
Jordan leaned casually against the counter while she priced gum.

“Excuse me.”  A
man appeared at the customer service window said.  He didn’t seem to be their
typical customer.  This man looked expensive.  His suit was new and designer. 
His shoes were black and as shiny as his gold watch.  “I’m looking for Collette
Giroux.”  Jordan growled low in his throat already beside her. 

“Why?”  He glared
at the too shiny man.  The man backed up a step.  Jordan watched his pulse
pound and sneered.

“Uh, I’m Earl’s
attorney.”  The man glanced nervously at Lettie.

“Earl who?” 
Jordan answered.

“Mister Thompson’s
name was Earl.”  Lettie glanced up at him.

“Yes, Earl
Thompson, are you Lettie?”  She nodded.  “Can we have a private conversation?” 

“This is my
husband Jordan and I don’t think that he will allow that.”  She laughed
nervously.

“Oh good, because
this concerns him too.  I didn’t expect him to be here.  I was going to ask to
set up an appointment with the two of you but we can discuss it now since
you’re both here.  Can we go to Earl’s office?”  Lettie trembled and melted
into Jordan’s side. 

“Lettie found
Mister Thompson’s body in the office.  How is the break room for you Mister…? 
Jordan studied him. 

“Sorry.  Mike
Jones.”  He stuck his hand out for Jordan to shake.  “Earl said that you were a
big fellow, he wasn’t kidding.”  Mike smiled.  “Earl spoke very highly of you
both.”  He said walking beside them to the back of the store.  “I see you’ve
elected to keep the store open.”

“We weren’t sure
what to do.  He didn’t have any kin and I decided that since I could order and
write payroll we would continue until someone told us to stop.”

“Who would tell
you that?”  He grinned and stepped into the break room.

“I expect that you
will.”  Lettie sat beside Jordan across the white Formica table from Mike. 
“Isn’t that why you’re here?”

“No.  I am here to
carry out Earl’s last wishes.  I checked on him once I heard.  I wasn’t
notified like I should’ve been but I understand why that is now.”  He grimaced. 
“You see, Earl didn’t have any family but he loved you like a daughter.  If
you’d gone into his office, you would’ve found a letter addressed to you saying
to contact me.  I understand that you buried Earl in your family plot?”  Lettie
nodded and eased closer to Jordan.  “That’s fine.  Um, Earl had a massive
coronary, he knew his heart was bad and that’s why he didn’t bother to retire. 
There was no point because he was dying.  We had a talk when you offered to buy
the store so that he could move to Florida.  He sat in my office and cried
because he couldn’t give you what you wanted but he knew that you wouldn’t have
to wait long.  I advised him that it was best to wait and not to sell.”  Jordan
growled.  “You see, legally, all of his decisions for the past year could’ve
come into question by the state.  Since the will was written several years ago
they have no right to question.”

“I don’t
understand.  What are you trying to say Mike?”  Jordan was getting suspicious. 
This man was talking in circles and Jordan was not patient with anyone but
Lettie.

“I’m trying to say
that Earl left you everything Missus Giroux.  Under the conditions of the will,
if the store stays open, you must manage it for as long as you are able.  The
house on Elm, the land behind the store and all of his liquid assets are
yours.  I need you to sign some things but it’s all yours.  I had to be sure
that there was no foul play which is why I know what he died of but I can see
from your faces that this was unexpected?”  Lettie and Jordan both nodded. 
Mike chuckled.  “That’s just like him.  He loved to surprise people and I see
that he got to do it once more.”

“What do you mean?” 
Lettie asked softly.

“When I graduated
law school he gave me the money to open my office.  You see, I grew up next
door to that sweet old man.  He was like a grandpa to me and he said that if it
weren’t for you he would’ve left me his estate.  I never wanted all that
though.  He did leave me the chess set.  We played often.  He taught me when I
was six.  I’ve already removed it from the house and I’ve cleaned out the perishables
from the refrigerator so you don’t have to worry about that, I’m sure that it’s
a little overwhelming being Summerville’s newest millionaires.”  Jordan choked.

“What?  What do
you mean millionaires?  Mister Thompson had a million dollars, or the land is
worth a million dollars?”

“I mean the liquid
assets come out to three point four million, the land is worth five and the
store is well, he always said that the store is priceless.”  Jordan’s face
dropped.  “Because that’s where Lettie is.  You can’t begin to imagine how
special he thought you were.  You delighted him every day and he wanted to
repay that.”

“What did you do
Lettie?”  Jordan murmured in her ear.  She shrugged.

“He said that just
listening to her stories and talking to her brightened his day.  He never had a
harder worker or a more diligent one.  She expected nothing but gave
everything.  He appreciated that, he said that you deserved a bonus and he’s
finally given it to you.”  Mike smiled and pushed papers toward them.  “I need
you both to sign these.”  Lettie picked up the pen and scrawled her name on the
line.  She could hardly see because of the tears.  Jordan signed after her and
pulled her close.  “Oh one more thing, a request only, you are not obligated in
anyway.  Earl would like you to name one of your many pups after him.”  Lettie
gasped.  “Yes, I know.  I loved Missus Thompson and she taught me things.”  He
grinned.  “Well folks, that’s about it.  If you have any questions or concerns,
you can call me.”  He pushed a business card across the table.  “You’ll need to
take these papers to the county attorney and to the bank but if you have any
problems call me and I will help you through it.”  Mike stood.  “I’ll see myself
out.  You have plenty to discuss.”  Lettie burst into tears as soon as he left
the room and Mike stuck his head back inside.  “He said you’d do that.  He said
that most people would jump up and down laughing at newfound wealth but my
Lettie will cry.  She’s so sentimental.  I lost that bet so I guess I owe the
estate five hundred bucks.”  He grinned and left.  Jordan wrapped her safely in
his arms.

Jordan stretched
in the warm bed.  She was not beside him.  He hated it when she got up first
unless she brought coffee back to bed to surprise him.  There was no coffee
anywhere!  His mood started to turn grumpy until he smelled bacon.  Jordan
hopped into his jeans and shoved his feet into his slippers.  Following his
nose out to the kitchen, he smiled at his mate.  God she was beautiful.  They
kept the inheritance a secret.  The pack would expect to laze around doing
nothing if they knew that they were rich and Jordan believed they were happier
poor.  They enjoyed hunting for their food and digging it up out of the earth. 
The cold frame gardens worked wonderfully during the winter and they had fresh
vegetables all season.  Now the entire pack had gardens in their backyard and
soon they would be canning a zillion tomatoes and pickling cucumbers.  Nelly
found canning recipes for nearly every vegetable in existence.  Jordan had
already decided to throw a barbeque feast in her grandmother’s honor at harvest
time.  Thank God for Nelly’s grandma Beatrix.  She saved them from starvation
and she deserved to be honored for it.  He considered making a pack holiday
called Beatrix Day that they would observe with a feast every year like
Thanksgiving.  Jordan never wanted to be rich but he never wanted to be poor
either.  A wolf needs meat, a mate, pups, and a soft bed to be content he
thought and soon he would have all of those things.  Lettie stuck a piece of
bacon in her mouth and turned to put a pancake under the lid covering them. 
She saw him and grinned.  God she was beautiful pregnant.  As soon as she had
this pup and came back into season, he would go for number two if she would
agree.  They had plenty of food, shelter and the means to buy all the video
games that she thought a pup needed.  She was happy.  He would take credit for
that.  It was a long rough road to get here but she was happy and that was all
Jordan ever wanted.

~End~