Donna wiped her eyes, then blew her nose. “Arnold’s boss. I’ll give him a call.”
Within an hour, five grown men arrived at Donna’s house and came to the door. “Mrs. Hollis? We’re here to help you load. Just tell us what you need us to do.”
Donna waved her hand in the air. “Everything left in the house goes with me, except the appliances. They stay with the property. These are my sister and brother-in-law, Joy and Burl Davis. Burl is driving me home, so I’ll let you men figure out how to load it up.”
Burl had already done a walk-through at the house and knew what needed to be done.
“We need to start with the beds,” Burl said. “There are twin beds in here, and then a queen-size bed in the master. Let’s get them taken down and loaded, then the mattresses and dressers before we do the living room and dining table.”
“Yes, sir,” Dub’s men said, and they went to work.
“Let’s go sit in the porch swing,” Joy said. “We can watch what they’re doing and still be out of the way.”
“I’m so glad you’re here,” Donna said as she and Joy sat down in the swing.
Joy patted Donna’s knee. “I’m glad we’re here, too, sugar. Family has to stick together, right?”
“Yes, that’s right, but I need to call Ruby.”
Joy smiled. “You go right ahead and talk. I’m just gonna sit here and swing the both of us.”
Donna made the call, hoping she wouldn’t be interfering with Ruby’s work. It rang several times, and then Ruby answered.
“Hello.”
“Ruby, it’s me, Donna. I wanted you to know my sister and brother-in-law are here, and Dub sent some men to help load up my things. I know I’ve said thank you a thousand times already, but I’m gonna say it again. Thank you for helping me through the worst days of my life. I will never forget all the kindnesses and the blessings I have received since Arnold died. I won’t see you again, but I will never forget you.”
“You’re welcome, Donna. I’m glad we could help. Safe travels, and when you get a chance, just text me and let me know you all arrived safe and sound,” Ruby said.
“Yes. I’ll do that,” Donna said, and hung up. Then she leaned a little closer to her sister, letting the love and the swing lull the ache in her heart.
It took a mere three hours for six men to remove the Hollis presence from the house. Donna called her landlord, Dan Amos, to let him know she was leaving.
“We’re really sorry to see you go,” Dan said. “But we understand your need. Safe travels, Mrs. Hollis.”
“Thank you. I’ll leave the key on the kitchen counter and turn the lock on the door as we leave.”
And then Donna hung up, knowing she had just ended her last connection to Blessings.
“Do you have everything?” Joy asked.
Donna nodded. “Yes, I walked through the house twice. I’m good to go.”
“Then hop in and we’ll be on our way,” Burl said.
“How long do you reckon it’ll take to drive home?” Donna asked.
“Once we hit I-77 North out of Savannah, it’s about an eleven-hour drive. We’ll likely stop about halfway and spend the night somewhere, and then drive the rest of the way home in the morning. Safer that way,” Burl said, and started up the truck and rolled out of the drive and onto the street. “West Virginia, here we come,” he said.
Joy reached for her sister’s hand and held it all the way out of town. She knew Donna was hurting for the sons she’d lost and the husband who’d died. She would always be sad for what had been, but in the years to come, maybe she’d find a new normal and a new life among her people again. When one thing dies, a new thing grows in its place. That’s how life works.
* * *
Wade Montgomery made every excuse he could to place himself within Bridgette’s presence at work at least three times a day. He liked her. He always had. He would like to get to know her better, but she didn’t seem to be the least bit interested in him. Oh, she was nice and polite, even friendly. But he didn’t think she was attracted to him at all. He hadn’t yet decided if she just didn’t like him or she was playing hard to get, but there was a possibility that she could very well break his heart.
It was just by chance that he saw a sign for the auction of Marjorie Knox’s estate and pulled it off the bulletin board at the feed store and took it to Bridgette’s office.
Birdie was entering invoices into the computer when Wade knocked, then walked in.
“Hey, Bridgette, is this where you grew up?” Wade asked.
Birdie glanced at what Wade was holding.
“Yes, why?”
“Uh…I didn’t know your mother had passed. I’m really sorry.”
Birdie sighed. She was going to have to stop ignoring him. It was getting too hard to be cool about it, because he distracted her to no end.
“Yes, and thank you. It was very recent…on New Year’s Day.”
“Oh. Wow. So you’re selling the property, house and all?”
“It’s what she wanted,” Birdie said. “There are five of us kids, so whatever we get from the sale will be divided among us. Hunt has been remodeling it. It looks really nice now.”
“Do you think I could take a look at it?” he asked.
“You mean like go inside and really look…as in a prospective-buyer kind of way?” she asked.
“Yes. I’m making Blessings my home. I can’t stay with Uncle Dub forever.”
“Where were you before?” Birdie asked.
“Boston. I moved there straight out of college.”
Birdie frowned. “What did you do there?”
“I was in advertising. I’m good at it. But I’m a southerner at heart, and Boston has too much snow,” Wade said.
“Do you have a girlfriend?” she asked.
He grinned. “No. Do I have to have one to go look at your house?”
“Don’t be a smart-ass,” Birdie said, and wadded up a piece of paper and threw it at him.
He laughed. “If I have to be accompanied by a member of the opposite sex, will you volunteer?”
Birdie rolled her eyes, and then glanced at the clock. “Let me call Hunt. If he’s still there, I’ll take you by on my lunch hour.”
“Thanks,” Wade said.
“You’re welcome,” Birdie said. “Now please hang that back up on the bulletin board when you go by. We need all the prospective buyers we can get.”