Grandma Cecilia stared at her.
Elana shook her head slowly. “I just don’t want you to be disappointed. That’s all.”
Her grandmother reached over and squeezed her arm. “Disappointed? Never. I would be disappointed if I hadn’t come out here.” She smiled and laid her head against the seat.
Elana envied her grandmother. She wanted to be as brave as she was. To follow her heart and throw caution to wind was something Elana had never done.
“Turn up ahead, dear.” Her grandmother pointed at a driveway ahead.
She slowed the VW van and made the turn into the driveway.
Elana squinted to see the faded name on the mailbox but couldn’t make out the letters. Trusting her grandmother to get them where they needed to go, she slowly drove up the driveway.
They approached a small white house with a porch. The paint was peeling, and a shutter was hanging at an angle.
Her stomach sank. Maybe this guy really was after Grandma Cecilia’s money.
She stopped in front of the house and put the van in Park. She looked over at her grandmother. “Are you sure this is the place? Want me to knock on the door and make sure we’re at the right house?”
Her grandmother worried her lip with her teeth. She slowly shook her head. “No, I’ll go. It was my idea to come here, so I’ll go knock on the door.” She pulled out a compact mirror from her purse and checked her appearance one last time. She gave Elana a tight smile and then opened the door.
Elana watched her grandmother approach the house. The van was silent except for the sound of Jack’s panting near her ear. She looked at the dog. He licked the side of her face and kept watching Grandma Cecilia.
Her grandmother knocked, and then the door opened slightly. Elana leaned forward to get a look but couldn’t see anything in the shadow.
Grandma Cecilia spoke to someone and then turned and headed back to the van. As soon as she opened the door, Elana leaned forward.
“Is he here? Did you speak to him?”
Grandma Cecilia shook her head. “That was the housekeeper, Hattie. This is her house. Ronald’s house is farther up the road.” She pointed at a dirt road running alongside of the house. “Go down that road. It should take you to the main house.”
Elana started the car. “The main house. So, Ronald has a separate house for the housekeeper?”
Grandma sighed heavily. “She’s the cook too. And to answer your question, yes, Ronald has a separate house for the housecleaner.”
Elana cut her eyes at her. “Is she young?”
Grandma Cecilia snorted. “She’s older than me. Said she’s been with the family since she was young.”
Elana droves slowly up the driveway. “So, she’s not as pretty as you?”
Grandma Cecilia turned to Elana and blinked. “She doesn’t have a tooth in her head. Does that answer your question?”
Elana snorted and then bit back a laugh. “It does.”
The rest of the drive was silent. The tension in the van was palpable. Even Jack was perched between them, panting heavily waiting for the house to come into view.
Just then, the house appeared over a hill.
“Just like I imagined,” Grandma Cecilia breathed.
Elana gaped at the sprawling ranch house. It was built of stone and logs and looked like something out of a movie.
“You said he was a rancher?” She pulled up to the house and killed the engine.
“A cattle rancher.”
Elana looked at her grandmother with wide eyes. “I guess the ranching business is booming.”
