Page 22 of Scarlett and the Big Bad Billionaire
“Oh—I picked up the mail.” Julianna gestured toward the kitchen counter. “You got something.”
I got up to go look at it. “You mean actual mail, not just junk mail?”
“Well, you got that, too, but one of them looks legit. It was Fed-Exed from Rhode Island.”
I picked up the envelope. “That’s weird. I don’t know anyone in Rhode Island.”
Once I had. Though I’d never been to the state, my grandmother used to visit from Rhode Island many years ago.
She was no longer in my life, though—yet another person who’d “loved” me then left. I had no idea if she was even still living. Besides, the return address had a man’s name above it.
“Gray Lupine. I wonder what this is?”
Ripping the sealing strip from the cardboard envelope, I pulled out the neatly folded paper inside and began to read the typed words.
Dear Ms. Hood,
I’m not sure if you’ll even care about this information, but your paternal grandmother, Victoria Hood, is in failing health. She has asked me to find you and request that you visit. Against my better judgement, as her friend, I am carrying out her request.
If you have any wish to reconnect with her, I’d advise you to arrange travel soon. I’ve enclosed a note from her as well as a check from my employer, Viridian Security, to ease the cost of airfare from Minnesota to Rhode Island. If you should need any further help making arrangements, contact Viridian at the number I’ve provided. I’ve also included Mrs. Hood’s address and phone number.
It was signed simply with his name, Gray Lupine—no “sincerely,” or “best wishes” and certainly no “yours truly.”
I searched the Fed Ex mailer and found another piece of paper. This one written on light blue stationery with an imprint of red poppies.
I loved poppies.
The words were written in a light, shaky scrawl, but with a bit of squinting, I could make them out.
Dearest Scarlett,
I have written so many letters to you over the years. I am hopeful this one will actually reach you and find you in good health and happiness. I’m not sure if you even remember me—it’s been so long since we’ve seen each other.
By now you’re an adult with your own life, a job and perhaps a family to take care of. But if you could find the time, I would love for you to visit me. Not to be morbid, but I’m not sure how much time I have left, and I would really love to see your sweet face again.
There is so much for us to catch up on and talk about.
With much love,
Your grandmother, Victoria Hood
I stood there staring at the words, the paper fluttering in my shaking hand.
Julianna came into the kitchen. “Wow, look at your face. What is it? I can’t tell if it’s good or bad. Did you win a million dollars or something? Is someone dead?”
I looked up from the baffling letter. “No. It’s from my grandmother. She wants to see me.”
“Is this the grandmother you haven’t heard from since you were ten?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I’m kind of in shock. I really thought she wanted nothing to do with me.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Mom said my grandfather disapproved of my parents’ marriage, and I assume my grandmother felt the same. She visited a few times when I was little and lived in Florida. I remember a few birthday cards with money in them. But after my dad left and mom and I moved here, I never heard from her again. My mom said it was for the best, that she didn’t want me around someone who’d rejected us.”
“It doesn’t sound like she rejected you if she came to visit you. It’s not exactly a short trip from Rhode Island to Florida,” Julianna pointed out.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. That’s what my mom said. I was so young it’s hard to remember. I do have a few memories of my grandmother—watching fireworks with her. She took me to Disneyworld once when she came down, and I think we went to some kind of botanical gardens where they had a butterfly habitat. One visit, she gave me some oil paints and these little canvases and tried to teach me to paint.”
