The next morning, Lauren woke to loud purring in her ear and the feeling that something good was going to happen that day. She jumped in for a quick shower, dressed, gathered her still-wet auburn hair at the nape of her neck and used a large clasp to hold it there. Lauren then hurried down to the small eating area to grab her complimentary breakfast of cereal, pastries, fruit and coffee. Back in the room, she put Abigail’s breakfast in her bowl, and sat at the small table to eat her own.
Lauren felt edgy, she was anxious to get back to the cottage and start getting to work. She had dreamt of her grandmother, and although her face was indistinct, she knew that’s who it had been. Lauren ached that she had never gotten to know her, and wondered what had come between her grandmother and her children. Her mother rarely spoke of her mother, and when she did, Lauren had always felt that she was keeping so much back.
Lauren thought about all of this as they drove to the cottage. Knowing a little better where they were going, it didn’t take much time to find the half-hidden driveway. When they reached the clearing, Lauren was surprised to find a small school van parked over by the barn. Slidell High School was displayed prominently on its side.
Lauren opened the door to get out, and Abigail followed. The cat’s ears pointed toward the right of the barn, and Lauren heard some faint talking and laughter. Together they followed a well-worn path through the scruffy grass that led them around the side of the barn and toward a small clearing in the middle of some pecan trees. A group of teenagers, most with notebooks and pencils in hand, formed a half-circle around someone crouched near a murky inlet of water. One of the boys spotted Lauren and said something to the kneeling figure. The man straightened up, head and shoulders over all of the teenagers, made a remark, then headed toward where Lauren was standing.
“You must be Grand-mere Labeaux’s granddaughter, I heard you were coming. I’m Sam Deveaux.” He extended his hand to Lauren, then realized it was covered with dirt. He smiled lopsidedly and dropped his hand.
“Yes, I’m Lauren. You knew my grandmother?” She gave Sam more than a once over. He was tall, possibly 6 foot 5 or 6, and lanky with auburn hair and a ruddy complexion. What drew her in were his large chestnut brown eyes and long thick lashes. I know some women who’d kill for those lashes.
“I teach biology and earth sciences at the high school and for the past five or six years, your grandmother has allowed me to bring my students here to get soil and water samples.”
“Really? What do you do with those collections?”
“We’re doing a study on the effects of storms and disasters, like the oil spills, on the local swamps and bayou. Your grandmother was really keen on anything that could help keep this area the way it’s always been. She was very close to the land.”
“I can see living out here would make her protective. After all, there’s nothing here but the bayou.” Lauren realized she had said that with a little distaste, so she hoped to offset the comment with a little smile.
Ignoring her tone, Sam continued. “Anyway, a few months ago she insisted on putting our arrangement down on paper, just in case. I guess you haven’t had a chance to read any of her papers yet.”
“No, I’m sorry; I just got here yesterday. Well, I don’t mind you being here, as long as that’s what my grandmother had wanted. Just be careful, I’m sure you know about the snakes, but we saw a bear here yesterday, he seemed pretty big.”
“Oh, that was probably Bernard. Your grandmother rescued him when his mother was killed by a poacher about four years ago.”
Lauren raised her eyebrows and Sam laughed. “Yah, she was like that. At any rate, he was almost weaned when he became orphaned, so he was raised as a wild animal and he was able to assimilate back into the wild better. Bernard does keep coming back here from time to time. Your grandmother would put out peanut butter sandwiches for him whenever she saw he had returned to this area. He’s not too aggressive, but I’d still give him his space.”
“That’s good to know. Well, I have a lot to do, and it looks as though your charges are getting a little bored.” Lauren nodded to the group where a few of the boys were pushing each other jokingly toward the water.
“Hey! Get the vials together, make sure they’re labeled correctly and we’ll meet back at the van. Five minutes.” Sam watched as the teenagers went about doing what he had instructed. “They’re all great kids, but I have to watch them like a hawk.” He smiled. “If you need any help, just let me know. We’ll be out of your hair in a few minutes.” He headed back to his class.
Lauren turned around and headed toward the porch where she saw that Abigail had already beat her to it. Coming up the steps, she teasingly scolded her, “Now where were you manners, as soon as we rounded that barn, you high-tailed it back here. Is that the way we greet visitors?”
Abby just sat there and rocked back and forth with her purring. Lauren unlocked the door and they entered.
ESTÁS LEYENDO
An Inheritance
Ficción GeneralLauren heads to Louisiana to attend to her grandmother's 'estate' ... she had never met her and in fact, none of her relatives had even known she had still been alive all of those years ... as Lauren unravels her grandmother's past, she begins to un...
