He offered his hand, and I tried to ignore how clammy mine felt when I shook it. “Of course. Thank you for calling.”
“Please, come in and have a seat.” He led me into his office and gestured toward a pair of chairs in front of his desk, then settled across from me and opened a thick folder. “We’ll go through everything at your pace.”
“Okay.”
He began with the practical details. “Your grandmother arranged for the house deed to transfer to you upon her passing. So there are no probate delays on that.” He handed me a cleanly folded document with my name printed neatly beside hers. “Once you sign here and I file the paperwork, the property will be fully in your name.”
I nodded numbly and signed where he indicated.
Next came two keys on a ring, along with an inventory list of everything inside the cottage.
“All creditors have been paid, and your father was the only other heir. All of the contents inside Eleanor’s home will officially be yours once probate clears.”
“When will that be?” I asked.
“You’re the last person I needed to notify as executor. After today, I can provide final accounts to the court and formally close the estate,” he explained with a gentle smile. “Barring any unforeseen circumstances, everything will officially be yours on Monday.”
The words carried a sense of finality I wasn’t prepared for.
“Everything?”
He tapped the inventory list with his index finger. “Yes, every item listed here.”
“Wow,” I breathed. “This is a lot to take in.”
“If it’s any comfort to know, Eleanor kept to herself, but she was deeply respected here. A kind woman. Very thoughtful.”
I appreciated his insight into my grandmother. “I wish I’d known her better.”
“My condolences, Ms. Cooke.”
“Thank you.” I forced myself to ask a question that had been gnawing at me. “Where is she buried?”
Mr. Huxley folded his hands on top of his desk. “Your grandmother chose cremation. Her urn is at the cottage on the fireplace mantel.”
I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. “Thanks for letting me know.”
He slid one final envelope toward me. “Your next stop is the Timber Ridge Credit Union. Eleanor’s checking and savings accounts were also set up as payable to you upon her death, so you’ll just need to sign some paperwork to have them transferred to your name.”
I rose from my chair. “Thank you, truly.”
“It was an honor to serve your grandmother.” He stood with me. “Please reach out if you need anything while you’re in town.”
I nodded and stepped back into the front room. The receptionist looked up immediately, flashing me another warm smile.
“All set?” she asked.
“As set as I can be,” I murmured, wiggling the envelope Mr. Huxley had given me before tucking it carefully into my tote bag. “Could you point me toward the Timber Ridge Credit Union?”
“Of course.” She got up and walked me to the door. “Go left, then right at the bakery. It’s only two blocks down, you can’t miss the sign.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
I headed in the direction she pointed out, ready for the next stop in the unexpected journey my grandmother had sent me on.
Everything in downtown Timber Ridge seemed to be close enough to navigate with a glance and a couple of street signs. The walk to the credit union took all of three minutes, except for the time I spent peering into the bakery window along the way. I was disappointed to see they mostly had pies, since I loved baking all kinds of bread, but they smelled delicious.
