Roberta stood there staring while they went on about their business as if she weren’t even there. What on earth was going on? Apparently, no one here was going to tell her; she may as well have asked the horse, who looked at her now, swished his tail, and snorted. Well. Roberta cleared her throat just like she used to before delivering a courtroom verdict. “Wendell? A word?”
They stood outside the barn door at the edge of the patio, discussing the matter in hushed tones. “So you’ve got yourself a horse.And a work crew that includes your old girlfriend. And you’re all building a pasture.” Roberta glanced at the busy scene on the hill behind her. Had Wendell lost his mind?
“Not a pasture,” Wendell corrected. “A paddock.”
Roberta looked at him. “Paddock.” She let the quiet settle between them. There were so many questions batting around her head that she had no idea where to begin without embarrassing Wendell or sticking her nose in further. “I came for my casserole dish,” she said instead.
“Right. Sorry, Bertie. I’ve been meaning to return that, just with the last few days and all…” His voice drifted. She waited as he went inside and emerged a moment later with the dish. “It was delicious. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She took the dish and held it against her chest, eyes on the barn. “So what exactly is the plan here?”
Wendell ran a hand through his hair. “Honestly, I don’t know. I wanted to help somehow, and rescuing that horse seemed about the only thing I could do.”
“Uh-huh.” Roberta cocked her head. The Lancasters were a family of means. Everything they did in Saybrook was top-quality. “How much?” she asked.
Wendell frowned. “Excuse me?”
“You know what I’m asking.” She nodded in the direction of the barn, where the horse stood outside swishing his tail in the sun. “How much did that rescue cost you?”
Wendell let his breath out. “More than you want to know.”
Roberta hugged her dish tighter to her chest. “That much.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Wendell was a man of modest means. Sure, he’d inherited the beautiful farmhouse, but aside from a small military stipend and whatever savings he might have been able to squirrel away as a caretaker, she imagined all his assets were wrapped up in the propertyshe stood on now. That horse probably cost twice more than her car. “I best be off,” she said finally. “Good luck with the fence. And the horse.” She turned down the flagstone path to the driveway, even though she was leaving with far more questions than she’d been able to find answers to since pulling up the driveway. And she didn’t like that one bit.
“Roberta.”
She paused and turned around. “Yes?”
“They want to live with me.”
There was no way she’d heard right. Cupping one hand over her ear, she walked back toward him. “Excuse these old ears, I didn’t quite catch what you said.”
Wendell’s expression was grave. “The girls. They sneaked over here in the middle of the night and asked me to be their legal guardian.”
“Their guardian? You?”
He shrugged. “I know, it sounds ridiculous.”
“No, no, I didn’t mean that. But those girls have family, and I can’t imagine their aunt, from what you’ve told me, would even hear of such a thing.”
“Things at their home are pretty volatile at the moment. Julia hired herself that lawyer. And her lawyer called me yesterday.”
Roberta could feel her judge’s robe settling over her shoulders as she processed this information, trying to keep her expression and opinion neutral. “I see.” She studied his expression, looking for some clue as to what this meant to him, if anything.
“I told the girls there was no way I could do this, Bertie. But when Jamie Aldeen asked if we could meet, I agreed to. I figure I at least owe it to Alan and Anne to have the conversation. Even if I don’t think this is the solution.”
Roberta shrugged. “Well, solutions to problems come inmany forms. A change in guardianship depends on many factors, and in this case, the first being the aunt’s desire to release custody of the children. And more important, your desire to obtain it.” She narrowed her eyes. “Wendell, do you have such a desire?”
He flushed. “No, Bertie. I would love to help Pippa and Julia. But I don’t think I’m cut out for this.”
“Right.” Still, Roberta sensed some hesitation. “Because that would be a tremendously life-changing thing, taking guardianship of two children. It’s a commitment that many view as a life calling. And it could be forever.”
“Like I said, I’m going to the meeting to share all these very points. There may be another way I can help the girls, but that’s not it.” He glanced uneasily up the hill. “Speaking of, I need to get back up there.”
To her utmost surprise, Wendell leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. It was something he’d not done since he was a little boy.
