Chapter 18

Three days later, Lucky is in his office at their new home when the phone rings.

Mariana took the call downstairs, and buzzed the phone in his office.

“Lucky Roundtree here!”

“Mister Roundtree, my name is Harold David Washburn, and I’m Lead Cardiologist at Amarillo Mercy Hospital. I’m calling to tell you that your Father, Mister Raiford Oliver Almiere has passed away. You were listed on his admission papers as his son, and next of kin. Though we have a copy of his last will and testament on file, we need to verify his last wishes, where he is to be cremated, and his ashes buried on your ranch in Wheeler County.”

“Doctor Washburn, if you have a copy of his will, please follow it to the letter. Sir, if you will, please send the urn to the post office in Shamrock, in care of me, Lucky Roundtree, and I’ll make sure his last wishes are carried out, exactly as he wanted.”

“Thank you, Mister Roundtree. I was your grandfather’s doctor, right up until the end, and I want to tell you, the man not only spoke highly of you, the man worshiped you.”

“Thank you again Doctor. Believe me, the feeling between us was mutual.”

“Sir, I know this isn’t the proper time to tell you about personal matters, but I wanted you to know, my youngest daughter, Catherine, teaches seventh grade math at Shamrock. She lives with my youngest sister, Ethel, who was a teacher for years also, and Catherine has even told me about you and your bride to be.”

“My Bride to be, and I are about to graduate from high school ... I hope your daughter hasn’t repeated to you, some of the wild stories being told on Ingrid and me. Even she and I have heard outlandish rumors about us.”

“OH NO! As a matter of fact, she’s best friends with one of your best friends, a Miss Kathleen Almiere, The late Raiford Almiere’s granddaughter.”

“I’ll tell Kathleen about your call. She and her mother live with us now ... Sir, if you ever get up this way, please give us a call and we’ll show you and your granddaughter our spread. I’d really like to meet you one day, and visit for a while.”

“I’ll be sure and do that. Please accept my apologies for talking about personal things at a moment like this.”

“No need to apologize. I feel like I have made a new friend, even if there was sad news in our phone conversation.”

Lucky placed the phone on his desk and looked up to see Ingrid standing in the doorway.

“Mariana told me it was the hospital in Amarillo calling. As soon as she told me, I had a feeling it was about Gramps Almiere.”

By the time she stopped talking, she’s sitting across his knees, her arms around him as they cry.

A few minutes later, after they are able to talk, Lucky told her, “We need to get Kathleen, Andrea, and Isabella up here together, so we can break the news to them.”

“I’ll get them now, and tell them you want to see them.”

“I’ll need you to stay in here with me, as I tell them about Gramps, then tell them how he wanted to be buried...

“The doctor told me too, his youngest daughter teaches seventh grade math at our school in Shamrock, and she’s best friends with Kathleen.”

“I’ve seen them together at different times, at a distance, but I’ve never met her. You need to tell Kathleen about the doctor knowing her name, and maybe she will tell us about her friend, and not be so broken up she can’t handle the news about her Gramps.”

Lucky had just returned from the bathroom when the four of them walked in. He looked up, but there was no way he could smile.

Andrea was the first to speak, “Lucky, you have bad news for us, don’t you? You’re always smiling when we come in naked, and now you look like you’ve been crying...

...”It’s about Gramps, isn’t it?”

“Yes, y’all come over here and sit on the couch, and I’ll tell you what the doctor just now told me over the phone.”

Isabella sobbed, then asked, “Lucky, is he gone?”

“Yes, now sit over here and I’ll tell you about the phone call, and about Gramp’s last will and testament.”

He hugged each of them, Ingrid too, as they lined up to sit on the long leather couch, across from his desk.