222 Redemption Lane

By Merri Maywether

A friendly weekend challenge meant to strengthen family ties will test the bonds of love.

 

When Aunt Tee, the matriarchal figure to Marianna, Janine, and Amanda, notices her nieces have fallen out of touch, she organizes a family challenge.

 

The cousins will work on projects to help their community, build on their relationships with their spouses, and renew their appreciation of their close-knit community.

The results of the challenge will determine the outcome of her will.

 

Marianna, plagued by what-ifs considers using the winnings from the challenge to try a new life.

 

Janine sees the challenge as the perfect way for her cousins to connect with her husband, Matthias.

 

The youngest of the cousins, Amanda, plans to prove to her long-term boyfriend that they are ready to take the next step. 

 

That is until a secret derails the game.

 

What was intended to bring the cousins closer, threatens to tear the family apart--or the Darling cousins will learn the road to redemption is paved with love, and each will find her role in rebuilding it.

*Previously published as Let the Games Begin

• Language: English
• Publisher: Merri Maywether
• Release date: Sep 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9798215565544

Merri Maywether

Twenty years ago, Merri Maywether went on a date with a very sweet man from Montana. Three weeks later they were engaged and they have lived happily ever after. This is Merri taking over the biography section...When I write my romance novels, the characters are the people that I see on a day to day basis. Up here in what I like to call the far, far north, people work hard, live fiercely, and love knowing that they have a community of people behind them. We support each other through the hardships and celebrate the victories. The best part...similar to the characters in my stories, at the end of a long day or a rough week we have stories to share for the years to come.

Book preview

PROLOGUE

Theresa Darling surveyed the scenery from her picture window and prayed blessings for her neighbors. Rolling hills dotted with the occasional house extended for as far as the eye could see. She mused to her companion, Miles Edgarton. I’ve lived in this house for over thirty years and have never grown tired of the view.

Miles and Theresa, friends for their entire adulthood, had lived this scene many times over the years. They spent hours drinking a cup of coffee or, depending on the time of day, a mixed drink while chatting or playing the occasional board game. More than once, they talked each other through a family problem. If they weren’t such good friends, Miles and Theresa would have been perfect spouses for each other.

A phone call six months earlier had opened Aunt Tee’s eyes. Her family was drifting. Her oldest niece, Janine, visited less since marrying Matthias. Amanda, the youngest, had developed a subdued personality. Marianna was struggling with both marriage and family.

Experience proved, time and again, that conflict tested and proved love’s endurability. The family needed an activity to help them appreciate the things they either forgot or overlooked about each other.

The time had come for Aunt Tee to communicate her decisions about the future of her estate. Thanks to some wise investments in the 1980’s, her financial portfolio was worth more than her nieces realized.

What she was about to propose to her family would eliminate any chance of fighting after she was gone; and if she’d organized the game correctly would save a marriage while strengthening the familial bonds.

Do you think they’ll accept the challenge? she asked Miles.

Do they have a choice?

Her gaze remained on the garden outside the window. Yet, her voice wavered, betraying the worry she didn’t want to acknowledge. Actually, they do.

Then, for my sake, I hope they accept the challenge.

They both chuckled.

You mean to say you don’t want my nieces and nephews to be your new family.

It’s not that at all. Miles patted Aunt Tee’s hand, adding warmth to his answer. I know they won’t like the way I’ll handle things. You have a gift of telling people what they don’t want to hear and getting them to thank you for saying it. After dealing with you, people wouldn’t appreciate hearing the truth from me.

In three days, they would know if Miles was right.

1

LET THE GAMES BEGIN

When Marianna saw the forest-green Mercedes parked in front of her Aunt Tee’s house, she released a slow steady breath.

Her sister and brother-in-law were already there.

Dread of being late escalated to regret when she spotted her cousin, Amanda’s blue Ford Fiesta parked behind their car.

Life wasn’t cutting her any breaks.

We are last to arrive, her husband, James, said and then added, again.

Secretly, Marianna knew they’d be late. Leaving work early meant not helping a patient. For her, it was easier to be late than to know someone would not receive speech therapy. Or worse, one of her friends would have to cover for her and end up having to work a little longer.

Her gain causing someone else’s pain just didn’t set right with Marianna.

She stole a quick glance at James. Was he mad or annoyed?

It was hard to tell because he was so focused on parking. He pulled the keys from the ignition and looked over at her. His eyes were deep, like they were trying to read her mood.

If they weren’t pressed for time, Marianna would have slid her fingers over his salt and pepper hair, and said something to assure him that it would be okay.

Instead, she pressed her back into the seat and gave him her I’m sorry face. We’re only a little late.

James shook his head, and his the corner of his lips turned up slightly. It was his, what-am-I-going-to-do-with-you expression. When they were younger, he’d run his thumb along the bottom of his lip. Marianna would kiss him, and they’d go on with the day as though nothing happened.

It had been a while since they‘d lived the kissing part of the reconciliation.

In the small moments, like this one, when her heart hitched with a memory, Marianna second-guessed her secret wish to start life anew on her terms. That if she stuck it out, they’d find a spark buried somewhere deep, like her favorite towels were in the back of the linen closet.

Her aunt, aware of Marianna’s gift of losing time, often gave her a schedule that was thirty minutes to an hour before the one she gave everyone else.

Marianna had hoped this was one of those occasions, but it looked like it wouldn’t be.

A jolt of static pulsed around her shoulders, reminding Marianna to change her perspective. She was on the verge of being taken hostage by a bad attitude.

She inhaled a breath and wiggled her fingers to negotiate with her shoulders.

Let it go.

The tension eased enough to push away the discomfort. With the change came better thoughts.

I’m seconds away from seeing Janine. Although they lived in the same town, it had been five months since they’d seen each other.

It was like Janine read Marianna’s mind. She stepped outside the front door with her arms crossed in front of her chest. When Marianna reached the top stair of the porch, a smile cracked through her sister’s stern expression. She held out her arms, inviting Marianna into a hug. Good to see you, baby sister!

Despite Janine being four years older, Marianna and Janine looked like twins. Both women had long wavy hair and chocolate brown eyes. A ring of gold encircled the chocolate brown, giving them the ability to communicate their emotions. Janine’s eyes expressed drive.

As Marianna melted in her sister’s arms, the pinpricks of her attitude floated into nothingness, making room for love.

When they were younger, Janine and Marianna had been close. After Janine married Matthias, Marianna saw less and less of her sister. She wanted to believe this out of character meeting was a sign. Things were changing. However, something in the back of her mind warned her to wait before deciding.

You are late! Janine announced. I win.

Ahhhhhh, Marianna groaned as the hug released.

Matthias walked around the sisters to greet James with a handshake.

Janine stood on her tiptoes to kiss James on his cheek and said, I bet if you told Marianna it was a contest, she would have gotten here sooner.

Marianna wrinkled her brow and prepared to defend her reputation. Hey now, I’m not that competitive.

In unison, Janine, James, and Matthias said, Yes, you are.

There was a pause, and all four of them laughed. It was like old times. Marianna held onto the warm feelings and the hope that perhaps it was a sign of things returning to how they used to be.

As soon as Marianna entered the house, she caught the familiar scents of old books, freshly baked bread, and vanilla candles.

All the pleasant memories from her childhood rushed through her mind. They were too fast for Marianna to hold onto any one, however, the peace of unconditional love made it easier for her to smile.

The house, comfortably cluttered with artifacts from years of experiences, had been a second home to the sisters. When they were younger, they spent many summers with their younger cousin, Amanda, exploring the countryside.

Of all the things in the house, the one thing Marianna loved the most was her aunt’s bookcases.

Whenever Marianna described her aunt to people, she told them about her Bible shelves. Aunt Tee had two shelves of what would appear to anybody who didn’t know her, the same Bible.

Thirty silver-gilded Bibles filled two of the shelves, with the only difference between them being the amount of correction fluid on the pages.

In her youth, Aunt Tee had developed the philosophy that it was better to do what you can and not worry about the rest. So, if there was a passage in the Bible Aunt Tee didn’t like, she used correction fluid to erase that part of the book temporarily. The number of passages ignored had decreased over time until she decided it was easier to ask the Lord for help on the things she couldn’t see herself doing.

Seated in her usual place in the corner of her pink loveseat, Aunt Tee’s face glowed with contentment. Amanda, who sat beside her, wiggled her fingers in greeting to Marianna and James.

Shortly after Janine married, Amanda started dating her boyfriend, Rick. The family times at Aunt Tee’s dwindled down to Christmas, Easter, and Mother’s Day. A tinge of loss struck Marianna.

She missed the days when the family spent more time together, yet she understood. Her sister and cousin deserved happiness, even if it meant spending less time with her.

Their gain was her pain, and she was willing to bear it gracefully.

Aunt Tee and Amanda looked like an older and younger version of the same person. Messy buns topped their heads with curls that had escaped the rubber band meant to contain them. Wisps of hair swirled at the napes of their necks and poked out around their ears. Aunt Tee’s bun was accented with pieces of gray hair, while Amanda's was dark brown.

Rick, Amanda’s boyfriend, relaxed beside Miles in the matching recliners across the coffee table. The setting was familiar to anyone who had visited Aunt Tee’s house. Most of the time, the family used the table as a platform for playing board games.

Occasionally, it was the center to coordinate family get-togethers and vacations. The combination of how Miles and Rick leaned toward each other and the relaxed atmosphere, gave Marianna the impression that she had arrived late to a family meeting.

Her gaze fell on three scrolls stacked in the middle of the table. Each had a blue ribbon wrapped around the center.

Aunt Tee was up to something.

Marianna’s focus shifted from the scrolls back to her aunt. When their eyes met, the corner of Aunt Tee's mouth formed a grin. She winked before gesturing with her hand to invite everyone to sit.

They all settled into the empty spaces on the couch, and the room fell silent.

Aunt Tee cleared her throat and pointed at the three scrolls. In a couple of hours, you will begin an adventure Miles and I coordinated. It will change the course of your lives.

She paused, and her attention moved slowly from person to person. The seated family members shifted in their seats and responded with wrinkled brows, frowns, and confused glances.

Aunt Tee threw a cursory glance at Miles, who nodded. She took in a breath and pressed her lips into a smile. Maybe, I should start over. She clasped her hands in front of her. I am at the age where my friends are passing away. The state of chaos their passing caused their families was unnecessary.

Matthias interrupted, Did someone die?

Not yet.

Are you dying? Matthias reached his hand toward Janine. She slid her hand into his and leaned into him.

Not yet, or at least, I hope not.

Matthias’s lips turned down, conveying his quandary. Is this a will reading?

Miles intervened. Let Theresa say what she needs to say. Time is about to be very important to you.

Marianna knew Miles and Aunt Tee were close. He had been her aunt’s best friend for as long as she could remember. The authority in his voice said that things had changed. A warmth filled Marianna. She leaned forward in anticipation of showing joy when Aunt Tee announced that she and Miles were getting married.

The sweet image of the future flashed in Marianna’s mind. She envisioned Aunt Tee and her lifelong best friend holding hands in front of the pastor while exchanging their vows.

Thank you, Miles.

Marianna gushed at the connection between Aunt Tee and Miles.

As quickly as she had shifted into the tender moment with Miles, Aunt Tee stiffened, returning to her authoritative tone. Matthias, nobody has died. Nobody will die. At least, I hope not. She bobbed her head. The thing about death is that nobody knows when it will be their turn to go. So, I want all of us prepared for when I go on to the great by and by. This weekend you will decide who gets what, in my presence, so you won’t be able to fight about it when I’m not here.

James straightened his back. What?

Marianna frowned at the realization that she was wrong. I thought you were going to tell us you were getting married.

With their mouths agape, Aunt Tee and Miles looked at each other. Simultaneously, their heads turned toward Marianna. They replied, at the same time in the same tone, You did?

Well. You were official. And formal. Marianna waved her hand like a pointer to make the connection between Aunt Tee and Miles. And what better way to eliminate drama? Bring everybody to the room together and tell them at once. There’s no ‘he said, she said’ when you do it that way.

The corners of Aunt Tee’s mouth tilted slightly. She directed her attention back to Miles. He winked and tipped his head toward Marianna in a way that said, I like this one. Aunt Tee straightened to regain her composure and cleared her voice.

We don’t have much time. Or, better said, you don’t have much time. She reached down to the scrolls on the table and gestured toward the clock. This weekend, you will take part in a challenge. Actually. Three challenges. The first-place winner will get the house, its contents, and twenty-five percent of my investment portfolio.

She pointed at the scrolls on the table. The second-place winner will get fifty percent of my financial portfolio, and third place will get the remaining twenty-five percent of the portfolio and become the sole beneficiary of my life insurance policy.

Her hands separated with the flourish of a game show hostess. So regardless of how you finish, you will win.

So, what you’re telling us is that we are completing a challenge to decide how much of your estate we inherit when you…. Matthias paused, … move on?

Aunt Tee grinned and exclaimed, Indeed.

I don’t like this game, James’s words came out in a rush. If we don’t play, we can do this another way.

Matthias had been competitive at their family gatherings. So much so, they banned Monopoly for the foreseeable future. He taunted James in the tone that Marianna learned to dread. You afraid of losing, Cowboy?

I’m all for it, Rick, who had been quiet throughout the conversations, sat a little taller. Amanda, this is how we can afford the wedding.

Why is he even talking? He’s not family. Janine pursed her lips and glared so hard the golden hue in her eyes turned to a deep shade of dark brown. You realize you have to wait for Aunt Tee to die before you ever see the money, right?

Looking at Aunt Tee, James said, This is why I don’t think this is a good idea. He rubbed at the back of his neck and shook his head. This is something that could tear us apart. It’s already starting.

I have taken that into consideration. She raised her pointer finger. You will have people observing your sportsmanship.

Looking around the room and stopping to focus on each member, she said, Any reports of conduct unbecoming a member of this family will result in an hour penalty. You cannot sabotage another team’s progress.

She waved her finger at each word for emphasis and stopped at Matthias. You are to win by merit, not by showing you can hit harder than another player.

Aunt Tee picked up the scrolls. The rules of the challenges are in this paper. As she handed out the scrolls, she added, I want to stress one last thing. Nobody is to use a car. You must get around by public transportation. Aunt Tee raised her hand to silence objections before anyone could speak. This is to eliminate the advantages and make it a fair playing ground.

Rick, perched on the front of his seat, asked, What advantages?

Janine and Marianna have lived here all their lives. They know Ashbrook like the back of their hands. If I tell them a destination, they know four different ways to get there. Do you want to work against that, Rick?

He leaned back slowly. When you put it that way, I like the idea.

Aunt