The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love Read Online Free Page B

get out of school.” She glanced at her watch. “I’ll have to come back to do my shopping for the homecoming game.”
    Camille bid the two women good-bye and saw them to the door of the shop. Once it closed behind them, she turned and hustled toward the storeroom with long, determined strides.
    She would get back to work. She would somehow manage to get herself through the day. And she would not think about her mother. Or how she would never be able to find a buyer for the dress shop now, given the current state of the town’s economy. Neither would she think about Dante Brown. Or spending the rest of her life trapped in Sweetgum.
    No use in brooding over things that could never be changed.
    And no use wondering how at twenty-four she could feel as old as the antebellum courthouse across the street.

“That’s all?” Esther Jackson stared at the number on the piece of paper in shock. She kept her hands firmly in her lap, resisting the urge to grip the arms of the chair. “There should be more zeroes.” It was all she could think to say. Frank had taken out life insurance when they were younger, and they had paid the premiums faithfully. “There should be more—”
    “Your husband had a term life policy Esther. That’s different from universal life insurance.” The sympathy in Alvin Fraley’s voice was almost her undoing. She kept her eyes glued to the paper, afraid to look right or left, but mostly afraid to look at Alvin across the expanse of his desk. In all her fifty-five years, she’d never felt so awash with shame and anger. “It’s not intended to leave you with a lump sum.”
    Esther did look up then and met Alvin’s gaze. The thin, bald man had handled their insurance for more than a quarter of a century. He would never lie to her, and he didn’t make mistakes.Which only made the number on the piece of paper all the more distressing. And all the more real.
    “You weren’t expecting this,” Alvin said. It wasn’t a question but a statement. His watery green eyes were filled with sympathy. “I’m sorry Esther. I thought you understood. With term life, the idea is to take the savings on your premiums and invest them for a better return. That’s what I advise my clients to do anyway.” He paused. “That’s what I advised Frank to do.”
    But there was no stock portfolio. No mutual funds. No IRA or 401 (k) or whatever other combination of letters and numbers meant she could continue to live her life in the way she had always lived it now that her husband was gone.
    “And there’s no other…?” She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence.
    “I’m afraid not.” He paused, cleared his throat, and looked over her left shoulder as he hammered the final nail in her financial coffin. “I should also tell you that your insurance premiums-house, cars, boat—are all overdue.”
    “Frank didn’t—”
    “No.”
    She’d known it would be difficult. Even before Frank’s sudden death from a heart attack, she’d been aware that their financial state was precarious. There had been so many expenses along the way—their home, the country club fees, Alex’s education and loaning him a down payment for his first home. They’d even paid for their son’s wedding since his wife’s parents couldnever have afforded the kind of event necessary for people of Frank and Esther’s standing in Sweetgum.
    “Esther, I hesitate to suggest this, but you may need to consider selling your home.”
    Her head shot up at Alvin’s words. She couldn’t possibly part with her house. What else would she have left then of her life with Frank? “What about the condo at Sweetgum Lake? I can sell that immediately.”
    Alvin sat back in his chair and shook his head. The movement caused a tight knot to form in Esther’s stomach.
    “I think you should consider selling the house and living in the condo.” He crossed his arms over his thin chest. “Your expenses will be much less—utilities, insurance,