3. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Present Day

Mandy

I t's late. My door is bolted, but I still hear every little sound the night brings around. There's noise from the street, but the most upsetting is the sound from my neighbors. This is a bad neighborhood, but it’s all I can afford now.

There's gambling on one floor, drug dealing on another, and the third floor is where the suspicious sounds are coming from. I can't stop shaking. Normally, at night, I'll stack furniture against my front door. Now I've just got to wait until morning comes before I can sleep.

I have a class for young ballerinas in the afternoon, but I'll be able to get some sleep in the morning hours. I love teaching that class, and it pays some of the bills.

I have so many regrets about leaving my hometown and coming to New York to make it big. Getting in debt with the wrong person is one of the biggest ones. Now I live almost every minute of my day in fear, and there's no prince charming coming my way to save me.

I serve myself a cup of coffee so that I don't fall asleep and sit down on my nest of sheets and pillows on the sofa. I can survive another night.

I wake up around ten in the morning and my eyes immediately search the perimeter. Everything is in place, so no one tried to get inside. I breathe a sigh of relief and then get up and go to the bathroom for a quick shower. I made it another night in this wretched place.

When it's time to go to class, I get ready and hurry to the community center where my students will be waiting. The class is full of happy little girls and, thankfully, no extreme dance moms. Time goes by really fast and I wonder if I can arrange for another group of children to participate. I won't be able to charge for it, though.

The community center is already paying me more than they can afford. I don't mind donating my time. It's for a good cause, after all.

Once I get back home, I check to see if I've got any mail that is not another bill. A large envelope is in my box, and it looks important.

I quickly enter my apartment and lock the door behind me. I'll put the furniture in place in a little while. I'm more interested in what this envelope has to say. I take my coat off and take the envelope with me to my dining table. It's a small wooden table that I found in a garage sale. I never have people over, so I don't need anything fancier than that.

The stationery is fancy, and I look at the front and back of the envelope. The sender is a law firm. That makes a chill go through me. My first instinct is to drop the thing and hide it in a drawer. I have to be brave, though. If I'm in trouble, I need to know what it is.

I quickly tear open the envelope and take out the contents. I read the letter twice before I realized what has happened. My granny passed away and left me her house in Woodland Falls. Guilt fills me because the first thing I think about is how much I can get for that property and how it can help me with my money troubles.

God bless my grandmother and her generosity. I'm wondering why no one contacted me about her death. I should have gone back to Woodland Falls when she stopped writing me, but I had a ton of things on my mind. More guilt fills me. I should have been more involved in my grandmother's life. We only had each other.

There's only one thing for me to do, really, so I start packing. Colorado is about a six-hour flight from New York, and I want to be on the earliest flight possible. I pack up the most important things to me, which don't amount to much—some workout clothes, my ballet flats, my tablet, and a scrapbook that has photos of family, friends, and him .

I wonder if there's any way I can avoid Michael Hoffer. If I'm selling my grandmother's house, though, I will need someone to do repairs and renovations, and Hoffer Handyman Services is the best construction outfit in Woodland Falls.

I still have some friends back in town, so I send a text message to Ana Maria, who is in charge of the Woodland Falls Library.

Me: Hey, sorry to bother you. I'm going back for a visit. Do you think we can have some coffee?

Ana Maria: Mandy is that really you? Of course we can get together. Do you need somewhere to stay?

Me: I'm not sure. I'll be there around four tomorrow. I'll drop by the library.

Ana Maria: Okay, I'll get the guest room ready for you, just in case.

Me: You're an angel, Ana. I'll see you soon.

The small exchange makes me feel so much better about going back home. I might be able to stay at my grandmother's place, but I don't know what state it's in. I'm glad Ana invited me to stay with her. I’ll feel relieved to be somewhere where I don’t have to stay up all night long worrying about loan shark guys showing up.

The next day I arrive ultra early at the airport. The flight is as normal as going up in a metal tube in the air can be. I didn't drink any alcohol, but my nighttime cough syrup helped a bit. I'm not really scared of flying. Not really. Being drowsy helps, though. Before I know it, we're landing in Denver and I rush through baggage claim to get to the bus station and my final destination.

While riding on the bus, I pull the letter out and dial the lawyer's office. His name is Bogart Newton. I think I've heard his name before, but no one really cares about lawyers until you need one, right?

"Newton and Associates, how may I help you?"

"Hello, this is Mandy Schmidt for Mr. Newton. He sent me a letter regarding my grandmother's passing. Ella Schmidt."

"Miss Schmidt, I'm so glad you've called. We've been wanting to talk to you. Let me put you through to Mr. Newton."

Some elevator music comes on the phone, and I wait until I'm transferred to Mr. Newton.

"Miss Schmidt, first, I'd like to say I'm sorry for your loss. Your grandmother was a good friend of my family and we miss her dearly."

"Thank you, that's very kind of you to say."

"I take it you got my letter?"

"Yes, I'm on my way to Woodland Falls now. I'll be there in about an hour or so."

"Well, if you can come in before five, I'll be able to walk you through your grandmother's last will and testament."

"Okay, I'll be there around three thirty then. Thank you, Mr. Newton."

Hopefully, I'll be able to get the key to my grandmother's place from him and take it from there.

Thoughts of Michael keep plaguing me. I acted like a coward when I left, leaving him a note and not telling him goodbye to his face. I’m worried about running into him again.

I check my phone and there's a message from Ana.

Ana Maria: There's a Christmas Mixer on the 23rd. Wanna go?

Me: That sounds nice. Yes, I'll be there. I have to go to the lawyer's office first and then I'll meet you at the library

Ana Maria: I like that plan

No matter what was going through my head, nothing could have prepared me for seeing Michael Hoffer at the Christmas Mixer.