The Missing Will by Wanda E. Brunstetter Page B

have anything against TV per se; she just thought for many people it was a distraction that robbed them of time they should be spending with family.
    “Are you all right?” Mom placed her hand gently on Kristi’s shoulder. “You didn’t even respond to my question.”
    She turned to face her mother. “Oh, you mean about whether I want to stay here or sit and watch TV with Dad?”
    Mom nodded.
    “I’ll stay here. You’ll need my help when the potatoes are ready to be mashed.”
    “Okay.” Mom went to the cupboard and took out two cups. “While we’re waiting for the vegetables to cook, let’s have a cup of tea. Would you like regular or decaf?”
    “Do you have any peppermint tea?” Kristi asked, licking her lips. She’d had some iced mint tea the day of Joel’s father’s funeral and enjoyed it.
    “Sorry, honey. I only have black tea and a pumpkin spice blend that’s decaffeinated.”
    “I’ll try that.”
    After Mom poured them both a cup of tea, she took a seat at the table beside Kristi. “I’m glad you didn’t have to work today, because it would have been a lonely Thanksgiving without you.”
    “I’m glad to be here, too.” Since both sets of Kristi’s grandparents lived in another state, they rarely got together for Thanksgiving and sometimes not even Christmas. Since Kristi was their only child, with the exception of some friends from church, she was all Mom and Dad really had.
    She enjoyed their company—even more so since she’d broken up with Joel. Her parents had been supportive, which was what she needed, and had refrained from reminding her that Joel had been a poor choice for a husband. The only thing she didn’t appreciate was when Mom hinted at Kristi becoming involved with one of the young single men from church. Kristi needed the chance to heal from the pain she felt whenever she thought about Joel’s deceptions. It would be some time before she felt ready to begin a new relationship with a man.

    Joel sat on the couch, staring at the TV, barely noticing the weather report on the screen. He felt miserable today—not only from the nasty cold he’d come down with, but the loneliness permeating his soul. Last year on Thanksgiving, he’d gone to Kristi’s parents’ house for dinner. It had been a good day, despite her mother’s coolness. Joel had known from their first meeting that JoAnn Palmer didn’t care much for him. She probably thought her daughter could do better than a struggling contractor. Or maybe there was something about Joel’s personality JoAnn didn’t like. If only there was some way he could convince Kristi to give him another chance.
    Joel reached for a tissue and blew his nose. He hadn’t tried calling Kristi for a week, thinking it might be good to give her a chance to cool down. Hopefully, she’d realize she missed him as much as he did her.
    Remembering how Kristi had been there for him during his dad’s funeral, Joel’s thoughts turned in another direction. The will had still not been found, but he’d decided not to bug his sisters about it until after Thanksgiving. Everyone had been nice to him when he’d gone to Arlene and Larry’s place for Scott’s birthday. Joel figured if he didn’t bring up the will for a while, they might see him in a different light. He wouldn’t wait forever, though, because he still needed his share of Dad’s money. He also planned to talk with them about selling Dad’s horses and sharing the profit. At least that would give them some money until the will was found.
    Elsie had invited Joel to her house for Thanksgiving, but he didn’t want to expose anyone to his cold, so he’d declined. Besides, he probably wouldn’t be the best company when he felt so crummy. Scott would probably want another lesson on the harmonica, and Joel wasn’t up for that.
    Grunting, he pulled himself off the couch and headed for the kitchen. He felt hungry and was glad he’d bought a few frozen dinners the other day. He opened