Love's Enemy

Chapter 1-2

Carlos Kantor stood looking in the mirror in the front hallway of his parents’ home. He had stopped by for a quick visit with his mom before meeting his friends at the real estate office and was on the way out when he saw her. He didn’t know who the girl was in the mirror, but she was really upset at seeing him. He frowned and shook his head, not used to girls having such a reaction from seeing him.

He had been around town enough to know the girl had been in Danny’s. Later, maybe after his appointment with Marian Embers at the real estate office, he should go by there and see what he could find out. For now, it was time to take care of business. He was interested in the old hardware store. It had been vacant a long time, and he was hoping he and a couple of his friends could turn it into a gym. They had all three just ended their stint in the marines and were looking for something constructive to do and make money at. All three of them had saved their Marine pay and they were going to pool their earnings to start up a gym. It was Carlos’ idea to come to Sharpville. He had missed his family, but he did not want to move in with them and he was not cut out to be a cattle rancher.

Carlos hurried out to his car and headed for town. When he drove up to the real estate office, he found his two friends waiting in their car. After he parked, they all joined and went inside together. They walked up to the desk and asked for Marian Embers. Marian heard them asking for her and came to meet them.

“Mr. Kantor,” she said, extending her hand.

“I’m Carlos Kantor,” said Carlos, shaking her hand. “These are my associates, Bruce Fause and Joey Salam.”

“Gentlemen,” said Marian shaking each of their hands. “I have the keys to the old hardware store. If you will come with me, we can look it over now.”

“Okay,” they agreed and followed Marian out of her office. They piled into Bruce’s car and followed Marian to the store. Marian was already opening the door when they parked and joined her.

The guys did not say much as they walked around the building. They looked at the upstairs apartment also. It had plenty of room for three bedrooms. The bath would have to be shared. It had a kitchen with table and chairs and a small pantry. When Carlos opened the door to the pantry and looked in, he saw a door on one side. It had a padlock on it. “Where does this door lead?” asked Carlos.

“It is a connecting door to the apartment above the old ice cream parlor,” said Marian. “It has a padlock on the other side, also.”

Carlos nodded and continued to view the apartment. It had a small space to be used as a living room. It was not large, but it would do for three guys working to get their business started. They went downstairs into the basement and decided this would work well as a storm shelter. They went back upstairs to find Marian waiting patiently for them.

“Is the old ice cream parlor next door for sale also?” asked Carlos.

“No, I have a sale pending on it,” said Marian.

“Okay,” said Carlos. “Let’s go to your office and talk numbers.” Marian locked up the building and they followed her back to her office.

Just after they left, Katie and her friends arrived, so Star and Bambi could look over their building. Katie showed them around and they were pleased with everything. They decided to do some of their own redecorating, so they could save money, and have it done the way they liked it.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” said Katie with a smile. She loved their enthusiasm. “The sale hasn’t gone through, yet.”

“It will,” declared Star. “This was meant to be our place. I feel it.”

Katie and Bambi laughed at Star’s words, but they were also aware of Star’s feeling often coming true.

When they came out of the building, a woman was coming out of the pharmacy. She had just finished work for the day. She smiled at the girls and came over to say hello.

“Hello, I’m Laura Sands. I work in the pharmacy. Are you interested in the old ice cream parlor?” she asked.

“Yes, we have put in an offer for it. We are going to open a combination bakery and coffee shop,” responded Katie. “I’m Katie McCray. These are my friends and partners, Star Connors and Bambi Lewis.”

“It’s nice to meet you. Are you related to the McCray’s on the ranch east of town?” she asked.

“Yes,” replied Katie, but she didn’t explain.

Laura shrugged. She smiled at the ladies. “I’m glad you are moving in. Good luck with your business. Maybe we can get together soon and get to know each other.” She looked at her watch. “I am meeting my fiancée and I am running late. It was nice to meet you.”

“It was nice to meet you, also,” responded the girls. They stood watching as Laura hurried away.

“She seemed nice,” said Bambi.

“Yes, she did,” agreed Star.

“I’m sure we will have plenty of opportunities to get better acquainted with her,” replied Katie. “What food are you girls in the mood for?”

“What are our choices?” asked Star.

“Well, if I’m not mistaken, I saw a Chinese restaurant over by the place where I bought my car. It looked like a good place to sit and relax,” said Katie.

“Okay, Chinese it is,” agreed Bambi.

They piled into Star’s car and Katie showed them where the restaurant was. They went in and were shown to a table. The waitress came over with water and menus. The girls ordered and the waitress left to get their food.

“Are you going to tell us why you were so upset when you looked in the mirror?” asked Star.

Katie sighed and looked down. Since she had been taken from her home in Sharpville, she had not confided in anyone about how messed up her family was. If they were going to open a business here, her friends needed to know what they were up against.

“I was born in Sharpville, but when I was seven years old, my autocratic grandfather decided to have me shipped off to live with my Aunt Annabel in Kansas City. My Aunt was good to me. I was happy there after a while, but it wasn’t home.” Katie paused for a minute to gather her thoughts.

“Why would he send you away like that?” asked Star.

“Because he found out my best friend in school was Olive Kantor. He went ballistic. He had my mother and father pack me up the next day and take me to my Aunt Annabel.”

“Why did your folks let him get away with it?” asked Bambi.

“Because he owned the ranch, if they wanted to continue to live there, they had to do as they were told. The last time I went home for a visit, I was eleven. It was Christmas time. He snarled at me and made sure I felt unwelcome. When I left, I told my mom I wasn’t going back to the ranch as long as the old man was alive. I haven’t been back. My mom and my youngest brother, Thomas, came to visit me some in Kansas City, but I haven’t seen my father and my other three brothers in years.”

“Why does he hate the Kantor family so much?” asked Star.

Katie paused as the waitress brought their food and passed it around. She placed a bowl with fortune cookies in the center of the table. Katie waited to continue until they had sampled their food.

“Ummm, this is good,” said Star. The other two nodded their agreement.

“I didn’t know why he was so upset at the time. My Aunt Annabel explained it to me a little at a time over the next few years, when I would be upset and wanting to go home. It turns out Grandfather and Sebastian Kantor were best friends. Sebastian went away to serve in the army. While he was away Grandfather stayed and worked his ranch. He got engaged to Marjorie Snell. When Sebastian came home, he and Marjorie fell in love. Marjorie broke her engagement to Grandfather and married Sebastian. Grandfather was furious. He started a fight with Sebastian at the wedding, which he crashed. Marjorie went in and got a shot gun. She came back out and told Grandfather if he wasn’t gone from their property in two minutes, she was going to shoot him Well, Marjorie was a very good shot, so Grandfather hightailed it out of there, cursing all the way. Grandfather went on to marry my Grandmother Sybil. He treated her like crap. I don’t know why she stayed with him. When I heard she had died a few years ago, I remember thinking, “she finally got away from the old goat.” Star and Bambi giggled.

“The story doesn’t end there,” said Katie. The girls gave her their full attention. This was better than a soap opera. “My Aunt Annabel was my Grandfather’s only daughter. He had two sons, my Father, Alvin, and my Uncle Sampson. Well Annabel and Sebastian’s son Seth met and fell in love. They kept it quiet because they knew neither family would approve. They decided to elope.

Somehow my Grandfather found out and he sent my father and Uncle Sampson to stop them and bring Annabel home. My father and uncle caught up with them about half- way to Kansas City. They were on a cliff above the river. Seth and Sampson were fighting, and my father was holding Aunt Annabel back. The cliff gave way and Seth and Sampson both fell into the river. They both drowned. The families found the bodies and brought them home for burial, but Grandfather blamed the Kantors for his son’s death.

During all the confusion, Aunt Annabel slipped away. She went to Kansas City and hid with some friends. They helped her get a job and get settled in. She finally wrote to her mother to let her know she was alright, but by then she was married to Uncle Fred. Grandfather went and tried to make her come home, but Fred called the law on him, and he stayed away afterwards. Aunt Annabel was happy with Uncle Fred, but I would see her looking sad sometimes and I knew she was thinking about Seth. Uncle Fred was a nice person and he adored Aunt Annabel. He died about six years ago and when Aunt Annabel fell sick, I don’t think she fought very hard to stay here. She was ready to join her two loves.”

“Oh, that is so beautiful,” said Bambi wiping her eyes on a napkin.

“What does all of this have to do with the magic mirror?” asked Star.

“The guy, in the mirror, introduced himself as Carlos Kantor,” said Katie. She absently picked up one of the fortune cookies and cracked it open. She pulled the fortune out and read it. She just shook her head.

“What does it say” asked Bambi.

Katie held the paper up and read it. “Love’s enemy is hate. If you allow love’s enemy to rule your life, you will never know your heart’s true love.” Katie handed the paper over to the girls so they could read it for themselves.

Bambi quickly took one of the cookies and opened it. “Smile, tomorrow will be bright,” she read.

Star reached for her own cookie and opened it. “True love is closer than you think.”

They all looked over the papers again. Katie sighed. “I did not come to Sharpville to get entangled in a family feud. I have a business to start. We have a business to start. Love will have to wait.” She raised her tea glass and the other girls followed her lead. “To business,” they said as they bumped glasses.