I bust out laughing. “This is bullshit! Dad did not have that kind of money!”
“Actually…” Continued Rob. “He did. He did very well in the oil industry as well as in the stock market. He made his millions over twenty years ago. Your father was a very wealthy, albeit frugal man, while he was alive.”
I sat there, my mouth gaping open. Thinking of every time when we didn’t have enough money for food or new shoes as a kid. “That bastard! He kept it from us when we needed it most!”
My nerves were shot and I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my bloodstream. I needed to escape, to run, to never return. “I’m fucking out of here. You guys can keep it all. I don’t want any part of it!” I barked at them all, standing up.
“Carly, you don’t understand.” Rob began again slowly. “There’s a clause you need to read…” He winced as he handed me a paper.
To Christy, Chad, and Carly,
I may not have been the best father, but I am leaving you something to remember me by. I’m giving you the opportunity to make a better life for yourself but only under one, very specific condition.
The one thing that would have made your mother happy is to see you all getting along like when she was alive. It has been too many years of hatred between you. So here is my stipulation. In order to claim this inheritance, you must live and share the farmhouse together. You must do so for 365 days starting from 3 weeks to the day of the reading of my will. Complete this directive and you will each be awarded the sum of one million dollars.
I hope that during your time together, you can regain some of the love you once had for each other. It would have made your mother so very happy.
Take care of yourselves and each other.
Dad
I wasn’t sure there was any air left in the room by the time my eyes read the last word.
Chapter 16
MATT
Carly hadn’t answered her phone in hours. Far too many hours. Had she decided to stay at her family home instead of coming back to the Inn? I wasn’t sure. I didn’t want to intrude on her family gathering, but at the same time, something felt off. She hadn’t been excited to go back, there was clearly tension there. So where the fuck was she?
Joe had called and confirmed that the parts had come in and he would be bringing her car back here in the morning. Carly had to return. As I paced the lobby wondering what to do, I scanned my emails and texts with an incessant fury. Finally, after what seemed like hours, my head snapped up at sound of my name on her lips.
“Matt?” In an instant, I found myself running towards her. She was standing in the entrance, wet from the rain again, rivers of mascara pouring down her face.
“Fuck, Carly! Why didn’t you call me?” I growled, marching towards her. To my surprise, she reached up and wrapped her arms around my neck. The feeling of her soft lips on the inside of my neck was like gasoline to a lit match. A jolt of electricity shot through me, instantly sending blood rushing to my cock. My guy would have been on high alert in a second, if not for my skinny jeans. For once I was relieved that fashion was useful.
“What happened? Why didn’t you call me?” I asked. “Did someone hurt you? Did…?”
She just shook her head and looked up at me with the most dejected look in her eyes. “Can we go upstairs?” She asked softly.
I nodded and wrapped my arm around her as we walked to the elevators. With her head leaning on my shoulder and a comfortable silence settling between us, it was almost like we really were a couple. Not like the couple we had been though, that was a childhood dream. This was different and it felt real in a way that I couldn’t compare to anything else.
“Would you like anything brought up this evening? “Called Mrs. West from the desk.
“All good, thanks, Mrs. West. See you tomorrow.” I called back and waved to her as the elevator doors closed.
“I’m sorry, Matt. I know you said you’d pick me up but I just needed to get out of there quickly. I left in a hurry and called the Uber from my phone before it died. He met me down the road.”
Anger boiled up inside me. “What the hell, Carly? You walked down a rural road in the dark and waited for an Uber? With a dead cellphone? What is wrong with you? You could have been hit by a car or attacked or…”
“I really don’t need this right now, Matt.” She looked up at me, her eyes cold and void of anything but sadness.
Feeling guilty, I exhaled and pulled her close to me again. “You might be right, but so am I, sweetheart.” I said softly as I kissed the top of her head.
I noticed how she didn’t flinch at my kiss despite the hard look on her face.
“Let’s have a drink and you can tell me all about your night. How’s that sound?” I asked her as we entered the suite.
She shrugged her delicate shoulders. “Sure, whatever.”
Carly went to shower and change while I mixed up a drink for her. It was a cold night and a stiff drink might just be the best option right now.
My mouth went dry when she walked back in, dressed only in a tank top and tiny booty shorts that barely covered her ass cheeks. Her breasts swayed from side to side as she walked, her diamond hard nipples pointed right at me. For a small-boned girl, her curves could certainly stop traffic. Beyond her physical appearance, it was her demeanor that spoke the loudest. A sadness appeared behind her eyes that hadn’t been there before I dropped her off.
“Carly…” I reached for her hand and guided her down to sit on the couch. “What happened tonight?”
Her face told a story of pain that my heart could relate to. Thankfully, it was much easier to focus on her issues than mine.
“Here, have a drink.” I handed her the whiskey.
“Mmm… it’s good.” She smiled. “It feels warm all the way down. I guess I needed that.”
Fuck, I wanted to lick it off her lips. “Start talking, my sad little fake fiancée.” I joked, trying to lighten the mood.
That got her smiling at least. “Okay…well…” and she began. But as Carly talked, I found myself getting more and more wound up.
“How could your family do that?” I demanded. “This is insane!” I was already in work mode halfway into her story, pulling papers out of my briefcase, pacing the room, and scrolling articles on my phone.
“Matt! Can you just sit the fuck down and listen to me?” Carly’s voice shook and it stopped me dead in my tracks. I looked at her then sat down next to her.
Pushing a strand of hair away from her face, I held her chin and looked deep into her eyes. “You’re right. But I do want to help. I’m sorry. I’ll listen now, but know that I will help you with this.”