Someone put their hand on my shoulder, and I looked up at Lacey, who gave me a squeeze. I let out a breath. I had to remember that I wasn’t alone here. Even if I didn’t know Lacey all that well, I trusted her much more than I trusted the others.
“You’ll be hearing from my lawyer,” my mother repeated before she stormed out, my father and Roland on her tail.
The anger seeped off them, and I stood on shaky legs, looking at the intern and the lawyer, trying to formulate words. “Thank you. I need time to contemplate what just happened.”
“Of course. We have your contact information. We’ll talk soon. There’s a lot of paperwork to go over.”
I swallowed hard. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now,” I said.
“Why don’t we get you home?” Lacey whispered. “I need to get home to my babies and the ranch, but I’m only a quick drive away if you need me. The lawyer will figure out everything else. I’m sure I’ll have a lot of questions, too.”
I looked at my cousin and swallowed hard. “Thank you. I just… I don’t know what to say.”
She reached out and wiped the tears from my face. “We lost Grandma Sharon. I don’t think there’s anything we should be saying or doing right now.”
As the lawyer and intern quietly left us alone, I held onto my cousin, one I didn’t know very well and hadn’t spoken to in years, and I wept.
By the time we left the office, I was emotionally drained and physically exhausted. I would have countless things to sign and go over before I was even close to finished with all of this.
I had estates to deal with, money I hadn’t ever dreamed of having, and countless other small things to work through. I knew right away that I wasn’t going to keep every dollar my grandmother left me. I figured that was probably why she had given it to me in the first place. I’d find a way to make things work, even though I knew my family and my parents and cousins would never forgive me for being named as Grandma’s heir.
I drove without thinking. When I found myself in front of Nate’s house, I let out a small sigh. I couldn’t even avoid him when I wanted to. Instead, my subconscious had led me here, and now I would have to see him. I got out of the car as he stood on the porch, Daisy on a leash, currently chewing it as she tugged at him.
“We just finished with a walk, and she had her water, but now she wants to chew. Do you want to come in?” He studied my face, and I swallowed hard before making my way to him. He hugged me tightly, Daisy sliding between us, trying to cuddle and get more love.
“Today sucked,” I whispered.
“I’m glad you came.”
“I don’t know why I’m here.”
“We’ll figure that out. I’m glad you’re here.”
He brought me inside, cuddling we close. We got Daisy situated, and she passed out on her little bed in her octagon as soon as she finished drinking water. Nate brought me a glass of ginger ale.
I took a sip and coughed. “Is there whiskey in this?”
“Of course.”
I snorted. “I didn’t realize I needed a drink.”
“You looked like you did. I can get you a regular ginger ale if you want, but I figured you might need the courage.”
“It’s what I needed.” I took another gulp and set the glass down, picking up the water he had also handed me.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“The girls said you had the reading of the will today. I’m not going to ask if you’re okay because, clearly, you’re not. But do you want to talk about it?”
I nodded and told him exactly what had happened in the office. His eyes got marginally wider with each addition I made to the story.
“Holy shit,” he whispered.
“Yeah. I wasn’t expecting that. I don’t know if I’ll ever be in the right frame of mind to deal with everything that Grandma Sharon left me.”
“That’s a lot of responsibility. But, Myra? You’re amazing. You can handle this. And you’re not alone. We’ve got your back. The Brady brothers and the pact sisters. Always.”
I wiped tears from my face, annoyed that I was crying again.
“One day, I will see you and not cry. I’m not a crier. I promise.”
“A lot came at you recently.” He paused. “Speaking of. You really think your parents are going to contest the will?”
I nodded quickly. “I think they’re going to do everything in their power to get to what my grandmother had. They didn’t even let me come to the funeral. I definitely don’t think they expected to hear what the lawyer had to say today.”
“I don’t know why not,” Nate said, and I frowned. “Your grandmother used a lawyer from her old town, and everything’s set up where you live now. They came out here, knowing that something was going to be weird. They had to expect something like this.”
I shook my head. “I didn’t.”
“Because you’re in shock over multiple things. They’ve had time to let it stew. They had to know some things wouldn’t go exactly in their favor.”
“I don’t know if I quite believe that. But, either way, I think I’m officially disowned.”
“I’m sorry.”
I sighed and took another sip of my whiskey and ginger ale. “I don’t think I can truly be sorry. I lost my family a long time ago. They kept pushing me out with each passing year. The way they looked at me today? I can’t ever go back. Even though I don’t know what of the past I would want to go back to.”
“I understand. Well, I don’t understand, because even though my parents don’t live here, any time one of us ends up in the hospital for longer than a single treatment, they’re right here.”
“I hate that you guys keep ending up there.”
He shook his head. “If our family could stop being shot at or stabbed, that would be great.”
I winced. “Yes. I’m tired of visiting the hospital.”
“I’m sorry you had to deal with everything you have. But you’re through that step. And you’re not alone.”
“Do you want to go on a date with me?” I asked, surprising myself.
His eyes widened. “Are you asking because you’re going through a lot and you’re mourning right now? Because I don’t want to take advantage of you.”
I pressed my lips together before I let out a breath. “I have no idea what I’m doing, Nate. I feel like everything is slipping through my fingers like sand. But I’m tired of being afraid of what could happen and of what we lost. I can’t forget the way you are, and how you’re making me feel right now. Honestly, I’m just tired—of pushing, of fighting. We said we were going to start over. But I don’t think I can ever be only friends with you, Nathan. And I think that was always the problem.”
He stared at me for long enough that I squirmed, afraid I had said something stupid. That I’d pushed too hard or read the situation completely wrong.
He set down his glass, pulled mine from my hands, and tugged me to my feet.
“We were never going to be only friends, Myra. And that was the problem.”
And then his lips were on mine, and I could forget—just for a moment. We might be using each other, but I didn’t think it mattered.