Page 87 of Stuck with my Mechanic Daddies

I'd spent the entire day with Thomas Calloway, trying to pry answers out of him. But all I got were vague assurances and cryptic statements that led nowhere.

The legal mess surrounding Page Turners was more complicated than I ever imagined.

Whoever was challenging my ownership had every intention of making this as difficult as possible, and no one seemed to know anything concrete.

I was spent. My brain felt like it was on fire, my thoughts jumping from one dead end to the next.

I couldn’t breathe in this uncertainty.

My uncle’s legacy was being shredded by invisible hands, and I was helpless to stop it.

I stepped through the doors of the Medford Inn, the familiar scent of polished wood and candle wax hitting me instantly.

It was always a comforting place to return to after a long day, but tonight, it felt a little colder than usual.

Nancy Hayes was sitting behind the front desk, her hands busy sorting through some papers. When she looked up, she smiled warmly at me, but I could tell she sensed my exhaustion.

“Long day?” she asked, her voice soft, knowing the answer before I even said a word.

I let out a long breath, sinking into one of the chairs by the fire. “You could say that. I’m having some issues with Page Turners.”

Nancy nodded and set the papers down, her expression turning serious. “Actually, I’ve been meaning to tell you something, Aurora. Something that might make all this a little clearer.”

I straightened up, alert now. “What do you mean?”

What the hell was going onnow?

She hesitated, looking around the inn as though making sure no one was listening, before she lowered her voice. “I think I owe you an explanation about your uncle. I don’t know if it'll help, but you deserve to know.”

I leaned forward, my heart pounding. “What do you know, Nancy?”

She took a deep breath. “Your uncle, he wasn’t in a good place when he passed. I don’t think you were ever told this, but he was being blackmailed.”

My mind whirled. “Blackmailed? By who?”

Nancy shook her head slowly. “I don’t know, sweetie. Your uncle owed someone a lot of money. He knew he was sick and he was trying to make things right, but the heart attack came before he could get his business in order.” She trailed off, her gaze distant, the weight of her words sinking in.

I was stunned. “How do you know this?”

Nancy met my eyes. “I’ve lived in Medford a long time. Your uncle was a good man, but he wasn’t perfect. He kept things quiet, and he had a way of getting in over his head. A few people knew about the debt, but no one knew who he owed. Not even me.”

I felt the blood drain from my face. “How much money are we talking about?”

Nancy’s lips pressed together. “Enough that it would’ve ruined him if it came to light. Enough that it could’ve put everything at risk. The bookstore, his reputation, everything he worked for.”

I shook my head, trying to process what she was saying. “But why didn’t anyone tell me? Why didn’t I know any of this? I briefly even met Beatrice Callahan when I first arrived, and she said nothing.”

Nancy’s eyes softened with sympathy.

“He kept it from everyone, Aurora. Even the people closest to him. He was trying to settle the debt before he died.” She sighed, her voice lowering. “By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late. He was gone.”

I stared at her, the confusion swirling in my chest. “Who was he trying to pay? Who is this person?”

She shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know. He never said. But I do know this: whoever he owed, they’re still out there. And now, it seems like it’s affecting you.”

I blinked, my head spinning.

Blackmail. Debt.

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