Page 141 of Rules to Love By

Tris hugged his arm. “See if she says anything else nice about me.”

That got Marcus to laugh, if a bit wetly, and he went on.

I do hope you find Tris, and that he is doing well. Please give him my love.

“Aww.” Tris sniffled beside him. “The old bat,” he said, words drowning in affection.

I’ve made up a packet for the lawyer. It has my will, the deed for the building, and some addresses and other important papers you’ll need. I want you to look up your family, Marcus. I may not have gotten on well with my parents, God rest them. But my brother—your grandfather—is a good man. Don’t blame him for Johnathan. Lord knows we both tried to straighten him out. I understand why his father washed his hands of the matter long ago, and I don’t begrudge him doing so. I’ve left your uncle Johnathan a generous sum (to your grandfather’s despair, no doubt, but he will just have to live with it). It is money from my own parents I never wanted. The terms of his acceptance are that he cut all ties and drop all claims to the diner, the building and the rest of the family. Please understand, I’ve done this as much to protect you as to help him. Perhaps he will make something of himself, perhaps not, but it is no longer anyone’s problem but his own.

All of this is outlined in my will, and lawyers will take care of the details.

I’ve also done my best to give your Tris a helping hand. Not so much he’ll get lazy, but enough to get his feet under him. I know how much you care for him, and I wanted to be sure he had the best chance. All of that is also outlined in the will.

Tris’s hand fell away as he flopped back in his chair. “What does that mean?”

Marcus grinned at him. “I think that means she left you something. Probably money. Though I don’t know how much she had, so don’t get your hopes up too much.”

“I don’t need it,” Tris said. “I’m good. I have a job—”

Marcus took his hand and crushed his fingers. “I know. You’ve done all that for yourself. She didn’t know, though. Not before she died, and she wanted to help.”

Tris blinked at him. “I take the bat thing back, okay?” Tears leaked down his cheeks.

“It might not be that much, Tris.”

“Doesn’t matter how much. She thought of me, and she didn’t have to.”

Marcus nodded, leaned close enough to peck his cheek, licked the salty tears off his lips, then went back to reading.

Everything else, Marcus dear, I’ve left to you. All the details are in the will. You do what you want with all of it, love. I never expected you to run the diner. Not unless you want to. It’s yours to do with what you want, and whatever you decide, know that I am as proud of you as any mother could ever be of her son.

All my love, dearheart.

Iris.

“Well, shit.” Marcus let out a heavy breath and sat back in his chair. “That’s more endearments in this letter than I ever remember her saying to me my whole life.”

Tris giggled, then sniffed, then huffed. “Now what?”

Marcus looked to Schiffer to answer the question.

Schiffer smiled at him and held up a sheaf of papers. “She’s right. Deed to the building, all the business papers. I’ll have to look into everything, to see what’s what, but judging by what she left in this package, I expect the business licences and taxes are all up to date.”

Marcus nodded. “She was meticulous about that stuff.”

“Okay, then.” Schiffer set those papers aside. “On to the next, and probably the most important.”

“The will?” Marcus asked.

“No.” Schiffer pushed something across the table to him. “From everything you’ve told me, I have to assume you didn’t know about this.”

“What?” Marcus picked it up and read the header, then frowned. “Adoption…?” He looked back to Schiffer.

“Apparently less than a year after you came into her care.”

“She never told me.”

“There are death certificates here, for your parents and your grandparents, at least on her side. Your father died when you were an infant. Your mother eight months after you and your sisters were taken into care.”

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