Page 144 of Rules to Love By

The only number Marcus had for him was disconnected, and letters to his address went unanswered for months, until one finally came back Return to Sender. His apartment had been cleared out and rented to a new tenant, who had never heard of him.

He asked his lawyer, Abigail Winters, what they should do, and she shrugged.

“He has a year from the date we first tried to contact him to claim his share. After that, it goes into a trust for a year, in case he turns up, but at that point, it’s up to you if he gets any of it.”

“It’s a lot of money for him to miss out on.”

“Your aunt was very generous,” Winters agreed. “Two million is a decent nest egg.”

“We’ll keep trying, though, right?”

“Of course. If any new information as to his whereabouts surfaces, we will try again. Keep the terms of the will in mind, though. If it’s found he’s been engaging in any criminal activity, or if he harasses you or his father or the diner, he gets nothing.”

Marcus knew all that. Eli speculated the terms of Johnathan getting the money were so strict because Iris never expected him to live up to them, and so he would never get the money anyway.

“She said in her letter she wanted to help him,” Marcus argued.

“She also said in her letter that he couldn’t be an asshole or he’d be cut off.”

“Not exactly.”

Eli pulled Marcus back against his chest where they sat on a swing out on the balcony behind the B and B. New spring leaves fluttered in a not-quite-warm breeze.

Marcus reveled in the peace and quiet of a house not under construction. “I can’t believe it’s not even been a year.” He laid his head against Eli and sighed, peering up through the branches. “Kreed really has to get an arborist in here. That oak tree is going to be growing into the house soon. I didn’t think they grew that fast.”

Eli followed his gaze up. “Who knows? Does seem like it’s got a lot bigger, though, doesn’t it?” He squeezed Marcus. “What are you going to do with Johnathan’s share if he doesn’t turn up?”

“Leave it in the trust, I think.”

“Forever? Just sitting there?”

“Earning interest.”

“So if he comes around in a year or a decade, you’ll just give it to him?”

“It’s what Iris wanted.”

“She had conditions. I think for very good reason.”

Marcus nodded. “It does seem a waste.”

“Seems a waste to give it to him at all, but especially leaving it all to sit there waiting for him to wander back into your life, making demands for something he never earned or deserved in the first place.”

“We don’t even know where he went. What if he’s not okay?”

“You think he asked himself what if you’re not okay after he locked you out of your home?”

“Probably not.”

Eli kissed his head. “I commend you for caring. I really do. I love you for being so generous.”

“I have everything I need. It feels greedy to keep that too, just because Johnathan is an unhappy person.”

“Unhappy.” Eli snorted. “A person can be unhappy and not spread his misery to everyone he meets.”

“True.”

For a while, they sat in silence. Above them the tree stretched towards the house and out over the street. Marcus imagined its roots doing the same, and sent a silent wish for it not to hurt Mildred in its quest for water and space. It wasn’t maliciously attacking the house. It was just being a tree. It couldn’t help who it and what it was.

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