Page 37 of Breakout
“I can understand that. In fact, that’s what I would have encouraged my daughter to do.” He smiles but quickly drops it. “Now Peyton, there is something I need to talk to you about.”
“What’s up?”
“Your cousin Janis’s lawyer has made it known that she will be in fact contesting the will. The paperwork will be filed this week,” he says, making my heart pound.
Did I really do all of this just for it to be for nothing?
“What does that mean, exactly?”
“Well, as I told you before, your grandfather anticipated this would happen, so he set aside money specifically for fighting this. All you need to do is let me handle this and enjoy the honeymoon phase with your husband.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. “Are you sure I shouldn’t just give it all to her? I’ve never had money before, so it wouldn’t really be a loss.”
His eyes soften as he shakes his head. “Absolutely not. This is what your grandfather wanted.”
“You’re sure?”
“You haven’t read his letter yet, have you?”
“Honestly, no. I know I shouldn’t be, but I’m still angry that he knew where I was, but he never stepped up. I had to live in foster care, Mr. Piper, and while my situation wasn’t as bad as some people’s, it wasn’t great.”
“Your anger is justifiable. I told him I thought what he was doing was a risk, but he insisted.”
“Too bad I’ll never get the chance to ask him.”
“The answers are in the letter, I promise you.”
“If you’re sure.” I smile weakly as I slap my thighs. “Anyway, is there anything else we need to handle? I need to get to work soon.”
Mr. Piper shakes his head, smiling. “May I say, dear, it’s awfully refreshing that you didn’t quit your job as soon as you found out about your inheritance.”
I smile, unsure what to say. I’m not quite sure if that’s a compliment or a dig toward the people he typically deals with.
He picks up my marriage license and stands. “Let’s get Mary to make a copy.” He takes a step but pauses. “Oh, I forgot to give you your keys.”
“My keys?” I say as I stand.
“To the estate, of course.” He opens his desk drawer and pulls out a key ring. “Here you go. I’ll have Mary write down the address for you as well.”
Instinctively, I hold out my hand, and he drops them into my palm.
“There we go.”
The weight of the keys in my palm is heavy as I follow him out of the office. I can’t stop staring at the three keys as Mary scans my marriage certificate and writes down the address. On autopilot, I say goodbye and walk outside once she’s done.
The brass keys feel like a lead weight, tempting me with something I haven’t had in years.
A home.
No, an estate. Mr. Piper called it an estate.
What the hell am I supposed to do with an estate?
A roar of laughter fills the living room as we watch Cora hand Kellan his ass in a first-person shooter video game.
“That’s so embarrassing,” Kellan mutters.
“We can’t all be good at everything,” Peyton teases.
