Page 57 of Nothing to Lose: Lost Trilogy: Part 1
Now, as I sit in front of her parents’ estate attorney in Texas, I regret never trying to have a stronger relationship with her.
“And last but not least,” Mr. Phelps reads to me in his monotone voice, “all of our personal accounts should be transferred to our granddaughter, Emily Anne Stewart, immediately upon my death. That is an addendum Mrs. Alice Stewart’s father added once he learned of your existence,” he explains, although I can tell that he doesn’t feel like he has to.
Mr. Phelps goes on and on, but I am not following what he’s saying anymore. I had no idea my grandparents, and therefore by association my mother, had so many personal affairs that needed to be settled. They left everything to mom’s estate, which in turn was set up to leave everything to me with the exception of a large sum of money left to the hospital she had been in and out of for as long as I could remember.
“Miss Stewart,” the attorney’s voice grabs my attention. “I need your signature on a few documents.”
“Of course,” I nod in agreement. “My father’s attorney looked everything over, correct?”
Mr. Phelps’ eyebrows go up in surprise at hearing my question.
“Yes, of course,” he assures me, but I swear I am detecting the slightest hint of hesitation, which is putting me on high alert.
“I will call him to confirm with him before I sign anything.” I give Mr. Phelps a polite smile, then step outside to call my father.
As soon as I am out the door, my eyes clash with Puck’s. I almost forgot he was here waiting for me.
“Hey,” he stands up and walks toward me in his easy going manner. “Everything okay?”
I take a moment to release the air out of my lungs and relax my shoulders. There’s been a ton of information thrown at me in a very short period of time.
“I think so,” assure him. “But I want to call my dad to double check.”
Puck sounds nervus at hearing that.
“Devereaux is busy right now,” he rushes to say. “Can’t take your call.”
“What are you talking about?” I eye him with suspicion. I don’t understand anything that’s going on. The relationship my dad has with Puck and Blake is giving weird vibes, and overall, no one is telling me anything.
“He is in the middle of a… transaction right now,” Puck explains, which makes the whole thing sketchier yet.
I bring my phone up and dial dad’s number anyway. I am getting sick of people telling what I can and cannot do.
“Emily,” dad’s voice comes over the line a lot sooner than I was expecting it. “Didn’t Puck tell you I was busy?” He sounds rushed and annoyed, something I don’t hear directed at me very often.
“He did,” I nod Puck’s way. “But this attorney wants me to sign all these papers here, dad, and I wanted to make sure they were okay before I…”
“My attorney looked them over,” he interrupts me. “I would not let you enter any sort of legal mess, and you should trust that. Just as you should’ve trusted me when I told you not to come to fuckin’ Texas.”
I gasp in shock at his harsh words. My eyes fill with tears and my hands shake.
“I’m sorry, I…”
“Sign the papers and get your ass back home already, Emily,” he growls at me. “I love you,” he adds after a slight hesitation, then hangs up.
I remain standing in the middle of the floor, completely crushed by everything that’s been happening around me for the past few days. This trip is nothing like I thought it was going to be when I asked Becca to come with me.
I turn around and walk back into the attorney’s office, sparing no words for Puck. I am mad at the world right now.
“Ready, Miss?” Mr. Phelps pushes his eyeglasses up on his nose in exasperation. He wants to be done with this as well.
“Show me where to sign,” I mumble without looking at his face.
Ten minutes later, I have a thick folder in my arms, with hard copies of everything I signed.
“It was all sent electronically to your attorney’s office in Red Lodge,” he tells me, and I just nod. I didn’t even know I had an attorney in Red Lodge, but I guess my dad really did take care of everything.
“Let’s go,” I tell Puck when I walk out. I am over everything, but at least I am leaving with a considerable amount of money in my bank account. I never wanted to rely on my parents, my father especially since he was always so kind to me, and I guess now I will never need to.
