Page 50 of Sins or Secrets
“I swear to God you two get younger, not older.” Dad shakes his head at us then focuses on Avery.“That’s real good darlin. I’m proud to hear it and that is sensible.”
Earlier in the week, we met up to talk about the will.Lilly left Dad and Avery a little over a million dollars to split between them.
Like me, they weren’t expecting anything and they were both as surprised as I was to hear what Lilly left me.
The two of them expressed happiness for her kindness, and I was grateful neither pushed me on the subject of Quinn.They seemed to take the terms and conditions at face value.Beneath that though, I knew they wanted to ask me more and saw through the façade of the terms and conditions.
Both Avery and Dad would have remembered the rut I fell in after Quinn and I broke up.That summer my only escape was going back on duty earlier than planned.They'll know that a stipulation to be anywhere near Quinn is going to be awkward if not difficult for me.
Avery’s phone rings and she winces when she reaches for it in her back pocket.
“Sorry guys I’ve got to take this.It’s the hospital.”
“Alright doctor,” I tease and she rolls her eyes at me.
I tease her like that, but I’m proud of her.She fought hard to study and now the rewards are paying off.With just a handful of years left of her residency she’ll be a fully qualified cardiothoracic surgeon by the time she’s thirty.And if she gets that house of hers she’ll be set up for life.
Dad and I watch her as she leaves the table.When I look at my father I find him already staring at me.
“So what are you going to do?” Dad asks.“Are you going to buy a bigger, better house.”
“Not you too Dad,” I chuckle. “Maybe I want to invest it in my business.”
“Do you? It looks to me like Lilly left you enough to do everything.Accomplish a ton of life goals and have a few adventures along the way.”
“Yeah, she did.” I honestly haven’t thought that far ahead to what I want to do with the money, but I’m certain I’ll come up with something.
Business will probably be at the forefront of my mind because I’d love to either buy the office I currently have and the space next door so I can expand, or move to a bigger location.
Had I not been on the myriad of adventures I’d already gone on as a marine I probably would have a list stacked up.I guess though that those were more mission related.I can do things for fun now and not have to worry about saving someone’s life.
“What are you gonna do?” I ask.
“I’m not sure son. I have yet to work out what Lilly might have wanted me to do.I was thinking of adding it to a trust fund for you kids, or… my grandkids.” He chuckles.
“Grandkids, something you’re not telling me about Avery?”
“Nope. I’m just being perceptive and prepared.When you think of it my business is doing well and there’s very little I need.You guys on the other hand have an ocean of a future to look forward to.”
“That’s a good way to think of life.” And I hope like fuck he’s not going to start his lectures on me finding a good woman to settle down with and stop fucking around.
He doesn’t say fucking around though because a good southern gentleman never swears unless he needs to make a point.
Since I don’t consider myself a gentleman I never worry about that, and err on the premise that I make a point with everything I say.And if it includes the word fuck or fucking it just does.I can’t help that.
“How has it been with Quinn?”
And this would be something else I don’t want to talk about but since it’s been the big fat elephant between us since Tuesday, I don’t think I can avoid speaking about it.I guess it would also be weird if my father didn’t ask me about her at some point.
“It’s been fine. Strange, but fine.”
“Did you see her when you signed the contracts?”
“No. Mr. Mulligan didn’t need us to do that together.” I signed the same day Quinn and I went to look at the house.I figured she might have signed her contract before me because it was late when I went to see Mr. Mulligan.
“You haven’t really said much about her.I know it can’t be easy for you for more reasons than one.I was happy when you spoke to her at the funeral, but I saw how you looked after.”
“Honestly, Dad, I’m fine. And, she is too."
