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My brows knit in confusion.
Slamming the check on the bar, she covers the entire piece of paper in red ink to read Come Home. Then tears it in half and places it back in the envelope.
Swiping her tears, she stalks back up to the messenger and smiles. “A thank you note. Will you please ensure she gets it?”
He nods curtly and asks her to sign his tablet.
After they leave, I twist her around to face me. “Charlie, are you in trouble?”
She yanks her arm away. “No. I’ve got everything figured out.” She shakes her head and mutters something about us all having a funny way of trying to help her and storms off.
“What exactly am I supposed to do with this information?” Noah asks.
“You’re the brains here.”
“I told you to marry her weeks ago. You thought your plan was better. You thought Mayfield wouldn’t compete with the great Chase Reeves. Jokes on you buddy; Mr. Politics outsmarted you and made her break it off in public so it looks like it’s her choice.”
“It was her choice,” I grit. “And this isn’t about Pepper.”
“Then why am I looking into this?” he asks, but his voice wavers a bit because I know he wants to.
I glare at him.
Pulling his chair up to his desk, he hovers over his laptop. “Half the shit I’m about to do isn’t even legal,” he mutters as he starts his search.
My brother’s hacking ability isn’t something any of us discuss often. Since he could lose his license. And it doesn’t come in handy for his line of work since he can’t prove how he got information in the first place.
A few moments later, he shakes his head. “Nothing. There’s nothing here for credit card debt, no liens. There’s an unemployment application...which won’t do her any good, since the library will be offering her job back.” A few more clicks. “And it looks like her lease is in good standing.”
“What about her mother?” Levi asks, reading my thoughts.
Noah’s eyes flash, and he starts a new search. Then another. More clicking as his eyes narrow. Then he sinks back into his chair with a heavy breath. “Shit.”
Later, I step into Elliot’s cottage, shutting the door behind me. The place is completely transformed. It has life now. No evidence of my brother’s hidden depression before he died. No trace of abandonment. Pepper wouldn’t let that happen. It’s not only livable, it’s…a home.
And to me—that only means one thing.
Perfect time to sell.
I pick up my phone and dial the woman I’ve been ignoring since his death. “Bonnie, it’s Chase. About the cottage. I’m ready to sell.”
“That’s great to hear. I’ll send my team over for photos and measurements. How much?”
“A third of a million, exactly. Plus your fee.”
“That’s an odd number but okay. I understand from the last time we spoke the sale is going to be split between you and your brothers?”
“That’s right, and we’ll cover the tax, but the sale price will be donated to Sara and Charlotte Whitley.”
“That’s…generous. I’ll draw it up.”
“Thanks.”
Removing my jacket, I tape the bottom of a new box and flip it. I start with her tan leather backpack, placing it inside. I hesitate for about thirty seconds before I open the flap and pull on the veil she never got rid of. Somehow, my runaway bride raced into town with no gown, but a full-sized veil.
I turn the tiara. A pearly, vintage-looking piece. It’s perfect for Pepper. The veil is attached tightly and seems difficult to remove even with a gentle tug. There appears to be an engraving on the inside. I cock my head, holding it up to the light. The inscription clear as day.
Emma Woods
