As soon as he was gone, I tore open the envelope. I scanned the will, reading aloud. “Scott Edward Monroe of Benton County…blah, blah.” I kept turning the pages until I found the section I was looking for. “I devise and bequeath my property, both real and personal, wherever it is situated, as follows.”
I was listed as the first beneficiary. But when I turned the page, there was a second beneficiary.What. The. Fuck?
I skimmed the rest of the document, my anger rising with every second. I flung open the door and marched across the yard to the tiny house. It was the first time I’d seen it up close, and I had to admit—the craftsmanship was excellent.
Ugh.I rolled my eyes and pounded on the door. This was no time to be admiring the craftsmanship.
“Ethan,” I called, rapping on the glass door. “Ethan!”
Did the man not value privacy?
A dog barked and then ran up to the glass. I lowered my hand as Ethan bounded down the stairs in nothing but a pair of plaid pajama pants. My mouth went dry, and it had nothing to do with the wine I’d consumed the night before.
“Max. Shh, girl.” He grabbed the dog’s collar—gently, but with authority—and held her back as he opened the door.
“Jesus.” He dragged a hand through his hair, making the dark strands stand on end. “What now, woman?”
I held the will up to his face, open to the pertinent section. “Did you know about this?”
“Know about what?” He squinted at the page and then said, “Hold on.”
He shut the door and released the dog. She peered at me through the glass door, and I studied her brown eyes and cocked head. Her tiger-striped coat was beautiful, browns mixing with black. When he reopened the door, I handed him the will. The dog nudged through the opening and came out to sniff me.
“Hey, girl.” I held out my knuckles, inviting her to explore. When she licked my hand, I laughed.
“Huh,” Ethan said, and I glanced up to find him watching the interaction with a bewildered expression from behind dark-rimmed glasses.
Holy shit.Now that I wasn’t beating down the door, I took a moment to appreciate the view. Because damn—a muscular man in glasses was like kryptonite. I might not think he was my type, but my body’s response to him said otherwise. His chiseled shoulders and arms, defined abs and waist, had me weakening at the knees.
“I didn’t take you for an animal lover,” he said, leaning against the door.
A shiver ran down my spine. “Guess my dad didn’t tell you I used to be a champion horseback rider.”
“Oh, he did. He talked about you a lot, actually.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I stayed quiet. Why would my father do this—leave the house to both of us? Was it to spite me? More than likely, it was to teach me a lesson.
“Did you know he was going to leave the house to both of us?”
“No.” I actually believed him. “The night before he…” He stumbled over his words. “The night before he passed, he told me he wanted to talk about something.”
“And you think it was this?”
He lifted a shoulder. “I don’t know. I don’t know what to think. I mean, I love the house—always have.” He glanced toward it with a sense of pride and longing. “And I put a shit-ton of work into helping him modernize certain aspects of it. But…” His words died on the morning air, but they stoked a fire in me, refueling my anger at my father, at the situation. I was supposed to be on a plane to Vermont right now, not dealing with…this.
“But it doesn’t belong to you.” I knew I was acting irrationally, being possessive of something I didn’t even want myself. But this was a complication I hadn’t expected, and Ethan had a way of getting under my skin. “He wasmyfather. This wasmychildhood home.”
“Apparently, it’s ours now.” He grinned, but it seemed like more of a grimace.
I shivered, even though my blood ran hot. “I will fight this.”
“Good luck.” His nonchalance was irritating.
“What? You don’t think I’ll win?”
“What do I know? You’re the hotshot attorney from the big city, not me.” Somehow, it sounded like an insult. Why did I even care what he thought?
I was already contemplating my options—mistake, undue influence. Sometimes even the smallest technicality could upend an entire will. But despite all his flaws, I knew my father was a brilliant attorney and he was scrupulous in his work. It was ingrained in him, and it was evident in the client files I’d gone through.
