Page 125 of Key West Homecoming

“I’m on a twelve-inch stool.”

“You can still fall twelve inches.”

Jake smiled and climbed down. He set the level on the tarp and wiped his hands on his jeans.

“How did it go with Rachel?”

Emma looked toward the porch. “You might want to sit down.”

They chose the porch step instead of the swing. Emma noticed that Jake left some space between them, and she wondered if he was being careful because of yesterday. She was grateful for the care even though part of her wished he would sit closer.

She told him what Rachel had found. Gloria’s estate had been worth about one point four million dollars when she died. Arthur had sold the Miami condo, liquidated the brokerage account and sold jewelry that had belonged to the family. He had collected rent from the cottage for years, and Rachel believed the estate might have a claim to that money as well.

Jake listened without interrupting.

Emma explained that Rachel would ask the court to protect what remained while the will contest moved forward. There might be money recovered from Arthur, and there might be consequences for what he had done as personal representative. Emma no longer cared about pursuing every possible dollar.

“I told Rachel I want the cottage protected and Gloria’s will recognized,” she said. “After that, I’m going to let the court deal with Arthur.”

Jake looked at her. “You’re sure?”

“I think so.”

“That doesn’t sound very sure.”

Emma smiled a little. “I’m sure about the part that matters to me.”

She looked across the yard at Gloria’s lilies and the pergola Jake had nearly finished. For the first time since Samantha Larson called, Emma could think about the cottage without immediately thinking about Arthur.

“My grandmother loved him,” she said. “I keep coming back to that. She knew enough to be afraid he might take the house, but she still left him things in her will. I don’t think she wanted me to spend years punishing him. She wanted me to stop him from taking this place.”

Jake nodded. “That sounds like Gloria.”

“You never met her.”

“No, but I’ve heard enough about her from you.”

Emma looked at him. There was something comforting about hearing him say it that way.

“Rachel says the estate could recover a lot of money,” she continued. “Maybe most of what Arthur took. I’ll deal with whatever Gloria actually left me when the time comes, but I don’t want the money to become the reason I stay angry.”

Jake rested his forearms on his knees. “Then don’t let it.”

Emma glanced at him. “You make that sound easy.”

“It probably isn’t.”

“No. It probably isn’t.”

Emma could hear a dove somewhere beyond the fence and the faint sound of traffic from the next street. She had expected to feel unsettled after telling Jake everything, but instead she felt lighter.

She thought it possible that is was because the part she really wanted to talk about had nothing to do with the estate.

Jake looked over at her. “There’s something else.”

Emma laughed softly. “How did you know?”

“You drove over here with your lawyer face on.”