Page 1 of Never Let Go

1

FOSTER

The little rubber ball came flying at my face. I pulled back my arm and hit it with a loud thwack of my racket, returning it to Kane.

It ricocheted off the wall. My best friend’s sneakers squeaked on the polished floor and he made a valiant effort, but he missed the ball. I threw my arms up into the air, smirking as I pumped my eyebrows at him.

“Another point to the away team,” I said. “Maybe you should find out if they offer racquetball lessons at this fancy new club of yours.”

Kane narrowed his blue eyes at me and scoffed. “I don’t need lessons. I just need you to shut up.”

I laughed. “No can do, buddy. Want to try again?”

He sighed but spun his racket in his hand and nodded. “Let’s do it. What time do you have to be back at work?”

Glancing down, I checked my watch and groaned. “Soon. My lunch break is almost over and I still need to grab a shower, but I’ve got time to give you one last chance to defend your honor.”

Kane shoved a lock of brown hair from his forehead and flipped me off with his free hand. “My honor is just fine. Are you meeting with the lawyers today?”

I nodded. “After work, but I’m going to have to leave a bit early, which also means I can’t get back to the office too late after lunch.”

“I got it,” he said as he bent over and scooped up the ball. “You have to admit that it’s pretty cool the old man left you something, though.”

I shrugged, not really knowing what to think at this point. The old man he was referring to was my maternal grandfather, Foster Chesterfield, who had died a couple of weeks ago.

I hadn’t even known until the people handling his estate had reached out to me about a meeting. Crazy as it was, it seemed I’d been named in his will.

I just really didn’t know why I would’ve been. I hadn’t been at his bedside when he’d blown out his last breath or even attended his funeral.

Hell, I’d barely even met the man.

Maybe a few times when I’d been little, but that was it. A couple of years before I’d been born, he and my mother had fallen out about her relationship with my father. According to him, Dad hadn’t been good enough for Mom, and when she’d refused to break it off, my dear old grandfather had cut her off in turn.

In keeping with her family traditions, however—and probably hoping that her father would come around—Mom had still named me after him, but I couldn’t say that being his namesake had made much of a difference to my life or bought me any kind of relationship with the guy.

I hit the ball Kane sent hurtling my way, but my thoughts threw me off my game and he finally managed to score a point.

After tossing his fists into the air and turning in a victorious circle, he frowned at me. “You okay? You haven’t said a word since I made that comment about your grandfather.”

“I know. I was trying to blow it off, but I guess I got caught up anyway. Besides, we don’t even know if he left me something. All we know is that the estate lawyers requested a meeting.”

“I thought you said you were named in the will?”

I shrugged again. “Apparently, but I’m not getting my hopes up. Mom said he was a real stickler for family traditions, so maybe he left me a pair of cufflinks with the name ‘Foster’ engraved on them. I mean, no one else would be able to use them, right?”

He chuckled. “Nah. Your grandmother could’ve just mailed those to you. It has to be more.”

“Maybe, but again, I’m not getting my hopes up. I’m only going to honor his wishes.”

“Yeah, I know, but it must be nice to have been remembered in the will, at least. Maybe he left you a note explaining why they never tried to build a relationship with you and Porter.”

I scoffed. “We already know why. Our dad wasn’t good enough and neither were we. No mystery there.”

“Well, in that case, I hope he left you more than just cufflinks. The dude didn’t know what he was missing with you two.”

I winked at him. “Aww, thanks. I didn’t know you had a crush on us. How would that work, anyway? Me, you, and Porter? Would Hope be involved as well? She’s pretty attached to him these days. I doubt she’d approve of you stealing her man now that they finally got over themselves and hooked up.”

Kane laughed, but since Sarcasm might as well have been his middle name, he didn’t back down. “You wish, man. Seriously, I’d have wined and dined you so hard, you wouldn’t have known what hit you. But no, Hope wouldn’t be happy about it. Porter is head over heels for her, so he wouldn’t have been interested, and you’re not much of a catch. No offense.”