Page 76 of Out of Bounds

Of all the things she’d ever done, walking away from him in the Archer’s Green garden might have been the most painful. She might as well have ripped out her own heart and stabbed it repeatedly for all the hurt she was feeling now, but she knew she had done the right thing. It had been foolish to let herself think that the two of them could ever have a future together. It didn’t matter how much they enjoyed spending time with each other, how well he understood her, or even the sparks that she felt every time he entered a room. She wanted to be president of the Atlanta Rising—and there was no way that the team president could be in a relationship with the head coach. On top of that, she’d been a distraction to him too. Taking him away from focusing on the daughter she knew from experience needed him more than he could ever understand. There was no way she was ever going to stand in the way of that.

The fact that she was still mortified about being outed by Jonah was something she didn’t even want to begin to think about.

“As I was saying,” Stu said sternly, pulling her attention back to the circus at hand. His tone was heavy and serious, full of a hope that he was not going to have to repeat himself again. “The statement from Dalton Royce Sutherland Junior that is to be read out loud is as follows: In the matter of personal assets, a list of philanthropic organizations and corresponding financial amounts has been provided as part of my last will and testament to make a memorial gift in my name. An educational trust is to be set aside in the amount of one hundred thousand dollars, to provide college tuition for LuAnna Michelle Sutherland.”

BobbiJo let out a huff, forcing Stu to pause and everyone other than Jonah to roll their eyes. Felicity hadn’t been sure exactly what she’d been expecting to find when they arrived at the house, but it hadn’t been that kind of obstinance. Tears, wailing, fainting…the kind of hysterics that would have made Lady Macbeth proud. None of that would have surprised her. Some kind of an act that the woman missed the man she’d spent over fifteen years married to, rather than a child impatiently waiting their turn with the piñata.

“After this has been completed, then the rest of the assets are to be divided as follows: ten percent of all liquid assets to my wife, BobbiJo Marie Davenport Sutherland. The remaining ninety percent shall be divided equally between my three children, Felicity Nicole Sutherland, Dalton Royce Sutherland III, and LuAnna Michelle Sutherland. Since LuAnna is currently under the age of eighteen, her portion shall be placed in a trust that will be managed by Dalton and Felicity as co-trustees. With the exception of a pair of golf clubs and the Matt Beyrer painting, which shall be gifted to Stuart Wellington, and the home at 2530 Savannah Run, all non-liquid assets are to be managed and distributed by Dalton. The family home shall be transferred into Dalton’s name, however a lease agreement shall be put in place for BobbiJo and LuAnna to remain as residents until LuAnna’s high school graduation. All parties may revisit this lease and extend it to LuAnna’s graduation from college if they see fit.”

“I’m being kicked out of my home?” BobbiJo said, not even trying to hide the indignance in her tone.

“In the matter of Southland Holdings, all ownership and rights thereto shall be transferred to Dalton.”

“What?” Felicity spat, not sure she heard that right. All of Southland Holdings was being given to Dalton? He was being handed everything? “Is that it? Nothing else?”

“That’s it," Stu confirmed, his mouth pressing into a firm line. Felicity’s heart sank, as it all hit her. Nothing. Her father entrusted her with nothing. “You can look at it if you would like.”

“Yes!” BobbiJo snapped, grabbing the document from his hand. “I don’t believe this to be correct. There is no way he would kick me out of my home!”

“What about me?” Jonah asked, leaning forward in the armchair he’d been sitting in. He’d been so quiet that Felicity had forgotten he was even there.

“You’re not mentioned,” Stu said.

“Not possible!” Jonah leapt from the chair, crossing the room in only a few strides to join his sister in poring over the will.

“Big D was very clear about all this when we spoke about it. I asked him several times if he was sure, and he told me he was. Personal assets to be divided as stated, but when it came to Southland, the whole thing went to Tripp. That he’s the heir.”

Tripp is the heir. The words made Felicity want to puke. She’d lost count over the years how many times her father had said that—even after her brother had disappeared. And here they were again. Only now, they were final. He got it all. She got nothing. And now that it was public knowledge that she’d been sleeping with Gunnar, she was likely also out of a job.

It was all for nothing…I did all that for nothing…

Fighting back tears, she set her glass down on a table and walked out of the library. Grabbing her things, she turned to go, but was stopped by the feel of a hand catching her elbow. She spun around to find her brother standing there, the expression on his face full of guilt.

“Flick, we need to talk. You didn’t answer a single one of my calls last night.”

“There’s nothing left to say. It was all covered yesterday.”

“Nothing was covered yesterday! I’m still not even entirely sure what happened. One minute Jonah was spouting off accusations, that you didn’t actually deny, and the next you were running out the door in tears, Gunnar telling me he has to go after you! Care to explain?”

“No,” she answered, her tone curt. She did owe him an explanation, but that didn’t mean she actually wanted to tell him. If anything, she wanted to avoid this conversation for as long as possible.

“Not a rhetorical question, Flick,” he sighed. “Is there something going on between you and Gunnar?”

“Not anymore.”

“But there was?”

“Yes,” she admitted, her shoulders sagging. Glancing into the library, she could see BobbiJo and Jonah still arguing with Stu over the will, while Zara sat off to the side with Lulu, looking at something on her phone. “But it’s over now.”

“Why, did he end it?”

“No, I did. And I’m not talking about this with you!”

“Flick…”

“No, stop!” she cried, pulling away from him. She pressed her lips together and looked up to the chandelier that had hung in the entryway of this house her whole life. She used to love to stare up at it as a little girl and watch it sparkle, but now that sparkle was just giving her something to focus on to fight back the tears. “There is nothing to talk about. I realize this hasn’t exactly been the best week of your life, either, Tripp, but my world has been ripped apart. I have spent the last ten years busting my ass at Southland trying to work my way up. Because despite being a Sutherland, I’ve had almost nothing there handed to me. I got my MBA and still got a Master’s in Marketing because I knew it would help set me apart. I’ve worked long hours and did everything asked of me and then some. And what do I have to show for it now? Nothing.”

“I wouldn’t say nothing.”