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I crawled into the back seat and positioned myself in the middle to hear the conversation. Grace buckled her seatbelt, and Scar handed her an envelope, then turned on the ignition.
“What’s this?”
“Legal documents, deeds mostly, and new bank accounts now belonging to you.”
“What?”
“Chad was the last Hartley to die, and everyone else from the family is dead. The entire estate and all finances now belong to you, which puts you in a legal predicament with Infinity.”
“That’s the business you took over after Brad Hartley—”
“Yup. Now, obviously, it’s up to you whether you want to continue the lawsuit.”
“Against my brothers? No way. But I’m not the only Hart… Oh, God, I can’t even say it. I’m not the only one left. What about Simone Hartley and Candice Watson?”
“Simone’s serving a criminal charge in a care facility. She hasn’t spoken in years. The estate cannot pass to a mentally incapacitated person. As for Candice, she divorced Jeff years ago and has no claim.”
Grace sat quietly, thinking as Scar drove. He waited with more patience than I would have given him credit for.
“What’s the likelihood I’d be alive if Candice hadn’t remove me from that family?“
Scar didn’t reply, but we all knew the answer to that. I touched Grace’s shoulder, and she startled.
“I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you. You can think about this. You have time to decide.”
She turned in her seat to face me. “But I already know. The house where Chad held me is the only thing I want—because I’ll tear it down and I’ll plant trees in the spot. I don’t want anyone on that property ever again. It will stay wild.”
“Okay, but are you sure—”
“There’s more. Chad purchased a unit beside the salon. I want that too. And Simone and Tristan have a son, so he should get something, but that will be up to Candice. Everything, other than the cottage and the unit, will go to Candice. She can decide what to do with the properties and the money. That’s what I want. ”
“We’ll get it done,” Scar said, and Grace settled in her seat with satisfaction.
Fifteen minutes later, Scar pulled into Cougar Court, and then Grace’s driveway. He parked the car at the curved entryway by the fountain. He opened Grace’s door and passed me the crutches. Grace stepped out, wearing my sweatshirt and leggings. Her face glowed, and her eyes shone bright. In less than a minute, we’d be alone in our house, and I couldn’t wait for proper alone time. I set my crutches beneath my arms and swung my body forward.
Scar followed behind us to the front door. Grace pushed on the handle and stepped into a hallway.
A chorus of voices cheered, “Surprise!”
Our family and friends had gathered in the foyer and stacked the Scarlett O’Hara staircase. I lifted my gaze to theWelcome Homesign hung across the hall, and my shoulders dropped.
Fucking Emma.
“Did you know about this?” Grace turned around.
“Trust me, I didn’t,” I said, dejected. “But I know who did.”
Emma ran over with her arms wide open and slammed into Grace.
“Hey, hey. Be careful. She’s still healing.”
And she’s pregnant.
“Sorry.”
We welcomed the unexpected party and joined them in the backyard, where Emma had set up what looked like a wedding venue. A white tent stood propped near the pond, with potted hydrangeas lining the perimeter. Tables filled with food were stationed on one side, and Olivier’s grill was smoking in the corner. I tried to count the number of Silver kids and grandkids this family had spawned, but Allie and Tristan’s twins started a game of tag, making the task impossible. I left Grace on the loungers with Beth and Candice, and joined the Wagner brothers for a toast of tonic water.
“Congratulations on the case.”
