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“Let’s see if we can get an appointment to see the attorney.”
When I nodded, he said, “I’m going to walk the grounds.”
I hoped everything would look different in the morning. That the answers would be clear to me. But they weren’t. Sensing Aiden needed space, I didn’t offer to go with him. I ate my eggs, which tasted like dust, and cleaned the kitchen.
The inn was almost finished. We’d need to decide soon. I went upstairs and drew a bath. This was the only time I’d ever stayed in one of the inn’s bedrooms. It was nice. I could see people wanting to stay here, visiting the Monroe farm, and touring Annapolis, and maybe even DC.
My stomach twisted when I thought about what would happen if a developer bought the property. What would that mean for the Monroes? For me? Would I be able to live with myself?
I tried to picture myself living in California in that big house all by myself, and I couldn’t. It felt empty and lonely.
On the farm, I was never far from Heath or one of his family members.
Heath hadn’t tried to reach out to me again, to ask how I was doing or anything else. I wasn’t sure what that meant. Did he want to end things because Aiden was back? I had a feeling he would because of what happened last time.
Aiden was important to him, and I didn’t want to come between them, especially if Aiden wanted to stay and run the inn.
Was I okay with keeping the inn and letting Aiden run it? It would allow me to have this place to come home to, and it would help the Monroes.
If Aiden was running the inn, there was less of a chance he’d be okay with me dating Heath. I wasn’t sure what to do or where I stood with Heath.
I needed some space to think about it.
Twenty-Four
Marley
We were able to get a late afternoon appointment with the attorney. He went through the specifics of the will in front of Aiden, as he had with me after the funeral.
Aiden inherited money and a few mementos of his grandfather’s, but the property and the rest of the contents of the inn went to me. For simplicity, it made sense. Gram knew I didn’t need cash, and Aiden wasn’t present to make decisions about the inn or the property. Now Aiden would have savings to figure out what he wanted to do.
“Do you know what you want to do yet?” the attorney asked Aiden.
“I might stay and manage the inn. If Marley’s on board, that is.”
“What about our mother?” I asked, my heart picking up in anticipation of what he would say.
“Tracey came in a few days ago, and I read her the will. She was understandably upset. She feels like the inn should have been hers since she’s the usual heir, as Lila’s daughter.”
“Gram kicked her off the property when I turned eighteen. She didn’t want her there. She knew that she wouldn’t care for the inn.” That had me pausing because Gram wouldn’t have given me the inn if she thought I’d sell it. She hated having to close when she couldn’t manage it anymore. I knew she always hoped I’d come home and run it. That I’d remember everything I loved about it as a kid. She couldn’t have known that I avoided it because of Heath. Because it hurt too much to think of him with someone else.
“I understand all of that,” Alan said.
“Is she going to challenge it?” Aiden asked, leaning forward in his chair.
“If I had to guess, I’d say no. I don’t think she has the means to hire an attorney for a protracted legal process. I made sure to advise her about the reasons for contesting the will. The most effective is when the writer doesn’t know their mind, but your grandmother was younger when she executed it. She gave me sound reasons for doing what she did. There was no evidence that she was unduly influenced or unaware of what she was doing.”
“If she makes any trouble, I have the money and the means to fight her.” She didn’t deserve any piece of the estate.
“I hope she goes away, and we don’t hear from her again.”
“I can close out the estate at this point, now that all known heirs have heard the will.”
“Let’s do it,” I said, confident I could handle anything my mother could throw at me. I wasn’t the same person I was when I lived in her trailer. I was confident and successful, and I didn’t let anyone mess with my family or the inn. This was Gram’s legacy, and I’d protect it with everything I had.
We signed the remaining paperwork, said our goodbyes, and walked down to the harbor. Soon, there would be a Christmas tree, but for now, the only decorations were the light poles adorned with wreaths.
We sat on a bench overlooking the water. There were a few pedestrians, mostly locals, out for a cup of coffee or walking their dogs.
