AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Rose didn’t meet Mike’s eyes as she nodded and slipped away. Mike, on the other hand, couldn’t help himself. He watched her weave through the tables until she disappeared behind the partition.
“Have a seat, Mike. Thank you for meeting with me.”
Mike jolted back to the present, whipping his head around so he could give the lawyer his full attention. Slowly, he slipped onto the bench and faced the man he didn’t think he’d ever see again. “I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting to hear from you again after our last meeting. You know, the one where you told me that there was nothing left.”
Don Swanson used his finger and thumb to straighten the small, white, drink napkin and glanced up at Mike once more. “I have some good news and some bad news.”
Heaving a sigh, Mike shook his head. “Honestly, I don’t think I want to hear any of it. I loved my grandparents and I know they loved me. I didn’t expect for there to be nothing left, though.”
“Well, that’s not exactly where things stand today,” Swanson interrupted. “Your grandfather had every intention of leaving you everything he had.”
“Yeah, the problem with that plan is that his estate was barely enough to cover his funeral. Is that what you’re here for? I still have to sign away the deed to the house? It’s in my name, isn’t it?” Mike studied the man’s face, searching for any indication that he was right.
When he’d gotten the call about his grandfather, he’d been devastated. He’d felt guilty. And he’d at least hoped there would be something left to remember his grandparents by. There were several folks in town who disagreed with that sentiment—they probably didn’t think he deserved anything at all. Mike had practically run away. What made him think he could lay claim to anything his grandfather had left behind?
The lawyer didn’t speak. They continued with their staring contest until Mike released another pent-up breath. “Well? What is it? What do I have to do to never see you again?”
Swanson’s lips pressed together, causing his facial hair to stiffen and poke out like a small porcupine at his mouth. “The house is in disrepair.”
“Yeah,” Mike scoffed, “I saw it when you gave me a day to get anything I wanted from it. Apparently, my grandfather had turned into a hoarder. I’m pretty sure a generation of mice will be left homeless when you get that place all fixed up.”
“That’s what I’m here to talk to you about.”
Mike lifted his brows. “Don’t tell me you think I’ll clean it up for you. Look, I don’t mean to be so salty, but why would I do that for you?”
“No, you misunderstand. The house is yours if you want it.”
This was ridiculous. Mike didn’t think he could be more surprised than he was at this moment. “The house is mine? What, did the bank get a look at it and realize they’ll be stuck with it?”
The lawyer clasped his hands on the table in front of him. “It turns out the estate was sufficient to cover the funeral without the sale of the house after all. That being said, I’ve been unable to find a professional cleaning company who would be willing to come to Rocky Ridge from Billings without payment upfront.”
Mike’s thoughts were swimming. The house was his. The property was his. He didn’t have to sign away the deed to some random person who wouldn’t appreciate what his grandfather had built.
“Do you understand, Mr. Anderson?” The lawyer’s words brought Mike out of his reverie.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“There is a developer who would be willing to take on the property. Of course, they would demolish the house and build a national chain grocery store. From what I’ve seen, this town could really?—”
“Hold up.” Mike leaned forward and punched his finger down on the table. “You’re trying to convince me that letting a developer take over my family’s legacy is good for this town?”
Though he’d lowered his voice, it was just as sharp and biting as if he’d yelled at the man, evidenced by the way Swanson shrank back slightly. Mike continued in a growl.
“You have got to be kidding me. There is nothing my grandparents would hate more, and I mean nothing. To even consider selling to some corporate suits would go against the rural charm of Rocky Ridge and what my grandparents loved about this place.”
When his lawyer didn’t comment, Mike huffed.
“Besides, a grocery store chain would effectively put Cliff’s Country Store out of business. Do you know how long that place has been around? If I agreed to this, you might as well tell the folks here to organize the biggest protest this town has ever seen.”
Swanson’s shoulders relaxed slightly. His expression could only be described as bored. “I suppose we have an answer, then. Unfortunately, from what I can gather, you don’t have the funds to fix the place up. It’s going to take a lot of work. I hope you have buckets of elbow grease hidden away somewhere because you’re going to need it.”
“It’s better than the alternative,” Mike muttered, slumping against his seat.
“You realize that a house comes with other obligations, right? Property taxes being one of them.”
Mike shrugged. “Even if I have to clean it up just to turn around and sell it to a family who wants to try their hand at farming, I’d rather do that than hand this place over to a corporation.”
“I don’t think you understand. I’ve had a few people come out to the house. It’s not just about cleaning the place up. A contractor told me point blank that there needs to be certain repairs before it can be sold. Take the roof, for example?—”
