smile on Jasper’s face.
We landed in Texas just after noon and I took a rental car straight to the Lockwood house. The longer I waited, the more anxious I’d become. Our flight home wasn’t until Sunday because I didn’t believe the Lockwoods would give me what I needed. I figured I’d need most of the weekend to work on them. Jasper was going to the hotel to check in and I planned to meet him there when I was done.
The drive was forty of the longest minutes of my life. I almost wished I’d let Jasper come with me. It would’ve been nice to have someone to hold my hand while I thought about what to say, how to approach them. How do you tell the family of your late husband that he might’ve fathered a child with an ex-girlfriend almost a decade ago? Especially when said family despised you and had already made it clear that they’d be looking for any possible children just to contest their dead son’s will.
I felt like my life was a daytime soap. All that was missing was some amnesia and a dead twin.
I pulled up the driveway and sat there for a minute, remembering the last time I’d been here. I hadn’t come very often, but there had been a couple of times where I’d decided to go rather than wait at home alone. The last time had been about six months before Allen’s death. His father had gone into the hospital for tests and the whole family had gone with him. Nothing had come from the tests, but I’d spent hours listening to Allen’s mother and siblings sniping about me.
The house was absolutely gorgeous, just like the vineyard, but unlike my home, this one had no warmth. I’d never felt welcome here and Allen being gone just made it worse.
I was hoping that the timing would mean I’d only need to talk to May and Gregory. While Allen’s older brother and his family lived in the family home, Marcus would most likely be out working with Alice’s husband and the Lockwood business partner. The kids would be in school and Celeste would probably be out doing one of her charity things. She wasn’t too bad to deal with though, so if she was home, it wouldn’t make too much of a difference.
I knocked on the door and, a minute later, the door was opened by an older gentleman in a full suit despite the fact that it was in the eighties. November in Texas was much warmer than it had been back home.
“I need to speak with May or Gregory.” I gave him the most pleasant smile I could muster. “I’m Shae.”
Based on the way the man’s mouth tightened, I didn’t need to explain any further who I was. He nodded briefly and stepped aside, indicating that I should come inside. He showed me to the front sitting room and then left to go get May. The fact that he’d put me in there spoke volumes about how the Lockwoods viewed me. I wasn’t family. I was a guest.
“Shae.” May’s voice was cold. “What are you doing here?”
I gave her a small smile, just as icy as hers. “You may want to sit down for this.”
She scowled, but did as I suggested. Her posture was stiff and straight, lips pursed and knees primly crossed, every inch of her telling me that my presence wasn’t welcome.
“Do you remember a young woman named Aime Vargas?” I began. “She dated Allen before I met him.”
“Yes, I remember.” May gave me a smug look. “I liked her .”
I ignored the insult.
“She came to my house earlier this week.” I tried not to let May see me twisting my fingers together. “And she had a little girl with her. Eight-and-a-half years-old, named Jenny. Aime’s claiming that Allen is Jenny’s father.”
Predictably, May’s lips curved up into a smile. “That must’ve been quite a shock, to know that Allen had loved someone enough to have a child with her.”
A pang went through me, but I pushed it aside. “She’s filing a lawsuit and wants a portion of Allen’s estate.” I figured the money part of it might get her attention.
Apparently, I was wrong. She cared more about hating me than
We landed in Texas just after noon and I took a rental car straight to the Lockwood house. The longer I waited, the more anxious I’d become. Our flight home wasn’t until Sunday because I didn’t believe the Lockwoods would give me what I needed. I figured I’d need most of the weekend to work on them. Jasper was going to the hotel to check in and I planned to meet him there when I was done.
The drive was forty of the longest minutes of my life. I almost wished I’d let Jasper come with me. It would’ve been nice to have someone to hold my hand while I thought about what to say, how to approach them. How do you tell the family of your late husband that he might’ve fathered a child with an ex-girlfriend almost a decade ago? Especially when said family despised you and had already made it clear that they’d be looking for any possible children just to contest their dead son’s will.
I felt like my life was a daytime soap. All that was missing was some amnesia and a dead twin.
I pulled up the driveway and sat there for a minute, remembering the last time I’d been here. I hadn’t come very often, but there had been a couple of times where I’d decided to go rather than wait at home alone. The last time had been about six months before Allen’s death. His father had gone into the hospital for tests and the whole family had gone with him. Nothing had come from the tests, but I’d spent hours listening to Allen’s mother and siblings sniping about me.
The house was absolutely gorgeous, just like the vineyard, but unlike my home, this one had no warmth. I’d never felt welcome here and Allen being gone just made it worse.
I was hoping that the timing would mean I’d only need to talk to May and Gregory. While Allen’s older brother and his family lived in the family home, Marcus would most likely be out working with Alice’s husband and the Lockwood business partner. The kids would be in school and Celeste would probably be out doing one of her charity things. She wasn’t too bad to deal with though, so if she was home, it wouldn’t make too much of a difference.
I knocked on the door and, a minute later, the door was opened by an older gentleman in a full suit despite the fact that it was in the eighties. November in Texas was much warmer than it had been back home.
“I need to speak with May or Gregory.” I gave him the most pleasant smile I could muster. “I’m Shae.”
Based on the way the man’s mouth tightened, I didn’t need to explain any further who I was. He nodded briefly and stepped aside, indicating that I should come inside. He showed me to the front sitting room and then left to go get May. The fact that he’d put me in there spoke volumes about how the Lockwoods viewed me. I wasn’t family. I was a guest.
“Shae.” May’s voice was cold. “What are you doing here?”
I gave her a small smile, just as icy as hers. “You may want to sit down for this.”
She scowled, but did as I suggested. Her posture was stiff and straight, lips pursed and knees primly crossed, every inch of her telling me that my presence wasn’t welcome.
“Do you remember a young woman named Aime Vargas?” I began. “She dated Allen before I met him.”
“Yes, I remember.” May gave me a smug look. “I liked her .”
I ignored the insult.
“She came to my house earlier this week.” I tried not to let May see me twisting my fingers together. “And she had a little girl with her. Eight-and-a-half years-old, named Jenny. Aime’s claiming that Allen is Jenny’s father.”
Predictably, May’s lips curved up into a smile. “That must’ve been quite a shock, to know that Allen had loved someone enough to have a child with her.”
A pang went through me, but I pushed it aside. “She’s filing a lawsuit and wants a portion of Allen’s estate.” I figured the money part of it might get her attention.
Apparently, I was wrong. She cared more about hating me than
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