he said. “It just wouldn’t make sense otherwise. Your uncle’s part of the deal was recorded. So why not your dad’s?”
Kaitlyn gave him a smile. “You’re right. It’s bound to be there.”
Chapter 10
Kaitlyn’s stomach flipped as she and Wayne stood looking at the safe deposit box that the banker had left with them.
“Let’s do it.” Wayne reached for the box.
She held her breath as he slid the top off and then she slowly let it out when the box was opened.
A small velvet box that looked to be quite old was inside along with old gold coins, something that looked like a medal, and several pieces of paper.
She reached for the yellowed white velvet box and opened it. Inside was her mother’s wedding ring nestled in aged white velvet. It was a round solitaire diamond surrounded by tiny stones, kind of like a flower with petals. The diamonds caught the light and sparkled and a lump rose up in her throat. She still remembered her mother wearing the ring and how much she had loved looking at it as a young girl.
“Look at this.” Wayne handed Kaitlyn a pin. She held out her hand and he dropped it into her palm. “A service medal.”
“Daddy was in the army in Vietnam before he and Mama adopted me.” She looked it over. “I didn’t know he had been awarded a medal.”
“Your father was a brave man, honey. This is the Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest award you can get in the Army. Only the Congressional Medal of Honor is higher.”
She nodded. “I had no idea. He never talked about the war or mentioned his medal. Isn’t that the same medal you received?”
Wayne nodded and examined the coins. “These are solid gold. Probably worth about fifty grand or more with today’s gold prices.”
The value of the gold had her dropping her jaw. Her daddy had provided her with more assets than she had realized.
She grasped the papers next and drew them out. The first pages were stock certificates. She set those down and found her birth certificate next. Of course it showed her adoptive parents on it even though they weren’t her biological parents. Something about seeing the certificate made her smile.
Like any adopted child, Kaitlyn often wondered about her biological parents but she hadn’t yet felt the need to search for them. Maybe one day she would. All she knew was that her biological mother had been a teenager who’d given her up at birth. Kaitlyn knew nothing about her father and the records had been sealed.
She set the birth certificate down and found another copy of her father’s will, leaving everything to her. Her heart beat faster as she went through every page of the will and reached the last page in the small pile of papers that had been in the file box.
“It’s not here.” Her voice came out in a hoarse whisper as she saw that the last page was just the list of material possessions that were to go to Kaitlyn.
She grabbed the pile with the stock certificates and went through everything again even though she knew she hadn’t missed anything. She met Wayne’s gaze as he moved his hand to her shoulder and started rubbing it.
“I really thought something would be here.” Deflated, Kaitlyn absently stacked the papers so that the edges were even.
Wayne put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her to him.
She rubbed her forehead. “I have to be out in just a couple of days.”
“You still have a chance—you have the number to your father’s old attorney.” Wayne hugged her one more time and then they emptied out the safe deposit box. “And Drake might be able to get that injunction.”
With her heart and soul feeling heavier, she slipped everything into her purse before they closed out the account and headed back to the ranch.
• • •
“I could use a drink of tea.” Kaitlyn pushed hair off her forehead. “How about you?”
“Sounds good.” Wayne walked with her as she headed toward the kitchen. “Have you had a chance to track
Kaitlyn gave him a smile. “You’re right. It’s bound to be there.”
Chapter 10
Kaitlyn’s stomach flipped as she and Wayne stood looking at the safe deposit box that the banker had left with them.
“Let’s do it.” Wayne reached for the box.
She held her breath as he slid the top off and then she slowly let it out when the box was opened.
A small velvet box that looked to be quite old was inside along with old gold coins, something that looked like a medal, and several pieces of paper.
She reached for the yellowed white velvet box and opened it. Inside was her mother’s wedding ring nestled in aged white velvet. It was a round solitaire diamond surrounded by tiny stones, kind of like a flower with petals. The diamonds caught the light and sparkled and a lump rose up in her throat. She still remembered her mother wearing the ring and how much she had loved looking at it as a young girl.
“Look at this.” Wayne handed Kaitlyn a pin. She held out her hand and he dropped it into her palm. “A service medal.”
“Daddy was in the army in Vietnam before he and Mama adopted me.” She looked it over. “I didn’t know he had been awarded a medal.”
“Your father was a brave man, honey. This is the Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest award you can get in the Army. Only the Congressional Medal of Honor is higher.”
She nodded. “I had no idea. He never talked about the war or mentioned his medal. Isn’t that the same medal you received?”
Wayne nodded and examined the coins. “These are solid gold. Probably worth about fifty grand or more with today’s gold prices.”
The value of the gold had her dropping her jaw. Her daddy had provided her with more assets than she had realized.
She grasped the papers next and drew them out. The first pages were stock certificates. She set those down and found her birth certificate next. Of course it showed her adoptive parents on it even though they weren’t her biological parents. Something about seeing the certificate made her smile.
Like any adopted child, Kaitlyn often wondered about her biological parents but she hadn’t yet felt the need to search for them. Maybe one day she would. All she knew was that her biological mother had been a teenager who’d given her up at birth. Kaitlyn knew nothing about her father and the records had been sealed.
She set the birth certificate down and found another copy of her father’s will, leaving everything to her. Her heart beat faster as she went through every page of the will and reached the last page in the small pile of papers that had been in the file box.
“It’s not here.” Her voice came out in a hoarse whisper as she saw that the last page was just the list of material possessions that were to go to Kaitlyn.
She grabbed the pile with the stock certificates and went through everything again even though she knew she hadn’t missed anything. She met Wayne’s gaze as he moved his hand to her shoulder and started rubbing it.
“I really thought something would be here.” Deflated, Kaitlyn absently stacked the papers so that the edges were even.
Wayne put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her to him.
She rubbed her forehead. “I have to be out in just a couple of days.”
“You still have a chance—you have the number to your father’s old attorney.” Wayne hugged her one more time and then they emptied out the safe deposit box. “And Drake might be able to get that injunction.”
With her heart and soul feeling heavier, she slipped everything into her purse before they closed out the account and headed back to the ranch.
• • •
“I could use a drink of tea.” Kaitlyn pushed hair off her forehead. “How about you?”
“Sounds good.” Wayne walked with her as she headed toward the kitchen. “Have you had a chance to track
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