“He also said he thought you’d met someone.”
Her blush was instant and the thought of Wesley holding her flooded her mind.What was even happening?She didn’t belong in Sandy Point or with Wesley Hart.Her life was in Atlanta and this will would be the final nail in the coffin of her relationship with her family.They would definitely disown her now.
“I’m going to stay at the inn tonight, but I’ll be back for the reading of the will tomorrow.”
“If anyone bothers you tonight, please don’t hesitate to call me or the police.This inheritance is bound to upset some folks,” Declan said, standing.“But once the shock wears off, I hope they’ll all accept it gracefully.”
“We can hope.”She reached out to shake his hand.“Should I leave these with you?”
“You can take them with you, or I can secure them until you have access to a safe.”
“A safe?”
“Typically I recommend a safe deposit box, or a fireproof safe for documents like deeds.They can be replaced but it’s a lot of paperwork and a pain.”
“Okay, I’ll leave them with you for now.But I guess I’ll go to the bank tomorrow after everything is official.Should I reach out to the funeral home?”She held on to Pops’s letter but placed the rest of the documents back on his desk.
Declan passed her another piece of paper with all the funeral arrangements and a schedule.Pops would be buried the day after the reading of his will, next to his loving wife just outside of town at a cemetery on Lighthouse Lane, that overlooked the water below.
“He really did think of everything.”She stood and turned to leave but stopped in her tracks to face Declan.“Thank you for helping my grandfather.”
“I was happy to work with him—he was a kind and brilliant man.If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to call me.”
“Thanks.”
Back outside the sun was shining but dread settled in her gut.She had to face her family tomorrow for the reading of the will and she had a funeral to attend.But then she could go home.Atlanta was still home, right?Getting in her truck she wondered what Pops thought her answer to his questions were.Where would she go and what would she do?She’d spend her days writing, but she already did that.But she would also live near the water, and have an office with a great view and a library full of books.Immediately Pops’s library came to mind.It had always been her favorite place in the world.She could see the water from there while sitting in a library full of books.During college she would spend every summer in Sandy Point, and sit in Pops’s library where she would write, and drafted what became her first bestselling book.Those were some of the best summers, visiting with her grandparents, sailing in the afternoons, and spending every other moment in Pops’s library writing.
Shaking her head, she realized she hadn’t moved from where she was parked outside Declan’s office.She’d said she was going to go to the inn, but she changed her mind.There was only one place she wanted to be, and it was hers now.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Wesley
My Kind of Trouble
Some days werequiet, and others seemed to roll in like a hurricane that lingered.Today Wes felt like he was in the eye of the storm.There was a bad accident on Beach Boulevard, again, and several mangled cars were just cleared via tow trucks off the winding narrow road.It was the same road his parents died on that fateful night almost twenty years ago.This time he had multiple people taken to the hospital, and a traffic jam.Although the snow was melting, the extra water was flooding parts of the road and people were overestimating their driving skills.Then there was a fire in one of the old barns out at the Banks estate, which looked a lot like arson.
“Who would light your barn on fire, Miles?”Wes asked Miles Banks who stood watching the fire department douse what was left of the old barn.
“The funny thing is, it was empty.We built a new one a few years ago, and all the horses, feed, tack, and farm equipment are kept there.I’d been meaning to have this one torn down.”
“Well I guess they saved you the trouble—even still I’m a little worried this was just a warning.”
Miles grimaced and shook his head.
“You need to tell me who you think may have done this.We can’t have some vigilante burning down any ole thing they want.Even if it was empty.”
“Those Baker boys did ask to buy a few acres from us last month, said they needed the extra land for grazing their goats.But I can’t imagine they’d do this.”
“No, Scotty Baker would probably disown his boys if either of them tried to step out of line.”
“Anyone else?”
“You know we’re not exactly the most popular family in town, but I can’t think of anyone who would take the time to drive out here and burn our old decrepit barn.No disgruntled employees, and no enemies as far as the estate is concerned.”
“What’s that mean?”
“You know my brother Tyler likes to make enemies but those are usually in business, or the city.”
