Back at the cottage, the dark sedan remained in place.Dani almost considered shooting her middle finger at him, but decided that was too childish, though it made her smile.“Maybe I should offer the guy some water.If he’s going to sit there all day, he’s going to get thirsty.”
Lawson guided her into the cottage after she unlocked it.“That’s his problem.”
Which made her smile.Lawson wasn’t feeling kind toward the man at all.She’d see how she was feeling after lunch.
As they made sandwiches, they batted around ideas of what Dani might want to ask the lawyers when she spoke to them.
Ultimately, she decided it would be smarter to start with the lawyers from her mother’s firm.Until she knew more, she didn’t even know the right questions.
After they ate, Jolie and Ford left, giving her more privacy to make the calls.
Lawson pulled her in for a hug.“Do you want me to leave too?If it’s easier for you to deal with this alone, I’ll head out.”
She shook her head and leaned into his warmth.“No.I’d rather you stayed, if that’s okay.I’m going to be nervous either way, but with you and Bibi here, I’ll be more grounded.And you can help me remember what I want to ask and help me interpret the lawyer talk.”
He chuckled.“I doubt I’m much good at lawyer-speak, but two heads are always better than one.”
They set up at her small bistro table with the letter and a notebook where she’d written questions to ask.
Lawson pulled out his phone.“Let’s look up this firm first, to make sure it’s legit and that the number is real.”
Shock had her gaping.“I never would have thought of that possibility.”
It took only a few minutes to confirm that the law firm and phone number were legitimate.They had excellent reviews from customers.That was a relief.While they represented her family’s business, a legitimate lawyer wouldn’t lie to her about anything.
When the call went through, she spoke to the receptionist.“This is Daniella Richards.I received a letter from your firm this morning and would like to speak to someone about it.”
“May I ask what this is regarding?”
“Frances Bishop Cosmetics.”
A minute later, the receptionist connected her with Shirley Mitchell.Assuming she was the Mitchell in the firm’s name, it appeared Dani’s family was a large client.
“Hello, Ms.Richards.How may I help you?”
Dani took a deep breath.“I received a letter from your firm asking for my signature to approve a merger and name change for Frances Bishop Cosmetics.”
“Is there a problem?”
That made her smile.“Until the letter, I didn’t know I had any rights in the company.Can you tell me when I was given these rights?”
There was a beat of silence.Then the woman asked if she would wait while she looked up the information.
It took about ten minutes to get the answer she wanted.
Apparently, Frannie B had included Dani’s rights in the company in her will and in the paperwork for the business itself.That had been when Dani had been six, although her rights didn’t kick in until she was twenty-one.
The lawyer wouldn’t tell her whether her brother and sister had the same rights because of privacy restrictions.
If Dani didn’t approve of the changes, they wouldn’t happen.It had been a lot of responsibility to assign to a child.When she hung up, Dani thumped back on the couch.“I can’t believe she trusted me with decisions about her business when I was six.”
Lawson angled on the couch, so he was facing her.“Sounds like you and your great-grandmother had a special connection.”
She smiled.“Unless she did the same for all three of us.”
“Do you want to call your sister or brother to find out?”
That was the question.She needed more information about the situation before she decided.“I don’t know.It’s probably better to call my mother.She’s the one who sent the courier, so she’s the one with all the information.She’ll know the state of the company.But will she be honest with me?Or will she only tell me what she wants me to know?”
