“I spoke to the nurse in charge, and she said you’d been in the room before she died and the two of you had been arguing. Then, a few days later, the accountant called to say that you’d already dealt with the inheritance and there was nothing left. What was I supposed to think?”
“Mum left a will. Did you know that?”
“What? Did she?” Charmaine didn’t recall anyone talking about a will.
“If you’d asked more questions, you would’ve heard I didn’t claim the inheritance—I went to their office to get the will but I didn’ttakeanything. I’m the executor.”
“Really? Is that true?”
“I can’t believe you’d think that of me.”
She felt foolish then. Perhaps she’d jumped to conclusions about Sean. He’d been a troubled teenager and had given their mother no end of grief for much of his life. But the things she’d suspected him of doing were outlandish when spoken openly in the light of day.
“I’ve known you a long time,” she objected.
“Yes, but I’ve changed. I thought you could see that.”
Maybe he wasn’t the boy he’d been — the boy who resorted to violence if he didn’t get his way, who would steal money from his mother’s purse for himself and his friends to spend on drugs or shoes, whatever took their fancy at the time.
“I can see it,” she admitted. “I’m sorry if I misjudged you.” He might’ve been a troubled teen, but it didn’t make sense for him to turn against the woman who’d always taken him in and helped him when he needed it, even if they had fought incessantly for years.
“I loved Mum. You know that.”
“You and Mum never got along, and I suppose I feared the worst. I guess I know you wouldn’t hurt Mum. I didn’t really believe it until you disappeared. Then I figured you were running from the police for a reason.”
He reached for her hand and squeezed it. “I’m your brother. I would never hurt you or Mum. I didn’t disappear—I went away for a while to clear my head. I was grieving, not thinking clearly. Surely you of all people can understand the need to escape.”
“You’re not on the run?”
He laughed. “No, I’m not on the run. But I do need a place to stay.”
“You can stay with me—for a little while, at least. I don’t have much room, but the couch is yours, if you’d like it.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it. It won’t be for long—only a few days. I promise.”
“That’s fine. It’ll be nice to have the company.”
“I’ve got a letter for you from Mum’s solicitor.” He picked up his backpack from the floor and unzipped it, pulled out a folder containing a sheet of paper and handed it to her.
She read it quickly. It was a letter outlining how she was named as a beneficiary of her mother’s will and she should contact the solicitor to find out more. She stared at it in disbelief. All this time, she’d thought the worst of her brother. It seemed she’d been completely wrong about him. She should’ve stayed in town after the funeral, but she hadn’t known about the will or the solicitor. The accountant must’ve been in the dark as well, since she hadn’t said anything about it.
“Thanks, Sean,” Charmaine said. “It’s hard for me to understand how this all happened. I thought I would’ve known if Mum had a will or hired a solicitor.”
“She told me about it, since I’m the executor,” Sean replied.
“I’m glad she included someone in her plans.” Charmaine folded her arms across her chest. “She was always so secretive. At least she was with me. If I asked her questions, she’d change the subject or get snippy with me to force me to let it go.”
“She was a handful,” Sean admitted. “I reacted badly, though. You took it in stride.”
“I buried my feelings. Not quite the same thing.” She grunted. “But I’m learning to put it behind me and move forward. Sunshine and sand are good remedies.”
“I like your way of thinking.” Sean grinned. “So, why did you come here? Was it only for the sun and sand, or do you have some other reason for selecting this small tropical island in the middle of nowhere as your new home?”
She drank the last of her cappuccino and set the empty mug back in its saucer. “Do you recall Mum ever mentioning this place? About Coral Island?”
He shook his head, brow furrowed. “No. Do you?”
“She mentioned it once. She was talking about her sister — apparently, our aunt lived here.”
