“Um, yes, I want to read it now,” she said in aduhtone that reminded him of Grace.
He laughed, stepping behind the front desk and reaching under it. “Well, I just happen to have it handy.”
They settled in the library, where they could hunker over a desk. The window above it had a stunning view of the lake when the blinds weren’t pulled.
Levi waded through the legalese of the first page, Mia leaning in close. He was usually pretty good with contracts, but the sweet scent of her was a major distraction. He missed having a woman in his life. He missed the quiet conversations, the subtle touches, the stirring of want.
He tried to remind himself it was the famed Mia Emerson inspiring these cravings, but his heart didn’t care. Never mind that she was so far out of his league she might as well be in a different galaxy.
“Finished?” Mia asked softly.
Levi was only halfway done, but obviously she wasn’t having the same difficulties.
He flipped the page and redoubled his efforts. But this page was only about the executor of the will. “We could probably just skip this section.”
“I’m all for that. I’m about to doze off. These lawyers, yeesh.”
He flipped the page. “Here it is: Distribution of Personal Property.”
He read the paragraphs detailing the Livingstons’ property. They’d wanted the inn sold at auction and the proceeds to go to First Community Church. The contents of the inn were to be auctioned off separately, the proceeds going to Bluebell Baptist Church Camp, a ministry that was still situated on the lake.
He flipped the page, ready for more, but there wasn’t anything else about their assets.
He sighed. “That’s it, I guess. They didn’t have an itemized list at all.”
“Are you sure?”
He skimmed the rest of the document. “Yeah, it’s a pretty simple will as far as the assets go.”
“So there’s no mention of the necklace at all? How could that be?”
Levi lifted a shoulder. “There must not have been anyone she had in mind for it. Are you sure she didn’t give it to your mother?”
“I’m positive. They wrote her off after she left home. Besides, if my mom had a piece of jewelry that rare, she would’ve worn it every occasion she could.”
“The necklace must’ve gone in the estate auction then.”
“I guess that’s possible. But what if that’snotwhat happened? Think about it. They were running an inn. With all the strangers coming and going Paul found a place to hide it away somewhere. Levi... the necklace really could still be in this house somewhere.”
He didn’t want to get his hopes up. But he had to admit he’d expected to find the necklace listed in the will. Would Dorothy have hidden it somewhere on the property? And wouldn’t they have come across it in the renovations?
“Is there any part of the house you didn’t remodel?” Mia was obviously on the same wavelength.
“Very little, and that’s only accounting for the changeswe’vemade. My sisters’ room is original. Also my parents’ room—where you’re staying. It already had an en suite bathroom, so we only did cosmetic things in there. The library wasn’t touched or the basement. And there’s an attic.”
“But it was cleared out?”
“Yes, we store Christmas decorations and junk up there.” He scratched the back of his neck, something coming to him. “There is another section of the attic. I never really noticed it until we were renovating upstairs. It’s accessed through the girls’ bedroom closet. I don’t remember anyone ever going up there though.”
Mia’s eyes lit up. “Let’s go look!”
Levi looked at her crutches. “No way you’re getting up a ladder.”
“Well, I’ll shine a light for you or something.”
She was smiling that pretty smile of hers and looking so hopeful. So different from the weary look she’d worn when she’d come downstairs.
Well, what else was he supposed to do? “All right. I’ll sneak out to the shed for a ladder.”
