I blinked once and my mind blanked. “I’m sorry, what?”
The man ran his hand over the back of his head and grimaced slightly, even though he probably shouldn’t have. “It’s an odd stipulation, but it’s in there all the same. The business, the land, the house. All of it goes to the youngest blood relative, but they have to be married.”
“Married?” My face screwed up. It felt impossible to smooth it back out.
“Yes,” he assured me, “married.”
“Fucking hell,” I grunted and sat forward, my head going into my hands for a moment.
Married.
It made no sense.
“But for the first year, things operate as they are.” My head snapped up with his words. “It is only at the year mark when everything involving the business will transfer over.”
I’m not proud of it now, but I exploded out of the chair. “You realize this is fucking crazy, don’t you?”
The look he gave me was quelling, but my heart was racing and my vision was getting a little hazy. I flopped back into the chair and shook my head. My hands came up in surrender because I was just at a loss.
That’s when he passed me the letter without a word. I didn’t need him to tell me; I knew what it was. My hands were shaking as I opened it.
Rook,
I’msorry I’m not there. I’m sure you have questions and are probably angry about the marriage clause in my will. If you think it means I want the farm to go to that jackass, you’re wrong.
It has nothing to do with him and everything to do with you.
You being alone, out on that land, pouring all of yourself into your business, is something I can’t allow. Not anymore. Maybe I was selfish for not insisting earlier and riding your ass when I was still alive.
You deserve the love of a good woman. Let her love you and remind you that dreams can be shared. I want you to have the love I found. Different times, same power.
Find that love.
Embrace it and let it hold you up during the lean years. It’ll become boundless when joy is easy to come by. Keep our family going and teach another generation how to be good stewards of the land we have been blessed with.
I never said it enough. I love you, Rook. I have never once regretted looking into your eyes the day you were left with us and promising to protect while teaching you how to become the man I knew you would become.
I’m proud of you. Go. Build the business you want to build. As long as you keep it honest and do good work without taking too much.
Find love. You have a year.
That was it. Not even a signature. Which was kind of classic him. But nothing about the letter he left me was.
Now I don’t know what to do.
Because there is only one woman I could imagine marrying. Meadow.
Only someone who is a few screws loose would marry someone they hardly know. Especially with a will clause involved. Because I would, of course, have to be honest from the start.
I can’t keep some sort of elaborate cover-up scheme going. It would fall apart. Why do that to myself?
It makes no fucking sense.
There’s no way I can marry Meadow. I don’t think.
When I step out of the grow building, I see Meadow’s car coming up the long drive and head back toward the house. If she’s bringing pizza all the way out here, we should enjoy it relatively hot.
The moment she comes to a stop, our gazes lock and something passes between us. It’s the knowledge of something I’ve been ignoring since the moment I met her.
