Page 44 of Key West Homecoming

Jake nodded once.

There was no judgment in his face, which somehow made Emma feel worse.

She looked toward the yard. The lilies along the fence were open, and the shell path had been raked clean. Yesterday she’d wondered how much of the cottage had survived because of Jake. Sitting beside him now, she was fairly certain of the answer.

“About two weeks ago, the buyer started a title search,” Emma said. “Their broker found the later will in the property records and saw my name. She called me Sunday night.”

“That’s why you came down here.”

“That’s why I got on the first flight I could.”

Jake took another drink of coffee.

Emma knew the next part would be harder.

“The buyer is a short-term rental company.”

His eyes came back to hers.

“They don’t keep long-term tenants,” she said.

Jake didn’t say anything.

“The letter you received said you could stay after the sale.”

“I remember.”

“It didn’t come from the buyer. Their broker confirmed that yesterday, and it didn’t come from her office either.”

Jake set his mug beside his foot. He did it carefully, as though spilling coffee was the one thing in the conversation he could control.

“Arthur sent it.”

“That’s what we believe.”

“To keep me quiet.”

Emma nodded. “At least long enough for the sale to close.”

Jake looked out at the yard.

She watched his eyes move from the lilies along the fence to the shell path and then to the young key lime tree. Three years of his life were sitting in front of him. He had painted the porch, cared for the garden and mailed a rent check every month to a man he believed had the right to collect it.

Emma knew what it felt like to discover that Arthur had been lying. She had only been living with that knowledge for a few days. Jake had just learned that the lie had been going on for years.

“Three years,” he said.

Emma waited.

“I’ve been sending him money every month for three years.”

“I know.”

“And if the sale had gone through?”

Emma wished there were a gentler answer.

“You probably would have had to leave.”