by L. A. Casey
Layton eyed me warily. “About what?”
I didn’t exactly know. I just knew I needed to speak to him to make sure we were okay. I was cool with my nanny, Lochlan, my parents, and that left Layton and Kale for me to square away any spot of bother that lingered.
“Sit down, you big girl’s blouse, and I’ll tell you,” I chuckled.
Layton didn’t appreciate the teasing, but he did as I asked and sat across from me at the kitchen table.
“You’re okay, aren’t you?” he asked, his concern for me obvious.
His gaze lingered on my right eyebrow, then my left cheek, a little longer than necessary, and for a split second, I wondered if he thought back to that time that I’d received the faint scars. I hoped not, because I didn’t, and I didn’t want him to either.
I smiled. “Yeah, I just want to make sure we’re okay.”
Layton raised his eyebrows. “Why wouldn’t we be?”
“Because the only times we have spoken over the last few years were when I called at Christmas and on your and Lochlan’s birthday. I don’t blame you if you hate me.”
“Hold the phone,” he said abruptly. “I have never, and will never, hate you, Lane. You’re my baby sister: I love you to death.”
My throat got tight with emotion. “I guess . . . I guess I just figured you would feel some sort of way towards me because things ended badly with us before I left, and we never spoke.”
“I’m just as much to blame for us not speaking.” Layton sighed. “I just hate the thought of you living so far away. Something awful happened to you just down the road, Lane. What if something bad happened to you over in America, and you were without us? I didn’t accept or agree with your decision and just closed myself off. I hated your decision, not you.”
“I’m sorry, Lay. It was really shitty of me to move so far away. I just didn’t think about anything like that at the time.”
He nodded. “I know, but I thought about it a lot. So did Dad, Lochlan, Kale and even Uncle Harry, God rest him.”
I swallowed. “I’m so sorry.”
Layton leaned forward. “I know you still have your troubles with Kale, but will you not consider moving home, or somewhere close by?”
The fact that I was definitely considering it spoke volumes about what I had to do.
I nervously nodded to my brother. “It’s become more and more clear that living in New York isn’t helping me. It’s not fixing me, but maybe coming home will in some way.”
Layton’s eyes lit up. “You have made me so bloody happy, sis.”
I laughed as he pulled me into a standing hug and almost squeezed the breath straight out of me. “It’s not decided yet, but it’s an option. Just keep this between us for now. I have to figure out a lot of stuff in my head.”
My brother pulled back and winked. “You got it.”
I relaxed. “I had a talk like this with Lochlan, and he sprung upon me that he was in a relationship with Ally Day. Are you going to tell me you’re dating Anna O’Leary?”
Layton laughed merrily. “No, I’m not dating anyone, but I’m trying my luck with Samantha Wright. You met her, kind of, when you came home on Friday. I like her, and we went on a date just before Uncle Harry died. I’m hoping we can go out on another one soon. She’s pretty great.”
I smiled. “I’m happy for you, Lay. I’ll have to get to know her.”
“You will,” he said, and smiled.
I hugged him again, bursting with joy that things were really okay between us.
“Layton? Lane?” Lochlan called out. “Come on, we’re leaving.”
We were heading to the family solicitor’s office to hear my uncle’s will. We hadn’t been to my uncle’s house yet to start organising it and clearing things out, and we couldn’t until we heard the will. He might have wanted his belongings donated someplace or items sold and the money donated to charity. Our hands were tied until we heard what he wanted for the future of his possessions.
I drove with Lochlan and Layton into town, and we got there the same time as our parents and nanny. We were expected and didn’t have to hang around the waiting room, so we all filed into the solicitor’s main office. My brothers and father gave us women the chairs, and they sat on the windowsill behind us.
“Nice to see you again, Jeffery,” my father said to the solicitor when he entered the office.
We each shook hands and introduced ourselves. He already knew everyone but me.
“Thank you all for coming. In light of recent events, I want to offer my deepest condolences to your family. Harry . . . he was more than a client; he was a friend, and I’ll miss him greatly. I hope that after today you can find a sense of peace.”
Jeffery looked directly at me when he finished speaking, and I couldn’t respond, so my nanny did in my place.
“Thank you, Mr Twomey,” she said, smiling warmly. “We’re still in a state of shock and are somewhat beside ourselves, but we greatly appreciate your kind words.”
Jeffery bowed his head and smiled before he moved around his desk and seated himself behind it. He lifted up a thin brown folder that had my uncle’s name stamped onto the cover in thick black ink.
“Harry’s will is very simple,” he began. “The simplest will I have ever drawn up for a client.”
I blinked. “That’s good, right? Less paperwork for us to comb through.”
Jeffery chuckled. “I believe he used similar words when we were in talks for his will.”
I grinned. “That’s my Uncle Harry for you.”
Jeffery opened the folder. “I know it was a trip to come into town to see me, but this will be a very quick meeting. The contents of the will for Mr Harry Larson are as follows: his house and all of his belongings, everything in his possession and name, has been left to Miss Lane Edwards, his niece.”
He rattled off my address and other legally accurate information, but my mind stopped working after he said my name. I looked up at Jeffery, my eyebrows raised in shock. “I’m sorry; I think I misheard you. Can you repeat that, please?”
Jeffery clasped his hands together. “Everything that Harry owned has been left in your name, Lane. His money, his house, his entire estate, but only on one condition.”
I blinked my eyes and tried to process the information.
“What is the condition?” I questioned.
Jeffery smiled. “He wrote it in a letter addressed to you.”
I nodded because I didn’t know what else to do or say.
“It is also side-noted in the terms that if any family member contests the will, or Lane fails to keep to the condition, the entire contents of the will would be liquidated for a cash sum and then donated to the fan club of the Liverpool Football Club.”
Everyone in the room gasped in horror.
We were a family that bled red for Manchester United, and any mention of Liverpool Football Club was banned in our house. It was punishable by being disowned, or perhaps even death.
Uncle Harry wasn’t messing around.
“The evil bastard!” Nanny suddenly bellowed, breaking the veil of silence that fell upon the room.
I looked at my nanny and saw that steam was practically pouring from her ears. Her hands were clenched into fists, and her lip curled in anger. I stared at her for a few more moments, then laughed. I covered my mouth with my hands and cackled until she whacked my arm.
“This isn’t funny!” she snapped. “What did he think he was playin’ at? He should burn in hell for even thinkin’ of doin’ such a thing for that disgrace of a club.”
That was it. My parents and my brothers burst into uncontrollable laughter, and damn it if it didn’t feel good to laugh, and to laugh with them.
“He was ensuring his condition was met.” Jeffery smiled, looking like he could barely contain his own laughter. “That’s all.”
My uncle was a bloody gem.
I shook my head, smiling. “I’m not even surprised that he’s done something like this.”
“He was very careful when we drew it up.” Jeffery nodded, grinning. “He got a kick out of the threat when he thought of your reactions.”
My mother grumbled to herself, “The bloody git.”
I chuckled, and so did my brothers.
“We can discuss things in detail before you choose whether or not to abide by the condition, Lane,” Jeffery said. “It is a little complex as Harry said I would have to take your word and trust you when you reply to my question.”
I didn’t even have to think about the next words that left my mouth. “I’ll abide by the condition. My uncle was a smart man, and I know whatever he wants me to do will be the right thing. I trust him.”
Jeffery beamed. “Fantastic. I’ll start the paperwork to have you named as the new property owner of Harry’s home, and you can decide what to do with the contents. I will need your bank information so I can transfer your inheritance from your uncle to you.”
This was surreal.
“I’ll have to email that information to you.”
“No problem,” Jeffery said, and smiled.
I zoned out for a minute or two, enough time to allow myself to comprehend the magnitude of what I’d inherited. I came back to the present just as Jeffery, who was speaking to my nanny, said, “. . . had me draw this up after he found out about his heart condition.”
“Wait a second,” I suddenly gasped. “What do you mean by ‘heart condition’?”
I looked from Jeffery to the faces of my family members.
“He didn’t tell you?” My mother seemed surprised.
I stared at her. “You think I would have stayed away if I knew he’d had a heart condition? Really, Mum? Do you think that little of me to ever believe I’d be so dismissive of someone I love so much?”
My mother shook her head. “No, of course not. I just can’t believe this. How could he not have told you?”
She looked at my father as if he had the answer.
We all looked to Lochlan when he spoke. “Isn’t is obvious?”
“Not to me,” I quipped.
“Why didn’t Kale allow anyone to tell you about Kaden when he died?” my brother asked.
I swallowed. “Because he didn’t want me to come unless it was my decision to.”
Lochlan nodded. “Uncle Harry obviously thought the same as Kale. He knew you better than anyone, and he knew that you weren’t ready to come home, so he kept the heart condition away from you.”
I was furious.
“Why does everyone think they know what’s best for me?” I snapped.
My father sighed. “Because you don’t know what’s best for you, darling. If we step on your toes, it’s because we want to help you.”
I knew that was true, but it didn’t make it any less frustrating.
“What was wrong with him?” I asked, my heart pounding in my chest.
My mother answered me. “He had coronary artery disease.”
I sucked in a pained breath. “Did . . . did you all know he would die?”
If they said yes and still had never contacted me to tell me, I didn’t know what I would do.
“No,” Layton said. “We didn’t. We all only found out about it a few months ago because he had some chest pains here and there. He changed his diet, took on different medication in order to lower the risk of a heart attack, but none of it worked. He refused a procedure to try and remove some plaque because he didn’t want to be stuck up in a hospital. You know how much he hated them.”
“I can’t believe this,” I murmured. “I had no idea.”
“This is a lot to process for you, Lane. Take a minute,” Layton said.
My nanny placed her hand on mine. “The will is done with. You said you’d abide by the condition to keep everything. You don’t have to stress about that; we can get in and clear everything out at any given time. There’s no rush on it.”
“Unless,” Lochlan murmured, “you plan on selling and moving back to America.”
He wasn’t being rude; he was just stating one of my options.
“Do you all think New York is the best place for me?” I asked, my eyes pleading for honesty. I needed some guidance, and the usual two people I sought it from – my best friend and uncle – were gone from this earth.
“No, I don’t think it is,” my mother answered. “I’m not just saying this because I want you to come home, but you’ve been there for six years, and I saw the moment that you looked at Kale in the parlour the night you came home that nothing had changed for you. Whatever you thought would be solved by moving to America hasn’t changed. You still love him.”
She’s right, I thought. I do still love him.
“I’m really confused, and I don’t know what to do,” I admitted. “You’re right, Mum: I do still love Kale, but things are even worse than they were before. He lost Kaden and Drew, and in a lot of ways he lost me too. I’ve changed, and so has he. I don’t want to cause any more hurt. What if being here makes everything worse?”
“What if it doesn’t?” Layton questioned.
My shoulders sagged. “That’s a pretty big ‘if’, Lay.”
He nodded. “It is, but what do you have to lose?”
“Nothing,” I replied.
“Exactly,” he stated. “If nothing comes of you and Kale, at least we will all be here for you. You won’t be alone again, and you’ll never have to go to bed questioning if you’ve done the right thing. You tried being away, and it didn’t help. It’s time to be here and see what happens.”
Layton was right. But could I handle coming home and going back to being just friends with Kale? I didn’t have the answer.
“I’m scared,” I whispered.
My father hunkered down in front of me and pushed loose strands of hair out of my face. “You have to be brave, kid.”
I nodded.
“Can you really see yourself goin’ back ta New York knowin’ everythin’ ye now know?” Nanny asked me.
I envisioned myself going back to New York and falling back into my usual routine while knowing Kale was back home, needing support. I thought about how I’d never receive a phone call, email or Skype invite from my uncle again, and how I’d be on my own whenever I missed him. I wondered if I could deal with only speaking to my family on the phone or over Skype when I felt so loved and supported in their presence. I asked myself one very important question: Can you go back to feeling hollow and numb?
“No,” I said aloud, answering Nanny’s question, and my own.
My family looked at me, and I saw the hope in their eyes.
“What are you saying, Lane?” my father asked. “Be blunt.”
“I can’t go back – I don’t want to go back,” I said, and I knew that when I spoke those words, I truly meant them.
“Lane,” my mother whispered, tears filling her aqua-blue eyes.
I pressed on before the emotion of my decision hit me. “I’m staying here,” I said, and felt the weight of the world fall off my shoulders. “Harry’s house will be my house. I’m moving back here for good. I’m done with being away from you all. Uncle Harry’s passing has shown me that this is where I belong. With you all. I belong at home.”
Multiple arms came around me, and I heard little whimpers of joy and relief that I knew came from my mother. I made sure to hug each of my family members and assured them I was dead serious. I was moving back home.
Holy. Shit.
Roman. His handsome face was the first to enter my mind. I didn’t know why the urge to speak to him was so great, but it was. There was so much that I had to tell him, and I suddenly couldn’t wait to talk to him.
“Roman,” I breathed when my family released me. “This is all a lot to take in, and I want to talk to my friend.”
“You can use the office next door,” Jeffery offered as he stood up from his desk.
I thanked Jeffery and walked into a large adjoining room that had a few boxes stacked on top of one another. I wasted no time in taking out my phone a
nd dialling Roman’s number.
He answered on the fifth ring.
“Hello?” His voice sounded huskier than usual, and it was then that I remembered it was very early in New York City.
“Sorry, Ro.” I winced. “I forgot about the time difference. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“It’s fine,” he assured me after a long yawn. “I’m glad you called. Are you okay?” I was about to answer, when he suddenly inhaled sharply. “Shit, sorry,” he breathed. “You just buried your uncle. Of course you aren’t okay.”
I sat on a lone chair next to the window across the room. “I’m as well as can be expected, but I didn’t call you to talk about that because I’ll just cry, and I’m so fed up with crying.”
“What did you call about then?” he quizzed.
“I don’t know where to begin,” I said on a groan.
“From the beginning?” Roman suggested. “That’s as good a place as any to start.”
“Kale’s son, Kaden,” I blurted out. “He died when he was ten months old, from cancer.”
“Oh, my God.”
“I know.” I swallowed a lump that had formed in my throat. “And Kale made sure I didn’t know about it because he didn’t want me to come home unless it was my choice.”
“Holy shit!”
“Right?” I breathed. “And I just found out that my uncle died of a heart condition that he hid from me. I just found out about it. Like Kale, he didn’t want me coming home unless it was my choice.”
“Lane, fucking hell, that is insane!” Roman stated. “I thought my family was the only one with deep dark secrets, but yours takes the cake.”
I nodded in agreement. “But on a lighter note . . .”
“Girl, what?” Roman gushed.
“Lochlan is engaged!”
Roman sucked in a huge amount of air. “I’m fucking devastated!”
I couldn’t help but giggle. Roman announced his attraction to my brothers when he saw a photo of them on my phone and declared he was only my friend so he could one day meet them.
“The plot thickens,” I said, “because he is engaged to Ally Day.”
Silence.
“Please tell me there is more than one Ally Day in your town.”
I snorted. “Not that I know of.”