The Touch Series Box Set

by t. h. snyder

  I nod my head and wipe away my tears with the sleeve of my shirt. I look over to Keith and see that he’s standing watching us with a look of hurt on his face. I walk over to him and put my arms around his waist.

  “I’m so sorry, Keith. I didn’t mean to yell at you or take my hurt out on you. I’m emotionally unstable right now and I don’t know how to get through a time like this without her. I understand that they’re not coming back to us, but it just hurts so damn much.”

  He pulls me in tighter against his chest and squeezes my back.

  “I know, Em, and I’m sorry for being so inconsiderate of your feelings. I didn’t realize you were still hurting so badly.”

  He leans down to kiss my forehead and I pull away to look up at him.

  “Let’s just go inside and see what Mom and Dad’s fate has left us to work with. If nothing else, we’ll get the answers we need to handle the estate.”

  “That’s my girl, come on.”

  Keith and I follow Riley into the professional building and take the elevator up to the fourth floor. We walk into the attorney’s office and let his receptionist know we’re here for the Kincaid Will reading.

  I take these few moments to gather my thoughts and pull my emotions into check. I need to deal with this better than I have all the others things we’ve done. As much as I hate that they’re gone, I need to move past the grieving process and get back to my life.

  With or without them, my life must go on.

  I look up to see a tall man in a suit walking toward us; there’s no way this guy could be my parent’s attorney. He looks like he’s younger than Riley.

  “Good morning, sorry to meet under these circumstances, I’m Jax Bryant. I’ve been working with your parents for the past few years.”

  My brother extends his hand and introduces us to Mr. Bryant as we all shake hands.

  “Ah, Keith, nice to finally meet you. Thank you so much for getting me the copy of the will. Mr. Kincaid was always so persistent about only having one copy and that he’d be the one to hold onto it for safe keeping.”

  “No trouble at all, I knew right where he kept it and was glad I could be of some assistance during this time.”

  I look over at Keith and smile. I had no idea he’d been asked to keep an eye on my parent’s will. I’m not quite sure why they wouldn’t have asked me or Riley, but I’m sure it’s because they didn’t want to burden either of us with a will in the event they were to pass away suddenly.

  The four of us walk into Mr. Bryant’s office. Immediately my eyes scan the room. The look of his office is quite professional and elegant.

  The walls are painted in a light beige color and he has the room decorated with dark wooden furniture. I notice a leather couch and loveseat off to the side and a few bookcases filled with legal journals and books. The wall behind his desk is covered with various degrees and military memorabilia.

  For a young looking guy, his office is quite impressive.

  “Please, take a seat and we can get started,” he says.

  Keith, Riley and I take a seat over on the leather couch as Mr. Bryant sits on the loveseat with a file folder in his hands.

  I can’t get over this guy.

  He’s an attractive younger man with dark hair and even darker eyes. He’s wearing a navy suit with a crisp white shirt and striped light blue and navy blue tie.

  “Do you have any questions for me before we begin?” he asks, looking between the three of us.

  I shake my head and look over at Riley who shakes his head as well.

  “Okay, well to start, the date of this will is quite a few years ago. Riley, I believe you were still in college at the time your parents drew up this document with my father. I will summarize the key elements of the will for you and then the two of you are more than welcome to read its entirety and ask any questions you may have for me.”

  He seems very business minded and not one to start small talk.

  “Yes, that’s fine with us, thank you,” I reply.

  “Emma McIntyre, you’ve been elected as the executor of the will and have sole power attorney over your parents’ estate, possessions and any other property to which they were entitled. You are granted permission to share such items or the wealth of such items with your sibling, Riley Kincaid.”

  Mr. Bryant takes a breath and looks to the two of us as I grab onto my brother’s hand for moral support.

  “There is one possession of your parents that does not include you, Riley. Per your parents’ last will and testament, the business of RPK Contracting is to be given dual ownership to your older sister Emma McIntyre and her spouse Keith McIntyre.”

  I hear Riley take in a deep breath and his fingers begin to clench mine.

  Ouch. I pull away from the pain of my now broken fingers.

  “I’m sorry, Em, I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he whispers.

  “I know, Riley, we’ll figure this out, okay?”

  He nods his head and gives me a forced smile.

  “Here is a list of items, properties and portions of their financial estate. You will need a death certificate to claim these, especially the life insurance policy and any other financial investments that they had prior to their death.”

  Mr. Bryant looks to both Riley and me and I nod my head in understanding.

  “I know this is a lot to take in and I’m certain the funeral director has ordered you enough death certificates. If for some reason you need additional ones, let my receptionist know and she’ll be more than happy to assist you.”

  “Okay, thank you,” I respond.

  Mr. Bryant nods his head and hands both Riley and me a copy of the will.

  “I’d prefer if you took the time to review this document while you’re both here. That way you can ask questions and I can have you both sign that you witnessed the reading and acknowledged your acceptance of the will.”

  Riley seems to be at a loss for words so once again I choose to speak up, “That’s fine with us.”

  For the next few minutes, Riley and I peruse the will, well, at least I do. Each time I look up at my brother it seems as though he’s staring off into space. I finish reading through the handful of papers and neatly stack them on the table in front of me.

  “Actually, I do have a question Mr. Bryant.”

  “Yes, Emma, what is it?” he asks while sitting back down on the love seat.

  “What if Riley wished to partner with Keith and I in all endeavors related to RPK Contracting? I mean, it’s really his business with my father and I can’t believe my parents would have chosen to keep him away from it.”

  “Well, as I said earlier, this will was dated a few years ago. I’m not too sure what your parents’ intentions were then or prior to their death. If Riley chooses or wishes to be a part of RPK Contracting, that is a deal that you and your spouse will need to work through with him. If ownership is the case, then you are more than welcome to use my legal counsel at your disposal. I was quite fond of your parents and if there’s anything I can do to be of any assistance, please let me know.”

  Keith nudges me in the side and look over at him. He gives me a questionable glare and I scrunch my brows at him. What the hell is his problem? I direct my sights back to Mr. Bryant.

  “We’ll get this figured out and be in touch with you as soon as possible.”

  “Thank you, Emma. Are there any other questions at this time?”

  I look over to Riley and see that he’s still zoned out, looking through the office windows.

  “I don’t believe so; if anything comes up we’ll be sure to contact you.”

  “I’ll need you both to sign the original document and I have copies of everything here for you in these envelopes.”

  I take the pen from him and sign my name then hand the pen over to my brother.

  “Thank you so much for your time today. I am truly sorry for your loss; your parents were good people.”

  I give Mr. Bryant a smile and thank him for his time.
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  The four of us stand and he escorts us out of his office and back to the waiting area.

  “Patty, if Riley or Emma need anything I advised them to contact us.”

  Patty smiles at us and nods her head.

  Together we walk out of the building and out to the parking lot. Riley walks directly to his SUV and gets in, leaving us without a word.

  “Well, that was unexpected,” Keith says.

  “I don’t understand what just happened. RPK Contracting was Daddy and Riley’s dream; why would they take it away from him?”

  “Maybe your parents knew more about him then they let on. Like I told you earlier, he’s been making some major errors on the jobs and his last bid was way under price. We’re going to wind up taking a huge cut on the job because of his lack of accuracy.”

  “It doesn’t make any sense to me; it’s not like him. This is his life; it was his dream to run the business with Daddy.”

  “Em, don’t worry yourself over it now. Let’s get you home so you can relax for the rest of the day. I have to get back to the office and finish up some paperwork for jobs we have lined up these next few weeks. It’s going to get a bit hectic over the next few months until the crews get used to your dad not being around. I need to step in, and quickly, before things get out of hand.”

  “I agree, we can’t let the business fall apart without Daddy.”

  He wraps his arms around me and holds me tightly against him.

  “Okay, babe, let’s get you home.”

  Keith opens the passenger’s side door for me and I hop on into the cab of the truck.

  He’s right—we need to act on things now before it’s too late. I just don’t know what’s up with my little brother. I guess I’ll give him some time to digest the news and call him later today. If he needs me before then he knows how to reach me. I have enough on my plate than to worry about him. It’ll just piss him off that much more.

  Keith drives us back to our house and drops me off before heading back to the office.

  Once at home, I pace around the rooms trying to find something to take my mind off of our latest news.

  The house is clean, the laundry is done, shit, what the hell am I going to do?

  I look over at the key rack hanging in the kitchen. I see Mom and Dad’s key gleaming at me as the sunlight hits the metal on the key ring.

  Well, if this isn’t a sign then I don’t know what the hell is anymore.

  I grab my purse, cell phone and the key ring off the hook. Here goes nothing. Time to head over to the house and see how it feels to be in there without them.

  On the ride over to their house, years of memories flash through my mind. Birthdays, holidays and weekend dinners are some of the fondest thoughts I have of my parents. My mom’s smile always lit up a room and the banter amongst my brother and I would drive them both nuts. But no matter what we did they were always still there to support and comfort us when we were in need.

  I pull into their subdivision. They built this house shortly after Riley was born. This is the place that I called home before I went off to college. As I round the corner their house comes into view and I can see the back of an SUV parked in the driveway.

  As I get closer, I see that it’s Riley’s Durango parked behind Dad’s garage door. I pull up into the driveway and park on Mom’s side.

  Getting out the car, I look around the yard to see if he’s outside. Not catching sight of him, I walk up to the front door, turn the handle and open it.

  “Riley,” I call.

  I hear no response.

  I walk around the first floor, but can’t seem to find him. I begin to make my way up the stairs when I hear sobbing coming from one of the bedrooms.

  “Riley,” I call out again.

  At the top of the stairs I see his old bedroom door shut.

  What a punk.

  I walk to his door and turn the knob. Opening the door, I see him sitting on his old bed. I take the few steps needed to stand in front of him and pull him into a hug.

  “How did you know I’d be here?” he asks while crying.

  I’ve rarely ever seen my little brother cry. Even at the funeral he was strong and supportive of his big sister.

  “I didn’t. I was at home with nothing to do and found myself driving over here. It’s the first time I’ve been in their house since they’ve been gone.”

  “Em, why? I don’t get it. Why would they take me away from the business? That place was all I had. Dad was teaching me everything he knew so that I could run it with him one day.”

  “I honestly don’t know, Riley, but if it’s something you want then we’ll work together to make it happen.”

  He shakes his head and it falls between his knees.

  “Em, I just don’t know anymore. So much has changed over there in the short time since Dad’s been gone. It’s only been a week and already I’m getting pushed back from my crew and my jobs.”

  “Look, Riley, I can’t get between you and Keith on this. That’s something you need to work through with him. I can’t be put in the middle.”

  “Yeah, I know. I’m sorry for saying anything.”

  For the rest of the afternoon my brother and I sit in our parents’ home. Riley was right—so much as happened in such a short amount of time and a lot of decisions need to be made.

  I just really don’t know where to start.

  Lying upstairs in my bed, I listen to the rain as it beats against my bedroom window. I’ve opened and closed my eyes about a hundred times already this morning. I just can’t seem to pull myself out of my cozy slumber.

  It’s supposed to be another hot and gloomy day in the town of Greensboro and I really don’t feel like getting out of bed. I’m supposed to meet Riley for lunch in a few hours and I know I should get my ass up and moving…I just don’t want to quite yet.

  Every day seems to be more bearable than the one before.

  It’s been a little over five months since my parents’ tragic death, and even though I miss them like crazy, we’ve all seemed to move on and start living our day to day lives again.

  Keith is at work from dawn until midnight taking care of the business at RPK Contracting and Riley…well, Riley has sort of pushed himself away from all of us. I’m not sure what he’s been up to, but the distance between us has grown drastically since the day we ran into one another at Mom and Dad’s house. I pretty much had to beg my brother to meet with me today for lunch. By the way Keith talks, all Riley has been doing is screwing up one contract after another.

  It was tough on us both having to go through our parents’ things and sell the house, but neither of us wanted to live there on our own. The memories in that house alone were enough for me to fall apart and cry. Every corner I took—each room we’d walk through—reminded me of them. There was just no way I could keep that house.

  It didn’t take long to sell once it was put on the market, but the day the new owners met to sign the papers was a day that hurt like no other. It was like the last ounce of closure we needed to say our final goodbyes to the place we once called home for so many years.

  I still go visit Mom and Dad every week at the cemetery. I talk to them for hours, but it’s still not nearly the same as looking them in the eyes and having their arms wrapped around me.

  There are still a lot of other aspects of the estate I need to deal with, but honestly I’m in no rush to manage their financials and other possessions. At some point I know I need to get into Dad’s office and go through his paperwork. If only I can get in there long enough without Keith telling me to get out. I’ve tried to become a part of the business, but the more I show up at RPK Contracting the more I’m pushed away by my husband. I honestly don’t know what’s going on over there, but Keith seems to have taken charge and assures me that everything is running smoothly.

  The hours he’s been putting in on the job, plus this project he’s been working on with the guys from the club, has pushed us away from one another all over aga
in. Almost every night I eat dinner alone and by the time he gets home from work I’m already asleep in our bed.

  As much as I want us to go back to where we were five months ago, I don’t know if it’s possible. We’ve had a few events and social functions I’ve attended with him, but I felt more like a guest of his than his wife. We rarely talk, let alone find moments to be intimate. I’ve come to hate the monotonous pattern that has become our lives. He’s distant in more ways than one and I get the sneaky suspicion he’s been hiding something from me. I’d rather not argue with him in the short time we are together, so once again I’m stuck pushing our troubles and uncertainties under the rug.

  I wish my mom was here to talk to, lean on and help me get through these marital troubles. I know Dad worked long hours and had to be away for travel every now and then, but they still managed to keep their love for one another strong.

  What a hot mess we are. I wish I had the ability to look into a crystal ball and know where we’d be in five years. Maybe then I’d have the peace of mind to move on and forget about the small shit we deal with on a daily basis.

  Letting out a heavy sigh, I glance at the clock on Keith’s nightstand. Ugh, it’s already ten o’clock. I need to get my butt in gear and hop in the shower.

  I toss the sheet off my body and swing my legs off the bed. Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I make my way toward the bathroom.

  An hour should be plenty of time to get ready, but I honestly have no motivation to do anything today.

  I turn on the shower jets and strip myself of my tee-shirt and panties. I pull down two fluffy green towels from the rack and hang them on the hook next to the shower. Reaching my hand in to the shower to test the water and feeling it’s just right, I get in and let the warm water hit me in the face. I pour a small dap of strawberry scented shampoo into the palm of my hand and my senses come to life. After washing my hair, I shave my legs and soap up my body with my body wash. It’s amazing how much more awake I feel after a good shower.