Complicated Relationships (The Southern Devotion Series Book 3)

by McClung, Amy

  "You won’t hear me complain," she replied with a wink.

  The pool area was pretty loud with a few young kids screaming and splashing. Macy sat in the corner of the deep end talking to another girl that appeared to be her age. She waved us over as we stepped out of our shoes and went to slip into the water. As we approached, the other girl swam away back to her family. "We didn't mean to chase off your friend."

  "It's no big deal. She saw me by myself and wanted to chat. She's from Wisconsin, and they're here for the beach and to visit Disney. I told her we were here to see family."

  "Have you thought about talking to dad?"

  "I don't want to."

  "That's enough for me to hear."

  Lanie interjected, "While you two were in there talking, I called the funeral home. We are to meet with the director first thing in the morning to start the arrangements. For tonight, why don’t we swim for a bit and then order room service and relax."

  The crowd at the pool died down after about an hour, and we took advantage of the empty room to swim for a little while longer. Once our skin started to prune, we decided it was time to head upstairs again.

  Room service delivered an hour after we ordered. We had burgers, chicken tenders, fries, and ice cream for dessert. My phone rang in the middle of our meal, another number I didn't recognize but with a Florida area code. I stepped away in case somehow our father had found my number. "Tristan Jacobs," I answered, to avoid the question later.

  "Mr. Jacobs, my name is Harvey Windsor. I'm your mother's attorney and the executor of her last will. I'd like to offer my condolences for your mother's passing."

  "Thank you, I appreciate that."

  "Also, I need to speak with you regarding the details of her will. How long will you be in town?"

  "Only for two more days, long enough for the funeral," I responded. The idea that my mother had a will never occurred to me. I can't imagine what assets she might still have to leave for anyone.

  "I'm booked pretty solid for the next few days, but I'll have my secretary reschedule a few appointments if you could meet with me tomorrow?"

  "Sure." He gave me the address of his office and time that would work out perfectly to where we could go straight there after making arrangements.

  Macy's phone rang while I finished up with the attorney. When she finished talking to whoever was on the line, she handed it to me. "It's MJ."

  "Hey, Mary Jane."

  "Macy told me about today. I'm sorry, T. Is there anything I can do?"

  "No, but thanks. I was on the phone with my mother's attorney when you called. I heard you beep in but couldn’t change over."

  "It's fine, sweetie. How's Lanie holding up?"

  I stepped out of the room to answer, "She's been a lifesaver, for both Macy and me. She's one of a kind Mary Jane. We've barely been together for long, and this family drama does not spook her. I've been thinking a lot the last couple of days, about the future. I think I'm going to ring shop when I get home. What do you think?"

  A loud squeal resonated from the line causing the connection to cut out. "In case that was unclear, I think it's a fantastic idea."

  I laughed for the first time in two days. "I love you, MJ."

  The door shut behind me, and I turned to see Lanie standing there. "I wanted to make sure you were okay." She must have only heard the last part of the conversation, and I could see the hurt in her eyes.

  "I'm good, give me one second," I said to Lanie. Back on the phone, I said, "I'll call you tomorrow if I get the chance, to let you know how things go with the attorney and the funeral home. We'll come see you when we get home too. Take care of yourself."

  "You too. Love you, T."

  Placing the cell phone in my pocket, I prepared to explain myself to Lanie. Before I could speak, she explained, "It's weird to hear you say you love her because I know the history you have. That being said, it throws me for a loop but I'm not jealous, and I do understand it. Let's move on now."

  Again, I felt myself laughing for a change, and it felt good. "Moving on. Mind if we call it a night? I'm exhausted."

  "That sounds perfect. Macy's pretty tired too. Her eyelids were heavy during dinner. You both need a good night's sleep."

  Macy asked to stay at the hotel the next day while we made the arrangements and spoke with the attorney. I didn't argue with her on the matter. She had been through enough emotional turmoil this weekend already. The director was able to schedule the funeral for the next day. It would be a very small occasion, immediate family only. After details had been finalized, I texted my father with the particulars and added that Macy didn't want to speak with him. He responded stating he would respect our wishes on that matter.

  When I arrived at the attorney's office, I expected to find my father sitting there too but he wasn’t. Mr. Windsor welcomed us inside and motioned to the seats in front of his desk. "Are you Mrs. Jacobs?"

  "Not yet, this is Lanie, my girlfriend." I didn’t mean to say not yet; it came out before I could stop myself. Lanie seemed pleasantly surprised at the answer. "When did my mother create this will?"

  "After your little sister's birth, she decided to get the genetic testing to determine if she had the signs that could point to Alzheimer's. She had found that it had occurred to several relatives in her genealogy. When her test came back showing a high risk for the disease, she wanted to protect the two of you if something happened to her."

  "What about my father?"

  "She had strict instructions that if they were divorced then he was to be excluded from any details of these proceedings."

  "I don't understand. They seemed happy, why would she assume they'd be divorced?"

  Mr. Windsor closed opened a file and pulled an envelope from it. "Inside this envelope is the reason. Your mother had information in here and wanted to leave this with the will including a few other things in the case that he tried to contest the contents."

  "Can I see what is inside?"

  Lanie placed her hand on top of mine. "Are you sure you want to know? It's obviously something that proves him unfit; he abandoned her in the worse part of her life, do you need more reason to detest the man?"

  "Hang on to the envelope in case we need it later. Maybe we'll get lucky, and he'll leave us alone. What's in the will?" I didn’t need material things; I simply wanted this day over with already.

  "Your mother set up a trust for you and Macy. You each have a fund with twenty thousand dollars in it. Any bank accounts were to be transferred to you in the event of her death as a divorced woman. The total of her bank accounts adds up to a sum of seventy thousand dollars."

  "How did she have all of this money? We grew up cutting coupons, making toys from trash, and wearing hand me downs from cousins. I don’t understand where this came from?"

  "Besides being her attorney, I was your mother's friend. She felt that saving for your college and future was more lucrative than giving you expensive toys and clothes as a child. As for the account she held for your father, I believe she hoped he would stick by her in the end. She didn’t want to exclude him if he did. Unfortunately, she gave him more faith than he deserved it seemed. As for Macy, I understand you have custody of her?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "Then you will be in charge of her inheritance until she turns eighteen."

  "Wait, she'll be fifteen soon, but she's in her senior year of high school. She'll be in college before she turns eighteen. Can we use the money for that?"

  "My recommendation would be to use the main account and when she turns eighteen, give her control over her money through a bank account at that time. The stipulation shows no access to her account until her eighteenth birthday. Fighting that would probably take more time than it's worth."

  "Fair enough. I'm sorry, I don’t know what to say. I'm in shock by this whole thing."

  "I understand completely. All I need from you is a few signatures, and I can turn everything over to you once the paperwork is complete. Because your
father was named in the will, I have to inform him as to why. He'll be meeting me later today. He asked for a separate meeting for your sake that is a good sign. But, if he decides to contest the will, things could get ugly."

  "I understand. Will you call me after your meeting?"

  "I will." He stood and extended his hand to me. As I grasped his hand in a firm shake, he stated with sincerity, "Your mother was a good woman. I'm sorry you and Macy didn't have more time with her."

  In the car, Lanie reached over to take my hand before I turned the key in the ignition. "Not yet?" she asked with a small hopeful smile.

  "You caught that, huh?"

  "A little bit. Do you think we're marriage material?"

  Bringing her hand to my mouth I gave it a soft kiss, "I hope so."

  "Me too," she replied softly.

  Chapter Thirty

  It's so hard to say goodbye

  The funeral went as well as any funeral could. A few of the nurses came to pay their respects. Other than that the room held only Lanie, Macy and me. During the service, I noticed my father sitting at the back of the chapel. When it was over, he turned to leave, respecting my wishes of not speaking to Macy. Cremation was my mother's request, so there would be no burial to attend.

  "I'll be back in a minute," I leaned over and whispered to Lanie. I needed to get closure. "Mr. Jacobs," I called out.

  He turned, shocked to see it was me. "I don't deserve a dad now?"

  "Dad's don't walk away."

  "Fine. What do you want, Tristan? I did as you asked and came quietly and was trying to leave quietly." He fiddled with his key ring looking anywhere but straight at me. When I didn't speak he looked up, and his eyes were red. He'd been crying over a woman he abandoned at the worst point in her life.

  I couldn't let him get to me right now. "Did Mom's lawyer contact you?"

  "Yes. I won't contest the will. It's the least I can do for you two. I signed off on his paperwork. It's all yours."

  He began to walk away, and I called out to him again, "Dad." That one word stopped him in his tracks. "All I have is your hotel room number. Give me your cell number."

  "I thought…"

  Interrupting I clarified, "If Macy changes her mind one day and wants to talk to you, I want to have your number, so she has the chance. I'll give you mine as well, and you can call and check in with me anytime. I won't make her talk to you ever. That will be her decision alone. She may not be an adult officially, but she acts more like an adult than most of the ones I know. She had been hurt a lot too, and I won't be the one to allow her to be hurt by you."

  He handed me his phone with a new contact open. "Enter your information and send yourself a text, you'll have my number. Thank you, son. This gesture means more than you know."

  After sending myself a text I handed him his phone and added, "One more thing. Macy graduates this coming May. I'll text you the info. Again, you can come and sit in the back. When it gets closer, I'll ask her if she wants you there, I'll text you so you know it's safe to show your face to her. Do we have an understanding?"

  You'd think I'd given him a million dollars the way his face lit up. "You don't owe me anything, Tristan. The fact that you want to do this for me means the world."

  "None of this is for you. It’s for Macy."

  "I agree. And no matter what you think about my decision to leave, I know I did the right thing by having you raise her. She's a beautiful young woman, and you've been a wonderful influence on her."

  Anger began to boil inside of me. I began to regret opening up to him. If he knew how many times we had been close to eviction or how many times I had to go beg a neighbor for food for Macy. I learned the schedule at the grocery store for the days they offered the most samples and I wouldn't eat anything but that on those days. When ramen noodles were on sale, it was like getting a steak dinner. The first couple of years, I was so scared that I couldn’t take care of Macy that I almost put her in foster care. It would've killed me to do that. Getting the job at Disney, saved my life almost literally.

  After a few deep inhalations, I simply responded with, "Thank you. Macy makes it easy. She's about the best teenager ever."

  "And that young woman with you, she's quite beautiful. How long have you been together?"

  "About six months."

  "I can tell you love her." His statement made me sick to my stomach. As though I wanted to hear him tell me that he recognized love? He is the last person I want to compliment me on a relationship. Again I had to bite my tongue from getting angry.

  "I do. Macy's very fond of her as well. I need to get back to them now. Thank you for coming today." Reluctantly I shoved my hand toward him to shake. He surprised me by taking it and then pulling me into a hug. At first my body stiffened in shock. After a moment, I reciprocated the hug.

  "If she asks, tell Macy I was here and that I love her, please?"

  "If she asks, I wouldn't lie to her about you being here."

  Inside the funeral home, Lanie had her arms around Macy as she stroked her hair and spoke softly to her. I couldn't hear the words, but I know Lanie enough to guess they were what Macy needed to hear. My phone rang causing them both to turn around. I mouthed 'sorry' before stepping back outside to answer the call.

  "Derrick?"

  "Hey, T. I'm sorry about your mom. Mary Jane filled me in. I wish we could have been there for you."

  "It's fine. Macy and I are fine. How are things there?"

  "That's why I called. Mary Jane is in labor. We wanted to make sure you knew that your namesake was on his way into the world."

  Instantly I began to laugh, "You called at exactly the right time like Mary Jane always does. I needed good news. As soon as we get home tomorrow I'll call to see if we can come to the hospital. How is she?"

  "Good. Everyone is here with us, except you guys. We all miss you, and we're all thinking about you."

  "Thanks, man. It means a lot. Tell Mary Jane...I'll see her soon," I said.

  "I'll tell her you love her too, T. See you guys soon. Have a safe trip home." Derrick and Ashton Collins had to be two of the nicest guys ever born on this planet. The person that said nice guys finished last hadn't met those two.

  As my two favorite girls stepped outside, I shouted, "Mary Jane's in labor!"

  Macy squealed with excitement and ran to hug me. Her face was still red and puffy from crying; her hair matted to her face from sweat and tears combined. Through all the grief and despair, she can feel joy over this news, and that let me know she'd get through this just fine.

  "Can we go see her as soon as we get home?" Macy asked.

  "Absolutely. I already told Derrick we'd be there. You'll come with us, right?" I posed the question to Lanie, so she didn’t feel left out.

  "Of course. Is everything with the estate settled?"

  "Yeah, it is. I wish we could leave tonight."

  "I need to make a phone call," Lanie excused herself.

  Macy asked the question I feared coming, "Did I see dad?"

  "He was here. He said to tell you he loves you."

  For a brief moment, her eyes lit up. It broke my heart a little. "Oh," was all she responded.

  "He respected your wishes about not talking to him. However, I did get his number and told him that if you want to talk to him would day, I'd give it to you. It's completely up to you Mace. I'd never keep you from him if you wanted to get to know him again."

  She flung her arms around me tightly. "Thanks, T. One day I might want to. I'm not ready yet."

  "We can fly out tonight if you two are ready," Lanie called out as she held her phone to her ear. "I paid to have our flights rescheduled."

  "Thank you!" Macy and I replied in unison.

  And three hours later we were on an airplane on our way back to Nashville.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  New Beginnings

  The frigid air in Nashville was a shock to our system after the warmth of Florida. Before we boarded the airplane, Lanie
contacted a friend of hers to give us a ride to the hospital. Familiar faces filled the waiting room when we arrived. We were swallowed up in hugs repeatedly by Ashton, Gracie, Cameron, Gavin, Katelyn, and Maria (Derrick and Ashton's mom). Each offered condolences with a comment about how much they missed us. Moments like this were the reason I moved Macy to Nashville without too much thought. She needed a family, and now she had one.

  "Is he here yet?"

  "Not yet," Ashton answered. "Derrick is back there with her. I know she'll be happy to see you. She has been worried about you."

  "I can't wait to see them all."

  Derrick burst into the room, "It's a boy!" It was a statement that came as no surprise, we all knew it was a boy. I suppose it's better than saying, 'it's a baby!'. The room erupted in cheers all around. Derrick was the next one bombarded in hugs. When he spotted me, his smile grew wider, "You made it!" He grabbed me in a hug and tugged me toward the door. "I want you to be the first to meet him."

  Mary Jane's hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and she was sweaty and looked as though she hadn't slept in a week. Witnessing her staring at her baby boy with such love made her look like the most beautiful woman in the world. Derrick gave me a light push into the room and then shut the door leaving us alone.

  She glanced up and gasped, "Tristan," she whispered happily. I leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Do you want to hold him?"

  She placed him in my arms, and I watched his tiny face scrunch in different positions. His wrinkled brow, his tiny nose, his bright pink lips, ten tiny fingers, and moving the blanket I checked and found ten tiny toes. "He's beautiful, MJ."

  "Thank you. I'd like to think I had something to do with that," she teased.

  "He looks like you. He has Derrick's dark hair though." His head was full of thick black silky hair. I kissed his forehead and handed him back to her.

  "I thought you weren't coming in until tomorrow?"

  "Lanie arranged for us to come home early when she found out you were in labor. I have so much to tell you about my trip. Maybe when you get home, I can come by and visit."