Sarah shook her head, clearing her thoughts. “Yeah. I just wanted to help a little before I left.”
Trudy smiled. “I appreciate that.” She pulled Sarah into a hug. “Sweetheart, it’s okay to grieve, and you’re free to do that as long as you need.”
Giving in to the embrace, Sarah sighed. “I know, and I’m okay. It’s just…I didn’t think it would take three months for the lawyer to inventory the sanctuary. I just thought it’d be easier, I guess. ”
Pulling back, Trudy held Sarah’s gaze. “Well, just remember, more than anything, she wanted you to be happy.”
“I know she did, and I am.”
“Be honest, Sarah. This isn’t what you want to be doing with your life.”
Sarah stepped away from Trudy. “I’m not going to let my mom’s life work be sold off piece by piece. No way. This might not be what I planned to be doing, but that’s okay. I enjoy working here. The horses, the volunteers, the kids who need the therapy.”
Trudy nodded. “But if you’re miserable—”
“I’m not. I promise. Once the will is read, I’ll know what I’m supposed to do.”
“The executor offered to do that right after Lydia passed.”
He had, but what would have been the point? An inventory had to be taken of her assets before anything could be done. Plus, waiting to have the will read made it feel like her mom wasn’t truly gone.
Leaning the pitchfork against the wall, she brushed her hands down her jeans. “I know, but it gave me three months to mourn. Now when I hear mom’s wishes, I’ll be able to act on them while I’m not an emotional mess.”
Trudy lifted an eyebrow.
“Okay, less of an emotional mess.” Sarah paused a beat. “Okay, I’m going to get going. I’m not even changing clothes since I know I’ll be coming back.”
“Gavin won’t appreciate that.” Trudy snickered.
“Precisely why I’m doing it. A little horse manure will make him feel at home.” With that, Sarah walked out of the barn and went to her Jeep. Hopefully, the reading would give Sarah come clarity and guidance. Something she’d desperately needed since her mom died.
The one thing she knew with certainty was that her mom wouldn’t have wanted the sanctuary to be sold off in pieces like Gavin wanted. He’d pressured her to sell from nearly the moment the funeral was over. It had made her all the more determined to keep it going.
Once she was parked at the lawyer’s office, she set her forehead on the wheel, hoping whatever it was her mom wanted would to be something simple. She didn’t have her mother to go to for guidance any longer.
Trudy tried to help, but it wasn’t the same. It had been just Sarah and her mom for so long—until Gavin Michaels had stepped into the picture two years ago. She didn’t think he was a bad man; he just didn’t understand the importance of the sanctuary.
Lifting her head, she got out of the Jeep and went inside the lawyer’s office. It looked every bit like an office that belonged to someone who made six figures a year: expensive wall hangings, plush seats, and that don’t touch anything vibe.
The second she stepped inside, the secretary looked up and smiled. “Sarah Freeman?”
“That’s me.”
“They’re waiting on you. You can go ahead in.”
As Sarah reached the door, the attorney met her there and handed her a folder. “This is the will so you can read along. If you have any questions.”
She stopped abruptly as her gaze landed on Gavin sitting in a high-back leather chair that looked even more expensive than the one in the lobby. “Oh, I didn’t realize you were already here.”
Gavin stood as Sarah approached the chair next to his. “Hello, sweetheart. How are you doing?”
“I don’t know yet. I know she’s gone, but there are days I wake up and have to remind myself that I can’t call her.” What Sarah really wanted to say was that a piece of her was missing and she didn’t know how she’d ever stop feeling that way. Her mom had been her rock.
“Yes, I feel the same way. Like my heart has been ripped out and stomped on.” Gavin embraced her and patted her back.
Feeling awkward, Sarah returned the hug. “Yeah, I guess we both need to figure out what to do with ourselves now that she’s gone.”
Gavin leaned back, his overly trimmed large Groucho Marx eyebrows pulled down, nearly forming a unibrow. “Yes, I don’t know what I’ll do without her.”
Mr. Patterson took his seat and motioned for her and Gavin to take theirs. Once seated, the man cleared his throat and looked down at the stack of papers in front of him. “As you may know, Lydia Michaels had recently updated her will.”
Sarah froze, her heart feeling like it had been hit with an arrow. Updated? No, she had no idea her mom had updated the will. Was that why things had taken so long? What could her mom have needed to change?
“According to this, you, Sarah Freeman, her only surviving heir, will receive the entire estate.”
Relief washed over her. The sanctuary would stay open, and she’d get to keep her promise to her mom to keep it going. More than just the promise, it was a piece of what remained of her mom. It was the place that had given the two of them sanctuary when her dad left.
“However,” the lawyer continued, “your mother left strict instructions on how to receive the estate.”
What did that mean? Sarah scrunched up her face. “How?”
Mr. Patterson almost looked pained to read the next section. “You must be married within six months of this reading in order to keep it. If you aren’t married, you will be required to place the estate up for sale, and the proceeds of such sale will be split between you and Mr. Michaels.”
Her stepfather sucked in a sharp breath. “She said she’d updated the will, but I had no idea she put that stipulation in.”
Gavin was surprised? That didn’t begin to cover how she was feeling. Married? In six months? To who? “M…mmm…married?” There was no one in the picture at the moment. Well, there was, only he was in Rosegail Bridge, Scotland, with no desire to move to Pensacola.
The lawyer took a deep breath. “You must be married within six months, or you will have to sell it.”
Sarah felt as if she’d been clubbed over the head. “Is there any way out of it?” Not that she didn’t want to fall in love. She was thirty-two already. She’d attended two weddings since the beginning of the year, and both of them had left her feeling more alone than she ever had. She’d had a couple of serious relationships, but in the end, they hadn’t worked out. She wanted to get married; she just didn’t want to be on a deadline. And she didn’t want the future of the estate riding on it either.
The lawyer shook his head. “No, I’m afraid not.” His voice was as solemn as she felt.
“Do I have to be married a certain amount of time or what?” Maybe she could arrange something for a few months and then annul it.
“You need to be married at least six months, and after that, you are free to do with the estate what you please.”
Her ears were ringing like church bells. “So I have six months to find someone to fall in love with, get married, and stay married at least six months? Am I hearing that right?”
He nodded his head. “Yes, in a nutshell, that’s it.”
Gavin covered her hand with his. “What if she doesn’t want to do all that?”
The lawyer flipped the page. “Well, there is the option to go ahead and sell and split the proceeds.”
“But what about all the horses? The afterschool programs? The special needs students?”
Gavin exhaled slowly. “I know this is hard, but I have a few friends we could speak with about the horses. They would be well taken care of.”
“What about Larry?”
“Larry?” The lawyer asked.
Sarah chewed her lip. “Larry is a large draft horse. He was abused, and there are only a very few people he’ll tolerate. If it weren’t for our sanctuary, he’d be headed for the slaughterhouse. I can’t l
et that happen. He was my mom’s favorite horse.”
“Darling, I know how much Lydia loved him, but perhaps we could find some large farm where he could live out his days.” Gavin patted her hand.
“No, he needs people. He loves being groomed, petted, and loved on. He’s just…persnickety on who does it. I can’t just turn him out into a field and let him go. It would break his heart.” Kind of like hers was breaking that very moment. Larry felt her mom’s loss too. The first few weeks, he waited at the paddock gate for her. Sarah took him on walks every day, trying to get him to cheer up and start eating like normal again. She’d yet to accomplish that.
The attorney shrugged. “It might not be ideal, but if you don’t want to jump through your mother’s hoops, selling the estate and finding the horses homes would make things less complicated.”
“And all of this marriage stuff has to be done in six months?” She was sure the lawyer thought she was insane to keep repeating it, but news like that bore repeating.
“Well, you have six months to get married, and you have to be married for a total of six months before the property and accounts will be turned over to you.”
Suddenly, she hated the number six. What was her mom thinking?
“Here,” said the attorney and slid a DVD across his desk. “Your mother recorded this and requested that you view it alone.”
Sarah reached a shaky hand out and picked up the disc. “I hope it gives a good explanation for all this marriage junk.”
The lawyer pointed to the folder. “That contains the will in its entirety. You can read through it for more information, but what I’ve told you pretty well sums up what it says. If you do read it and have any questions, feel free to contact my office.”
“Is there anything else?” asked Gavin.
Mr. Patterson shook his head. “No. I believe you knew the estate was being left to Sarah, correct?”
“Yes, Lydia and I spoke about it before she changed the will. I have plenty of money, and I knew how much that sanctuary meant to her and Sarah.”
If Gavin knew that, then why did he suggest selling it? Then again, it’s not like she did a cartwheel when Mr. Patterson said she needed to get married. Maybe he was just trying to help, which she appreciated.
As if reading her thoughts, Gavin said, “The only reason I suggested selling it is because I had no idea about the marriage clause. I just didn’t want see you struggle when I know you’re grieving.”
“My mom never said anything to you about it?” Sarah asked.
He shook his head. “No, dear, nothing. I’m as surprised as you are.”
If she couldn’t figure out the marriage thing, she’d be selling. “What is the estate worth? Do you happen to know?”
Gavin shrugged. “I don’t know yet. I haven’t even thought about what it’s worth since I fell in love with Lydia.”
It didn’t really matter. She’d never actually sell the place anyway.
Her shoulders suddenly felt like they had fifty-pound dumbbells sitting on them. Losing her mom, taking over management of Sunshine, and now marriage. She wasn’t sure how much more she could handle.
Gavin cleared his throat. “That reminds me. You’re coming to the Pensacola Charity Ball this weekend, right?”
“Yeah, I’ll be there.” If she didn’t find someone to marry, it would be the final time she would attend. The last five years, her mother had received an award from the city for her work with horses and children.
Which was why Sarah needed to figure out what to do. Not only did the horses need her, but the kids did too. She couldn’t sell it or allow it to be shut down. There were too many people depending on her.
What will it take for Sarah and Taran to find their happily ever after? Will she give up her mom’s sanctuary or will Taran say goodbye to his family?
Grab your copy of Mending the Billionaire Brother and follow along as Sarah and Taran fall in love.
Sneak Peek! Her Pretend Billionaire Boyfriend Chapter 1
Tristan Stone swiveled his chair away from the boardroom table and looked out over the Seattle skyline. The sun glinted off the windows of the Space Needle while a white-capped Mount Rainier stood in the background. He wished he was there, on the top of the mountain, and not dwelling on the board meeting that had just ended. He didn’t want to think about the dozen or so men and women who’d argued about which direction his grandmother would’ve wanted him to take the cruise line he’d inherited.
He missed her.
Find someone to love, sweetheart. Not all women will want you for your money. His grandmother’s words were like a megaphone in his head. He could still feel the aged hand touching his cheek and see the wrinkled face smiling up at him. Even while she was sick, she’d been thinking of him.
He’d tried to convince her he didn’t feel lonely, but she could always see through him. Three months, and not a day went by that he didn’t miss her laughter and wisdom.
“Tristan!” Grayson Matthews’s voice broke through his thoughts. “Are you listening to me?”
“No,” he said without taking his eyes off the skyline.
“Nice. Real nice.” Grayson huffed, pulling a chair directly in front of him and sitting backward in it.
Tristan leveled his eyes at him. “What?”
“That board meeting was out of control. Why didn’t you do anything?”
Why? Because he didn’t want to do anything. His grandmother wasn’t even cold, and vultures were circling. “My head isn’t here.” He had tasks to finish for his grandma. One of which was taking a cruise on the last cruise ship she’d designed so he could spread her ashes over the ocean.
Grayson’s icy blue eyes softened. “Buddy, I know you miss her, but if you want this company to continue, you’re going to have to bring that alpha dog reputation you’ve created to the table.”
Alpha dog. Tristan snorted. “I know, but this is different. I’m not buying up a company. This was her company. A company…people…I promised to take care of.” He was used to taking over companies, bulldozing over anything that got in the way of making it successful and turning it into a thriving business. This was different. He’d made a solemn vow to take care of her employees, among other things. Things he wasn’t willing to tell his best friend.
“Listen, man, I know you were close to her, but…”
Tristan stood and raked a hand through his dark-brown hair. “I’m not selling this company. I’ll buy out everyone’s shares if I have to. I don’t care if I go bankrupt keeping it.” He closed his eyes. He wasn’t just close to his grandmother. Other than Grayson and his Aunt Felicia, she was the only person he trusted to love him for more than just his money.
The chair squeaked as Grayson stood. “Maybe you should take a vacation. Get out of here, get some fresh air, grieve. Come back when you’re ready to make some hard decisions.”
Grayson continued when he didn’t respond. “Seriously, take one. Two weeks. What can possibly happen in two weeks without you here? It’s been three months, and nothing’s changed yet.” Grayson grasped his shoulder and turned him around. “You took care of her the last eight months of her life. I know it had to be hard on you. Taking a break will help.”
Tristan did like the idea. The stress of taking care of a loved one was worse than he ever imagined. The last month or so, his grandma didn’t even know who he was. She’d look at him with a blank expression most of the time, and when she was even remotely coherent, she’d call him by his father’s name, Thomas.
He had promised his grandma that he’d take a cruise and spread her ashes. May as well get it done. He could check that off the list. “Maybe you’re right.”
Grayson smiled and pulled out his phone. “Ohhh, I’m going to need you to say that again. I want to record it and replay it when you’re being arrogant and egotistical.”
“I’m not arrogant or egotistical. I’m just right all the time.” Tristan chuckled.
His friend’s eyes widened. “Let me t
ake care of it. I’ve got the perfect place in mind. Hot women, warm sand, cool clear water. I can even picture it. The two of us, lounging on some tropical oasis and sipping fruity drinks that come in pineapples.” He pulled up the search engine on his phone. “Cheesy, but tasty.”
Tristan rubbed his knuckles down his jaw. “No, I want to go somewhere no one will recognize me. I want to be left alone.” He wanted to be Tristan. Not Tristan Stone the billionaire. He wanted to feel normal. For once, he wanted to be just one of the guys. An idea began to form.
“You might try Mars, then. You’re a thirty-one-year-old billionaire, and you’re in every socialite paper known to man. And with that baby face of yours? Good luck.” Grayson laughed.
“I could grow a beard.” The words popped out of Tristan’s mouth. What? He hated beards. They were itchy.
Grayson lifted an eyebrow. “You? Dude, you tried that remember? A five o’clock shadow nearly had you in a straightjacket.”
That was true, but if it could give him some anonymity, maybe it was worth it. “I’ll try again.” And if he went undercover on the cruise ship, maybe he could get a better understanding of the company.
“Okay, if you think you can.” Grayson’s lack of confidence didn’t help.
Tristan tugged on his dark-gray suit coat, straightening it. “And I want to go alone. I think I need it.”
His best friend’s face fell. “What? But I’m your wingman, your right-hand dude, your mate, your—”
“I know. Normally, I’d want you to come, but I really think I need some time alone.” Plus, he didn’t want Grayson to know what he was really planning.
Grayson eyed him and then huffed. “Fine, but you owe me a paradise getaway with hot women.”
“Aren’t you dating that model? What’s her name?” Tristan wracked his brain. Grayson had a new girlfriend every five seconds. “Gwen Hanover.”
He shrugged and looked at the floor. “Nah, she was okay, but she had this weird thing where she smacked her gum.”
Mending The Billionaire Scotsman (MacLachlan Brothers Romance Book 2) Page 20