A Fresh Start

by Grace, Trisha

  Chapter 2

  A solemn atmosphere hung in the Hayes mansion as Kate listened to all the condolences. Though she’d been at the mansion so many more times than any of the guests, she couldn’t help feeling out of place.

  Tyler should be the one speaking to the late Mr. Hayes’s friends, the one listening to their condolences. Not her.

  She scanned the room of unfamiliar faces and saw Tyler.

  Recognizing him was much easier than she had expected.

  He hadn’t changed much from the younger version she’d seen in the photo albums that the late Mr. Hayes used to show her.

  His dark brown hair was shorter than it was in the pictures, and his bangs that nearly reached his eyes were pushed to the side.

  She leaned against the wall and watched him move around the living room in the black suit.

  It wasn’t the time to notice how well the suit fitted him or the time to admire the broad shoulders that made him the perfect rack for any style of clothes.

  Her foot inched forward, but stopped suddenly when she saw him brushing his fingers across the surfaces of the furniture.

  She took her eyes off him and glanced around the living room.

  The late Mr. Hayes kept the design of the house pretty much exactly as it was before the tragedy occurred.

  The coffee brown leather couch, the chocolate brown coffee table that sat above the furry beige rug, and the bookshelf against the white wall had all been around even before Tyler was born.

  Even the renaissance wall finishes were exactly same.

  The late Mr. Hayes only added some new pieces of furniture to replace the space that the grand piano used to take. Besides that, nothing much changed.

  The whole place was like a time capsule.

  It must be difficult for Tyler to see the house after so many years.

  She walked over and asked as she neared him, “Tyler Hayes?”

  His head snapped up, and he frowned the moment he laid eyes on her. “Kate Mitchell?”

  “Yeah, that’ll be me.”

  His head bobbed up and down, and his eyes scrutinized her, but he didn’t say anything.

  “Something wrong?”

  “I was expecting someone…older.”

  She looked around and laughed softly. “I guess I am pretty young among this crowd.”

  “You said you were his friend, so I thought…” Then he shrugged, not bothering to complete his sentence.

  Kate smiled. “He wasn’t exactly my friend. He was sort of my grandmother’s friend.”

  “Sort of?”

  “It’s complicated.”

  Tyler gave her a look over and turned his back to her.

  She thought Tyler would prefer some company, guessed she was wrong.

  She pursed her lips and tucked her hair back behind her ears. “I’ll leave you alone.”

  “Wait,” he said, and turned back to face her.

  She stood where she was, her brows raised, waiting for him to say something.

  “Nothing,” he continued after a moment.

  Kate could sense his hesitation, the tension of coming back home after all these years. She watched his eyes sweep the room, observing the different faces.

  She understood his silent struggle; neither of them seemed to belong where they were.

  Moving next to him, she said, “I don’t know most of them either. I believe they used to work with your grandfather in the past. Some of them are from the elderly home where he volunteered. He made some good friends there.”

  Tyler thrust his hands into his pocket.

  “I’m sure you have questions.”

  “How long have you or your grandmother known him?”

  “Around five years.”

  He nodded, but remained silent.

  In the few minutes Kate had spent with Tyler, she realized he wasn’t a man of many words. She glanced around and thought about slipping back into the crowd and away from him, but she didn’t want to be rude. “Do you want me to introduce some of his friends to you?”

  “No.”

  Kate’s noticed Tyler drawing in a long breath as if her mere presence was annoying him.

  She was trying to be nice, but it seemed he preferred her gone.

  So she smiled, and with a light touch on his arm, walked away from him.

  Tyler looked at Kate while she strode away. Her chestnut hair was tied up in a bun with the shorter strands falling out. He hadn’t noticed much about her except for the small, friendly smile she had on.

  She was right, he did have questions. He had so many questions, but he didn’t think anyone there could provide him with an answer.

  He stared at the room filled with strangers, not sure what to do with himself.

  When he had rejected Kate’s offer, he had braced for some form of coaxing or whining. Instead, she merely smiled and gave him space.

  For the first time that day, something else other than the harrowing memories of his parents’ death got his attention. He observed Kate while she conversed with a cluster of elderly men.

  Even with the sweet smile she had in place, Tyler could see the grief in her eyes.

  How did she grow so close to a man who was so cold toward him? Why would she mourn the passing of a man so heartless?

  Taking his eyes off her smile, he gave her a head to toe scan.

  A black sash was tied across her waist and into a knot on her back, the ends flowing down the edge of her dress.

  His eyes followed the ends of the sash, moving down her legs.

  Her legs were already long, but the heels she had on accentuated her slim legs. In her heels, she stood half a head above his shoulders.

  He took a step toward her, then stopped. He didn’t know what he was doing.

  Her conversation with the elderly men was none of his business. He gave another look around the house before turning and walking out of the house.

  He never liked having small talk with people.

  Kate saw Tyler bolt from the house and figured he probably needed some time and space. She wanted to follow, to make sure that he was all right, but she couldn’t just walk out of the house while everyone was still there.

  By the time the guests left, the sun was already beginning its descend. The orange tinge streamed through the long windows and cast a warm glow into the house, bringing along with it a hint of sadness. She took a sip of the coffee in her hand and gazed out at the distant horizon.

  The mansion was set wide apart from the rest of the world, and the acres of land around the house belonged to the late Mr. Hayes. Surrounding it were never-ending trees that acted like a moat, keeping the house from the outside world.

  She never understood what the Hayes loved about this house. Looking out from where she was felt so lonely. She couldn’t imagine how forlorn the late Mr. Hayes must have been, living all alone in the huge mansion.

  Among the trees, a lone figure sat with one of his legs stretched and his back against a tree. She set the coffee down on the table and strolled toward him, pausing when she was a few steps away. “You all right?”

  “Everyone gone?”

  She nodded. “Except for Marianne and Mr. Sawyer. Marianne’s clearing away the food.”

  Tyler let out a heavy sigh. “Well then, let’s see what the old man has in his will.” Tyler got to his feet, dusted off the dirt on his pants, and headed toward the house.

  Kate walked alongside him, tempted to observe the real-life manifestation of the boy in all the stories she’d heard.

  She wanted to tell him how sorry the late Mr. Hayes was for abandoning him after his parents’ death. She wanted to let him know that he was always on the late Mr. Hayes’s mind. But she didn’t think he wasn’t ready. Her words would only end up pushing him away.

  “You came alone?” Kate asked.

  “Yeah. Just here to sit in for the will,” he said a moment later.

  If Kate hadn’t known his story or seen Tyler’s taut jaws when he took in everything in
the house, his words would have made her think him a cold-hearted person.

  They returned to the mansion and headed to the kitchen in absolute silence.

  Tyler wasn’t ready to listen to anything that she had to say, and it was too hard for her to listen to what Tyler thought of his grandfather.

  She didn’t blame Tyler for being angry, but she couldn’t bear listening to anyone speak bad about the late Mr. Hayes. Not today.

  By the time they got to the kitchen, Mr. Sawyer was already seated at the head of the table. The 61 year-old veteran lawyer sat rigidly, his arm placed stiffly over the black folder on the table.

  Kate took a seat opposite Tyler and turned to Mr. Sawyer.

  “Since we’re all here, I shall begin. Miss Marianne West,” Joel Sawyer faced the elderly woman seated next to him and stated professionally, “Mr. Hayes left you ten percent of all the money that he had in his possession. That will be equal to slightly over four million dollars.” Turning his focus to Kate, he continued. “You, too, Miss Mitchell. You will receive ten percent of the money. The rest will go to Mr. Tyler Hayes.”

  Kate blinked when she heard Mr. Sawyer’s words. The late Mr. Hayes always treated her kindly, but four million dollars? There must have been a mistake.

  She shook her head, but Mr. Sawyer interrupted her before she could speak.

  “There’s more.” He glanced between Tyler and her, his lips pressed into a thin line. “All the estates that the late Mr. Hayes owned will go to Tyler Hayes. All except this mansion.”

  Her jaw dropped while the loud scraping of Tyler’s chair against the floor pierced through the air.

  “There must be a mistake,” Kate said as Tyler stormed away from the table.

  “Wait!” Mr. Sawyer called out. “There’s more. You need to listen to all of it, or like I said, everyone here will forfeit their share of the inheritance.”

  Letting out an audible sigh, Tyler stopped and lay back against the wall. He crossed his arms and stared into space, not looking at any of them.

  “This house cannot be sold. Miss Mitchell can choose to give up this house, but there is a clause to it,” he paused, seemingly waiting for Kate to make her decision.

  “Go on,” Kate urged.

  Blowing out a heavy breath, Mr. Sawyer gave her a wry smile. “If Miss Mitchell chooses to forfeit the house, it will be transferred to Mr. Tyler Hayes as long as the following conditions are met.”

  “Conditions?” she said.

  “Mr. Tyler Hayes and Miss Kate Mitchell will have to stay in this house together for a year.”

  “What?” A year? The confusion was quickly morphing into anger. What was the late Mr. Hayes thinking?

  She had told him before that she grew up having to take care of everyone and everything. Now that she was on her own, she came to treasure her freedom. She had the time to indulge in the things she loved.

  Why would he make her stay with a grandson whom he hadn’t seen for twenty years?

  “Let me finish. It’s rather detailed; you might as well wait to lose your temper at the end of the whole thing. It will save us some time.”

  She sighed softly and gestured for Mr. Sawyer to continue.

  “Beginning tomorrow, for the next year, both of you will need to stay here each and every night. Both of you have to be back at the mansion before twelve midnight, unless you are out together. If either one of you is traveling, you will have to take the other along.” He took a moment and glanced at both of them, making sure they were still listening.

  “All house guests have to leave the house by eight at night. House guests are only allowed to stay overnight once a month. Only Miss Marianne West is allowed to stay in this house as long as she wishes. The late Mr. Hayes appointed me to make sure the conditions are met. Hence, I will be staying here in this house with all of you.” Pausing, Mr. Sawyer turned back to her. “That’s if you choose to forfeit the house.”

  Kate tugged at her necklace. “There’s no other way around this?”

  Joel Sawyer shook his head. “If you choose to forfeit the house and the conditions are not met, the house will be torn down, the land will be sold to anyone except those present here, and the receipts will go to an elderly home.”

  “Are you done?” Tyler asked brusquely.

  “Yes, that’s all.”

  When Tyler went marching out, Mr. Sawyer reached out and held Marianne’s arm, stopping her from going after Tyler. “The late Mr. Hayes has a letter for you.”

  Taking the letter from his hand, Marianne shoved it into her pocket and half-ran after Tyler.

  Kate sat where she was, wondering how she had gotten herself into such a spot.

  “Miss Mitchell,” Mr. Sawyer said, and waited for Kate to look at him. “When he was forming this will, I told him he was being very selfish, it was extremely unfair to you. He told me to apologize on his behalf, and he has a letter for you, too.”

  Taking out another cream envelope, he slid it across the table. “He said you were his last chance to make right a wrong. I’m sorry that you are placed in such a predicament. Think it through and let me know. We’ll all need to move in if you decide to forfeit the mansion.”

  Kate twirled the letter in her hand and said, “Of course I’m going to forfeit it. This is Tyler’s home; I can’t take it or allow it to be torn down. But I need to talk to him. He’s to be willing to accept the conditions as well.”

  Joel Sawyer nodded. “He knew you would do this for him.”

  She didn’t know if she should smile or frown.

  “One more thing, Miss Mitchell. Mr. Hayes wanted me to tell you that if you reject or give away the money he left you, he’ll come back and haunt you.” He paused, and grinned. “He said you were like a granddaughter to him, and he wants to make sure that you’re well taken care of no matter what.”

  For the first time since she’d heard the will, she smiled. Mr. Hayes knew her well. Reluctantly, she nodded before going after Tyler.

  You promised. Kate reminded herself as she plodded up toward Tyler and Marianne.

  “Don’t be stubborn. You want the house, I know you do. Just accept the conditions,” Marianne said.

  Kate wanted to hang back, thinking it was better for Marianne to handle the situation. But when Marianne saw her approaching, she shook her head and repeated, “Don’t be stubborn.” Then Marianne turned to her. “I’ll leave you youngsters to talk.”

  Kate pursed her lips and dragged her feet forward. Tyler’s jaws were shut tight, probably still seething at what he’d just heard.

  It didn’t take a genius to figure out that his anger would be directed toward her. She didn’t choose to be in this situation, but she was sure she’d be treated like the antagonist.

  “Forfeit the house. You can’t sell it anyway. Forfeit it, we’ll follow the conditions, and I’ll pay you for that.”

  And so it began.

  “I wasn’t going to steal the house from you. I know how much this house means to you.”

  “So what do you want?”

  “To help.”

  He closed his eyes and shook his head. Though he didn’t say anything, the contempt was clear.

  “Look, accept the conditions. It’s just one year,” she said.

  “That’s his condition. And yours?”

  “Mine?”

  “What do you want?” he asked, enunciating each word.

  You promised. She drew in a frustrated breath. “Like I said, to help.”

  “If you didn’t want the house, then why would you stay by an old man’s side to take care of him?” Tyler continued. “Why act so high and almighty now?”

  Kate grabbled with her anger. “I may not be as rich as you are, but I don’t need the money from the inheritance, and I don’t need your house. I don’t even like this stupid place. It’s like a scene out of a horror movie.” She was tempted to reach over and strangle him, but reigning in her anger, she took in another deep breath and stepped away. “You aren’t angry wi
th me; you’re pissed about your grandfather’s will. It disrupts my life, too. So before you start venting your anger on me, maybe you should think about that.”

  Tyler remained silent, staring into the distant.

  “I’m going to tell Mr. Sawyer that I’m forfeiting the house. You decide if you want to go along with it.”

  Turning, Kate stalked away, wondering what she ever did to offend the late Mr. Hayes to deserve such a punishment.

  “So? What did he say?” Marianne asked when she entered the house.

  She looked at the creases of worry etched in Marianne’s forehead. Giving her a wry smile, Kate answered with a sigh.

  Marianne handed her a warm cup of tea. “Whatever he said, ignore him.”

  “Yeah.” She nodded, and took a sip of the tea. “I’m not stealing the house from him.”

  “I never thought you would.”

  Marianne’s immediate reply was comforting. At least someone didn’t think she was gold digger.

  “Thanks.” She took another sip of the chamomile tea, then handed the cup to Marianne. “I’ll inform Mr. Sawyer, then I’ll head home. It’s been a long day.”

  “Thank you for doing Ty this favor,” Marianne said with a warm smile.

  She returned to the kitchen and informed Mr. Sawyer of her decision.

  No matter how awful Tyler was, she did make a promise to the late Mr. Hayes.

  And it was just one year.

  Besides, the mansion was huge. It should be easy to avoid Tyler if she wanted.

  After speaking with Mr. Sawyer, she left the house and slipped into her car. Inside, she pulled out the cream envelope from her back pocket and opened it.

  Dear Kate,

  I cannot begin to imagine your thoughts and feelings while you are reading this. Let me begin with a heartfelt apology. I am truly sorry about putting you in such a situation, but you are the only one I trust to handle this.

  You know the one regret I had in my life was not mending the mistake I made with Tyler. He did not deserve the treatment he received. I should have been there for him, but I was so blinded by my own grief that I ended up letting down the most precious person left in my life.