“Pffft, don’t hold your breath. David will be in charge, I guarantee it, whether they hire someone else or not.”
Hudson chuckled. “I got that impression, too. Let’s just say he wasn’t thrilled to hear from me.”
“He’s an ass.” Tess’s eyes went wide and then she giggled. “Sorry, I guess that was kinda rude.” Rolling her eyes, Tess flapped her hands dismissively. “Jack knew I never really liked David. And after the other day, I sure as hell don’t now.”
“No worries. Your secret is safe with me.” Hudson winked at her. “I tried to schedule an appointment with the family, but David wouldn’t commit to a date or time. I don’t know if you’ll have to go through that or not at this point.”
“Gee, that’s a bright spot at least.” Tess grinned. The longer she spoke with Hudson, the more relaxed she felt. He was giving her reasons to be hopeful and that counted more than any dollars possibly could. “They don’t have a leg to stand on, though, right?” Tess’s eyebrows crinkled slightly as she thought of fighting with her in-laws in court. “Listening to you, it seems pretty airtight. They’ll just fight because they can” It was a statement more than a question, really. She already had her answer from the way they treated her.
“It would seem that way,” Hudson admitted. “But they could do all sorts of stupid things. They could say that Jack was unstable. They could say he didn’t understand the magnitude or scope of his inheritance. And, of course, they could try to drag your good name through the mud.”
Tess snorted. “How do you know I have a good name?”
Hudson smiled and shook his head. “Well, I guess I don’t. You haven’t given me any reason to think otherwise, yet, so I’m going to go with my gut and say you’re a good person.”
“Well, thanks.” Tess pulled a napkin from the dispenser and began to twist it and tug at the edges, making a pile of confetti in front of her.
“Have you read the estate documents yet?”
“Yes.” Tess squirmed. “Sort of. I mean, I don’t really understand it. What you say makes more sense than the words on those pages.”
“Fair enough.” Hudson gave her a sympathetic smile. “Maybe we should do that next, while we eat. I can go over paragraph by paragraph so that you understand exactly what Jack did.”
“That makes sense.”
“Before we do that, I have to fully disclose a couple of things to you.”
Tess’s stomach did a flip flop. She didn’t like the sound of that. She was beginning to hate surprises.
“Now, don’t look at me like that,” Hudson laughed. “You look like I just told you I was going to kill your cats or something!”
Tess laughed and relaxed the slightest bit. “That obvious?”
“Yes. All I want you to know is that I’m a pretty new lawyer. I’ve only been out of school and in practice for about three years. This might turn out to be more complicated than I can handle. If you’d rather find a more experienced attorney now, or even later, I’d understand.”
Tess could tell Hudson was holding his breath by the way he straightened up and waited. Her instincts told her that if Jack trusted him, she should. “I don’t think I need another lawyer. I’m comfortable with you. Besides, you knew Jack personally and saw what he was like when he made all these decisions. Someone new would have to learn all this stuff from scratch and that doesn’t make sense.”
Hudson nodded and Tess watched him take in a deep breath of relief. “Okay, I’m good with that.”
“If you need to get help, I’m good with that too. Just make sure you stay in charge.”
Hudson nodded and then put out his hand toward her. Tess stared at it for a second and then laughed as she shook it.
“It’s a deal.”
Tess looked into his eyes and was boosted by the kindness she saw there. She pulled her hand away and looked down at her coffee. She thought he held on a little too long and there might have been something else in his eyes besides compassion. It had been years since anyone besides Jack had looked at her in that way, she couldn’t be sure. Don’t be an idiot. She scolded herself and then gave her brain a mental shake to forget about it.
The waitress arrived just then with a large tray overflowing with plates and Tess was grateful for the distraction. As she set all the food down between them, Tess spread a fresh napkin daintily on her lap. Hudson helped take dishes and layer them around the table. He then pulled a copy of Jack’s will out of his briefcase and spread it open between them.
While they ate, he went over each paragraph with her just like he said he would. By the time he reached the last page, they were both almost finished eating and Tess was feeling much better. The long and short of it was that she was the only heir and that Jack and Hudson had done all the legwork to transfer all of the assets so that everything would be hers and hers alone.
Best of all, the life insurance policy naming her as a beneficiary was a non-probate asset and it would be paid to her, regardless of any ensuing litigation. That made her feel like she’d just won the lottery. Trying to remember their meeting at her parents’ house, Tess thought Hudson might have told her that before. Unfortunately, most of that day was gone in a haze now.
“You’ll want to get in touch with a good certified financial planner, too.” Hudson wiped his mouth and then tossed the napkin onto the table.
“My parents have a great guy. I’ll make sure to use him.”
“Good. Even though everything is in the trust’s name, I have a list of the different investment companies and the guys in charge so you can get everything transferred.”
“How soon will I be able to set up the charity Jack wanted?” Tess asked as she forked the last bite of pancake into her mouth. When she initially thumbed through the will, she hadn’t caught the paragraph Jack wrote about having a charity created in his name for the benefit of homeless animals.
“When you get the insurance money you could do anything you want. Unfortunately, you can’t touch any of the other assets right now. Not until the probate case is settled and closed.”
Tess pursed her lips in a thoughtful pout. “That’s okay. I think I can do some pretty good work with a million dollars. It’s not like I have anything else to spend it on.”
Hudson gaped at her. “Are you kidding me? I know about a million things I could do with a million dollars!”
Tess grinned and leaned forward. “What would you do first?”
“Buy a new truck.” Hudson pounded a palm onto the table and the silverware rattled. “Mine is starting to show signs of being on its last legs. But not until I invested at least half of it so it would take care of me for the rest of my life. I’d probably buy a house and a new bike for Ford. I’d donate some.”
“Wow! You’ve thought about this, haven’t you?”
“I’d probably take a vacation. I haven’t had a real vacation since… well, ever. Seems like I’ve been working since I was fourteen.”
“Nice,” Tess said softly. “I guess I’m not that imaginative. When I first found out about the money, all I could think about was taxes and lawyer fees and responsibility.”
Hudson nodded sympathetically. “Yeah. I can see that. Your whole perspective on life has probably been skewed because of Jack’s death. Think about what you would have done with a lottery win of a million dollars if Jack hadn’t died.”
“Ooh, that’s a good one,” Tess breathed, totally caught off guard by the thought. What would they have done with the money? “I guess Jack would have been the one to decide. I mean, he would have asked me what I wanted, but in the end, I would have gone along with whatever he said.”
Hudson frowned. “You don’t seem like the kind of person who’d sit back and let someone else plan your future.”
“Oh no, it’s not like that,” Tess insisted. “Jack and I always talked about everything. We made decisions together. But he thought outside the box. I don’t always do that, so when he would suggest things, they made sense to me. That’s why
we were so perfect together. He thought of things I couldn’t.”
Hudson shrugged. “Well, now it’s your turn to start thinking outside the box. Don’t let anyone else tell you what to do. Figure out how you want your life to go from here, Tess. You’re really in a pretty good position. You will have a lot of income and no one to answer to.”
“And no one to advise me.”
“That’s not true. You’ll have your parents and sister. And if you vet people carefully, you can choose a lot of good support to surround yourself with. I think your future is looking pretty bright and it’s all due to Jack.”
“You’re probably right.”
What Hudson said made perfect sense and the realization slammed into her. Hudson was a lot like Jack. Here he was doing all the thinking so she could understand her situation. It left her feeling a little frustrated. When am I going to learn to think for myself?
As Hudson finished the rest of his meal, Tess studied him. He certainly was a handsome guy and smart as hell, but she couldn’t decide what his best feature was. Probably his smile, she decided. Ford got the eyes, but Hudson has the smile. Thinking of Ford made the hair on her arms rise the tiniest bit and her heart flutter as well. There was no classical handsomeness to him; he was all danger and swarthy sex appeal. She brought up the image of their first meeting in her mind and almost shivered with the memory.
“Tell me, how did you and Jack meet?” Tess picked up her coffee for a sip, trying to forget about smiles and eyes.
Hudson shrugged and finished chewing, then swallowed. “We had a couple of undergrad classes together. He was a nice enough guy.”
Tess smiled, remembering how many friends Jack had. He had always been an affable guy, talking to anyone about anything. In line at the grocery store, in parking lots. He was always quick with a sociable word to anyone, whether they looked interested or not.
“Frankly, I’m surprised Jack remembered me.” Hudson grabbed a piece of bacon and munched on it. “How did you and Jack get together?” He didn’t look her in the eye as he asked.
“In the third grade.” Tess grinned and set her fork down. “He was the cutest little boy, and even at that age, I thought I’d marry him one day. Of course, everyone just thinks that’s the sweetest thing ever. I mean, how could I have known that when I was only eight years old, right?”
“Did he feel the same?”
“Oh hell no!” Tess laughed and some of the tension in her shoulders and neck released with it. “It took him till he was about fourteen before he realized I was a girl. And then it took another year before he asked me out. But I was patient. There was just something good about Jack. He was kind and sweet and loving, from the moment I met him. As he got older, it reminded me a lot of my dad. Most girls look for some version of their father, and I was lucky enough to find it in Jack. When he gave me a promise ring at my sweet sixteen party, I was just about the happiest girl in the world.”
As quickly as the tension had left her, grief replaced it as she recalled all the specialness of her husband. Tess knew one day that it would ease. Hadn’t it already begun to fade before all this new drama dropped on her head? She would be able to talk about her life with Jack without wanting to cry or scream or feel like a total fraud. But today wasn’t that day. She sniffed and grabbed a napkin to dab at her eyes. “Sorry,” she whispered.
“Yeah,” Hudson said softly. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“Oh, you didn’t. Everything upsets me, but that’s just part of it. It can’t be helped.” Tess crumpled the napkin and set it in the middle of her plate, then shoved the dish aside. “Sometimes I think if I keep talking about him over and over, it’ll deaden the pain. So far, that hasn’t really happened.”
Hudson gave her a sympathetic smile and for once Tess didn’t want to bash the face of a person giving her that particular look. It actually offered her some comfort and she was grateful for it. Comfort was in short supply.
“I probably need to make out a will of my own now, huh? Make sure all this money I’ve come into doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.”
“That’s a very good idea. One I would have suggested at some point.” Hudson finished with his food and stacked his plates neatly. “But try not to stress yourself over it. The chances of anything happening to you are so slim, it’s laughable.”
Tess snorted, but did not laugh. “You could have said the same thing about Jack, too, don’t you think?”
Hudson looked abashed. “You have a point. I can draw up some preliminary docs for you that cover the insurance money you’ll be getting. We’ll have to revise everything when the other case is finished.”
“Okay.” Tess lifted her cup of coffee to her lips and drained the remaining liquid.
As they waited for the check, Hudson sighed. “There is one other thing I want to bring up, but I’m not sure how you’ll react.”
“You’re good at that.” Tess glared at him, but not too sternly. “Just when I’m about to relax behind the plate, you throw me another curve ball.”
Hudson grimaced and looked down at his hands, which were laced together and resting on the table. Leaning forward, he lowered his voice. “I’m sorry. It’s not the first time I’ve ever heard that. But I am your lawyer and I need to make sure you’re apprised of everything. I know it’s a little early to talk strategy for court, but I want to warn you. Things will probably get pretty ugly.”
“Is that all? I figured they would.” Tess’s breath whooshed out of her and she threw up her hands.
“Even if you think you’re prepared, it almost always gets worse.”
“Well that’s encouraging,” Tess grumbled.
“I’m sorry, Tess. Money makes people do shitty things.”
Chewing on her bottom lip, she shrugged. “How do we get more prepared?”
Hudson stared at her for a moment and just when she was about to become uncomfortable, he spoke. “We start digging. Any dirt we can find to counter whatever they throw at us. Maybe we’ll get lucky and this will all get resolved quickly and amicably. However, I doubt that’s going to happen.”
Tess sighed. “Don’t worry. I’m not holding my breath. Navy blue isn’t my best color.”
Chapter 15
“Let me see it! I want to hold it!” Lilly quivered with excitement, standing next to Tess in the lobby of the insurance company’s office.
Tess laughed and handed over the check. Sure enough, it was made payable to her in the amount of one million dollars. She could hardly believe it herself. No scams, no requests to send money to Nigeria. Best of all, David Kingston didn’t pop out from behind any planters to yell “Psych!” and whisk the check away.
“Let’s get to the bank, quick, before someone changes their mind.”
“Before I wake up from this dream,” Tess mumbled, as Lilly grabbed her by the arm and hauled her out to the parking lot. Lilly drove, and within ten minutes they were at First State Bank in St. Clair Shores.
“Uh,” the bank teller stammered, “we’ll need to place a five day hold on this until it clears.”
Tess snorted and Lilly giggled. From across the lobby, the bank manager waved to them. Ann had known the Langford girls since they were born. Ruth Langford had worked at First State and trained Ann decades ago. Tess watched as she rose and approached them to say hello.
“How’s your mom?” she asked, giving each of them a quick hug.
“She’s good,” Lilly answered.
“How are you doing, Tess?” Ann’s eyes softened but lost none of their happy glint. She was about the most upbeat person Tess had ever met.
“I’m okay, thanks. Just making a deposit.”
Lilly outright laughed. “Yeah, right!”
Ann frowned and smiled a little at the same time. “You don’t say?”
The bank teller waved the check in her hand and Ann took it from her.
“Just an insurance payment,” Tess said softly, her cheeks pinking.
Ann grinned and pu
lled her in for another hug. “I’m happy for this. Not Jack’s death, of course, but this.” She gave the check a little wave. “After what you’ve been through, this has to ease some of your burdens.” Ann’s words warmed Tess’s heart and felt like a cool salve on her scorched soul.
She nodded as Ann handed the check back to the teller. “I kind of thought of it like a curse at first, but I’m finally beginning to believe it could actually be a blessing.”
“I’m glad you’re seeing it that way.” Ann smiled and touched her arm. “I know there’s a hold on it, but if you need to write any checks against it, I’ll make sure they get honored. Be sure and tell your mom I said hello.” With another wave, she left them to finish the transaction.
“It is a blessing, lil’ sis,” Lilly insisted as they left the bank. “Where to next?”
“Hudson’s office. He’s expecting me so I can sign the retainer and give him a check.”
“You got it.”
Chapter 16
Ford sipped coffee and surfed the internet. Google Earth was one of the coolest things he’d ever seen. He was able to get crisp, clear pictures of all of the property listed in Jack Kingston’s trust. He saved each one to the favorites. He went on to do some searching on Jack’s birth father, Benjamin Thatcher. The guy had played football for the University of Alabama and got drafted into the NFL in his junior year. Pretty cool, Ford thought as he perused Thatcher’s stats. When he finished with football, the guy had managed to break into real estate development: quadrupling the fortune he’d made playing in the pros. It hadn’t been hard to figure out who the birth mother was, either, because Thatcher had provided for her pretty handsomely in his estate planning as well. Pamela Campbell was living quietly in Guntersville, Alabama, remarried with three kids. Ford wondered if she knew what had happened to the son she’d given up when she was only sixteen. Honestly, he felt she was a pretty brave woman by making such a huge sacrifice. Sometimes he wished his own mother had done the same thing when he and Hudson were born.
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