by Carol Ross
“Jonah, I want to thank you again. Hannah told me about the meeting with Mr. Konrad. You left out a few details.” She couldn’t help but smile as she recalled Hannah’s humorous rendition of events.
“I can honestly say that I enjoyed this one, Shay. You should have seen the look on his face when I mentioned YouTube.”
“I am so grateful. This really had me scared—even as silly as it was.”
“Unfortunately these kinds of frivolous lawsuits are prevalent. They can end up costing a lot of money.”
“Speaking of that—how much do I owe you?”
“Shay, please—I would never take money from you.”
“But Jonah, I know how valuable your time is.”
“Shay, no. I wanted to take care of this for you. I can be just as stubborn as you sometimes so don’t argue with me about it. Besides, Hannah is the real hero here anyway.”
Shay stared at him, absurdly pleased by his words. Not because she didn’t have to pay him, but because of the reason he’d given—even though he had called her stubborn.
“Now, if only this situation with Adele could be solved as simply.”
“How do things look at this point?”
Jonah held a pen in one hand and tapped it against the palm of the other. “I think she wants money, too.”
“What makes you say that?”
“A couple conversations that I’ve had with her.”
Shay tensed at the painful reminder that Jonah had known about this for days before telling her. He’d known before the fishing trip, before he’d kissed her, before their date where she’d nearly slipped under his spell again.
“So, what do we do? Offer her money and hope she goes away?”
“Maybe.”
“One little problem there, I don’t have any money, Jonah. I’ve poured every penny I have into the inn—the remodel and the restaurant.”
“Don’t worry about that. There are always ways to get money, Shay.”
She gave him a wry look. “Really? Are you going to loan me your golden goose? Because I’m not asking my family for help with this.”
“Yes, I will, Shay, if it comes to that. I will do whatever it takes. First things first—we have to find out if she’s related. She’s agreed to a DNA test through her attorney.”
“I’m not sure that’s necessary. She looks just like us. The first day I saw her I thought her appearance was familiar, and now I know why. Have you seen her eyes? They’re mine and Hannah’s. The rest of her looks exactly like Uncle Eli.”
“That doesn’t mean anything necessarily. People can be very clever, Shay—con artists, I mean. You haven’t seen the things I have. She could have picked you out of a million people.”
“You think Adele is a con artist?”
Jonah’s face told her he believed it was a possibility. “I certainly don’t trust her. I’ve had a private investigator looking into her background. She has a juvenile record—shoplifting, burglary.”
“Burglary?” And after all of her and Hannah’s joking about Kyla.
“I’m hoping to use it as leverage.”
“What do you mean, like blackmail?”
“Influence,” Jonah corrected smoothly. “Maybe it will help coax her toward a reasonable settlement out of court.”
Shay stared at Jonah, his blue eyes were hard and cold, and she realized that she had never really seen Attorney Jonah in action. Hannah said he’d been brilliant with Mr. Konrad and Shay didn’t doubt it. He’d always been the smartest, most articulate person she knew. Of course she was aware that he had this ruthless side—how else could he be such a successful attorney? She’d spent years criticizing it—him—for these traits in her mind. Okay, and sometimes out loud, too. Was it hypocritical of her now to be grateful for these qualities?
Shay was confused and unsure as to what was the right thing to do. Yes, she believed that Grandpa Gus had meant for her to have the inn. Her dad was right—Adele hadn’t been a part of the family in the ways that really mattered, but did that mean that she didn’t deserve anything? Because her mom was also right—it wasn’t Adele’s fault that she hadn’t been raised as a part of the family, or much of any family apparently, if what she’d revealed to Hannah about her upbringing was true.
“I don’t see how her having a record helps me.” Shay wasn’t convinced it was relevant or fair.
“It’s worth a try.”
“I should talk to her.” She couldn’t see any other way around it—she had to find out what Adele wanted. If there was a solution that could circumvent these kinds of dealings, then Shay wanted to find it.
“No,” Jonah answered firmly. “As your attorney I forbid it.”
She definitely didn’t like his attorney tone. “Can you do that? Forbid me from doing things because you’re my lawyer?”
“Well...no, but I can discourage you highly. It is not a good idea for you to speak to Adele. From a legal standpoint—”
“Jonah, is it possible for you to separate yourself from your job here? To consider the family angle?”
Shay thought she saw a hint of disapproval on his face, but he was even more difficult to read than normal, now that he had shifted into this mode.
“Why would you want me to, Shay? We’re talking about someone threatening your business—your livelihood. This is your family’s history, your grandfather’s legacy. Your life.”
Shay couldn’t help but think about their recent conversation; she was struck with the realization of what Jonah was really fighting for here—he was fighting for her, for the inn.
Would she fight this hard for him to keep his law degree if the situation were reversed? She’d spent so much of her life hating that degree, his profession—his obsession. And all this time he’d apparently felt the same about the inn, but here he was trying to save it for her. The depth of his empathy shook her and made her wonder about her own.
“I know that Jonah, but do things always have to be settled through legal means? Can’t people ever just talk and work things out?”
“Shay, for someone as intelligent and as business savvy as you are that attitude is really naïve. Frankly, it’s what gets people into unnecessary legal trouble all the time. Unscrupulous people thrive on soft-hearted people like you. Adele is probably banking on your sympathy. The best way is always the legal way.”
She didn’t believe that—not really. And she didn’t think he really believed it either. He’d proven it himself with some of the cases he’d handled for Caleb. Did he not see that?
“What about Gary and Ingrid? You seemed to handle that just fine without a big legal mess.”
“Shay, we’re not talking about some old friends of ours from high school who are considering divorce. This is serious. This involves the inn. This involves a lot of money.”
There it was again—money.
“Divorce is serious, too, Jonah. Way more serious than money to me. In fact, there are a lot of things in life more important to me than money.”
He huffed out a frustrated breath. “Shay, look—I don’t need another lecture about my priorities. I know what I’m doing here. This is what I do. Let me handle it.”
“But—”
His look softened and his voice was almost a plea. “Please, Shay. Trust me on this. For once in your life, can you let someone—maybe even me—take care of you?”
* * *
SHAY SAT IN her office and tried to sort through some bills, but a replay of her meeting with Jonah kept interfering. Bottom line—she didn’t trust him.
She trusted his intentions, but she didn’t trust his reverence for the law and she didn’t trust his priorities. Yes, her life—the inn, was at stake here, but what if there was another way to settle this? The part that he didn’t seem to be taking into account was that if Adele was family, and Shay believed she was, then she would always be family. Didn’t that mean something?
It did to Shay. And she knew it did to her parents. Even if her dad was skeptical of A
dele, family was everything to him. It certainly had been to Grandpa Gus, as well. Were they the ones who were wrong and Jonah right? No, because Caleb didn’t have these mixed up priorities either...
Suddenly she looked up to find Hannah standing in front of her.
“Shay, Adele is here. She’s asking to see you. I didn’t know what to tell her.”
“Thanks, Hannah. I’ll talk to her.” Shay stood and walked out to the reception desk to find Adele waiting.
She started talking before Shay had a chance to speak. “I have a shift in the restaurant tonight, but I don’t know if I still have a job?”
“Adele, you still have a job here if you want one.”
Adele’s eyes met hers. She shut them for a few seconds and then opened them again with a whoosh of her breath. “Shay...could we sit down and talk for a few minutes?”
This could be her opportunity, but Jonah’s words of warning flashed through her brain. Did she trust him enough to listen to his advice or did she trust herself and take this on like she was so used to doing?
It was far outside her comfort zone to let other people fight her battles for her. On the contrary, she was used to fighting other people’s battles as well as her own.
* * *
JONAH THOUGHT HE had developed a good understanding of why people with pets lived longer than those without them. Walking Francis felt cathartic, and with Gramps laid up the responsibility had fallen entirely to him.
He wiped Francis’s paws with a cloth that Gramps kept by the door for that very purpose. He slipped his shoes off and started down the hallway only to find Gramps balancing on his crutches.
“Gramps? What are you doing up?”
“I’m not an invalid. It’s just a broken ankle.”
Jonah rushed to his side. “I know but Doc said it was best to stay off of it for the first couple weeks. What do you need? I can get it for you.”
“Shay called, looking for you. She told me all about Eli’s daughter and the inn. Jonah, why didn’t you tell me all this was going on?”
“I guess because at first I thought you might be ill and I didn’t want to cause you any further stress. Then you broke your ankle. I wasn’t trying to keep it from you—just trying to save you the trouble. What did Shay say?”
“Apparently the young woman showed up at the inn for her shift at the restaurant. She asked to speak to Shay and Shay was uncertain about what to do. She said you told her not to talk to her?”
“I did.” Jonah felt his heart kick up its pace. “What did you tell her?”
“I told her that she should probably follow her attorney’s advice for now.”
“That’s good. This is a difficult situation, Gramps. I could use your help if you’re up for it. Do you have any thoughts?”
“Well, I’m not teetering around on these two sticks to enter a tap dancing competition. I’m headed to the office for a reason. I need to look at a file.”
“A buyout might be the answer,” Jonah offered as he helped Gramps get settled in the office, propping his broken ankle on a chair. “This woman is probably desperate for money. And I’ve got some information about her that might help, uh...sway her into accepting it.”
“What makes you think so? That money is what she’s after?”
“What else could it be? I can’t think of any other reason she would have proceeded in the manner that she has. Can you?”
Gramps looked thoughtful. “I can. But if you’re right, then it won’t be cheap. And I doubt Shay has—”
Jonah tucked a pillow under Gramps’s cast. “I have it. And I don’t care about the money, Gramps.”
Gramps flashed him a pride-filled grin. “Open that bottom cabinet drawer there on the right and hand me the file marked ‘Gus’ and then you’d better get to the inn. I’m afraid that Shay, as stubborn as that girl can be, isn’t going to heed her esteemed attorneys’ advice.”
* * *
CALEB WATCHED JONAH’S face transform with alarm. He quickly located the thick file he’d asked for and then handed it over.
“Gramps, you’re right. I need to get up to the inn. I swear she is the most exasperating woman. Will you be all right here?”
“Doc is on his way over. He can help me out.”
“Okay, I’ll keep you informed. And answer the phone in case I have any questions?”
“You got it.” Caleb grinned as Jonah darted out the door. Francis climbed to her feet and watched him go. She let out a whine when the door shut behind him. Caleb chuckled and scratched her ears. She turned a couple circles and flopped back down with a disappointed wheeze.
“He makes a fine member of this pack, too, Francis. If only we could get him to see it, huh? You’ve been doing your part though, my girl, and I love you for it.”
Caleb opened the file and rifled through the papers until he found what he was looking for. He pondered the situation for a moment and then reached over to where his crutches were leaning against the desk. He grabbed them and stood, wincing with pain until he got his balance. Then he turned toward the shelf full of legal tomes that took up most of one wall. He reached up to the top shelf and pulled down the three slim green volumes containing his son’s journals.
* * *
SHAY STOOD BEHIND the front desk while a battle waged inside her head. Did she follow her intuition and have this conversation with Adele or did she listen to her team of attorneys advising her not to?
She’d asked Adele to give her a few minutes. Then she’d gone to her office and called Jonah. He hadn’t answered his cell so she’d tried Caleb. Jonah hadn’t been there either, but after filling Caleb in on the situation, he had gone along with Jonah’s advice.
The door to the inn swung open and Laurel rushed inside.
“Laurel, what’s going on? I’ve been calling you. Where have you been?”
“Hi, Shay. Sorry about that. I’ve been swamped with some research. Where’s Adele?”
“Adele? She’s getting ready for her shift. What’s going on, Laurel? I saw you in the restaurant with her.”
Laurel nodded like the revelation wasn’t unexpected—or important. “There are some things Adele would like to discuss with you and I’ve agreed to help her.”
“You—what? You’re helping her?”
“It’s not what you think, Shay. I know how you must be feeling.”
“Laurel, I sincerely doubt that.”
“Shay, we’ve been friends forever. I owe so much to your family. Do you really believe I would be disloyal to you?”
“No, but—”
Shay saw Adele walking toward them.
“Think of this as investigative journalism, okay? There are some things I’ve discovered and we want to share them with you. Adele, I’m sorry I’m late. I was waiting for—”
Laurel stopped talking as Jonah came charging through the door.
“Shay, what are you doing? Gramps said you called. You are not going to talk to that woman without me present.” He cast an accusatory glare at Adele.
“Laurel wants to have a discussion with me and Adele. Apparently she has some information.”
Jonah started shaking his head. “Nope, no way. Absolutely not.”
Laurel fisted her hands and planted them on her hips. “Why not?”
“This needs to be settled through legal means. I am Shay’s attorney and I—”
“Why?” Laurel interrupted.
“Why what?”
“Why does this need to be settled through legal means?”
Jonah scoffed. “Because that’s how you settle complicated legal matters like this, Laurel. You’re a reporter—you should know this. And if you’re trying to coerce my client into speaking without counsel present—”
Laurel put out a hand. “Stop, right there, Jonah. Coerce? Me, coerce Shay? I don’t know a person on this planet that could coerce Shay into anything. And since when did you adopt this condescending tone? You can dial down the lawyer act, Jonah, we’ve known each other sin
ce we were kids. I remember when you licked the glue off the bottle during art class back in grade school.”
Adele snuffled out a surprised snort of laughter.
Jonah glared. “What is this about, Laurel?”
“Let’s sit down and talk about it. Shay, can we use your conference room?”
“Absolutely,” Shay said. Without looking to Jonah for confirmation, she turned and led the others to the room across the hall from her office. She opened the door and they all filed inside. Laurel and Adele sat on one side of the table—Shay and Jonah on the other.
Jonah oozed impatience and superiority as he demanded, “Get on with it. And for the record I’d like to say that as Shay’s legal counsel I am against this meeting.”
Laurel lifted her hands, palms up, and shrugged. “Look around you, Jonah. There is no record.”
Shay shot Jonah an inquiring look, but he was staring daggers at Laurel.
Laurel didn’t appear to be intimidated in the least. She reached up and pulled a pencil out of her dark silky bun.
“Shay, are you okay with this?”
“Yes, of course, Laurel. I trust you.”
Laurel pointed her pencil at Jonah along with a scathing look. “That good enough for you, counselor?”
“I’m warning you, Laurel. I will stop Shay from saying anything that could complicate this case for her.”
“Whatever, Jonah. That’s fine. But you’re going to be surprised when I tell you that there is no case. We want to share some information and review a few things.”
Jonah set his intimidating attorney stare on Adele, but Shay doubted that it was having the effect that it might have had before Laurel’s glue-licking comment.
Laurel brought her palms together and tilted them so her fingertips were pointed at Jonah. “I’ll start. When I heard about Adele’s claim I decided to look into the matter myself.”
“Why?” Jonah asked.
“I’m a reporter, curious by nature. Shay is one of my dearest friends. As you’re well aware, the Jameses are the closest thing to family that Piper and I have. And I thought it might be useful if I learned as much as I could in an effort to help—which included both talking to and learning about Adele.”
