“No.”
Kate 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 could provide him with an answer.
He stared at the room filled with strangers, uncertain about what to do with himself.
When he had rejected Kate’s offer, he’d braced for some form of coaxing or whining. Instead, she merely smiled and gave him space.
For the first time that day, something 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 around her waist and into a knot on her back. The ends of the sash flowed down toward the edge of her dress.
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. One step, and that was it. 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 toward the back.
Kate saw Tyler bolt from the house and figured he probably needed some time and space. She wanted to follow after him, to make sure he was all right, but she couldn’t walk out of the house while everyone was still there.
By the time the guests left, the sun was already beginning its descent. The orange tinge streamed in 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 late Mr. Hayes loved about this house. Looking out from where she was felt so lonely. She couldn’t imagine how forlorn he 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. “Are you all right?”
“Is 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 from 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 knew in her heart that he wasn’t ready. Her words would only end up pushing him away.
“Did you come 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 his taut jaws when he took in everything within the house, his words would’ve made her think he was a cold-hearted person.
They returned to the mansion and headed into 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 badly of 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 sixty-one-year-old veteran lawyer sat rigidly, his arm placed stiffly over the black folder on the table.
Kate took a seat across from 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. “Mr. Hayes left you ten percent of all the money 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 had 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 at 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, leaning forward on the table as Tyler stormed away.
“Wait!” Mr. Sawyer called out. “There’s more. You need to listen to all of it, or, like I said, everyone here will have to forfeit their share of the inheritance.”
Letting out an audible sigh, Tyler stopped and leaned 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 finally 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 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, seemingly 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 for as long as she wishes. The late Mr. Hayes appointed me to make sure that 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. “Is there any other way around this?”
Joel Sawyer shook his head. “If you choose to forfeit the house and the conditions are no
t met, the house will be torn down and the land will be sold to anyone except those present here. The receipts will then 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 got 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 that he was being very selfish. I know this is incredibly unfair to you. He asked me to apologize on his behalf and wrote 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. “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 has 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 were to 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. He wanted to make sure that you’ll be well taken care of no matter what.”
For the first time since she heard the will, her lips parted into a smile. Mr. Hayes knew her well. Reluctantly, she nodded before going after Tyler.
You promised, Kate reminded herself as she plodded 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 require a genius to figure out that his anger would be directed at 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 begins. “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. What’s yours?”
“Mine?”
“What do you want?” he asked, enunciating each word.
You promised. She drew in a frustrated breath, asking God to give her patience. “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 grappled with her anger. “I may not be as rich as you are, but I don’t need the money from the inheritance, and I definitely 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.
Reining in her anger, she took another deep breath and stepped away. “You’re not angry with 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 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 could only answer with a sigh.
Marianne handed her a glass of water. “Whatever he said, ignore him.”
“Yeah.” She nodded and took a sip of water. “I’m not going to steal the house from him.”
“I never thought you would.”
Marianne’s immediate reply was comforting. At least someone didn’t think she was a gold digger.
“Thanks.” She took another sip from the glass, then handed it back to Marianne. “I’ll inform Mr. Sawyer and head home. It’s been a long day.”
“Thank you for doing Ty this favor,” Marianne said with a warm smile.
Kate returned Marianne’s smile and headed into the kitchen.
No matter how awful Tyler was, she did make a promise to the late Mr. Hayes.
And it was just one year. It was the right thing to do.
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. She played with it, twirling it around in her hand.
She didn’t think it would be this tough to look at a letter, but it took her a couple of minutes before she could open the envelope.
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 for 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.
As I leave to meet his parents, the shame is mine to bear. But Tyler does not deserve to be haunted by the ghosts from the past.
Kate, please help me give Tyler back his home.
Love,
William Hayes
Chapter 3
“You’re really doing this?” Evelyn asked as Kate placed her sketchbook, stationery, and several folders into a box.
“No, I’m just packing up for fun.”
“That line of sarcasm doesn’t work for you; you do pack up for fun,” Evelyn stated matter-of-factly. “Isn’t it kind of rushed? Expecting you to move all your stuff in less than a day? And that Tyler, you said he was awful.” Evelyn picked up the clothes that Kate had placed on the bed and dumped them into the luggage.
Kate glowered at Evelyn. She pulled out the clothes, folded them, then arranged them neatly in the luggage.
“Kate, I know you can’t say no to helping people. But seriously, have you thought this through? You barely know the guy, and Mr. Hayes hadn’t seen him in twenty years. He could be the Zodiac or some crazy guy.”
They should stop watching such thrillers.
“One, I didn’t say he was awful. I said he wasn’t exactly a bundle of joy.”
Evelyn rolled her eyes. “It’s the same meaning.”
“Two, I don’t have to pack everything. I just need some of my clothes and my work stuff. And, I’m not going to be there alone; Marianne will be there, too.”
“Yeah, his loyal housekeeper. No one will be on your side.”
“God will be on my side.”
Evelyn rolled her eyes again as her head swayed side to side.
Evelyn never condemne
d or made fun of Kate’s faith, but she never believed in God. In fact, she didn’t believe in ghosts, angels, or anything spiritual.
Kate stopped what she was doing and looked up at her best friend. She wished Evelyn would open her heart and trust that despite what she’d gone through, there was a God who loved her. But she never condemned Evelyn for her lack of faith either.
“Why would I need someone on my side? I’m not fighting a war,” she said. “I know what I’m doing. I’ll make sure to lock my door and windows at night, happy?”
“Not at all. You’re too trusting. You don’t know the evils of the world.”
If anyone else had spoken those words to her, Kate would’ve laughed. But Evelyn had been through the worst of the foster system and seen more than her share of evils, so Kate only nodded as though she was a child listening to a mother’s lecture.
While she continued packing, Evelyn continued in her bid to get Kate to change her mind. Evelyn hovered around her, following her wherever she went, but not lifting a finger to help.
Kate didn’t mind the lack of help. Evelyn’s style of packing was to sweep everything into the luggage, then hope that it would close—a complete opposite of Kate’s style. But she hated having someone shadowing and getting in her way while she moved around the room.
No matter what Evelyn said, Kate was adamant about going through with her decision.
Putting aside her promise, she couldn’t allow Tyler to lose his house because of her, not when she knew what happened to him.
Even as she got into her car, Evelyn was still going on and on about how dangerous it could be and how it wasn’t her style to do something so ridiculous.
“Kate, I know you grew up taking care of people around you, but this isn’t your battle. Please, just think it through again.”
“I have. I need to do this,” Kate stated before pulling the door close. She smiled brightly at Evelyn through the windshield and waved, ignoring the scowl on her face.
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