The Halo Series Boxed Set

by Kimberly Knight

  I handed him his chocolate shake and started to pull the burgers from the bag. Avery took the double cheeseburger I handed him and walked to the bed. He sat cross-legged on one side while I salt and peppered the fries and slid the white and red container in front of him.

  “Tomorrow we can go through their phones and just call people,” I suggested.

  “Don’t know their passwords,” he said around a mouthful of his burger.

  I took my single cheeseburger, fries, and chocolate shake and sat next to him, matching the way he was sitting. “We have their licenses. We should go to their house tomorrow. What if they have a dog or something?”

  Avery laughed. “No way would they have had any pets. My dad hated everything except baseball and making people look pretty.”

  “And your mom,” I pointed out.

  “And my mom,” he agreed. “I suppose he loved my mother.”

  I took a few fries and stuck them into my mouth. They were salty, crisp, and pure perfection. “These are really good fries.”

  “Told you.” Avery ate a few of his.

  I grinned. “Okay, the fries are definitely better than Shake Shack. I think those are frozen, and I saw the workers at In-N-Out slicing the potatoes while I went through the drive-thru.”

  “Burger’s better too. Try it.”

  I took a bit of it and was surprised at how flavorful it was. “Okay, it’s good, but I’m not saying it’s better just yet.”

  “It’s better,” he stated. “Easton’s going to be so jealous. I should text him a picture.” Avery reached for his phone that was on the nightstand next to him and took a picture of his spread. He typed something on his phone and then set it down. A few seconds later, it buzzed with an incoming text, and he picked it up. After reading the message, he laughed. “Yep. Pissed.”

  “I didn’t know you had such a thing for cheeseburgers.”

  “No.” Avery shook his head and then took another bite. “I can’t eat like this now, but growing up, E and I used to hang out every Friday night at the one where we grew up. I could eat two double-doubles, fries, and a shake, and not gain weight.”

  “Because you were an athlete.”

  “I guess, but I wouldn’t mind being able to get this whenever I wanted.”

  “You want to move back to California?” I questioned.

  “No.” He frowned. “Our life is in New York. Being back is making me a little nostalgic.”

  I ate another bite of my cheeseburger. “When Brooke and I flew into LAX and took the bus to Long Beach, I hadn’t realized how beautiful California is.”

  “That’s because you only saw the city. Cali has a lot of beautiful places.” Avery took a sip of his shake.

  “Then we’re going to have to come back. I wouldn’t mind coming every year so you can get your burger fix, and I can see more of California.”

  “I’d like that.” Avery kissed my cheek and then got off the bed to throw his trash away.

  My phone buzzed with a text, and I grabbed it.

  Brooke: How’s Avery doing?

  Me: I think he’s okay. He hasn’t really said much about the deaths.

  Brooke: I’m sure it’s tough for him.

  Me: I think he cares, but he’s trying to pretend he doesn’t since they wrote him off 7 years ago.

  After I sent Brooke the last text, I looked over to see Avery going through the clear bag of his parents’ belongings. I knew that I was right. Avery cared, but was trying to pretend their deaths weren’t affecting him. From everything I’d been through, I knew it was only a matter of time before it hit him again. Just like on the beach in Montauk.

  The next morning, we drove to the address listed on both of his parents’ driver’s licenses. Avery pulled the car into a pavered-stone driveway behind huge hedges that were obviously there for privacy.

  “This is it?” I asked, taking in the two-story home with a red tiled roof that seemed to be the norm in the coastal town.

  “GPS says it is.”

  Avery put the car into park, and we exited. It was apparent that the property was well taken care of. The bushes were trimmed, hedges shaped in rectangles, and various flowers were in bloom. I took in everything while we walked to the front door. Avery got the keys from his pocket and tried each one until, finally, one of the keys worked, and the French double doors with glass panes opened.

  There were no signs of animals, like Avery had said. There were no signs of life at all. Everything appeared to be white: a white couch, white chairs, white walls. The only color was in the hardwood floors and the wood coffee table that sat between the couch and the chairs. Even the wilting flowers on the coffee table were white roses.

  “They really liked white, huh?” I questioned.

  “I … I don’t remember.”

  “Well, it seems like it.”

  I moved into the kitchen. It too was white except for the dark gray granite countertops and the stainless steel appliances. But what made the room beautiful was the view of the backyard from the window above the sink. A giant pool, at least fifty feet long, sat not too far from the window, followed by a manicured yard. Bushes with pink flowers lined the back of the yard.

  Before we could take in more of the house, there was a knock on the door. Avery and I looked at each other, confused as to who it could be, and then we both moved back into the living room. He answered the door.

  “Hello, I’m sorry to bother you,” an older woman with shoulder-length gray hair said. She was dressed in a purple, velvet tracksuit. “I live across the street and saw you pull up.”

  “Oh, well, I’m sorry, but—”

  She cut Avery off. “I know. Doug and Denise were in a horrible accident Friday evening.”

  “Yes,” Avery whispered, agreeing with her.

  “I’m sorry for your loss.”

  I stepped up to Avery, and he wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “Thank you.”

  “You’re Avery, right?” the lady asked.

  Avery blinked and turned his head slightly. “Yes.”

  “That’s what I thought.” She reached out with an envelope in her hand. “Your mother asked me to keep this and give it to you if anything were to ever happen to her.”

  Avery took the envelope. “What is it?”

  “It’s better if you open it after I leave,” she answered.

  “Okay. Thank you, Mrs. …?”

  “Edna. Edna is fine.”

  “Edna, thank you. This is my wife, Nicole.”

  I stuck out my hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise. If you two kids need anything from me, I’m the blue house across the street.”

  “Thank you,” Avery replied. “Before you go, how’d you hear about the accident?”

  Edna frowned. “I saw it on the news Friday night. At the time, they didn’t release any names, but I recognized the car, and I know the coroner, so I called his wife, Elise, and she confirmed it.”

  “You’re in their book club?” I asked.

  She smiled kindly. “I am, but it’s more of an excuse to drink wine.”

  I chuckled. “My kind of book club.”

  “Well, I’ll let you two get settled. I’m sure you have a lot to do. Again, if you need me, I’m just right across the street.”

  “Thank you,” Avery responded.

  Edna turned to leave, and Avery shut the door as I took a few steps back. “Want me to open that?” I offered, motioning to the envelope.

  He looked down at it. “No, I can do it.”

  “Okay.”

  We moved and sat on the white, leather couch. Avery opened the unsealed envelope, and I waited, a little nervous of what it was. Everything these past few days had been nerve-racking. One minute I thought we were having a nice weekend away, and the next we were jetting off to the other side of the country due to tragedy. Now Avery was reading some document that a neighbor had dropped off as we sat in a stark-white house.

  His gaze lifted and moved back to me. �
��It’s a will and a letter from my mother.”

  * * *

  Dear Avery,

  If you’re reading this letter, it means that I have passed. Edna is the only person who knows about the enclosed will. There is so much that you don’t know, and I’ve hidden too much from you.

  The main thing you need to know is that I do love you. I always have, and I always will. You’re my son, and I apologize for the way Doug and I have treated you. That wasn’t my doing. I only did as he said to keep the peace—and to protect you from him.

  Hopefully, the enclosed will can make up for some things. I know money doesn’t buy happiness or love, but this was all I could think to do for you. Doug will never leave you anything, and I had to do something. I know he will put up a fight. He’s a horrible man and has taken so much from us.

  You might wonder why I stayed married to a mean man. Just know that keeping the peace and doing as he said was a way to keep you and me alive.

  Please be the strong man I know you are and don’t let him continue to run our lives. I wish I could have done something before my death, but I couldn’t beat him at his own game.

  What you need to do now is contact Shawn Slade. He’s an attorney here in Santa Barbara. He will know what to do next.

  Stay strong.

  All my love,

  Mom

  I read the letter three times, trying to figure out what my mother was trying to tell me. Protect me? Keep me alive? The letter didn’t make any sense. I would have protected her, provided for her. Why could she not tell me what was going on?

  I handed Nicole the letter, and as she read it, I read the will. I had no idea if I was reading it correctly because I’d never seen one before.

  “Babe,” she breathed. “Your mother loved you.”

  My gaze met hers. “Yeah, but I don’t understand why she had to stay away from me.”

  “It says she was protecting you. Was your father abusive?”

  My stomach sank. “Not that I know of. I don’t recall seeing or hearing anything other than a few arguments, but I thought that was normal.”

  She shrugged on a sigh. “I don’t know, but this letter proves that you were loved by her.”

  “Yeah.” I swallowed. “But why not him too?”

  Nic shook her head slowly. “I don’t know.”

  I read the will again, seeing bank account numbers, and various other accounts listed. “I think my mom is giving me half of everything.”

  “Really?”

  “Well, I think we need to figure out if my dad has a will, and see what it says.”

  “How do we do that?” my wife questioned.

  “I guess we need to find a number for that Mr. Slade.”

  I found Mr. Slade’s number when I searched for it on my phone. When I called, I explained to his secretary who I was, and they had Nic and me come in after lunch.

  We sat in the waiting room, waiting for Mr. Slade, my leg bouncing up and down. I wasn’t sure why I was nervous. I never thought this moment would happen. I didn’t need their money, their house, their cars. I needed their love, and now I would never have it.

  “Avery?” An older man came into view, dressed in black slacks and a white dress shirt with a red striped tie.

  “Yes.” I stood and took his outstretched hand. “This is my wife, Nicole.”

  They shook. “Right this way.”

  We followed him into his main office and took our seats in the two maroon chairs in front of his heavy wood desk. He opened a folder in front of him. “Let’s just get to it.”

  I nodded in agreement.

  “My office didn’t prepare your father’s will,” Slade stated. “But given that your parents were well off, I’m sure he did and another attorney drafted it for him.”

  “How do we find out?” My palms began to sweat. Everything was slowly starting to hit me. What if he had a will and gave everything to someone else? Who would that be? Would I put up a fight? Was it worth it? I’d never wanted his money before, but my mother wanted me to have at least half to make up for the way they had treated me.

  “The trustee has thirty days to contact the attorney who prepared the will. In that time, they need to file the will with the probate court. I will file your mother’s this afternoon, and we wait.”

  “And if he does have a will?” Nicole questioned.

  “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Hopefully, everything is willed to you, Avery, and it’s smooth sailing.”

  “And if he willed everything to someone else?” I asked.

  “Again, let’s worry about that when we know,” Slade answered.

  “And if he didn’t have a will?” I inquired further.

  “Given that they died together, and you’re their son, you’re the heir and would get everything.”

  “Everything?” I asked, making sure I’d heard him correctly.

  “Your mother listed all of their assets in her will. After any and all debts are paid, you would get everything they had in their estate.”

  When I’d read the will, I also read the attachment that listed everything she was willing to me. I needed to look at the list again. But should I wait the thirty days instead of worrying about it now? I had no idea what to do. I knew I couldn’t sit around in California for thirty days.

  “What do we do with their house and stuff?” Nicole asked.

  “Their house and cars are paid off. Go through their bills to make sure there’s nothing outstanding, and don’t take anything until we know for sure. In twenty-five days, or when the will is filed, I’ll give you a call, and we’ll go from there.”

  Nic and I went back to my parents’ house—or was it my house?

  “Do you want to go talk to Edna? She might know if your dad had a will, or if there was anyone else he could have made his benefactor?” Nicole asked.

  I knew of no one. Absolutely no one. Growing up, he never mentioned having brothers or sisters. My grandparents had lived in Wyoming and passed fifteen or so years ago. It was as though he wasn’t my dad because I knew nothing except the basics about the man.

  “Yeah,” I agreed, and instead of walking into the foreign home, we walked up the slight incline of the driveway and across the street to the blue house. I knocked on the door, and a few seconds later, Edna opened it.

  “Hey, Edna. We were wondering if you had a few minutes to chat more? We went to see Mr. Slade.”

  “Yes, of course. Please come in.” She stepped back and motioned for us to enter. The house was the complete opposite of my parents’ place. It felt like a home with all the warm colors and paintings and various pictures around. Edna took us into her kitchen, and Nic and I sat at the wood kitchen table. Without asking, Edna poured us each a glass of lemonade.

  I smiled at her. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” Edna sat across from me. “I hate to say this, but I didn’t even know Denise and Doug had a son before Denise came over with the will.”

  I nodded. “That doesn’t surprise me. I hadn’t seen them in over seven years.”

  “That’s about as long as they’ve lived across the street from me.”

  “It’s not a coincidence.”

  She gave a tight smile. “I know. When your mother gave me the will to give to you, she told me a lot.”

  “What did she tell you?” Nicole questioned.

  “I think this might call for something stronger than lemonade.” Edna laughed and then stood. She went to a cabinet by the fridge and pulled a bottle of vodka from it. After pouring a few ounces into her lemonade, I pushed my glass forward, asking for some too. I definitely needed something to take the edge off. Nicole did the same.

  “I don’t think I know the entire story,” Edna said as she slid into her seat again.

  “Whatever you can tell me would be more than I know,” I admitted. “As you can guess, I wasn’t close with my parents.”

  She nodded and gave me a thin smile. “About two years ago, Denise came to see me. Y
our father was at work, and it wasn’t unusual for her to pop by. But this day wasn’t like our normal weekly chats or when we would carpool to book club. She had the envelope with her, and she looked scared.”

  “Scared?” Nic asked.

  “Well, as it turned out, she had the will drawn up without Doug knowing.”

  I nodded and took a sip of my drink. “That’s what I gathered from her note.”

  “Right. She told me that you two were getting married and she wanted to go—”

  “She did?” I jerked my gaze up to her.

  Edna nodded her head slightly. “Doug wouldn’t allow it.”

  “Wouldn’t allow it?” Nic asked. “Their son was getting married.”

  “I know.” Edna sighed. “She told me that after you opened your bar, Doug told her that they weren’t to have anything to do with you.”

  “Why?” I questioned.

  “Denise explained to me that running a bar was beneath him.”

  “That makes no sense,” Nicole stated. “The bar does amazingly well and is profitable.”

  “Denise knew that.”

  “She did?” I questioned.

  Edna nodded. “She said she used to secretly look up you and your bar on that Facebook all you kids are on.”

  “She did?” I asked again.

  “It was the only way for her to know what her son was up to.”

  “She could have called me,” I stated.

  Edna shook her head. “Doug wouldn’t allow that either.”

  “What about while he was at work?” Nic inquired. “Couldn’t she have secretly called him?”

  “I don’t know why she didn’t. Denise only told me that she had to be estranged from you two because if Doug ever found out, he’d hurt her.”

  “Why didn’t she go to the police?” I questioned, starting to become pissed off. My mother was fearful of my father and didn’t do anything about it. I would have done something. I would have protected her.

  “Well, Doug knew almost everyone who matters in this town. He donated a lot of money to local law enforcement.” She took a sip of her spiked lemonade. “If you ask me, I think he just did it in case he needed them for anything.”