Page 14 of Won't Back Down
The summer sun hung low, glinting off the water as we burst through the doors. I suspected this would go on for at least another hour. Willa kept on walking out to the end of the nearest pier. Pressing both hands to the small of her back, she arched, stretching until her spine cracked.
“Thanks for that. I did need a break.”
Because the urge to touch her was so strong, I leaned back against the railing opposite her. “Thought so. How you holding up?”
“Better than I thought I would. This has been good. It was a fantastic idea, Sawyer. You were right. It helps to hear all these stories from everyone, showing how much they loved my grandparents, and how much they meant to the community. They’re going to be remembered here, no matter how things end up with the house and the rest of their property.”
I saw the moment the prospective fate of their estate settled over her again and threw all my good intentions out the window. “Come here.”
When I reached for her, she came easily, needing the comfort I offered. Having her lean on me was one of the best feelings in the world, though I absolutely hated the reason she needed it. My hand found her nape again and began to rub at the knots there.
“No matter what happens, we’re gonna get through it, right?”
“Yeah, I know.” She sucked in a bracing breath but made no move to leave my embrace. “I’m no stranger to doing hard things. I just have to see them one more time at the reading of the will tomorrow. And then we’ll know and can deal with whatever the fallout is. But no matter what, they’ll go. The dispensation of the estate is all they care about, and even if it’s all theirs, they won’t stay. My father always hated it here.”
I thought of all the stories I’d heard today about the things that Willa herself had done for the community. She was a gifted grant writer, and she’d put that skill to work for the betterment of the island. I knew those were all things her grandparents would have been aware of and proud of. Of all those in the younger generations, she was the one who’d actually lived up to their legacy, and I wondered if maybe whatever they’d ultimately decided would surprise her.
I certainly hoped so.
Either way, she was right. Tomorrow she’d find out what came next, and I’d be here to support her no matter what.
CHAPTER 7
WILLA
Iarrived at Roland O’Shea’s law office with only a couple of minutes to spare. Roy hadn’t understood why he was being left at home two days in a row. He’d become so much an extension of me, I felt almost naked without him. But nothing and no one made me more anxious than my parents, and the last thing I needed was Roy losing his shit and attacking my father. Dad was absolutely the kind of guy who would demand that a dog that bit him be put down. I wasn’t risking my boy just to try to make this easier on myself.
Nothing would make this easy.
With one more bracing breath, I tugged open the door and stepped inside.
Mr. O’Shea’s secretary, Nancy, smiled at me from behind the reception desk. “Hey Willa. Everybody’s in the conference room. Can I get you a cup of coffee? Tea?”
Adding caffeine on top of my already jittering nerves seemed like a bad idea. “Maybe just some water?”
“Of course. Go on in.”
I untangled the fingers I’d instinctively knotted together. That was something my mother had tried to drill into me growing up.
A Hollingsworth never shows anything but poise and dignity.
I really didn’t know why I was here, other than Mr. O’Shea had told me Granddaddy had wanted me present for the reading of the will. I didn’t really understand why I couldn’t be told, after the fact, what mementos had been bequeathed to me, but I’d do this last thing for my grandparents. If I was lucky, maybe it would be the last time I ever had to interact with my parents.
With a deep breath, I stepped into the room.
Mr. O’Shea glanced up from where he sat at the center of the table. “Ah, Willa. Welcome. Please have a seat.”
My father had, predictably, taken the head of the table on the far side of the room. The position of power. Mom was by his right hand. I dropped into the chair closest to the door, mostly because my knees were trembling, and I didn’t want them to notice.
“Will your brother be dialing in for this conference?”
I swallowed, wishing Nancy would hurry with the water already. “Due to his current mission parameters, he’s entirely out of contact. He’s aware Granddaddy has passed but isn’t in a position to be extracted. Whatever pertinent details need to be relayed to him will have to wait until he’s back in contact.”
I refused to acknowledge the possibility that whatever was keeping him away could prospectively stop him from ever being in contact again. I could only handle so much loss at once.
“Understood.” Mr. O’Shea straightened the papers in front of him.
I laced my fingers under the table, wishing desperately that Sawyer could’ve come with me for this. Stupid, maybe, but he was becoming as much of an emotional support as Roy. My brain immediately pictured him with a reflective vest reading Emotional Support Human, and I almost giggled. That was the last thing I needed. Laughing at a time like this would just reinforce the idea that I “wasn’t quite right.” Schooling my features, I glanced toward my parents.