Page 42 of Steal My Heart
Brian nodded. “Then I want you to stay, but not just for me. I want you to keep your great-aunt’s house, live there, and build a life here. I want you to be happy, and I want us to have a chance. So if I’m spelling it out, that’s it. I know it sounds like a lot, but it’s what I hope will happen.” He sighed because he hadnever spelled things out like that. It seemed like whenever he let himself hope for something good, it went to hell.
“Then I guess I have to figure out how to make that happen. Starting over is hard, but I think trying to return to Ohio would be worse. I have everything I need here, and while I don’t know if there is enough work here to sustain a practice….”
“There is. Gran said that there used to be a number of lawyers in town, but they either moved or passed away. People here have money, and if you earn their loyalty and have a sound reputation, they will support you, I know it.” He cleared his throat. “I’m getting more work now than I ever have, and they’re willing to forgive my somewhat checkered past.” He wiped his cheeks.
“Okay. I’ll do my best,” Hilliard said. “There are a lot of things I need to do before I can open shop, so we’ll have to take things one step at a time.”
“I think I can live with that,” Brian whispered. The last thing he wanted to do was try to extract a firmer commitment from Hilliard. He had never given Brian a cause to doubt him, so he’d take him at his word. He leaned closer, holding him hard, letting himself savor the moment, hoping that everything worked out the way they both hoped.
“THAT OLDshit,” Hilliard said as soon as he answered Brian’s phone call the following morning.
“Excuse me?” Brian wondered what that was about.
“Sorry. My uncle. He served me with papers last night when I got home. They were waiting when I got back. It seems he’s trying to challenge the will.”
“Can he do that?” Brian asked.
Hilliard humphed. “He can try, but it isn’t going anywhere. The man is a bully, and this is just one of his tactics. I’m willing to bet that he’s looking for something to make him go away.But it takes a lot to mount a successful challenge, and his claim doesn’t meet that level—quite far from it.”
“And let me guess: you were up half the night researching standards and reviewing the will to make sure that your case was solid.” He expected that Hilliard didn’t get to sleep until the wee hours of the morning.
“Yeah, kinda. I left a message with my aunt’s attorney so he would know what was going on.”
“I was going to ask if you wanted to have breakfast and talk things over before we go to Violet’s later, but maybe this isn’t such a good time.”
“No, it’s fine. I have a few things to do. But I’ll meet you there.” Hilliard disconnected, and Brian set down his phone as Gran came in, moving slowly.
“Don’t talk to me. Whatever they put in that wine was evil,” Gran said. Brian snickered softly. “Don’t give me any of that, young man. I took one for the cause and got Violet to play nice. Just because she now knows you didn’t rob her doesn’t mean that she’s your best friend or anything.” She sat down, and Brian brought her a mug of coffee. “Damn, I’m going to put you up for sainthood for this.” She sipped and closed her eyes. “Remind me to never do that again.”
“You had some wine and you slept all night. You should be ready for another bender,” he teased.
Gran glared at him for a second but wasn’t able to hold it. She groaned before sipping a little more coffee. “Is Hilliard coming for breakfast?”
“No. He has an issue of his own that he’s working through. He’ll meet me at Violet’s.” He sipped his own coffee and wished there was a way he could help. Not that he knew anything about wills. Maybe the best thing he could do was to leave Hilliard alone. “Timothy is challenging the will, and Hilliard was notified last night. I think this really has him thrown.”
Gran lifted her gaze from the table. “Then get dressed, make some breakfast, and take it over to him.”
“He’s busy, and—”
She sighed. “I’m not hungry, and I need some quiet with my coffee before I’ll feel like anything other than the walking dead. In the meantime, he needs your support. I know you can’t do anything to make this go away, but you can be there for him.” She drummed the table with her fingers and then stopped and clamped her eyes shut. “Just trust me. Be there for the good and the crap. That’s what you do when you care about someone.”
Brian knew she was right. He stood and slipped on his shoes as he headed for the door.
“Sweetheart, you might want to put on something other than what you were sleeping in.”
Brian looked down, sighed, and hurried upstairs to change his clothes.
“I THOUGHTwe were going to meet at Violet’s,” Hilliard said when he answered the door.
“Poppy and Gigi needed a walk, and I figured you would need breakfast and maybe some coffee.” Brian wrinkled his nose. “And maybe a shower?”
Hilliard sniffed and made a face of his own. “I think you’re right.” He stepped back, and Brian brought the dogs inside. They immediately made themselves at home, exploring the room before settling together on the sofa, watching the humans as though there was going to be a show. “I’m going to clean up. There’s nothing more I can do about the will right now anyway. I got a message that the lawyer wants to meet on Monday, but he says Timothy doesn’t have a leg to stand on and he’ll draw up a response.” Hilliard didn’t sound convinced.
“What has you worried?” Brian stood in front of him as Hilliard bit his lower lip.
“I don’t know. The things Timothy alleges in his argument aren’t true, and it sounds like a self-entitled rant, but….”
Brian shrugged. “He got you thinking.”