Page 89 of Finding Hayes
Here we go.
“Thanks.” I clapped him on the shoulder and made my way out to the kitchen, just as Savannah walked in. She dropped in sometimes, and the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
“Hey, hubs. I know you have one more night here, so I wanted to drop off some tortilla soup for everyone.” She set the crock pot on the counter and pushed up onto her tiptoes to kiss me.
Like it was just so natural to do it.
There was an easiness about her that had been missing from my life all the years we’d been apart.
And now that I had it back, I realized how much I needed it.
Needed her.
My hand wrapped around the side of her neck, my thumb tracing along her jaw. “Sheana and her attorney are here. Santa sent them to the den, so how about you come with me, and we do this together.”
I saw the concern in her eyes, and I smiled. It was fine. We were fine.
“I’m sorry they came to your work. That’s ridiculous. They can’t harass us.”
“Hey. I’m not upset. Don’t let them get to you. That’s what they want. They can ask whatever the fuck they want. We’re together. We’re happy. That’s all that matters.”
She nodded as my fingers intertwined with hers, and I led her down one more level to the den. We walked in, and they were both sitting on the couch whispering about something when they turned to see us there.
“Oh. I didn’t expect to see you here, Savannah. You were our next stop. It’s fairly easy to find you since you’ve made the renovations tomy homeso public on your social media,” Sheana said, pushing to her feet and walking our way. She extended her arm, and we both just stared at her.
This wasn’t a visit we’d wanted, and we owed her nothing. Abe gave her a big, fat check when they divorced because he wanted her out of his life. Sheana wasn’t named in the will and didn’t attend the funeral or send a card, flowers, nothing.
Savannah moved past her, ignoring her hand, and she and I sat down on the love seat across from where her attorney sat.
“This is my husband’s place of work, and there is no reason for you to be here bothering him,” Savannah said, her hand stillin mine as they rested on her denim-covered thigh.
“Hayes, Savannah, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Mike Hardman.” He motioned for Sheana to sit back down beside him. It was clear there was no love there between Sheana and Savannah. “We were just in the area and thought we’d pop in and see if you were available for a quick chat. We didn’t expect both of you to be here.”
“Right,” I hissed. “Because you don’t want this to be real. But my wife drops by all the time, and today is no different. She brought soup for me and the guys. But our attorney, Easton Chadwick, who you’ve been in contact with, said that he told you not to try to speak to us without him present. But you came anyway, thinking you’d catch us off guard.”
“Well, if you have nothing to hide, why do you need an attorney?” Sheana said, folding her arms over her chest, and Mike shot her a warning look, which I assumed was his way of asking her to stay quiet.
“Because this feels like harassment,” Savannah said.
“My client feels she’s entitled to that house and the money that you were left, because Abe verbally made a promise to her. And we’ve learned that there were some interesting stipulations in that will, so we just want to make sure that you’ve followed the guidelines in the contract that Abe required of you. It’s as simple as that. We just have a few questions, and if you have nothing to hide, that shouldn’t be a problem,” Mike said, and he had this shady-ass smirk on his face.
“It’s ironic, really.” Savannah looked directly at Sheana. “I mean, you married a man much older than you and stayed all of three months. You fully took advantage of him and left with a lot of money in your pockets. I don’t believe for one minute that he made you a verbal promise, because there would be no reason that he didn’t include you in the will. But I do know thatyou never checked in on him toward the end stages of his life. You didn’t attend his funeral or even send your condolences. Yet you come back here after he dies and question me? I loved him. He was like a grandfather to me, and you knew that. I spoke to him every damn day. I’ve known him since I was a little girl. I’m renovating the farmhouse that belonged to Abe andLilybecause it’s whathe wanted. Whattheywanted. You don’t care about him or anything other than cashing in on his death. And that, Sheana, is disgusting.”
The room fell silent, and Sheana pushed to her feet.
“Well, guess what? He isn’t your grandfather. He owed you nothing. And you clung to him and Lily because your own family is a mess. Your father is a pathetic excuse for a man, from what I’ve heard. His wife blatantly cheated on him, and everyone in town knew about it. Abe felt sorry for you, and that’s just sad. I married him. He was my husband. That house, that money, should be mine. And you ran off and married the first man willing to do it, probably bribing him with a cut of the money. I’ll prove it, Savannah, you just wait.”
“Sheana.” Mike’s tone was harsh, and she startled when he pushed to stand and moved toward her. “Stop talking. This isn’t helping anyone.”
Savannah kept her cool, but my free hand fisted at my side as I pushed to my feet, dropping her hand as she remained on the love seat.
“If you ever fucking speak to my wife that way again, you’ll regret it.” I reached for Savannah, and she stood. “I signed a prenup, you dumbass. Next time, do your homework. Abe wanted my wife to have that money, and she should do with it what she wants. If he wanted you to have it, he would have named you in the will. This conversation is over. Get the fuck out of my firehouse, or I’ll call the police and have you both removed.”
Sheana started to speak, and her attorney held up his hand to stop her. “We’re leaving. Now.”
They left the room, and I turned as Savannah stepped closer, and I wrapped my arms around her. “You okay?”
“Yes. I hate that woman, though. She’s got no heart. Abe regretted marrying her immediately, and he was always resentful that she got the money that she did from him. She took advantage of a really good man who was lonely.” Her shoulders shook, and I just held her there.
