Page 5 of The Reason I Married Him
Oh boy, that can’t be good.
I grab another cookie, but I take a bite like she asked.
“First things first. I have a date tonight.”
“You do?” I ask, looking surprised. I didn’t think Laurel was into dating at the moment. Then again, she said that about four weeks ago when I asked her why she wasn’t bringing a date to the wedding. Things could have changed since then.
“Yes, I actually met her at the bookstore when I was inquiring about your books and why they didn’t have them in stock.”
That’s Laurel for you. She’s my number one fan and will travel up and down the Pacific Coast Highway, making sure every bookstore keeps my books in stock.
“Did she tell you why?”
Laurel smirks. “Because you’re far too popular to keep on the shelves.” That brings a smug smile to my face. “We bonded overBaby for a Baby, and when she told me she liked my tattoo while leaning in close and touching it, I knew I was good to ask her out.”
“The wrist tattoo?” I ask. She got the tattoo several years ago after she came out to her family. She had a few birds tattooed on her wrist where she used to cut herself during her darkest times of depression. The scars were covered up with freedom.
She nods. “Yes. I told her I got it when I came out to my family, and that’s when she smiled and moved her finger over it.Anyway, she’s really pretty and super smart. I’m excited, but I don’t want you to think I’m leaving you in your time of need.”
I shake my head. “Live your life, Laurel. And if you need me to leave, I can leave.”
“That’s not necessary. I have zero plans to bring her back to my place or do anything like that. Just getting to know her is all, but I didn’t want you to think I’m rubbing it in your face.”
“Nah, I’m happy for you.” I take another bite of my cookie. “Don’t let my shit love life distract you from living yours.”
“Cool.” She sets her glass down. “Now that we got the easy part over, I have something more serious to talk to you about.”
“What?” I ask.
“Well, when I was running errands earlier today, I went to pick up your mail for you, and this came in.” She pulls an envelope out of nowhere and hands it to me.
“What is it?” I ask, staring down at it.
“I think it’s the title to that farm your brother left you.”
“Oh.” My brows crease together. “Yeah, I completely forgot about this. Cassidy passed away a few months ago. I wonder why this is arriving all of a sudden. Not that I really care about it.”
“Probably took the family lawyer some time to wrap everything up.”
I scratch the back of my neck, looking down at the envelope. “I still don’t know why Clarke made me a beneficiary should his wife pass away. What the fuck am I supposed to do with half a farm? Can’t I just give it over to Cassidy’s family?”
Laurel, who is currently a lawyer—a good friend to have—says, “You could give it to them. You could make them purchase it from you. It’s really up to you as to what you want to do with it.”
“I’m not going to make them purchase it. I doubt they have the money. I don’t need their money, and I don’t need their farm. The whole thing really is an inconvenience.”
“Do you know who owns the other half?” Laurel asks.
“There’s Ryland, Aubree, and Hattie. Those were Cassidy’s siblings. I met them around Clarke and Cassidy’s wedding. My guess is that one of them is taking care of it. I’m pretty sure, from what my parents told me, that Ryland is taking care of MacKenzie, my niece. So that leaves Aubree and Hattie.” Sadly, I didn’t spend much time with MacKenzie, so even though she’s my niece, she’s almost a stranger. As are Cassidy’s siblings. I’m not particularly proud of that, but our lives never naturally intersected, and it was harder to initiate contact once we lost Clarke. The more time passed without me contacting Cassidy, the worse I felt.
Laurel twists her lips to the side, thinking.
“Why do you have that contemplative look on your face?”
She lets out a heavy sigh and turns toward me. “Because I also ran into someone at the store when I got your mail. Someone you can’t stand.”
“Was it Cadance?” I ask, feeling my heart twist in my chest. “Had her roots grown out?” One can only hope for the petty things in life.
Laurel shakes her head. “No . . . worse. I ran into Wallace.”
