Her Christmas Lumberjack (Crave County: Lumberjacks Love Curves)

9. Aurora

9

AURORA

My heart crumbles as I watch Nolan leave. He never once raised his voice at me, and somehow that feels worse than if he’d shouted. Instead of being mad at me, he’s hurt and betrayed, and I feel like the worst person in the world as I sink into a chair and rest my head on the table. All I want to do is curl up and cry, but now isn’t the time for me to sit around feeling sorry for myself.

I need to fix this.

If Nolan says that Samuel’s father was intentionally excluded from the will, then I believe him. He called Samuel a con artist, and if that’s the case, the new will could be fake. But I need to prove it. I need to look over everything with fresh eyes. I found nothing last night, but I was tired then; now I’m wide awake and filled with determination.

I spread the papers out on the table, including the will that Nolan pulled out earlier. Side by side, the two wills look almost identical, aside from the date and the listed beneficiaries. But then I spot something that makes my heart stutter. My nose is almost touching the table, eyes squinting as I look from one will to the other.

The signatures.

They’re the same…almost. Both wills are signed by Nolan’s grandpa, Joseph Thorne—but there are a few subtle differences. The pressure on the letters. The swirl on the second e. The little shaky line connecting the p and the h. I’ve seen a lot of signatures in my time working for Liz, including a few forgeries. And although I’m no handwriting expert, right now, this is all I’ve got. A final Hail Mary.

My nerves are jangling as I grab my phone and photograph each signature, sending them to Liz. Then I call her. It’s Christmas Day, but Liz is a workaholic and I know she’ll be at her desk right now like it’s any other morning.

“Did you get my pictures?” I ask immediately when she answers. “Can you see the differences?”

Liz sighs. “Yes. I think you could be onto something. Forwarding them to my best guy now—he owes me a favor.”

“Will he be working today?” I ask her, biting my lip impatiently.

“He will if it’s me who’s asking. I’ll call back once he gives his verdict.”

When she’s gone, I pace around the cabin, crossing my fingers on both hands.

“Please,” I mutter to myself. “Please, please, please.”

Rudolph watches me, his eyes sliding back and forth as I walk past him. Ten minutes. Twenty minutes. I stare at my phone, willing Liz’s name to pop up. Then it does. It barely has a chance to ring before I grab it, my heart beating so hard I think I might faint.

“The new will is a fake,” Liz says bitterly. “Not even a very good one, apparently. Damn time wasters.”

I stop breathing. “Y-you’re sure?”

“Of course I’m sure. The specialist took all of two minutes to confirm it.” She lets out a disgruntled sigh. “I should have spotted it myself.”

“What happens now?”

“That’s the end of the case. I can’t represent him, and I’ll have to report his fraud to the authorities. Looks like you’ve had a wasted journey.”

“So the farm…the land…it belongs to Nolan and Declan? Without a doubt?”

“Looks like it. The original will leaving everything to Abe Thorne is valid. The land is theirs.” She clicks her tongue. “It is what it is. Thanks for your work on this case, Aurora. You just saved me a lot of embarrassment. If I’d presented this in court…God, we’d have been eviscerated.”

The land is theirs.

Nolan and Declan’s.

Without a doubt.

I let out a gasp of delight, slapping a hand over my mouth to stop myself from crying out.

“Is everything alright?” Liz asks after a few moments of silence.

“Oh, Liz, everything is perfect. Merry Christmas!”

“I—”

But I don’t hear what she says next because I end the call, grab my coat, and fly out of the front door. Nolan’s giant footprints are clearly visible in the snow, and I follow them, sprinting through the trees and out toward the frozen lake. I feel like I could soar through the air. My limbs feel light and tingly as I cross the bridge, following the footprints into the Christmas Tree Farm.

It doesn’t matter if Nolan hates me.

Heck, it doesn’t matter if he never speaks to me again.

All that matters right now is that the man I love isn’t about to lose everything.

Love.

It’s a big word, but as I barrel through the trees looking for a familiar burly frame, I know it’s true. Nolan Thorne is the kindest, gentlest, most wonderful person I’ve ever met. He’s everything I never knew I wanted, and I don’t want to lose him. It kills me to know that I ruined things between us, but maybe it’s not too late. If I show him how sorry I am, how much I regret what I did, maybe there’s still time to make things right.

It’s Christmas, after all.

Anything is possible.