Chapter Twenty
"Emma?"
She turned to see Sabrina staring at her from across their office in the library with a worried look on her face.
"Sorry, did you say something?"
"I asked if you returned the books from story time with the kids."
Emma couldn't remember honestly and took a quick glance around the room, finding them still sitting in a pile on her desk where she had left them a few minutes ago. Or was it a few hours? Wow. Today was not going well.
"I uh—"
Sabrina waved her hand aimlessly and walked over to Emma's desk to grab the colorful stack of books. "I got them."
"Sorry, my mind is just somewhere else."
"I know it is," she said with a small smile. "Why don't you leave now for your lawyer appointment?"
Because she didn't want to see the lawyer. Because Emma had been dreading the visit to his stupid office to get the last of the paperwork done for her grandmother's estate. Because she didn't want to think about all that money and how she had worked to earn it.
Because she didn't want to think about Chase, and she didn't want to think about the way she quietly slipped out of his guest house and his life a month ago.
"I don't have to be there for another three hours."
Sabrina laughed and shook her head. "I don't know how much you got from your grandmother, that's none of my business.
But you paid for a private jet to Vegas with Chase Warwick, and I've also seen your new apartment in Santa Monica.
So I'm sure that lawyer will be more than happy to make time for you and your wallet. "
"I still have to get these new books into the system."
"You're going to stare at them for three hours and get nothing done. Your mind has not been here at all today. So just head out, get the paperwork done, and I'll see you tomorrow."
And with that, Sabrina headed out without another word to reshelve the story time books that Emma had blindly grabbed that morning. Books that Emma couldn't even remember picking out, couldn't remember reading, and then didn't remember to put away.
Sabrina was right. She had been pretty useless today. So Emma did what she was told, packed up her bag, and left.
The drive to the lawyer's office wasn't far and there wasn't much to cover with him anyway.
The day after she got back from her trip to Vegas with Chase, she went to George Gordon's office to sign a bunch of papers confirming she had fulfilled her grandmother's wishes to spend her inheritance.
That jerk Charles Dickson was there as well to make sure she had all of her receipts that added up to one hundred and twenty thousand dollars.
The Vegas trip, the fancy dinners, the monthly rental of Chase's guest house. It was all there.
She thought this visit wouldn't be as bad.
Charles has finished his responsibilities under the will and she didn't have to deal with him anymore.
After she got her inheritance, she moved all of it over to another financial adviser that knew nothing about Nana's unique request in her will.
George just wanted her to finish signing some things to complete the paperwork for Nana's will. It was just a formality.
And yet it also had such a feeling of finality, Emma had been dreading it. It meant her grandmother was really gone. It meant there were no more strings attached to her inheritance.
It meant that she had no reason to ever see Chase again.
She pulled into a parking spot at the lawyer's office, sitting in her car for several minutes to get the courage to go in.
She planned to get a new car soon with her inheritance but was still driving the same one she had owned for years, the same one that she drove Chase home in that night she moved in.
Emma looked over at the passenger seat, the memories flooding back, and it made her want to stay in the car even more.
Instead, she finally got out, left it behind, and went in to see George.
The receptionist greeted her with a warm smile like she had that day Emma first walked in and sat in the waiting room with Chase, not realizing how he was about to change her life. But today, the receptionist's smile faded when she realized Emma had once again come in without Chase.
"I'll see if George is available," she said politely before ducking back into the maze of offices.
It turned out Sabrina was right. When you inherit a lot of money, the estate lawyer will always have time for you.
"Emma! Come in, come in. It's lovely to see you again."
Emma stood up and gave George a polite smile before following him back to his office. "I'm sorry I'm so early. I was just in the neighborhood—"
"Don't worry. I always have time for you."
Yep, Sabrina was right. Money changes a lot of things like how well you get treated by your lawyer.
She sat down across from George at his desk, going over this bit and that bit of paperwork. There were red tabs sticking out of the documents where she had to sign. George left for a moment to bring his paralegal in so she could notarize some documents.
And then it was done with only a pile of papers turned upside down on George's desk with everything signed. The only thing left was a manila envelope and one last slip of paper.
"OK, I need you to sign this last thing at the X like all the others."
He slid the paper to her with a few simple sentences about taking possession of an envelope. It was no different than the other documents. A piece of paper with a signature at the bottom.
"And then this is for you." George casually handed over the envelope and gave her a smile before reaching over to the card holder on his desk. "Make sure you hold on to this just in case you have questions or need anything else. I'm more than happy to help you out."
Emma took the card and thanked him. She wasn't sure she was going to ever call him though after he had agreed to this stupid challenge for Nana's will.
She anticipated that she may need a lawyer to unravel some of the issues that came with inheriting twelve million dollars, but she would definitely find a new lawyer to handle that.
There was a sense of freedom that washed over her as she walked out of the lawyer's office like she had finally had a weight taken off of her shoulders. But as she climbed into her car, that feeling went away. In her hands was that stupid manila envelope that George had given her.
The envelope was easy to open with just one of those little metal clasps holding it closed.
Inside were a few envelopes with Nana's distinct handwriting on them.
One was addressed to her father. That would be easy for Emma to just put his address on and drop it in the mail to never think of it again.
There was another one addressed to Nana's friend in the garden club and Emma could feel what she thought were seed packets inside.
And then there was an envelope with specific instructions. "To be given to Chase Warwick in person by Emma Colton, S.I.U., 452 Walnut Street, Los Angeles."
Fuck. Emma wasn't sure if she wanted to see him again. Her feelings for Chase were a mess, just like the way she left, and now she had to see him again because this was what Nana wanted?
Emma thought back to that night at the bar with Chase at the convention.
There was something about the way he talked to her and talked about Nana as they sipped on martinis.
Emma could tell that he felt uncomfortable being The Chase Warwick all weekend at conventions like that.
But he acted differently when he got a break from all of it to be at the bar just with her or when they were alone without fans and other people around.
He probably had the same thing with Nana. Emma's grandmother had a connection with Chase that he appreciated because she didn't treat him like a movie star when he was at the convention but would give him a break and let him just be Chase over martinis.
Nana gave Chase the gift of being himself, so Nana's will gave Chase the gift of being himself with Emma.
It also gave Emma the chance to be herself around someone else and see the impact she had on Chase — and the impact Chase had on her.
But it had already been a month since she moved out of his guest house. A month of her being on her own. Did she really want to see Chase again? Did she really want to deal with the conflicted feelings she still held about this challenge her grandmother had laid out?
Did Chase want to see her again?
There was only one way to find out.