Chapter 35
Nash
I haven’t heard from Magnolia in three days. She told the truth to Grandpa…and I haven’t had the chance to see her or speak with her. And she hasn’t reached out to me. As if ending our fake engagement severed her “real” feelings for me.
I don’t even know if we were breaking up. All I know is, I couldn’t protect her from this chaos. I’m a different person around this extended family.
Her words have replayed in my mind about a million times. “I never met your father, but I assumed you were just like him. I guess I was wrong.”
Dad left all of this behind. He chose my mom. He chose a life that he loved, not what was expected of him. And I now know that choice is harder to make when you’re the one living it. It’s hard to ignore those pressures and expectations—even if it’s coming from someone you love.
When I walk into the living room at Grandpa’s, I find him sitting in the high-backed, Victorian-style chair. He’s wearing a plush robe, smoke pouring out of the lit pipe dangling from the corner of his mouth.
If this were a painting, the title would be Man at Leisure.
Grandpa’s grin is almost as big as his chair. He doesn’t look like a man about to meet with his lawyer, but he does look very pleased with himself.
“I need to talk with you about something.” I sit down in a chair close to him.
The smile slips from his face. “All right. I’m ready.”
“I’m going to move to Pine Ridge and ranch full-time. Mom found herself a little house there, and she’ll be moving in four months. I want to be there when she does.”
“So, you’re giving me your four months’ notice?”
“Yes. It’s time. Magnolia was right. I’m the happiest there, working with my hands, dealing with cantankerous cows instead of people.”
Grandpa nods slowly. “I knew this day would come. It’s why I made the necessary changes to my will this week.”
We sit quietly. I don’t know what else to say.
In my head I imagined this conversation being far more dramatic.
I don’t know why it was built so big in my mind.
I don’t know what changes he made to the will, but it honestly doesn’t matter.
I’m ready to go back to a quiet life. And if I can get Magnolia to talk to me again, I’m going to tell her the truth.
I love her. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. Every other decision comes after that.
“Would you mind if an old man came out and visited often?”
“Honestly, I’d prefer if you came out and lived with me,” I say.
“That could be arranged,” Grandpa says with a big smile. “But your mom, she wouldn’t want me living with her.”
“She’s in the process of buying a house in the middle of Pine Ridge. She’ll be close, but not living in the same house.”
“Do you know that I apologized to her once?”
“Yes,” I reply with a chuckle.
“I probably still owe her big time,” Grandpa mutters.
“That you do.”
He scowls at me. “You’re supposed to help ease my conscience, not be my conscience.”
“Sorry, I got my jobs confused.”
Our conversation is interrupted by the doorbell. Eli appears from the kitchen and goes to open the door.
“Wait, you have him acting as a butler now?”
Grandpa shrugs. “I gave him a raise, and he said he’d help until I got my energy back.”
“You know your house is too big when walking to your front door is exhausting,” I tease.
The lawyer enters the living room, carrying a laptop, which he immediately sets on a table. “Mind if I drag this over here?” he asks even though he’s already doing it.
He arranges the table and laptop just so, then sets up a Zoom call.
Grandpa not-so-gently suggested that Kevin and his family go to the ranch house in Pine Ridge for a couple of nights.
I didn’t like that idea at all, but I’m also tired of dealing with them.
I wondered why he sent them there, but now I think the living will that he wants to be read today is going to carry some shocking news.
I hope he’s decided to sell everything and give it all to charity. That would be the best thing that could happen to this family.
James and Harper pop up on the screen behind Kevin and Judith. I still have hope that Harper will turn out normal. I know she likes the ranch and she’s even helped me do chores around there when we’re both out there.
Erik, my father’s brother, is here with his wife.
They both look very suntanned from their cruise.
Grandpa’s sister, Catherine, is here as well.
She’s Mallory’s grandmother. Catherine’s three daughters walk into the room, completely in sync.
Though they’re all in their forties and fifties, it’s easy to tell they’re sisters.
Ah, dear sweet cousins. It’s sad to think that I spent a lot of my childhood wishing I had cousins to play with.
And now I know what a waste of time that was.
Family isn’t always by blood. I hope that my future children will get along like Magnolia and her siblings.
I want my hypothetical children to actually like each other—not be pitted against each other at every turn.
Grandpa waits as the lawyer unpacks a folder from his bag.
Uncle Kevin looks positively gleeful as his face fills the screen. A change in the will has him in a good mood. Maybe he thinks that by contesting the will he’ll be getting more.
I wish I were anywhere but here. I don’t care what the will says. I don’t need Grandpa’s money. I need Magnolia.
Magnolia, who doesn’t need me. She gave up on me. Did I tell her to do that? Yes. Do I regret it? With every breath I take.
The tableau unfolds in front of me. Grandpa has set a dramatic stage.
I shake my head and smile. “Suppose there will be peace in this house now that you’ve come to your senses?” I tease him with a grin.
His eyes sparkle. “Oh, I highly doubt that. Peace is overrated. I think this is going to be much more fun.” He has a maniacal look in his eye.
Maybe I should leave before the fallout…
But then the lawyer begins a long, painful monologue of all of Grandpa’s assets, investments, real estate, and cash. The total is valued at thirty million.
Scanning the room, I watch as smiles grow with each new asset listed. It’s almost like watching a cartoon where the dollar signs are flashing in the character’s eyes. Kevin is leaning so close to his camera on the Zoom call that it looks like he’s trying to climb through the screen.
Grandpa is still holding his pipe. His eyes are bright, and he tips the corner of his mouth up when he catches me looking at him.
This is getting a little suspicious.
There’s another couple of paragraphs of legalese before we get to the crucial part.
“The executor of the will, Alexander Whitlock, has bequeathed all of the aforementioned assets and monies to one individual.”
Jaws drop around the room, but before anyone can question it, he continues, “Alexander Whitlock, being of sound mind, has left the entirety of his estate to Magnolia Hawthorne.”
I lurch forward in my seat.
The gasps in the room might as well be screams. It doesn’t take long for the shouting to start. I’m not even sure which question or demand is coming from which person.
“Who does she think she is?”
“That con woman!”
“He’s not in his right mind!”
“He’s robbing us.”
“What about my yacht?”
“Does this mean we’re poor?!”
Kevin somehow manages to be the loudest and most vulgar with his expressions, but that’s soon cut off when the lawyer walks over to the laptop and hits the mute button.
Grandpa takes a long puff on his cigar. No wonder he was so pleased with himself.
He left everything to Magnolia.
I press a hand to my mouth to hide my laughter as Aunt Catherine stops in front of him. “Now, Alexander, I know this has been a stressful time, so it’s not the time to make rash decisions like this. These things take time and vetting—”
Grandpa cuts her off. “I’ve given it a lot of thought. I’ve made the decision that’s best for everyone involved. It’s time for you all to do things with your lives other than waiting for me to die. I mean, after all, I may decide to hang around another twenty years.”
The shouting and yelling continue, and soon, Eli and the lawyer are ushering everyone outside. The lawyer gives advice that everyone can reconvene when they can be calm.
The room is eerily silent, as it’s just Grandpa and I left.
“Well? Do you like the changes I made in the will?”
I rub a hand over my face. Is it hilarious? Yes. Would I love to be a fly on the wall when Magnolia finds out? Also, yes.
But I say, “No! They’ll put her through hell.”
Grandpa pulls the cigar from between his lips. “She can take it. In fact, she’s just the person for it. She thinks money corrupts. She’ll find all sorts of places to donate it to.”
“She has dreams! She wants to start her own business. She doesn’t want to be tied down with this madhouse! I know I don’t want to be tied to this either.”
“So, you don’t care about the money?” Grandpa asks.
“Of course not,” I snap.
Because how dare he paint a target on Magnolia’s back? Grandpa has the kind of money people kill over.
“Kevin has been doing some shady things, Grandpa. He’s been messing with the building at work. He was looking for the will because Mallory made a joke about me keeping a copy of it.”
With a heavy sigh, I run a hand over my face. “You left her everything in a living will. Please tell me you’re going to keep Kevin away from her.”
Grandpa coughs. “I’m not as young as I once was. I’m not about to play bodyguard. I figured you could do that. You like her, don’t you?”
“Of course I like her, but now you’ve gone and ruined everything!” I shout.
“How so?”
“I wanted to ride off into the sunset with her,” I mumble. It sounds so silly when I say it out loud.
“What does that mean?”
“I wanted to start fresh with her in Pine Ridge.”
“And why did it take you so long to admit that? Was it because you were scared she would choose money over you?”
“Yes,” I whisper as I sink down into a chair.
“And why would you think that? Is she that kind of person?”