Chapter 36
Magnolia
I have no idea who this guy is. Maybe he’s a cousin or an uncle. But I don’t know why he would be happy that I’m here.
“I’ll just reread the will now that you’re here. Would you like to take a seat? This one looks comfortable,” the man says as he reaches for me and gently guides me toward an overstuffed chair.
I let him, simply because he has a nice smile on his face. It’s a shallow reason to trust someone, but it’s all I have to work with right now.
I glance behind him and see Nash standing with his arms folded across his chest, and he’s grinning.
What is going on?
“Um, I’m sorry, but I don’t remember who you are,” I tell the man who just ushered me to a seat.
“I’m Alexander’s lawyer. I don’t think we’ve officially met yet. I’m Nelson Chesterington.”
Well, if that isn’t the most lawyerish name…but I keep that comment to myself.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Magnolia Hawthorne.”
“Yes, I know,” he says quickly, but he doesn’t seem rude, just as though he’s stating a fact. “Now that you’re here, I’ll read the will to you.”
“Oh, I’m not family. I’m just here for Nash.”
“Yes, that’s exactly why you’re here,” Nelson says.
That only makes me more confused.
“I don’t mean to be unprofessional, but I think this was an excellent turn of events.” And then he grins. And he doesn’t look like he does that very often because he looks distinctly uncomfortable.
He picks up a folder from a nearby table that I didn’t notice before.
“Allow me to begin reading. It’s rather important you listen to this.”
I smile politely and nod even though I don’t think there’s any reason I should be butting into Alexander’s private affairs, and I’d much rather be kissing Nash right now. He loves me. He said it himself. And most importantly—I believe him.
He starts reading a long, boring will, which essentially states that Alexander has piles of money.
One look around this house, and that’s obvious.
I’m not sure why they have to list it in the will.
But the more he reads, the more I realize even I underestimated how rich he was.
No wonder he can afford a home chef and a private driver.
But then something he reads catches my attention. I clear my throat, sure I heard it wrong, but the lawyer is grinning again—I really wish he would quit that—and Nash is shaking with laughter.
“Er, would you mind repeating that?”
“Of course.” He clears his throat and reads it slowly, “Alexander Whitlock, being of sound mind, has left the entirety of his estate to Magnolia Hawthorne.”
I blink slowly. It’s as if my body has forgotten how, and I have to carefully remind my eyelids how to move.
“Wha—why—whe—we—” Words aren’t forming anymore.
Nash is no help at all; he’s completely doubled over laughing.
Alexander is smiling brightly at me, and Nelson is folding up the papers and putting them away.
“What have you done?” I finally manage to ask.
Alexander sits down in a chair next to me.
“I made the right choice for once. For years, I have been making the selfish choice. And those selfish choices have led to ruined relationships and a lot of bad seeds in the family. I decided it was time to change the way I do things. I know all Nash really wants is to go back to ranching. He doesn’t want my money.
Strange boy that he is, he seems happy to play chess and eat dinner with me.
Most other people in the family are hovering around, waiting for me to die—and I’ll admit I’m still selfish on that one. I’m not ready to go.”
I choke on a hysterical laugh. This can’t be real.
Alexander pats my hand. “The only decision left was who could take care of this for me. And I’ve seen the way you’re not afraid to take care of difficult things.
I’m sure you’ll find a good use for my money, and it will give my children and nieces, nephews, and grandchildren a chance to go out and make lives for themselves without depending on an inheritance. It will build good character for them.”
“Let’s go walk in the garden,” Nash suggests.
“Some fresh air sounds nice,” I say in a dazed voice.
Nash holds out a hand for me, and I grasp it like a lifeline, following him out the double doors that lead to the patio.
“Do you hate me?” I ask with hesitation.
Nash stops abruptly next to a boxwood. “Hate you? Why would I hate you?”
“Your grandpa put me in the will!”
Nash grins at that. “Honestly, at first, I was worried the family would come after you, but now you have the resources to have a team of lawyers protect you.”
“I don’t want a team of lawyers,” I cry.
“Well then, you’ll have to make do with your second-best option.”
“And what’s that?”
“Me,” he says as he starts walking again, leading the way through the brick path.
“You?”
“I will do anything to protect you, Magnolia. And I will support you, whatever you decide to do with the money.”
“I’ve never even thought in numbers that big,” I admit.
“You don’t have to have it all figured out today.”
“I hope not tomorrow either.” I sigh, still not completely sure this day is real. It feels like a fever dream. One of those optimistic ones, where everything is going right and you’re waiting for the bad thing to come around the corner.
Nash pulls me into his arms. “It’ll be okay. I actually agree with my grandpa on this one. You are the best person to leave this to.”
“What if I just gave it all away?” I whisper against his chest.
“I would say that decision wouldn’t surprise me in the least.”
“What if I want to use it to build the best bakery ever, close to the man I love?”
“I would especially like that idea,” he murmurs against my hair.
Finally, he leads me toward a wrought iron bench in the center of the garden. It’s cold out here, but we still sit down, and I lean my head on his shoulder.
“You won’t try to push me away again, right?”
“Right. No pushing.”
“You won’t leave me over money, right?” I ask.
Nash chuckles. “I wish you could hear yourself and how ridiculous this sounds.”
“I’m serious, Nash. I was perfectly happy in that living room when you told me that you loved me. I don’t want a silly inheritance to change anything. I want to be with you.”
Nash sighs and rubs a hand up and down my arm, trying to warm me as I shiver. “It’s a terrible flaw, but I’ll try to overlook the fact that you’re incredibly rich.”
I pinch his side, and he yelps.
“Magnolia, the reason I think you’re the perfect person to inherit it all is that you don’t chase this stuff.
In all the time I’ve known you, you’ve never been a clout chaser or obsessed with money.
I know you’ll make good decisions on how to handle it.
And you don’t have to have it figured out right away. ”
I snuggle closer to him, stealing more of his body heat. “Can we move to Pine Ridge tomorrow?”
He laughs. “I still have to get a few things straightened away, but I’m ready when you are.”
“Maybe if we change our names and dye our hair, we won’t have to sort out your grandpa’s money.”
Nash leans around to press a kiss against my lips. “I’m afraid that’s just wishful thinking. I know my grandpa; he’d chase after you with suitcases full of cash.”
That mental image is too funny to ignore, and I find myself giggling.
“Come on. You need some food. It’s dinnertime, and it’s cold out here.”
“But it’s a good excuse to snuggle,” I remind him.
He has a wolfish grin as he leans back against the bench. “Then by all means, let’s stay out here a little longer.”