Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Everett
Everett Page felt a fresh wave of grief as he stepped over the threshold of the massive house he’d inherited.
His grandfather had been the last of his family left.
No more would Wilson be greeting him with a welcoming grin.
His warm, generous nature had filled this house with love, and now that was gone.
Everett tried to focus on what needed to be done now.
His overall list of to-do items threatened to overwhelm him, but he’d kept today’s list short.
Get the estate sale company established and pack a little of the study.
Unfortunately, he had agreed to a blind date that night.
His grandfather would have been thrilled because the man had worried about him being alone, but Everett just dreaded that night.
He hated blind dates.
His best friend, Trilla, had a way of talking him into doing things he didn’t like, and she swore up and down this guy was perfect for him. Everett was pretty sure that wasn’t true. He’d dated many men over the years and never come close to finding anyone he wanted with any sort of permanence.
Though he always tried because more than anything, Everett hated being alone. His grandfather had known that.
His footsteps echoed in the massive foyer.
He’d grown up in this home, exploring the countless nooks and crannies, and sharing dinners with Wilson in the kitchen because neither of them had liked eating at the big table in the dining room.
And he’d spent many a dark night with his head buried under the covers as a young boy because the old house made lots of noises at night.
Everett had lost his parents in a car accident at the age of eight. That loss had left him with heavy emotional scars.
But his grandfather had been loving and kind and welcomed him with open arms. It was just the nights he’d had issue with—still did to some extent.
Insomnia was his constant companion. And since he planned to stay here while the estate sale company catalogued everything for sale, he knew he’d have even more trouble sleeping since he wouldn’t be in his own bed.
And also, because he’d be going through his grandfather’s study by himself.
That office was where Wilson had spent most of his time, and it was crammed full of all the things he’d collected over the years that meant the most to him.
Wilson had been a bit of a hoarder.
Everett walked into the office and shivered. There was a…feel to this room. Prickly and faintly ominous. He had first noticed the feeling in in his teens and had avoided the room as much as possible since then. He’d never been able to explain it or figure out the reason.
He squared his shoulders and looked around at the bookcases lining the walls, the massive cherry wood desk, and the fireplace Wilson had used daily—even when it was warm out.
There was a burgundy loveseat in the corner with a recliner and end table.
Wilson’s favorite gray throw was still draped over the back of the loveseat.
Grief slammed into him, and he had to close his eyes.
Knowing that wonderful old man was no longer a part of his life hurt.
It didn’t matter that his last four years had been spent expecting this outcome, with Wilson becoming more and more frail every day.
His passing had still hit Everett hard. He was alone now, without a family of his own to lessen the blow.
And Everett wanted a family so badly—it was just finding the right man to partner his life with that had always been the problem.
At thirty-six, he worried that it was never going to happen.
The doorbell rang, and he sighed as he left the office. When he opened the door, the estate sale manager, Rick Aspen, offered a wide smile.
“You ready for this?” he asked as he gestured behind him to the three employees he’d brought with him.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Everett stepped back to let them in. One woman carried a box of supplies while two of the men carried electronic tablets.
Rick looked around for a moment, his friendly smile still in place as he took in the antiques that lined the foyer.
“Anton and Jeff will be doing the research on each item, so we’re sure to get your money’s worth.
No worries there. Jessica comes armed with extraordinary knowledge, as well.
The contract was for thirty percent of sales on our end.
Did you go through and tab the items you’re keeping? ”
“I did. Also, remember that the study is off limits. I’m packing everything in there up myself.”
Rick nodded. “Noted. Should you change your mind, we have no issue adding that room.”
“I won’t. That room is personal.” Everett had already gone through the rest of the house and taken the smaller items he didn’t want sold.
“We’ll just get started then,” Rick said as he walked to a cherry wood table and ran his hand over the surface. “This is going to take some time.” He opened the small drawer underneath the surface and bent to peek inside.
Everett nodded, though he felt a prick of annoyance at the man’s snooping. He quickly shoved it away. Rick was only doing what he’d been hired to do. “I understand. I’ll be packing up the study if you need anything from me.”
Jessica walked up to him and held out her hand. She was about his height and had her long, brown hair pulled into a high ponytail. “It’s nice to meet you. I have to say, I’m excited to see what your grandfather collected. Antiques are my jam.”
“That’s probably a good thing considering your profession.”
“I know you’ve marked everything you’re keeping, but I will still put estimates on those items as well, so you’ll know their worth. That work for you?”
Everett nodded. “I don’t plan to sell them, but the knowledge couldn’t hurt.”
Rick clapped his hands. “Let’s get started, then.”
Jessica and the two men quickly dispersed.
Everett left them to it and grabbed a stack of flattened boxes he’d left in the foyer, carrying them to the office.
He set them on the loveseat, then moved to sit in his grandfather’s big desk chair.
The top of the desk was cluttered with folders and various paperweights, as well as figurines of mythical creatures.
Wilson had been the whimsical sort, with a particular fascination with Norse creatures of lore.
There were wolves and Valkyries and elves.
Even a set of trolls. There was also a rather elaborate depiction of a chimera, one of Wilson’s favorites.
The man had been business sharp, but that dreamier side had made him a fun grandpa.
He’d loved nothing more than telling Everett the old stories while they’d been curled up under that gray throw next to the warm fireplace.
Everett hadn’t minded this room during those times.
He opened the top drawer to find an assortment of office supplies and a stack of handkerchiefs. He ran his finger over the monogram on the top one, smiling at the memory of Wilson always having one of these on hand.
The top right drawer held folders, and he dreaded going through them. But it was the bottom right drawer he’d wanted to investigate first. It had always been locked, and he’d been adamantly warned against ever opening it. Wilson hadn’t even left him the key.
With no idea where the key could be, he grabbed a sturdy letter opener and started working on the lock. It took a good ten minutes to finally hear a click, but the drawer still wouldn’t open. He stood and started tugging hard on it.
Unfortunately, he hadn’t put down the letter opener, which had been pretty damn stupid. The sharp end sliced through his hand just as he wrenched the drawer free.
Blood splattered all over the contents of the drawer.
Cursing under his breath, he inspected the cut. It wasn’t bad enough for stitches but was sure bleeding a lot. He dropped the opener onto the desk and wrapped one of the handkerchiefs around his palm. The cut fucking stung.
There were only two items inside the drawer.
Everett let out a quiet, “Wow,” as he picked up a chunk of what looked like jade. It was as big as his hand. He held it up to the light. White lines swirled throughout the stone. It was really quite beautiful.
The second item was a leather-bound journal that had been beneath the jade.
He set the stone down and opened the journal.
Inside, there were pages with symbols, or perhaps runes.
Ones he had no knowledge of. Flipping through, he found no words in English, so he set the journal down and picked up the jade again, frowning.
His blood was all over it. He rubbed it down thoroughly with another handkerchief.
While he’d told the estate sale company not to come in here, he didn’t entirely trust them.
He should take this home and put it in his safe.
And he’d have to take some time to try and translate whatever it said in that journal.
He wiped down the drawer and put both items back inside for now.
He’d take it with him when he left the room. He still had a lot to go through today.
As he slowly worked through the remaining contents of his grandfather’s office, a part of his mind stayed on the jade. He couldn’t help but wonder why his grandfather had left so many expensive items out all over the house yet kept this locked up tight.
And why had he warned Everett to never open that drawer?