Epilogue
EPILOGUE
HOLDEN LEXINGTON
T oday is going to be a son of a bitch, and if I’m going to get through it with my sanity intact, I need some coffee.
And maybe I need to see her.
Okay, mostly, I need to see her. So sue me.
I push my way into Bitterroot Valley Coffee Co., and the smell of coffee and sugar assaults my nose. At first, I don’t see Millie Wild behind the counter, and I consider turning around and walking back out, but then she bustles through a side door, a smile on that drop-dead gorgeous face as she carries a couple of sleeves of cups behind the counter. Her long, chestnut-brown hair is up in a high ponytail to keep it out of her way. She’s in a branded T-shirt and jeans, with a signature orange apron tied around her waist.
It’s the middle of the morning on a weekday, so of course, it’s busy in here. I hang back for a moment and take her in before she sees me. She smiles and jokes with her customers, and I love seeing this carefree look on her face.
She glances my way, and the ice seeps into her eyes, and those walls come crashing down around her.
Not that I don’t deserve it. I abso-fucking-lutely do. But it still pisses me off.
“Hey,” she says with a polite smile as I approach her. God, I fucking hate it when she looks at me with indifference. I’d almost rather the blatant animosity that shows up more times than not than the cool indifference. “What would you like today?”
“My usual.”
“And that is?”
I narrow my eyes at her. This woman has half the town’s usual memorized, and I know she knows mine, too. She’s just being obtuse to be a brat.
I wish I could take her over my knee and spank her pretty little ass.
“Coffee. Black. One sugar.”
“Ah, yes, that’s right.” She taps the screen of the computer. “What are you up to today?”
“Headed to the lawyer’s office,” I say as I tap my card to the screen. “Will reading.”
Her hazel eyes—no, gold , flecked with green—soften on me. “I’m sorry, Holden.”
“Yeah, well. Have to get it over with.”
“I was sorry to hear about your dad.”
She wouldn’t be if she knew the absolute fuckery that man caused. For both her and me. But she’ll never know, if I have anything to say about it.
I simply nod at her, and she turns to pour my coffee, adds the sugar the way she knows that I like it, which makes me grin, and then snaps the lid on and turns to pass it to me.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Good luck.”
When she softens like this, it’s almost my undoing. So, I turn and walk out of the coffee shop and down the street to Jameson and Jameson, Attorneys at Law. When I walk inside, I’m shown into a conference room where all four of my sisters are already seated. I take the chair right in the middle of them.
I love my sisters. My father was a son of a bitch who didn’t give a rat’s ass about anyone with a vagina, so I’m quite sure he’s going to find a way to hurt them today, even from beyond the goddamn grave.
“Hey,” Dani says, rubbing my back.
“I should have brought you all coffee,” I say with a frown. “Sorry about that.”
“We’re fine,” Charlie assures me. “Let’s just get this day over with so we can get on with our lives.”
Darby and Alex haven’t said a word, but I know they’re nervous.
“No matter what happens here today,” I assure them all, “we’ll make it right. I promise.”
I look at Dad’s attorney and nod.
“Thanks for meeting me today,” he says, after clearing his throat. “This shouldn’t take too long. I’m going to read the will, and then I’m happy to answer any questions.”
He clears his throat again.
“I, Lawrence Lexington, being of sound mind and body, do declare this my last will and testament. I leave each of my four daughters, Danielle, Darby, Charlie, and Alex, each ten thousand dollars.”
Each of my sisters gasps, and I already want to punch a dead man.
“To my son, Holden, I leave the rest of my worldly belongings. My ranch, livestock and equipment, the buildings and land, in its entirety, valued at five million dollars. I also leave all of my bank accounts, valued at three million dollars.”
I’m shaking my head, pressing my fingertips to my eyeballs.
“With the following stipulation.”
Now my head comes up again, and Charlie takes my hand in hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
“Holden must marry within sixty days of the reading of this will and stay married for one year. If he fails to do so, the entire inheritance will be sold, and the money will be donated to the following charities.”
He reads through a list of bullshit charities that no one has ever heard of, and I’m just shaking my head.
That son of a bitch.
That motherfucker.
That pitiful excuse for a human being.
“Do you have any questions?” the attorney asks.
“No.” I stand, and my sisters stand with me. “Do we need to sign anything?”
“Yes, there is paperwork, but each of you can come in when it’s convenient for you to finish up.”
“Great.” I turn to my sisters and try to offer them a smile. “Team meeting?”
“Right now,” Charlie says, nodding. “Sir, can we use this room?”
“Of course, take your time.” He gathers his papers and leaves, closing the door behind him.
“That son of a bitch,” Dani says, shaking her head.
“I’m going to make sure you each get a hell of a lot more than ten grand.”
“We don’t care about the money,” Darby says with a scowl. “Dad didn’t give a shit about us. I’m surprised he left us anything at all.”
“He left what we’d consider an insult ,” Alex says with a smirk. “And he’s right. It is. Fuck his money. He can go to hell.”
“Hopefully, he’s burning down there,” Charlie agrees. “But to demand that Holden has to get married in order to inherit what’s rightfully his? That’s insane. He can’t do that.”
“Pretty sure he can,” I reply grimly.
It’s just another way for him to dick with me. To make me pay. Hell, to be in control. He probably thought that I’d never marry, so I wouldn’t inherit, and I’d be shit out of luck.
And he could be right.
There’s only one woman in this world that I’d ever consider marrying, and she’d rather smother me in my sleep than say a nice word to me.
Thanks to him.
“We’re going out for lunch to talk about this,” Darby decides. “Are you coming, Holden?”
“Nah, you guys go on. I’ll catch up with you later.” I smile and pull Darby’s dark curls. “I’m fine. Really, go ahead.”
“If you’re sure,” Charlie says. “Call me later.”
“Will do.” I wait until the four of them are gone and then blow out a long breath.
Well, hell, I have to talk Millie Wild into marrying me.