Chapter Ten
I was distracted all day on the water and although the others noticed, they didn’t comment. They probably think I’m trying to figure out what to do about getting George’s under my name. It’s what I should be thinking about, but instead, I’m thinking about how easily Elle fell into me last night, and how stupidly right it felt to hold her. Her discomfort when she pulled back was what broke me out of that insanity.
And it is what spurs me on to consult with another lawyer in town, someone who doesn’t work with Larry. I don’t exactly have the money to retain anyone, but I have some savings and in a pinch, one of my brothers will lend me some money, even though my pride would prevent me from asking.
After feeding and walking Jedi, I make the short trip out to Stonington where Warwick & Parker work from out of a residential house.
Alicia Warwick greets me with a smile and an offer of some tea. Once the pleasantries are out of the way, I fill her in on what happened with Acer’s will .
“And are you looking to seriously contest the will?” she asks after mulling over everything I tell her.
“I’m just looking at options and where I stand. I don’t particularly want to contest it, but I need to know where I stand legally if the other party decides to disregard the wishes of her father and sell.”
“It sounds like he’s left the decision in her hands,” Alicia tells me. “She holds all the power. He’s given her the choice, either follow his wishes, or sell it out from under you. Sorry, that is not what you wanted to hear.”
That is an understatement. I already know Elle is the one who could make or break this.
“You’re both beneficiaries and named benefactors in the will. It’s a legally binding document that has been filed in probate court. And you would be well within your right to fight for your half of the business, but it would be costly and even though you believe Mr. George wanted you to take over, if there is no evidence of that,” she holds out her hands.
“You would have to provide enough of an argument that something was fundamentally wrong with the will in order to have it reversed. I have to say,” she crosses her legs and leans back in her chair. “It’s a pretty unconventional decision he made. I’m sure I would have discussed this more fully with a client and convinced him this wasn’t a good idea if I had been his lawyer. Given the relationship with his daughter, and knowing it would be likely she would make the decision to sell.”
“How much does it cost to contest a will?”
“Different lawyers will have different charges. But ballpark, you’re looking at anything between five and ten thousand,” she says frankly, making me baulk.
I definitely don’t have that kind of money, but Elle does. If she chose to fight me, I’d be screwed. This is nothing I didn’t already know though, but having it confirmed by someone impartial helps .
“I’m going to be honest with you, Ben. Your relationship to the deceased isn’t as strong as his daughter. Do you have proof that Mr. George promised you the business? Anything in writing?” When I shake my head, she gives me a pitying look. “The burden of proof is on you, particularly under these circumstances, without any evidence or a good legal argument.
"I’m afraid you wouldn’t get anywhere with this. I’m not entirely sure the other party will either. Some lawyers might say you stand a chance and urge you to go through with this but, in good conscience, I couldn’t take your money on a case you are sure to lose. Is there no way you can come to an agreement with her?”
“Believe me, I’m trying,” I mutter. “I appreciate your time, and your honesty. I guess I knew this would be the outcome. I just wanted to check.”
“I could suggest mediation.”
“I’ll bear that in mind,” I say, slapping my thighs and getting to my feet. We shake hands and I head out, feeling even more dejected than ever. I could fucking kill Acer. If the asshole wasn’t already dead. I still have no clue why he did this. Trying to force Elle back to Mystic was never going to work.
Periodically, over the years, I tried to encourage him to reach out. I hated to see how miserable he was, knowing if he actually took the time, showed her he cared. There was still a fundamental part of Elle that couldn’t turn him away. If he’d only tried.
Friday morning is more of the same, another six hours out on the boat. We get a great catch today, but it doesn’t bolster my mood because the guys keep asking what is happening. And I don’t have any answers for them. I haven’t heard from Elle or tried to contact her, but I know she is still in town.
I decide to take the bull by the horns once I’ve cleaned up. I grab Jedi’s leash and head out, my dog yipping and prancing along beside me, dialing her number as I walk.
“Hey,” she answers. “I was going to call today.”
“Yeah? ”
“We still have things to figure out. We can’t keep putting it off.”
I don’t like how she sounds, like she’s resigned to some decision. “I can meet now, if you’re free?”
“I actually was planning ongoing to dads.”
“Really?” Dawn told me she’d been freaked out about going to Acer’s. My mouth works before my brain engages. “I could come along, I mean, if there is anything you need help with?”
After a brief silence, she agrees. I let her know my dog is along with me, but he’ll be fine in Acer’s yard. She’s surprised to learn I have a dog and actually sounds brighter at the prospect of meeting him than seeing me. We arrange to meet at the house in twenty minutes.
I don’t bother going back for the car, and Jedi is beside himself at the long walk, although he hates being on the leash. Elle’s car is outside the house when I arrive, and I’m surprised to see she is still sitting inside it. She’s on a call, but I wonder why she didn’t just go inside. I wave to let her know I’m here and she nods, then quickly ends the call.
She climbs out, wearing skin-tight black jeans with bright white sneakers. She has on a loose T-shirt, but it is tied at her hip so raises slightly, showing off the toned skin of her stomach as she lifts her sunglasses onto the top of her head.
Immediately, her attention goes to Jedi, and he’s just as happy to meet her. He jumps all over her and for the first time in years, I hear a genuine Elle laugh burst from her lips.
“Jedi, down,” I command, and he drops and sits in front of Elle.
“Oh my God, he is so cute,” she scratches behind his ears, finally looking at me. “Jedi?” she smirks.
“What can I say?” I shrug. I’ve been a huge Star Wars fan my whole life. “He likes you.”
“I bet you like everyone, don’t you, handsome boy?” she gives him an extra scratch before straightening up. “Sorry, I should have said hi to you, too.”
“You’re welcome to call me a good boy any time you want. ”
Her eyebrows pop right up her forehead but I just wink then tap a hand at my thigh and Jedi immediately gets up and stands at the ready.
“He’s so well behaved,” she says, taking a set of keys from her pocket then side eyes me. “Not like his owner,” she turns away, but I see a smirk on her lips.
I allow her to get halfway up the stairs to the front door before I head up after her. Jesus, those jeans are doing all kinds of great things for her ass. She hesitates for a moment at the front door, and I suddenly realize how hard this must be for her. I step up and hand her the leash. She looks up in surprise. But I take the keys and she doesn’t argue.
I’ve been here regularly over the years, more so when he was ill and needed more help. Nothing much has changed inside from when we were kids and I used to come here for a very different reason. I let us inside and Jedi trots along happily beside Elle, who I notice has put her hand on top of his head, gently stroking it. If she is taking comfort from him, then I’m not going to stop it. Jedi, for his part, looks like he’s in heaven having such a gentle touch.
I flick on the lights in the dark hall, and she closes the door, looking around. There is a piece of paper propped up on the hallway table. It has Elle’s name on it. I hand it to her wordlessly and her brow creases. It’s likely from Susan. I know she has been here doing some clearing out. As much as she is trying to remain upbeat, she is missing Acer. It has to have been hard for her coming in here, but she will have wanted to do it, probably to spare Elle. That’s just the way Susan is.
Elle takes the letter and I unclip Jedi’s leash and he heads off to investigate. I chuckle when he finds himself a spot on the sofa, curls up and rests his chin on the arm looking over at us, his eyebrows raised as if to question whether we have a problem with it. I try not to focus too much on Elle as she reads the letter.
“It’s from Susan,” she says, confirming what I thought. “She’s cleared out a lot of stuff but left some things she thinks I might want, and she hasn’t touched my room.” She glances over and smiles a little at Jedi, who has now settled so well. He is asleep. The walk over must have taken it out of him. “I didn’t get a chance to talk to her for long the other day, but she seems nice. She insinuated she was seeing dad, but they were friends?”
“It was a kind of loose relationship, in the sense that they kept their own identities and houses, but yeah, they were a thing. Never really put a label on it, said they were too old to be boyfriend and girlfriend, but they were happy.”
“It must be hard for her. I should go and see her. Thank her for everything.”
“She’d like that,” I nod. “Shall we see what else needs to be done, if Susan has done a lot of it?”
“Let’s see if there is any coffee first,” Elle says, stepping around me and cutting through the living room to the kitchen. Jedi briefly opens his eyes to keep an eye on what we are doing but settles back down. I follow her. “You want one?” She sets the coffee machine going when I nod my thanks.
Leaning against the kitchen counter, I cross my ankles and push my elbows back so I can grip the edge at my hips. “So, in the interest of being transparent, I went to see a lawyer yesterday.”
“Oh?” she turns, so she is side on to me, looking over her shoulder.
“I wanted to know where we stand on the way Acer has drawn up the will. If there was any way around it or if we were able to make any changes.”
“And?”
I shake my head. “He’s really put us in a situation.”
She turns back to making the drinks. “Do you plan on taking it down the legal route?” I frown as she passes my coffee. She didn’t ask how I took it, but it is the way I like it.
“I think you and I both know I’m not in a position to do that,” I cradle the mug against my stomach. “It was pretty much confirmed to me that my life is in your hands. ”
She looks into the living room, her eyes roaming over everything and stopping on Jedi. “I hate this,” she whispers.
“It’s a tough choice,” I say.
Her head whips back to me. “It’s an impossible choice,” she huffs out a laugh. “I either follow the will and make a decision about my life that I never wanted to make, or I ruin yours and countless others, taking away your jobs.”
“Yeah, I got that part,” I say. I’m not making it easier for her. “Any thoughts?”
She sips her coffee and her nose wrinkles. “I forgot about the sludge dad drinks.” She sets the mug down.
“Would it be so bad?” I ask softly. Her eyes turn to me, and I try to convey how much she could hurt us if she makes this choice. It’s not fair, but I have to think about myself, and my employees and Jared’s words are still whirring around my head. “Being back in Mystic for a small part of your time?”
“I don’t know.” she bites her lips, and my eyes track it. When I look back, she’s watching me. “I left a lot of things behind when I moved away,” she stares intently at me. “It wasn’t an easy choice, but when I made it, I never expected to have to come back.”
“If it helps, I got over it a long time ago, Elle. I know you needed to leave and go after your dream, just like you knew I needed to stay. We were kids, and we had to make a difficult decision but, in the long run, don’t you feel like you made the right choice?”
“I do,” she nods, but she looks a little lost, too. “Doesn’t mean it was easy to walk away.”
Putting the mug behind me. Because she is right, Acer’s coffee tastes like battery acid. I push away from the counter. “I said some shit that day,” I start, remembering how hurtful I’d been.
I’d lashed out. I didn’t want her to leave, but knew if I hadn’t pushed her to believe we were never going to work, she wouldn’t go. Elle had a dream. I didn’t want her to hold back and miss out on that. I don’t think she ever realized that was what I did. She hated it here .
Her family had fallen apart and if she wanted to pursue her dream of becoming an author, she had to go to college and spread her wings, instead of staying here ending up like her parents, hating every missed opportunity.
“We both did,” she reminds me. “I regret a lot of the things I said that day.”
My head nods in agreement. It’s time to stop living in the past and to try to convince her that staying in Mystic for a few months out of the year won’t be so bad. “It all worked out, Elle. You achieved your dream. I’m really proud of you.”
She swallows and lifts her eyes. “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. However, there is something you can do for me,” I say, taking a step closer.
Elle looks up at me and her throat works as she swallows, making me wonder exactly what it is she thinks I’m going to ask for. I grin at her. “Let me reintroduce you to Mystic.”
“Huh?” she tilts her head, clearly not expecting me to say that. “What do you mean?”
“Let me show you that Mystic has just enough to offer as New York and that being here for six months won’t be so bad. There are no stipulations on it being six months in a row. You can spread it out and let’s be honest, I’m not going to enforce the terms. If you wanted to, or couldn’t be here the whole six months, I’m not going to tell anyone.”
Biting her lip again about drives me nuts. I’m so tempted to reach over and pull it out from between her teeth.
“The River Jam starts tonight,” I point out. “You used to love going when we were teenagers, remember?”
Elle nods. “Dawn has already reminded me of that.”
“So come with me tonight.”
“With you?” her chin drops slightly, but she looks up at me through her eyelashes.
“Yeah, don’t make a big deal of it,” I laugh and lightly kick at her sneakers with mine. “I just want you to see that Mystic isn’t as bad as you remember. Sure, there are bad memories, and no one gets that more than I do, Elle. I lived through it with you, and I am not saying we need to forget about that, but what if things can be different now that there is some time and distance behind you?”
I duck down a little, so she looks up at me.
“This place, you don’t need to keep it, or come near it even. There is plenty of great housing. My brother has been busy throwing houses up around here,” she frowns, and I reign myself in. That may have been a step too far. “What do you say? Can you give it a chance?”
Jedi barks and we both look over at him. His tail is thumping hard against the sofa he’s sitting on, and he looks like he is grinning. Elle laughs slightly at the expression on his doggy face, and I silently tell the mutt he’s getting a huge bone tonight.
“See, even Jedi wants you to give it a chance. He can come along too if that entices you.”
“Don’t try to bribe me with your gorgeous dog,” she laughs.
“Is it working, though?”
“I can’t promise anything.”
“That isn’t what I’m asking. I just want you to take a chance. Like you did when you left.”
Her nostrils flare slightly, and she blinks. She’s holding back tears. Fuck, I don’t want to make her cry, but if it helps to push those emotions on her.
“Take a chance on coming back, Elle. Come with me tonight.”
She looks from Jedi to the surrounding room, and then straight into my eyes, her shoulders straightening slightly. “Okay.”