The Widow and the Will (11 page)

Chapter 17

Hudson got control of himself and ran his fingers through his hair. The last thing he wanted Tess to hear was an argument with David Kingston. Stepping into the waiting room, he was blown away by the stricken look on Tess’s face. He told her it was going to get ugly, but obviously she hadn’t really grasped that possibility. And this was just the beginning. His gut said she was up to the fight. She’d shown remarkable strength up to this point. Maybe this was the impetus she needed to get herself geared up for the long haul. In spite of the discouraging way she had come into the office, Hudson couldn’t help but notice how cute she looked in her summery dress. He also couldn’t help seeing Lilly beside her. She had on jean shorts and a tank with little skulls and crossbones on it. If he didn’t know better, Hudson thought they looked like best girlfriends, instead of sisters, on their way to do some shopping or have lunch. He was very glad that Tess and Lilly were together.

“Hey Tess,” he said cheerily, hoping he didn’t sound too phony. “Hello, Tess’s friend. I’m Hudson Marks.”

Lilly shot him a look of pure disgust. “Can it. She knows I was here.”

“L, don’t.” Tess reached for her sister’s hand and gave it a squeeze.

Taking a seat beside her on the couch, Hudson clasped his hands together and hung them between his knees. “I’m sorry you had to hear that. It might be good that you did, though. I told you it was going to get ugly.”

“Yes, you did,” Tess admitted. “I guess I didn’t think it would happen this fast.”

“Consider the source,” Lilly muttered.

“She’s right,” Hudson agreed. “David Kingston is in full warrior mode at this point. I’m sure he’s drafting a counter-suit as we speak so he can be ready when I file all the documents with the probate court this afternoon.”

“Why does he want to annul the marriage?” Tess took a small sip of water.

“Because he thinks he can win on a technicality. The reality is, it doesn’t matter if you and Jack were legally married or not. He was of sound mind when he drafted his will and he left everything to you.”

Tess tried to smile and Hudson appreciated her effort, even if it was an epic failure.

“Look, I know it’s pointless to say, but you don’t need to worry about any of this right now. At least
try
not to. You’re here to sign a retainer and leave a check. After that, you and Lilly should go out and try to have some fun. You’re a millionaire now, right?”

Hudson knew instantly he’d said the wrong thing. Tess seemed to deflate even further; her shoulders slumping and making her pull inward. Lilly shot him a furious stare and Ford cringed from across the room.
Fuck
. It was a typical Hudson flub. Ford had always been the smooth one when it came to dealing with people, especially women. Hudson, on the other hand, almost always put his foot in his mouth no matter what the circumstance. It was why he never had a girlfriend for more than a few months at a time. Eventually, he would do or say the wrong thing and they would break up with him. It wasn’t that his intentions were bad. He just didn’t seem to have the ability to connect with women unless he was representing them as a lawyer.

“Thank you, Hudson,” Tess finally said. “I appreciate the thought. Can I just sign the letter and get going please?”

“Of course.”

He popped up off the couch and half jogged back to his office. He returned a moment later with a manila file folder. Inside was a two page letter outlining the terms of his representation. “You should read it carefully and then let me know if you have any questions.” He handed it to her, along with a pen.

Tess ignored his instructions, took the pen, and flipped to the second page. Finding the spot for her signature, she scribbled it on, snapped the folder closed, and handed it back. Then she tore a check out of her checkbook, signed it, and handed that over as well. Tess tossed the checkbook back into her purse and flipped the pen onto the couch. “Just fill it in. I trust you.”

Hudson watched her hoist the bag onto her shoulder and walk out the door, Lilly close on her heels.

Chapter 18

Tess let herself into the apartment and wandered over to the couch. She flopped onto it, dropping her purse on the floor at her feet. Things sure had gone to shit faster than she expected. Leaving the bank, she had sort of felt better. Happy, even. Not just relief, happy or kind of happy, but honest-to-goodness normal happy. There would be money to pay the bills, and thinking about Jack made her feel grateful and hopeful, not guilty. If only she and Lilly had stopped for lunch before going to Hudson’s office. If only there had been a line at the bank or something else to hold them up.

It was weird. She wasn’t really mad that David Kingston thought an annulment would keep her from getting the inheritance. What really hurt was that if he won that fight, then it would truly be like she and Jack were never married. It was already hard enough for her to believe it was all real. How could anyone think of their marriage as real if their husband dropped dead within a few minutes after walking down the aisle? David had to know she struggled with that, anyway, right? Threatening an annulment was just pouring salt on the wound. Sure, they hadn’t always gotten along very well, but was he really, truly this callous? This mean? This hateful?

The answer was yes. For whatever reason, David really hated her now and was going to do anything he could to destroy her, just like he’d threatened that day in his parents’ kitchen. Depressed and overwhelmed or not, Tess knew in her heart she wasn’t going to let it happen. Yes, she was feeling hurt and betrayed and even somewhat violated after overhearing the conversation between Hudson and David, but already she was feeling the beginnings of a righteously indignant rage growing in her stomach. It wouldn’t be long before she was stomping through the apartment, ranting and raving at the cats about the injustice of it all. She’d probably have a few choice words for Jack as well, shaking her fist into the air, as if he were sitting on a cloud somewhere watching her.

But at the moment, she was too tired to work up the fury just yet. Instead, she leaned over and pulled a small notebook out of her purse. There was already a pen stuck inside the spiral wire on the side. Freeing it, she opened to a fresh, blank page.

That was what Tess did when she felt overwhelmed. She made lists. One for the feelings still bouncing around her brain. One for the things she needed to do around the house. One for the things she wanted to spend money on, now that she would have so much of it at her disposal. One for the feelings she had toward the Kingston family. Jack had always teased her about the pieces of paper that filled notebooks from cover to cover, but Tess hadn’t minded. She wasn’t a writer by any stretch, but keeping track of the jumbled mess of her mind gave her a sense of control.

With a cat on either side of her, Tess sat on the couch, scribbling away. When her cell phone rang, she plucked it out of her purse and nearly dropped it when she saw the number and face displayed on the screen. Emily Kingston was calling.

Tess couldn’t decide what to do. Hudson had said not to have any contact with the Kingstons. But her heart yearned to answer and speak with the woman who had been a second mother to her for most of her life. And she wanted to rat David out for the jackass he was being. Tess’s finger hovered over the “accept” button too long and the call went to voicemail. She waited to see if Emily would leave a message, but was surprised again when Jack’s mother called a second time. Throwing caution to the wind, Tess answered it.

“Hello?”

“Hello, sweetheart,” Emily said in a breathless, anxious tone. “I thought maybe you couldn’t get to the phone so I took a chance on calling again. I’m so glad you answered.”

Unsure of what to say, Tess opted to stay quiet.
Sweetheart
?
Please
!

“
I’m sorry for that terrible scene last week.” Emily certainly sounded contrite to Tess. “Roger and David feel awful about the way they treated you.”

Tess snorted.
Yeah, right
.

“It’s true, Tess. I’m calling to apologize on their behalf,” Emily insisted, almost begging.

“If Roger and David really felt bad, they’d be calling,” Tess snapped. Immediately she regretted her tone of voice. “I’m sorry, Emily, I didn’t mean to be rude.”

Finally, she spoke, sounding defeated. “That’s all right, dear. You have every right to be upset.”

Tess paused, and then gave voice to her feelings. “It’s like you guys were accusing me of something, but I’m not even sure what. Why would you do that?”

“It was shock, Tess. We’d only told Jack about his father’s death and the money a few weeks before the wedding. Roger and I had no idea he would have gone and made a will so quickly. Jack’s father took care of the investments for many years and I think maybe he was upset that he wasn’t going to be in charge anymore.”

Tess wasn’t sure if the explanation was reasonable or not. She never was particularly close to Roger Kingston, in spite of having been in his life for most of hers. He was just the dad in the house who was so very different from her own. She realized then that she never really knew him. And after his attitude, she was pretty sure she didn’t want to get to know him.

“I guess I can understand that,” Tess admitted. “But still, I don’t think we should be around each other for a while. Not until I’m more comfortable.” It was obvious to Tess that Emily had no idea what kinds of things David was doing. The situation was going very sideways very quickly.

“But David wants to help you, dear. He can handle all of the probate and investments and whatnot, so you don’t have to bother yourself with it.”

Tess frowned, suspicious immediately by the decidedly authoritative tone Emily’s voice took on. “Well, I have my own lawyer. I don’t really need David.” Emily paused and Tess could actually hear the dry click as she swallowed.

“When did you have time to find one?” Emily’s voice cracked nervously. “I’m sure David would be a much better choice. And what about the fees, dear? How will you pay those while Jack’s estate is tied up? Roger always had access to all the money. Perhaps you should ask him about writing a check to tide you over.”

Tess rubbed her forehead and scrunched up her nose, confusion coating her brain like a fog rolling in.
Did she forget about the insurance
? Neither Roger nor David was talking to Emily about anything. She was trying to convince her of things that had no truth to them at all. “I got the insurance money and I hired the same attorney who drew up the will. He understands the circumstances and I’m comfortable with him.”
Not David
.

“Well, but how could they know anything about it? Roger’s handled everything since Jack was sixteen.”

Tess held the phone away from her ear and frowned at it, as if Emily could see her puzzlement and growing frustration. “And I’m sure Roger did a great job, but Jack made sure all the beneficiary information was changed to me. I don’t see how he needs to do anything anymore.” Tess tried to keep her tone civil and calm.

“I see,” Emily sighed. “It’s just that Roger and I thought you would need his advice, since he made all the decisions for all those years. Investments can be so tricky.”

“My guy’s pretty good and he’s been through all the paperwork. I’m sure he’ll do okay,” Tess insisted, wishing she’d never answered the phone at all.
Hudson’s going to kill me
.
I’ll have to plead insanity
.

Emily sighed again. “Tess, we only want what’s best for you. Please don’t hold our mistakes against us.”

Tess’s shoulders slumped with shame. She didn’t want to argue or be harsh with Emily because Jack would be disappointed. The thought of disrespecting her husband’s mother suddenly left her feeling cold and clammy. “I’m sorry, Emily. Really. I was just starting to feel almost normal and then all of this happened. It’s really hard.”

“Of course it is, dear. I can’t imagine what it must be like, just like you can’t feel what we are, having lost a son and brother.” Emily sounded earnest enough, but Tess caught a hint of desperation in her voice too. “Why don’t you come over for dinner tonight? Let me make your favorite, chicken and cheese enchiladas!”

Tess hesitated. The sudden shift in mood and tone threw her for a loop. Remembering what Hudson had told her, she knew she should keep some distance from Jack’s family. Taking the phone call was probably a big enough mistake. “I can’t. But thank you.”

“Are you sure, dear? I’ve got all the ingredients right here. It wouldn’t take but a minute to put it together. If you’re struggling, you should come and talk with Roger and David. They could help you make sense of things. After all, we’re your family, not some strange lawyer.” Emily was trying too hard and Tess’s inner alarms were going off as loudly as tornado sirens.

“I just don’t think it’s a good idea for me to talk to Roger or David right now.”

“Okay,” Emily agreed too quickly. “Then maybe you and I could get together, alone. You could tell me what’s going on and I could be the go between. We could go out to dinner.”

Tess’s eyebrows furrowed and she took a deep breath to calm herself. Emily’s endless pressure was rubbing her nerves raw.
Remember, she’s Jack’s mother
.
Be polite
.
Be nice
.
Remember who you are
. “I’m really not comfortable with it.”

Tess waited for a response, but she heard nothing. After a few seconds, she pulled the phone away from her ear to look at the display. Maybe the call had dropped? No, it was still connected. “Emily? Are you still there?”

“Yes, of course, dear. I guess we’re all just so confused about what’s gone on. Don’t you think Jack made a hasty decision to have the will made so quickly? How can we be sure he didn’t do it out of anger? Was Jack really thinking clearly?”

Tess bounded off the couch and jumped up and down to keep from screaming into the phone. She didn’t know what to do. She wanted to hang up. She wanted to yell at Emily. She wanted to go back in time and not answer the phone. This is what she got for not listening to Hudson when he said to have no contact. It was a ploy all along. Emily must have called because David told her to.

After taking a moment to calm herself, Tess said, “Jack may not have told me what was going on before the wedding, but he was fine. He wasn’t acting weird or doing anything strange. He was excited to be getting married and he was happy.”

“Yes, but he would never let on to you–”

“Jack always told me everything!”

“Well, not everything dear,” Emily snapped. “Or else you would have known about his adoption and the will, now wouldn’t you?”

Tess’s mouth dropped open and she stared in shock at the phone. “I have to go now.” She punched her thumb down on the “end” button on her phone before Emily could say anything more. Then she powered the phone off to avoid any more calls.

Tess stood still for at least a minute trying to understand what had just happened. Emily Kingston had never spoken to her in that way in all the years they’d known one another. She had a valid point: Jack had
not
told her everything. He’d held back two gigantic secrets from her and those secrets were now causing her more grief and anxiety. The guilt monster in her brain said she probably deserved it for the disloyal thoughts before the wedding, but it was too late to change any of that.

For the first time since finding out about his adoption and the inheritance, Tess felt angry with Jack. Rage coursed through her veins and she took a moment to stamp her foot like a three year old having a tantrum. “What the hell were you thinking?” she shouted into the apartment, empty except for herself and the two cats. Said felines raised their chins off the couch long enough to look at their mistress before lowering them again and returning to their naps.

“Oh, what do you know?” she hollered at the cats as she paced around the living room. “Jack, I could punch you in the throat right now!” Tess raised a fist and shook it at the ceiling. “Why didn’t you tell me right away? Why did you have to hide this?”

Tess picked up a pillow from the couch and punched it, since her husband wasn’t available to receive the blow. Then she pressed it to her face and screamed into it for a full ten seconds. With her throat raw and her breathing labored, Tess flopped onto the loveseat across from the couch and groaned. The cats were no longer sleeping, but still had their chins resting on their paws, watching her warily.