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“Captain’s Boat Club goes equally to Kenna Ryan-Cugly and Dec Boggs, to be owned and operated for exactly one year from the date of my death before it can be sold by either party.”
I gasped, not understanding what my ears just heard. Mr. Cheatum kept right on going.
“Upon my death, I direct that my remains stay on the fireplace shelf in their original container, wherever Kenna Ryan resides.”
I sat up straighter in my chair. Aunt Maeve wanted me to keep her remains in my possession the rest of my life? I hadn’t even thought about that detail, but I was pretty sure I could do that. A bit creepy, but doable.
“Upon my death, I direct Dec Boggs to maintain my plants on my personal property until his death, their death, or the sale of my house on 777 Pierside Avenue, whichever happens first.”
The man next to me let out a soft groan. Mr. Cheatum placed the papers back in the folder, took off his glasses, and laced his thick fingers together on the desktop.
“Any questions?”
I snorted, the sound loud and unladylike in the old-fashioned office. “Yes, several.”
Mr. Cheatum dipped his head. “Please ask whatever is on your mind. Maeve kept me up to speed on her affairs for many years.”
I darted a glance at Mr. Boggs, finally accepting that he wouldn’t be leaving the room anytime soon. Not when we were both named in Aunt Maeve’s will. Sadly, I only managed a call to Aunt Maeve once or twice a year without Mom’s knowledge, which didn’t exactly allow for keeping up with her life. I hadn’t realized she’d been friends with such a shady character.
“What is this boat club?”
Mr. Cheatum glanced over at Mr. Boggs, who cleared his throat and answered me instead. “It’s Sunshine Key’s only boat club. Established in 1980 by Maeve. She started with one fishing boat and expanded it from there. Now it rents out over twenty boats every single day to tourists and locals alike.”
I swiveled in my chair. “You seem to know a lot about it.”
The man looked at me like I’d sprouted a dorsal fin from my forehead. “Well, I live here in Sunshine Key and I was friends with Maeve, so yeah.”
“So, why don’t you run it and send me the fifty percent royalties.” I had no intention of running a boat club. Or staying in Sunshine Key. “I can pay you a fee for the day-to-day management.”
Mr. Cheatum interrupted. “That was covered in the first half of the will.” The part I hadn’t been listening to. “If you don’t live in Sunshine Key for a full year, running the boat club with Mr. Boggs, you forfeit your right to everything your aunt left you in the will.”
The reality of the situation hit me like an ocean wave to the face. The kind that sprays up your nose and burns so badly your eyes water for two straight days. I had a life in San Francisco. A fractured, sad little life that was currently on life support, but it was a life, dammit. I couldn’t just give it all up to live out here in some small town on an island that didn’t even show up on most maps.
“Stay here? In Sunshine Key? For a year?”
The two men in the room just let me stew in my hissy fit for long awkward moments.
Dec Boggs finally stuck his hand out between our chairs, brown eyes dancing with humor at my expense. “Welcome to Sunshine Key, partner.”
I rolled my eyes and stood, ignoring his outstretched hand as my wet ballet flat squelched in the silence. “I need some time to think.”
“Of course, of course,” puffed Mr. Cheatum. “Here are the keys to the house. They’re yours. Conditionally, of course.”
He stood and handed me a key ring. I wrapped my palm around it, feeling too overwhelmed to carry on this conversation. Too much had happened in too short of a time period. I needed sleep and food, and then I could sort all of this out.
“I’ll be in touch,” I murmured, exiting the room with my head held as high as I could manage under the circumstances.
Mom: Did you make it? Did the old witch leave you anything worthwhile?
Me: Not quite sure yet. I’ll let you know.
Mom: She better not have left the house to a charity. That would be just like her.
Me: She did. The charity is me.
Mom: Oh, honey, you’re not a charity. You just hit a bit of a bump. All the best triumphs in life come right after hardship.
Me: I’m ready for my triumph.
