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“Morning, Jerry. Got the papers? I’ve got a meeting with Connor I need to get to,” I say, keen to get this done. My son and I need to discuss distribution of our latest release in an hour, and any time I get with him these days is precious.
“Unfortunately, there is a hiccup,” Jerry says, and my shoulders stiffen. Eyes narrowing, they flick to Sawyer, who appears just as surprised. This should be a simple transaction. Single old lady dies, has no one claiming her legacy, and so it is put up for sale as a deceased estate.
“What hiccup?” Sawyer asks as Griffin steps closer, the three of us all looking at Jerry for answers.
“I formally reviewed Marie’s will…” he starts tentatively, and my hands find my hips.
“And?” I push him, already knowing I’m about to be frustrated.
“And… she has a niece. She has named her as the sole beneficiary of her possessions, including her house, land, and money.”
“A niece?” Griffin asks. He is a tough guy who has been my contractor for years. He is the man who helped me build the entire distillery here in Whispers. As we have expanded over the years, so has he. His company now builds new ranches and luxury homes all around the country. Makes good money from it all too.
“She never said anything about any niece,” I grumble, my jaw tight. This is less than ideal.
“Her will is old; she wrote it over a decade ago. There is no mention of any siblings or anyone else,” Jerry confirms.
“So does the niece want to sell?” Sawyer asks, and my attention moves back to Jerry, hoping he says yes. If not, I will up my price and just pay her out. This place is so run-down, only a fool would be interested in taking it on. As I glance over the land again, I only see one goat. I swore there were two of them this morning.
“The will stipulates that the niece be notified in writing, and then she has thirty days to claim. If she doesn’t come forward within thirty days, the property will be sold, with the proceeds donated to local charities,” Jerry explains, and I huff a laugh.
“Marie did know how to play games,” I murmur, thinking of my old neighbor. She was feisty, especially in her younger days. I never knew her to have a partner. Her family was raised here, and she stayed even after her parents passed. She liked the quiet of the country and could be a little quirky at times.
“I sent the letter already, so the clock is ticking. I will let you know if I hear from her,” Jerry says.
“Tell her I want to buy and will pay top dollar,” I call out to Jerry as he walks back to his truck, and he just nods and waves because he already knows. And he’s just one of many. I have already submitted the plans to the town planner for early approval, and it was raised at the last town meeting. Everyone in Whispers knows how much I want this land and that I will do anything to get it.
“That throws a wrench in the works,” Griffin says, looking out at the vibrant green expanse, which is now starting to overgrow due to lack of maintenance. The view has me steeling my spine. This is a mere bump in the road; I know this land will be mine.
“Let’s hope the niece stays where she is.” I hate waiting, but my mom always said good things come to those who wait.
And good things are coming, I can feel it.
3
VICTORIA
Itrudge into my apartment, feeling like half the woman I am. Throwing my bag on my sofa, I barely register the contents spilling out as I slump down next to it.
“Worst year ever,” I say out loud to no one as I rest my head back on my plush sofa. My eyes coast around my space. Even though it is spotless and decorated just how I like it, it feels empty. I look to my side and pick up my handbag to find my cell, and as I do, a letter falls out. Grabbing it, I realize it is the legal letter from the kitchen counter, which I forgot all about after catching Josh and Natalie. I flip it over and again see the details of a law firm from out of town.
“Whispers?” I say to myself as I carefully open it. My heart rate increases as I try to make sense of what I am reading.
An aunt who died? An estate? Whispers? I rub my eyes before I grab the envelope again to ensure it is, infact, addressed to me. Hearing my cell vibrate, I pull it out with a groan. Josh has been calling me nonstop, and I swear if it is him, I am throwing my phone against the wall. But thankfully, it’s my mom.
“Hey, Mom,” I say in a sigh.
“Hi, sweetie, how are you doing today?” She asks the same question she has every day since I threw out my fiancé. She didn’t like him either, so we are both moving quickly through the grieving process. Although the logistics of canceling a wedding venue and all the additional plans has hit me harder than I was expecting.
“Well, I have officially decided that this year Mercury must be permanently stuck in retrograde,” I tell her, unsure what I’ve done to inflict such bad karma on my life.
“What happened now? Josh didn’t come back to the apartment, did he?” she asks, because when he came back a few days ago to gather his things, I had to call the super to get him out. He was adamant that he was staying, that we could make it work, that sleeping with his colleague was just a one-time thing. It seems Josh doesn’t like being told no, and the whole thing left me feeling a little unsettled.
“I wish that was it,” I say, tears threatening, but I sniff them back.This is not going to break me.
“What is it?” I hear what sounds like her cooking. She loves to cook, especially in her beautiful and spacious kitchen—the kind you don’t typically find in New York City, at least with a reasonable budget. Her desire to leave the city finally took over in her older years, and she nowhas a nice, safe community and a good number of friends in Connecticut.
“Well, my fiancé cheated on me, I lost my job today, and oh, and I just got a letter from a law firm in a small country town that says my aunt Marie died. I think that is what people call a trifecta.” I scoff and rub my eyes, hoping I don’t get a headache.
