Page 39 of Tanner

Miles took the slip. “Thanks.”

Dee lowered her voice. “It’s about the Fernsby house.”

“I figured.”

Her expression softened. “That boy back for good?”

Miles folded the slip once. “Looks that way.”

Dee nodded slowly. “Poor kid.”

Miles didn’t answer but walked to his desk, put the message slip down, and looked over the faxed pages waiting there. Part of the will paperwork had finally been found and logged properly.

Taylor wheeled his chair back a few inches. “That it?”

Miles glanced over. “What?”

“The Fernsby paperwork.”

“Yeah.”

Taylor leaned one elbow on the desk. “Good news or bad?”

Miles skimmed the first page. “Depends which part you mean.”

“That bad, huh?”

Miles didn’t answer right away. He read through the summary again, slower this time. Their parents’ will had left the house to Tanner. The wording was clear enough on that point. Ownership could be proved. It wasn’t a legal mess, which was more than Miles had expected.

For a second, relief hit. At least Tanner had that. A house with his name tied to it and then he thought about Savannah. He sat back in his chair and stared at the page.

Taylor watched him. “You gonna tell me or just brood at it?”

“The house is his.”

Taylor frowned. “That’s good.”

“Yeah.” Miles folded the page once, then opened it again. “It is.”

Taylor’s eyes narrowed. “There’s a but coming.”

Miles looked over at him. “House is one thing. Savannah is another.”

Taylor was quiet for a second after that. “He doesn’t have guardianship.”

Miles shook his head. “Not formally.”

Taylor swore under his breath and leaned back in his chair. “That’ll do it.”

That was the problem. In Robinson, it didn’t take much. A teacher asking the wrong question. A form at a clinic. Somebody at daycare trying to be thorough.

Miles looked back at the papers on his desk. “He’s trying to sort things out for Savannah.”

Taylor’s head came up. “He told you that?”

“Yeah.”

Taylor studied him for a moment, then said, “And they asked.” Miles nodded. Taylor rubbed his jaw. “He’ll hate that.”