Page 19 of Too Broken to Love

Vivian pouted. “But Malcolm’s grandfather, and then his father, have handled Sam’s affairs since the dawn of time.”

“Not since the dawn of time.” Malcolm removed a silver seashell stopper from a bottle and topped off Vivian’s drink. “I believe electricity may have been invented by the time Pop and Gramps met in Vietnam.”

Electricity or not, Pop’s post-military years in the Peace Corps spent building infrastructure had lit the spark that built the fortune Vivian cared about.

Nathaniel rested his elbow on the bar and knocked over a picture frame. “Shit, I’m sorry.” He picked it up. “Hey, Hudson. This is a great photo of you and Sam, and your friend…” He scratched his chin. “Wait, don’t tell me. Sam mentioned his name once.”

An image of Chris thrashing in a hospital bed flashed through Hudson’s mind. “His name is —”

Nathaniel held up a hand. “Wait. Now I remember. You’d just been stationed with your first SEAL team. Where is your buddy now?”

“Stateside.” Hudson pulled out his phone and shot a text to a contact at the military hospital. Maybe he could share an update about Chris?

Vivian snatched the photo from Nathaniel. She placed it back on the bar and glared at Malcolm. “When can you do the will reading?”

“Reading? Do you think we’re gathering in this room for a formal show?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I think.”

Malcolm glanced at Hudson. “You okay with that?”

“Fine.” He had more important battles to fight.

“Okay, then. I’ll need to pull up the documents my dad is sending and look them over before we meet. Give me until tomorrow night.”

“Well, get on with it.” Vivian looked at Hudson. “Do you have Sam’s ring?”

Hudson ground his teeth together. If he told Vivian the ring shattered in the crash, would she mourn it more than Pop? He pulled it from his pocket. Vivian reached out to take it. Closing his fist, he covered the ruby before a painted fingernail could touch it. “This isn’t yours.”

“Who else would Sam leave it to?”

“I’ll let Pop’s lawyer hold onto it until he reads through the will.” He pressed it into Malcolm’s hand. “You know what to do with this, right?”

Malcolm nodded. “Copy that.”

Tessa bolted upright. Ghosts clung to the darkened corners of Sam’s side of the duplex. Heart hammering, she searched the room.

“Sam?” His name grated up her raw throat.

“Oh, God.” She slapped her hand over her mouth as full awareness crashed in.

Sam wasn’t here and never would be again.

A sob gurgled into her palm. Tears rained down her cheeks and seeped through her fingers. She blinked them away and licked salt from her lips. Hugging a pillow against the hollow pain in her heart, she settled back into Sam’s leather recliner where she’d fallen asleep.

Lia stretched on the couch and opened her eyes. “What time is it?”

Tessa glanced at the clock on the fireplace mantle and sniffed. Darkness lay beyond the window looking out into the street. “A little after five-thirty.”

“Oh, sweetie. You had another bad dream, didn’t you?”

“Yeah.”

Lia sat up and tucked her legs underneath her. “Same one?”

“Sort of, but Sam’s crash is tacked on at the end.”

Lia reached for her half-eaten bowl of chili on the side table. “I was afraid you’d have nightmares after being in a police station.”