A Bramble House Christmas (Carrigans of the Circle C Book 6) by CJ Carmichael

refusing to come with us on our family trip to Glacier National Park. She said she’d never set foot in Montana. That the state might be the fourth largest in the country, but it wasn’t big enough for her. Made me wonder if the man who got her pregnant might have been from there.”
    Now this was progress. “Any idea what part of Montana, Mom?”
    “No clue.”
    Of course not. And it was too late for him to ask his father.
    Finn sank onto the bed, as a feeling of desolation washed over him. He’d never expected to lose his father at such a young age. If only he’d spent more time with him during the past two years.
    “What’s any of this got to do with that nurse who manipulated her way into your father’s will? The girls are still after you to send a picture.”
    “She’s not the way I imagined her.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “She has a son, for one thing. He’s around six.” Small for his age, yet wise beyond his years. Maybe his parents’ divorce, the loss of his father, had done that to him.
    “So she has a kid. What does that change? She still tricked your father into leaving her fifty thousand dollars. Money that should have been divided between the four of you.”
    Not to mention Grandmother Judith’s ring. But it would be wise to keep that fact from his mother for the time being.
    “While you’re at it you should find out what happened to that old sapphire ring of your grandma’s. Your father stole it right out of my jewelry box when he left.”
    “Did you ever wear it?”
    “It wasn’t to my taste, but he did give it to me as a wedding gift. Eventually I was going to give it to one of the girls.”
    But which one? Maybe that was why Finn’s father had gifted the ring to his nurse...because he hadn’t wanted to play favorites. And it wasn’t as if anyone in the family had ever expressed any interest or appreciation for the thing.
    By the end of the call, Finn was ready to tear his hair out and sorry he’d made it in the first place.

Chapter Five

    T he next morning Finn was out of the B&B early, walking the path along the Marietta River, and calling his sister Molly. Molly’s kids were early risers. He’d bet they were at the breakfast table by now.
    “Hey Finn. I’m surprised to hear from you so early.”
    Molly sounded down. Maybe he’d caught her before her first cup of coffee.
    “Not so sure I slept much, to be honest.”
    “Welcome to my life.”
    In the background he heard crying, then a little voice shouted in protest.
    “Hang on.” Molly was back a moment later. “They’re in front of the TV now, God forgive me. So what’s going on?”
    “What’s going on, is I’m trying not to feel like a jerk. Willa Fairchild is a single mom who nursed our father when he was ill and who is now trying to have a nice Christmas with her six-year-old son. That doesn’t entitle her to the fifty thousand dollars, by a long shot. But I still feel like a jerk. Because it was her who was with him in his final days, when it should have been—”
    Finn paused, blinking back tears. He’d been up most of the night, thinking of his father. Greg Conrad had been a quiet man. He’d always let his wife set the rules in the house and dominate most of the conversations. Finn wished he’d had a chance to get to know him better. Man-to-man. Now he never would.
    “I feel the same way, Finn. Only it’s worse for me. About a month before he died Dad called and offered to pay airfare for me to come for a visit. But the kids had colds and Charlie was really busy at work so I asked for a rain check.”
    Finn heard a quiet sob over the line.
    “Aw, Molly, don’t be too hard on yourself. If you’d known he was ill, you would have gone.”
    “That’s what I keep trying to tell myself. But just last night I brought the Christmas decorations up from the basement and I found the old carvings of Dad’s. Do you remember?”
    “Yeah.” Finn could hardly get the word out. Their father had been a