toward her second family, in spite of their obvious discomfort with her presence and questions. “What do we do now?”
“There’s nothing to do,” David said, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest. “I’ve already opened a probate estate for Jack and we, as his family, are named as the sole beneficiaries. Since the life insurance policy isn’t an asset in probate, then you can keep that.”
“What kind of investments did Jack have?” Tess asked, before she could stop and think about the inflammatory nature of the question. She didn’t have to wait long for David’s explosion.
“That’s none of your business!” he shouted, standing up and shoving his chair backward. “If you try and make one move to get your hands on anything, I will destroy you in court!” He took a menacing step in her direction. Tess tried to scoot back so she could stand as well, but her chair bumped into a dog, and it yelped. A similar sound escaped Tess’s lips.
“Renaldo!” Emily cried. She fumbled to move one dog into one arm while reaching for the other, upending her chair. Emily cuddled the squirming, yapping dogs against her chest, looking from their faces to the chair and back again. Roger hoisted himself up and went to the toppled piece of furniture, righting it so his wife could sit down.
Suddenly Tess was the accused. Jack had kept vital information from her, even though she was pretty sure he had a good reason. He’d never hidden anything from her before. Dead or not, Tess wasn’t ready to stop trusting him. Yet, his family was treating her like she was the one to be suspicious of. “I’m not after anything!”
“David,” Emily mumbled. “Tess is Jack’s wife. Don’t you think–”
“No! I don’t think anything. You and Dad took care of Jack all his life. Tess was married to him for all of five minutes! She doesn’t deserve anything.”
“I think you should leave.”
This was from Roger. His eyes pleaded with her to get out of the situation.
“I’m not going anywhere until you answer some more of my questions.” Tess’s hands found their way to her hips in that indignant way Jack always said she had. Her brain was saying run, but her heart couldn’t let go of her confusion and hurt.
“Roger’s right.” Emily’s voice was soft but firm. She looked at her then, with obvious effort to drag her gaze away from her furry children. There was no longer any affection in them for Tess, only sadness and… something else. Fear? Tess couldn’t tell.
Who are these people ? Tess had just been feeling sorry for them in their grief. She’d known them all her life and they had accepted her like the daughter they’d never had. And now she was being asked to leave because she’d become privy to some deep, dark secret. Something she would have known about anyway. Jack would have told her eventually. Right ?
Tess reached for the insurance letter on the table. David flinched, looking furious, as though she had done something aggressive. His body was rigid and her gut said he was the one on the edge of snapping. And doing what, she didn’t have a clue.
Squashing the page in her left hand, she dug her keys out of her jeans pocket with her right as she hurried to the door. Glancing back, no one in the kitchen had moved and Tess was struck with a profound sadness. She had spent nearly half her life in this house and she knew without a doubt she’d never be back.
Chapter 9
Tears ran down her cheeks, splashing onto her chest as Tess squealed the tires to get away from Jack’s family. She tried blinking fast so she could see to drive, but after a block or two she knew she was a hazard on the road.
Pulling over to the curb, Tess rested her head on the steering wheel and sobbed. As bad as it was to lose Jack on their wedding day, as horrible as it was to suffer through the funeral and sending back the wedding presents, even suffering with all the guilt she carried, Tess
“There’s nothing to do,” David said, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms across his chest. “I’ve already opened a probate estate for Jack and we, as his family, are named as the sole beneficiaries. Since the life insurance policy isn’t an asset in probate, then you can keep that.”
“What kind of investments did Jack have?” Tess asked, before she could stop and think about the inflammatory nature of the question. She didn’t have to wait long for David’s explosion.
“That’s none of your business!” he shouted, standing up and shoving his chair backward. “If you try and make one move to get your hands on anything, I will destroy you in court!” He took a menacing step in her direction. Tess tried to scoot back so she could stand as well, but her chair bumped into a dog, and it yelped. A similar sound escaped Tess’s lips.
“Renaldo!” Emily cried. She fumbled to move one dog into one arm while reaching for the other, upending her chair. Emily cuddled the squirming, yapping dogs against her chest, looking from their faces to the chair and back again. Roger hoisted himself up and went to the toppled piece of furniture, righting it so his wife could sit down.
Suddenly Tess was the accused. Jack had kept vital information from her, even though she was pretty sure he had a good reason. He’d never hidden anything from her before. Dead or not, Tess wasn’t ready to stop trusting him. Yet, his family was treating her like she was the one to be suspicious of. “I’m not after anything!”
“David,” Emily mumbled. “Tess is Jack’s wife. Don’t you think–”
“No! I don’t think anything. You and Dad took care of Jack all his life. Tess was married to him for all of five minutes! She doesn’t deserve anything.”
“I think you should leave.”
This was from Roger. His eyes pleaded with her to get out of the situation.
“I’m not going anywhere until you answer some more of my questions.” Tess’s hands found their way to her hips in that indignant way Jack always said she had. Her brain was saying run, but her heart couldn’t let go of her confusion and hurt.
“Roger’s right.” Emily’s voice was soft but firm. She looked at her then, with obvious effort to drag her gaze away from her furry children. There was no longer any affection in them for Tess, only sadness and… something else. Fear? Tess couldn’t tell.
Who are these people ? Tess had just been feeling sorry for them in their grief. She’d known them all her life and they had accepted her like the daughter they’d never had. And now she was being asked to leave because she’d become privy to some deep, dark secret. Something she would have known about anyway. Jack would have told her eventually. Right ?
Tess reached for the insurance letter on the table. David flinched, looking furious, as though she had done something aggressive. His body was rigid and her gut said he was the one on the edge of snapping. And doing what, she didn’t have a clue.
Squashing the page in her left hand, she dug her keys out of her jeans pocket with her right as she hurried to the door. Glancing back, no one in the kitchen had moved and Tess was struck with a profound sadness. She had spent nearly half her life in this house and she knew without a doubt she’d never be back.
Chapter 9
Tears ran down her cheeks, splashing onto her chest as Tess squealed the tires to get away from Jack’s family. She tried blinking fast so she could see to drive, but after a block or two she knew she was a hazard on the road.
Pulling over to the curb, Tess rested her head on the steering wheel and sobbed. As bad as it was to lose Jack on their wedding day, as horrible as it was to suffer through the funeral and sending back the wedding presents, even suffering with all the guilt she carried, Tess
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