Finding Eva (Highland Creek Series) (4 page)

“You’re a good boy.”

“Whatever,” he answered good naturedly. Mary was his mother’s friend, and she always treated him like he was her son even though he signed her paychecks. “Was there anything else you need?”

“Yeah, how would you like to handle the paperwork?”

“Tell her she will be brought the keys today and that she can sign the paperwork Monday at the office.”

“I’ll pass along the message.”

“Thanks, girl. You’re a doll.”

“Aren’t you a charmer? See you Monday.”

He hung up with a smile. He was very fortunate to have Mary as his paralegal. Never failing to impress him, she had a quiet efficiency and the ability to anticipate his needs.

“That Mary?” His older brother Bryan walked in from the kitchen with a glass of juice he brought for Kelly. Looking at Bryan was like looking in the mirror; both of them had dark brown hair they kept cut short and dark brown eyes.

“Yeah, she was calling about Elizabeth’s house. The prodigal daughter has returned just in time to collect the house and the money.”

“That was a little harsh,” he admonished as he sat near Kelly to hand her the glass.

“Not really. Who would neglect a woman as great as Elizabeth? She would have to be a real bitch to do that.”

“Uncle A said a bad word!” Kelly told her father as she snuggled into his lap with her glass of juice. Aaron winced, having forgotten that his niece was there.

“Nice, dude…” his brother shook his head “…now all I need is for her to repeat that when she goes to daycare next week.”

Aaron knelt down to where she was sitting on Bryan’s lap. “Sorry, I forgot. Don’t repeat Uncle Aaron’s bad word, sweetie.”

She nodded, brown eyes wide.

Bryan laughed at her innocent expression but talked to Aaron. “It happens. I forgot the other day and she dropped the F-bomb at the playground. That was a real pleasant conversation. I felt like I was the one who said it.”

Aaron chuckled as he thought of his brother squirming in the day care director’s chair.

“But what I was going to say before the tape recorder…” Bryan ruffled Kelly’s hair as she giggled “…interrupted was that you don’t know the girl’s circumstances. We have known Elizabeth for over ten years, but I always thought it was weird her daughter never came. Maybe there was more to the story that we don’t know, especially since Elizabeth never talked about her. All she had were the pictures.”

Aaron stared at Bryan in disbelief from his spot on the floor; he couldn’t believe Bryan was defending this girl. “I don’t need the whole story. She neglected her mom.”

“Speaking of moms, could I talk to you for a minute in the kitchen?” Bryan glanced at Kelly, silently letting Aaron know he wanted to speak of his soon to be ex-wife.

“Sure.” Aaron picked himself off the floor, something that wasn’t easy to do since he topped six feet, to follow his brother into the kitchen.

“We’ll be right back, pumpkin.” Bryan kissed the top of her head before setting her in front of her pile of Barbies and taking the empty glass of juice.

“Ok, Daddy.”

“What’s up?” Aaron asked as they walked into the kitchen. “Something new with the divorce?”

Although he wasn’t a divorce lawyer by trade, when you worked in a small town you were familiar with all types of law. He wouldn’t handle his brother’s case, their relationship too close for him to be objective, but he knew his brother’s lawyer should get Bryan a good settlement.

Bryan shook his head. “Nothing’s wrong if that’s what you mean. It is almost too good. Ashley won’t protest anything, doesn’t want alimony or child support. She told her lawyer all she wants is her life back. Yesterday my lawyer called and told me she is willing to sever her parental rights to Kel.”

Aaron’s brown eyes widened in disbelief. “Wow.” He leaned against the counter, crossing his arms and shaking his head. “Un-fucking-believable.”

“I know.” Bryan rubbed his hands down his face, two days’ worth of growth under his normally clean-shaven face. His brown eyes looked tired, the shit with his wife taking their toll. “I knew she wasn’t happy, but how could she deny herself that beautiful little girl? I love my daughter and couldn’t imagine not having her in my life. I have already decided what I want, but I wanted to get your opinion before I told my lawyer. Everything else I am good with, but the fact that she would deny Kelly fucking hurts. It is like I never knew her at all.”

Aaron didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t imagine being put in that situation. “Are you going to take her up on it?”

Bryan scratched his mini beard, looking thoughtful. “I hate to say this, but I think I am. I wouldn’t want to do that to my child, but if she wants to sever her rights, I’ll let her do it. The last thing I want is Ashley to come back later and demand custody of Kelly, or do something else crazy. The first time around was hard enough for us both, and I don’t want Ashley to continue to jerk her around.”

“I agree. I would hate it for Kel, but it may be better long term.”

“Thanks. I needed to talk that through with someone that’s rational. I tried to talk to mom and dad about it last night.” He shuddered, recalling the conversation.

Aaron laughed; his mother was a momma bear when it came to her children. “Didn’t go well?”

“That’s an understatement. Mom left the room crying and Dad got so pissed he followed her out.”

Aaron gritted his teeth. “Yikes.”

Bryan leaned against the kitchen counter, crossing one foot over the other. “I know. It was a bit awkward. I was left in the living room while they collected themselves.”

“The good thing is you’ve done nothing wrong. All you need to do is be amazing for Kelly.”

“I try. And talking about that really took a load off. Come on, I’d like to play with my baby before you have to go.”

“At that statement right there is why I said you should keep Kelly.”

Aaron pulled into the house two and a half hours later, ready to get the day done. He still couldn’t believe Elizabeth’s daughter was coming to get the house, as though she was entitled. He wasn’t kidding when he said he thought she shouldn’t get the house after her treatment of Elizabeth. He parked behind the SUV in time to see one of the most gorgeous women he had ever seen come around from the back of the house. Dressed in short white shorts, a light blue blouse, and a pair of sunglasses covering her eyes, she looked like sex on legs. Her long honey-brown hair swayed softly as she walked closer, her lips turned up slightly. He climbed out right before she reached his car, pushing her sunglasses on the top of her head revealing light green eyes.

“Hello…” she reached out her hand “…Eva Matthews.”

Although irritated by his attraction to her, he answered, “Aaron Sawyer,” and shook her hand, unable to deny the chemistry he felt when he touched her soft hands.

She raised an eyebrow. “And you are?”

He narrowed his eyes at her question. “I was your mother’s lawyer. I believe you spoke with my paralegal earlier?”

Her eyes widened in recognition. “Oh right, nice to meet you. Then I guess you’re the man to see about getting the keys to this place.” She gestured to the house. Her casual body demeanor made him angry as he thought of Elizabeth, and he couldn’t help himself from antagonizing her.

“That would be me,” he said, his tone snide. “I was surprised it took you so long to come and claim the inheritance. I thought you only lived a couple hours away.”

She gestured with her hands as she continued talking, “Well, I teach and we just finished the school year last week, so I decided to wait and come down on summer vacation. I didn’t have a lot to remember my mother by, but I did want to see the house.”

“Right,” he murmured. “You know, I never understood why she left the house to you, and if I must be frank, I advised her against such actions. Elizabeth was my friend and I just don’t understand why you two were estranged.” He ignored her outraged gasp and barreled through. “She was one of the kindest, honest, and most generous women I’ve had the pleasure of knowing, so I don’t understand how you could ignore her. It is almost criminal, and after all that she gave you this house and all that money …”

“Excuse me!” she interrupted him, having heard enough. “You knew nothing about my relationship with my mother, so you should stop making assumptions and do your job.”

“All I made was an observation. You never came to see her, but came around for your inheritance.” He pointed his finger toward her, causing her to step back and glare at him.

She clenched her jaw, breathing rapidly. She got in his face, her anger unabated by his arrogance. “Again, you knew nothing about our relationship so you have no place to judge me. But since you’re so good at making assumptions, I won’t try to dissuade you. Should I go see your paralegal at the office since I talked to her about a half hour ago?”

Her eyes flashed green fire, and she was close enough for him to smell her—something light and fruity—and it wasn’t helping his earlier attraction, regardless of the fact he thought she was a bitch. “What does my paralegal have to do with anything?”

She poked him in the chest to emphasize her point, looking up at him. “I was done with this conversation after your first accusation about my relationship with my mother. I have nothing more to say to you and would appreciate it if you would let me by so I can speak to your paralegal about the keys. I’d hate to bother you since you feel I am undeserving and would hate to think you had to give me something you don’t want to.”

“Don’t bother …” he stepped back to dig in his pocket “… I brought the keys with me when she called. You can come by and sign the paperwork on Monday.” He dropped the keys in her outstretched hand. “I’ll make sure she has all your paperwork in order so we can get you in and out. I would hate to think that you wouldn’t enjoy the fruits of your mother’s labor.”

“You’re an ass!” She hissed and headed up the front walk to escape into her mother’s home. He watched her go before he headed toward his mother’s house.

“Where the hell are you going?” she yelled across the lawn.

“Next door. My parents live here,” he yelled back.

“Good to know they raised such a well-mannered son! Do me a favor and move your damn car off my property!”

He couldn’t believe her—or how fast the situation went from sugar to shit—and shook his head as he mumbled to himself about irritating women.

“What was that?” she asked.

Damn
he thought.
I can’t believe she just heard me.
“Nothing, princess.”

She gave an indignant huff as she slammed the door on her way inside.
Served her right
, he thought, and got into his car to get it off her property.
That one right there was a piece of work
.
Gorgeous,
he thought as he slammed the door to his truck and walked toward his mother’s house,
but a serious piece of work.

A
aron arrived at the office by 7:30, loving the early morning quiet that existed before his paralegal came in around 8:00. He turned on lights as he walked through, sitting down at his desk in quiet contemplation. Any other day he would be going over his schedule, but this day his mind was focused on the beautiful woman he saw yesterday. His groin tightened just thinking about the green eyed beauty that introduced herself as Elizabeth’s estranged daughter. He had seen a couple of pictures interspersed throughout Elizabeth’s house, but he wasn’t expecting the punch in the gut that he got looking through those sea green eyes. He would just have to chalk it up to temporary insanity, because he couldn’t think when she introduced herself and went off about the situation with her mother. Although his brother, Conner, was considered to be the ladies’ man, Aaron was not shy of female company. The fact that he was so rude to her was made worse after the conversation he had with his mother after storming into her house.

“What is wrong with you?” Aaron’s mother Susan had asked after he slammed into her house yesterday. She was standing at the counter chopping onions to go with the hamburgers they were having for dinner.

“That … that …”

“Use your words.” His mother smirked.