Page 118

“Ugh.” Kyle stood up, needing to be standing if they were going to talk about their mother now. “She came here to yell at me about how she’s owed everything, and we should have gotten nothing, and Melinda was giving a tour.”

“Mom actually gave her a compliment. Well, it’s a compliment coming from her, but she said she kind of liked Melinda because she had spunk.”

Kyle laughed and said, “I think if Mel didn’t have a tour group standing right behind her, she might have tried to start a fight.”

“Defending your honor? I like it.” Jolie nodded as she finished her slice of pizza. “So, what happens now?”

“She said she was going to sue me. What did she tell you?”

“Just that she was pissed and wanted my help. She asked if I could represent her, even though I’m not a lawyer, or ifI could get a lawyer from the firm to represent her.”

“What did you say?”

“No, Ky. Of course, I said no. Did you really think I’d help her?”

“You told her about the money and the houses.”

“That was a slip, and it shouldn’t have happened.”

“She has a way of getting to you, Jolie.”

“I know. I’m working on it. It’s why I’m here, actually.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

“I don’t want her to use me to get to you anymore, Kyle. It’s not fair to you. It’s supposed to be you and me against everyone else, and I’ve not always done a great job with that.”

“She’s your mom. I understand.”

“But you’ve always been more of a mom-sister hybrid to me than she’s been an actual mother. Kyle, you’re only three years older, and you raised me. You were the one who made sure there was always something for me to eat. Don’t think I didn’t notice that sometimes, it meant that you went without. You’d steal a bite of my sandwich, and that would be your entire dinner some nights. I don’t know that I’ve ever said thank you for that.”

“I’m the big sister. You don’t have to thank me.”

“What she said to you the other day really pissed me off, Kyle. She told you she never wanted you, and that might have been true because I don’t know many accidentally pregnant sixteen-year-olds who truly want the baby at that age, but she had no right to say that to you.Youare not the reason her life has sucked. It sounds like she’s been the cause all along. Grandma didn’t kick her out; Mom left. I think she’s spent the rest of her life trying to wrestle with the consequences of her own actions and blaming us. Well, blaming you, mainly.”

“Maybe,” Kyle said.

“So, no; I told her I wasn’t helping her. I told her to leave you alone and that all of this was your decision. Then, I booked the next flight out and requested some more time off work for another family emergency.”

“You should’ve told me you were coming. I would’ve–”

“Picked me up in the non-existent car you have down here?” Jolie laughed. “Besides, had I done that, you wouldn’t have gotten at least a few hours of sleep.” She winked.

“I don’t know what Mom is going to do. I’m kind of hoping it’s like everything else: she makes a bunch of threats and gives up. But it’s money, so I doubt it.”

“Have you thought about giving her just a little something to make her leave you alone?”

“I did, but Mr. Beaufort said that rarely ends well. Once she knows I’m willing to give her something, she’ll just expect more.”

“Knowing our mother, that’ll definitely be the case,” Jolie replied on a sigh. “Okay. So, we give her nothing.”

“That means you, too, Jolie. You can’t give in if I’m holding firm.”

“I won’t. But I think it would be helpful to me if you’d do something for me.”

“What?”

“Take it all.”