Page 2 of Dangerous December (Northern Pines Suspense #8)

Beth felt a prickle of uneasiness skitter down her spine when the legal secretary gave her a knowing smile and waved her back to Nora’s office.

Her uneasiness exploded into full-fledged anxiety when she arrived to find Dev already seated, his broad shoulders dwarfing one of the two leather chairs facing Nora’s desk.

Clenching her jaw, she wished she could be anywhere else.

She’d expected gaunt, hospital pallor. She hadn’t expected this. Her heart gave an extra thump.

His overlong midnight hair was past due for a cut. The five o’clock shadow roughening his jaw and black polo shirt stretched over heavily muscled biceps gave him a dark and dangerous air.

Which, she supposed, was warranted, given what he did for a living, though it seemed out of place in this genteel little tourist town.

He moved to rise at her appearance, but she waved him down into his chair as she sat and tried for a nonchalant air. “Nora, Dev. Nice to see you both, but I’m not sure why I need to be here.”

Dev’s shadowed gaze swept over her, then turned back to Nora. “A formality?”

“More than that,” she murmured. She lifted a folder from the stack on her desk and opened it. “Vivian and Alan cared deeply about their church, their community, and their son—”

Their son? Beth shot a sympathetic glance at Dev, then looked away. If they’d cared so much about him, they sure hadn’t shown it.

“They made positive changes in this community while they were alive,” Nora continued. “And wanted that to continue after their deaths.”

Clearly uncomfortable at her words, Dev hitched a shoulder. “If they left everything to the church, I’m cool with that. I’m not sticking around here at any rate.”

“Not all heirs are quite so understanding, believe me. This office can turn into a war zone at the drop of a hat.” Nora smiled at him. “But while your parents did leave some of their liquid assets as a bequest for the church and some charities, that wasn’t the major part of their estate.”

The attorney sifted through the papers in front of her and began reading a lengthy document detailing numerous other bequests to local charities, distant relatives, and several close friends.

Beth shifted in her seat and shot another surreptitious look at Dev.

His casual demeanor revealed little concern about the proceedings...though as the only heir, he certainly didn’t need to worry. His father had been a popular small-town doctor, and his mother had come from an old-money family out East.

Whether or not he returned to active military service, his future would be secure.

Well, good for him. The sooner he left town, the sooner the painful knot in her stomach would ease.

Dev jerked upright at the same moment Beth heard her own name.

“You’re kidding.”

Confused, Beth looked between the two of them. “What did you say?”

“Vivian adjusted her will after her husband’s death.” Nora tapped the paper in front of her. “She said Alan wouldn’t have approved, but she had good reasons. As a woman of sound mind, she had the right to make any changes she wished. Are you familiar with the family home, Beth?”

“Well, yes. But I haven’t been there for many years. After Alan died, Vivian moved to a condo and turned their home into Sloane House—a boarding house, I think. She never talked about it.”

“Not just any boarders. She took in people who had faced troubles and needed encouragement, a safe haven, or a little boost in life. She helped them get on their feet.”

Dev’s face registered surprise that echoed her own. “So Vivian possessed an altruistic spirit? I never knew.”

Nora nodded. “Everything she did was done anonymously. As for Sloane House, there was never any publicity or hint that it was anything but a boarding house for older folks. She wanted it that way.”

Dev shifted in his seat. “Can you elaborate?”

“The residents at Sloane House have been there for various reasons. Some just needed an affordable place to stay while they saved money toward a rent deposit or down payment on a place of their own. Some were downsized and unable to find a decent job due to age discrimination, no matter what the law says.”

“I never knew,” Beth murmured.

“She didn’t just give them a place to stay. She helped them look for jobs and prepare for interviews, or find loans for re-education. Some needed help connecting with the right kinds of county services.”

“My mother, the social worker,” Dev said drily. “That isn’t how I remember her while I was growing up.”

Nora looked at him over the rims of her glasses. “You’ve been gone many years. People change.”

“I guess, but she sure never said anything about this in her formal Christmas letters.”

“She did know her limitations. She didn’t have a degree in social work, but she considered this her ministry. It meant the world to her when members of her flock succeeded.”

“She was certainly discreet,” Beth murmured. “I just knew there were boarders living there.”

“Which is exactly what she wanted the town to know, for the privacy of those who received her help.”

“Still, I’m not sure what this has to do with me.”

Nora smiled. “Vivian was worried about the future of any boarders who might be living there when she died. So she added a clause in her will requiring that you two operate Sloane House. Together. For a minimum of six months.”

“So my mother decided we would be partners, in the business sense?” Dev gave Beth a sharp look.

The heat of Dev’s stare scorched her skin, and Beth suddenly felt faint. “ Both of us? Why?”

Nora pursed her lips. “I suspect Vivian thought Devlin would need help, but it’s probably a little more complicated than that.”

“Well, it won’t work. Period. I was due to re-up last month, but had to postpone it until my next checkup. It’s at the VA hospital in Minneapolis on the fifteenth. Once I’m cleared, I’ll go active as soon as I have the paperwork and can arrange the flights.”

“And I have my bookstore to run.”

Nora shrugged. “You’ll need to extend your leave, Dev.”

Dev stared at her for a long moment. “That’s...that’s not possible.”

“After all of your years in military service, the circumstances surrounding your mother’s estate, and the fact that you are on medical leave, it’s very possible,” Nora mused, giving him a thoughtful look. “If you want to try.”

“I have no experience with the care of the elderly.”

“These people aren’t ready for a nursing home, believe me. Beth leased her bookstore and the apartment above it from your parents. Correct?”

He gave a single terse nod.

“Do you remember Vivian saying she wanted to give you one of the other buildings on the same block when you retired from active service? She always hoped you’d come back home and start some sort of business here.”

“That was years and years ago, right after I enlisted,” Dev said, his voice touched with regret. “Emotions were running pretty high at the time. I told her that I would never move back under any circumstances.”

“Mothers can have amazing memories where their children are concerned.” Nora canted her head as she looked between the two of them.

“That entire city block is part of her estate, as you know. But if the terms of the will aren’t met, all of the commercial property will go to Dev’s uncle, Stan Murdock.

The family home will be gifted to a women’s shelter.

Dev would only inherit his parents’ personal possessions and part of their liquid assets. The rest would go to charities.”

Dev drew in a sharp breath. “Stan is aware of this?”

“Of course, per the directions in your mother’s will,” Nora arched an eyebrow. “You told your mother recently that you had no intention of moving back.”

Dev sighed. “I did.”

“Since Stan thinks you’ll simply walk away, he has been making tentative plans. He doesn’t want to bother with the maintenance and leasing of old buildings. He’d rather just raze the entire block for a condo development.”

Which meant the beautiful old stone buildings—including her beloved bookstore and her pretty little apartment above—would fall to a wrecking ball.

Her heart sinking, Beth stared at Nora, then she twisted in her chair to face Dev. “Are you going to let him do that?” she whispered.

“He can’t.” A muscle ticked at the side of his jaw. “That block was designated for preservation as a historic site. My parents worked on the application years ago.”

“True. But apparently, there were errors in the paperwork filed by the county attorney that left some loopholes.”

Nora’s mouth curled with disgust. “He brought an architect from St. Paul earlier this week. The two of them walked the area so preliminary drawings could be made. They stopped in here to discuss how soon Stan could take possession, as if it were a done deal.”

“So your uncle wants to destroy an entire historic block, just to make money.” Beth sat back in her chair, appalled. “The quaint charm of this town is what brings in so much tourist trade.”

“He’s no blood relative of mine.” Dev’s expression darkened.

“He was my late aunt’s second husband. He’s a successful businessman in the Twin Cities area.

But even as a kid, I heard him talk about wheeling and dealing to get exactly what he wanted.

I can’t believe Mom would even consider letting him get his hands on her property. Is there any way around it?”

“You mean, if Beth alone complied with the will, or the two of you hired a manager to take over Sloane House? No. Vivian made sure of it.”

“I could retain another lawyer to challenge the will.”

“You’re welcome to do so. In fact, I encourage it, just so you’ll feel you’ve had your best shot at this.”

“But you don’t think it would work?”

Nora shrugged. “I’ve represented your family’s interests for over twenty years. I need to follow Vivian’s wishes. If I thought there was a way around the stipulations in your mother’s will, I’d let you know.”