Page 3 of Guy (House of Frazier #4)

“They have been persistent about the money. I don’t know…

well, I can guess why they didn’t want you to have the insurance.

In a few short weeks, without you claiming it, the money would have gone to them.

I believe they knew that, too.” She told him that she was sure that they did and thought about Guy.

“Now, let’s get this policy out of the way, and I’ll have my assistant try to get in touch with your family. ”

She wanted to tell him that they weren’t her family, but didn’t.

Again, thinking of Guy, she wondered how he knew her mom.

He didn’t sound much older than she was, and she was only twenty-five.

Her mother had been dead for ten years now, so he would have known her when he was just a kid, just like her.

“Here it is.” She looked over the policy and, for the most part, didn’t understand what it said.

There was a staggering amount of money in the form of a check, so she couldn’t get over that.

At half a million dollars, it was more money than she’d seen in her lifetime.

Maybe two lifetimes. “You just need to sign this form saying that we gave you the check from the insurance policy, and we can move on to other things that she left you. A house for one and money set up to pay the taxes, too. She also had some things that were left from the marriage to your father that she wanted you to have. This is in addition to the will we have to read. She took very good care of you.”

She looked over the listing for the house, and she was thrilled that it was the one that she’d lived in with her father before marrying Belinda.

It had been a pretty little two-bedroom that had a pool and a pool house in the back.

She was as excited about that as she was about the check.

And now she was going to have a roof over her head that she didn’t have to worry about and money in the bank.

The reading of the will was going to be at two in the afternoon.

Shawn and Margaret would be there, but Mr. Brush said to expect them to be late.

She knew that without him telling her, and was in too good a mood to care if they showed up or not.

There was money for her to get out of the low-paying job that she had and stay in her own home.

She didn’t even mind that she’d been paying rent on the thing now that she knew that it belonged to her.

Amber knew there was going to be trouble from the other two, but she wasn’t going to worry about it now. For some reason, Guy and his call had come to her again, and she wondered if he’d come and rescue her. Silly thoughts like that will get you into trouble, she told herself.

It was nearly three o’clock when Shawn showed up.

And almost three forty-five when Margaret decided to roll in.

Neither of them acknowledged her, only just to say that they knew she couldn’t stay away and plopped—a word that she now understood, seeing the two of them do it— down in one of the chairs to be there for the reading.

The two of them got the house that they’d grown up in, and she was thrilled for them.

Having her own home, it was nice to know that they’d not be taking hers.

She hoped so anyway. They weren’t left any money, and that was all right too.

It was Margaret who asked her how much the policy was that she’d gotten from their mom.

“She was my mom too, you know.” Margaret scoffed at her and told her that they’d say if she was her mom or not.

That must have made better sense in her head because it meant nothing to her when she said it.

“It was enough that I don’t have to worry about taxes for a while. ” And that’s all she told them.

“I was going to have a fit if you got the bigger house. We wouldn’t even all fit in that little one that you grew up in.

” She said it was perfect for her. “You’d think that, wouldn’t you?

Well, so long as you don’t try to take it from us, I don’t care where you live.

But that insurance policy needs to be divided up five ways.

Shawn and I should get twice as much as you do because they were both our parents. ”

“No, I don’t think so. She left that to me.

And I’m going to keep all of it. As I said, it’s not all that much, and it will go a long way in keeping me in my house.

Besides, I think my dad left you two some money too.

” She said he did her too. “Well, he was my dad before he was yours, so that makes sense.”

After they left with the deed to the house, she decided to wait until they were gone for a little while before venturing out on the streets.

She wanted to go and see her home as it was hers now, but was afraid that they’d follow her and do something terrible to it.

It would be like them to tear up her home instead of theirs just because they could.

“Ms. Gross, you have a phone call.” She said she didn’t know who could be calling her as she had a cell phone. “I don’t know, but he told me to tell you it was Guy.”

“Oh.” Going to the phone, she said her name when she picked it up.

Guy was talking to someone else, so she waited.

She could have sworn that he called someone Belinda, but was sure she just heard that wrong.

When he got on the phone with her, finally, she wondered why on earth he could be calling her.

“Shawn and Margaret are planning to ambush you when you go to your place.” She asked him how he knew that.

“I just do, all right? They want the money from the check. They really couldn’t care less if it’s ten dollars or ten million, they feel that you owe it to them for getting it, and they didn’t. ”

“You have to tell me how you know this and how you know my mom. She’s been gone for a while, and since I’m sure you didn’t know her as a kid, you have to tell me.

” He said she’d not believe him. “Mister, I’m pretty open-minded and will believe most anything.

Even if you were to tell me that she’s a ghost and she’s haunting you. ”

He didn’t say a word. His end of the conversation was so quiet that she had to look at the phone to see if she was connected. Asking him if he was still there, he told her that he was and that he did see her as a ghost.

“I don’t believe you.” He laughed. It was a bitter laugh, too, that hurt her heart to hear it. “Who would believe you can see ghosts. No one does.”

“My niece does, and she helps them. Several weeks ago, I was hit in the head and nearly killed by a human. I’m a shifter wolf.

I don’t suppose you believe in those either, do you?

” She said she knew some shifters. “So you’ll believe a man turns into a wolf, but not one that can see your dead mother.

If it helps you at all, I’m going to help solve her murder, too. I believe I can do it.”

“They did it. Just like they killed my dad, Shawn and Margaret did it. I don’t know how, and I have no proof, but as sure as I’m sitting here, they killed them both off.” He told her he was sorry. “Not as sorry as they’ll be when I get it figured out.”

“I can help you.” She asked him why he’d do that. “As I said, your mother is a friend of mine now, and she’s been keeping me company.”

“Because you can see her ghost.” It wasn’t a question, but he answered it anyway. “I don’t want to believe you, but I feel that you’re telling me the truth. I mean, why would you lie to me about seeing her? You have nothing to gain.”

“You have nothing I want either. Not your money nor your house. I have that and a house.” He was sort of rude, and she asked him what that was about.

“I don’t like people. They’re rude most of the time and don’t understand when someone is rude back to them.

Hang on a minute. Your mom is going to see if they’re still at your home.

By the way, she said not to go to the bank either.

They’ll catch you there for sure. That’s a wonderful idea.

Belinda said to use some of the money you got for a security system.

Don’t get yourself dead before you can enjoy your home. ”

Yes, he was a rude shit.