Page 130 of Nash Falls

“Well, I got the DNA deadline extended, so I had some time to work on things. And I have.”

“And I appreciate that. I really do. But now I need to know where I stand financially. And don’tyouwant to work something out?”

“Before I make important decisions I have to collect the facts, Min, which takes time. And in that vein, I had an interesting discussion with the estate lawyers. So now, like you just said, it’s time to move forward.”

Mindy looked relieved, he thought. That was certainly not going to last.

She said, “Okay. How?”

He gave her a patronizing look. “They filled me in on what I missed when I walked out of the will reading, Min. I was surprised, to say the least. You lied about where your share would go if you couldn’t prove the baby was my dad’s. It’s not going to the trust, it comes to me.”

Her face flushed and she wouldn’t meet his eye. “I… felt bad about lying to you, Rhett. I really did. But I… I was so scared. And I was going to tell you the truth. I swear.”

“Oh, I’m sure of it. Now if the kid really is mine—and you’ll have to take the test to prove that—what are your expectations?”

“I don’texpectmarriage, of course, but I would like you to be in our lives. And then there’s the matter of support.”

“But is that really a good idea? I mean, if people find out I’m the father of my stepmother’s child? And my dad took a dive off the balcony? Not a great look unless you want the kid to come visit Mommy and Daddy in prison.”

“I can move away from here if you don’t want me to stay in the house. Then maybe people wouldn’t talk.”

“Right, so just to clarify, the house comes to me, along with billions of bucks because that baby is not my dad’s.”

She assumed an aggrieved look. “So you’re just going to leave me with my prenup money? That hardly seems fair.”

His expression grew darker. “You were only married to him for about a year. I had to deal with the monster my whole fucking life. And twenty mill is nothing to sneeze at.”

“Not compared to billions. And youdidmurder him.”

“Correction,wekilled him, Min, me and you. So you going to the cops would not be a smart idea. He said, she said. I turn state’s witness, you do the slow burn in a cell for the rest of your life, while I get probation and a new life with the billions.”

“Come on, Rhett, let’s not fight. Let’s work together. You couldn’t even spend a tenth of all that money if you tried.”

Rhett felt the time was right to cut the deal he needed to get done. “Okay, then let’s do something about that. When you marriedDad I know that he had you named as Angie’s backup guardian, and that now, with him dead, you have a power of attorney for her.”

“That’s right. I was actually surprised when he made me the backup for her.”

“I’m not. It was a chip he used against me.”

“I don’t understand.”

“He never gave a shit about Angie. He hated the idea that any child of his would be like that. But he knew that I actually loved Angie, and I believe he figured that you wouldn’t care for her half as much as I would. And there would be nothing I could do about it. He would have loved that, screwing me over from the grave.”

Mindy looked stunned by his words. “My God, you two really had one fucked-up relationship.” She paused, watching him guardedly. “Look, Rhett, it’s not like I know Angie all that well. But I would always take care of her. I’m not heartless. She can’t help who she is.”

“That’s great, Mindy, and I am touched by that, I really am. But here’s the thing—you won’t have to take care of her. You appoint me as her guardian and you give me the power of attorney. I’ve seen the documents and you have the ability to do that. Then I’ll have the lawyers do their two-step legal dance, and increase your payout to a quarter of a billion dollars. And you walk away with it all—no tax, since you were his legal spouse. Well, it’s actually a little more complicated than that. But I’ll take care of it.”

She looked at him suspiciously. “Why would you do that?”

“Because I want to take care of Angie, like I said, and I need those powers to do that.”

“I don’t understand stuff like this. What’s the process? How will it all work?”

“It’s simple. You first have to certify to the lawyers that you are not pregnant with my father’s child and thus are not entitled to anything other than the prenup settlement. Then, to pay you the quarter billion, I have to liquidate some holdings from my inheritance, an inheritance I will now receive because you failed the condition in the will of carrying Dad’s child. But we’re only talking a couple ofweeks’ delay. How wouldyoulike the payout, by the way? I assume by wire transfer?”

“Yes,” she said quickly.

“Okay, I’ll have the lawyers draw it all up. You sign what you need to sign for the estate lawyers and Angie’s guardianship and power of attorney, the wire goes off, and you’ll be set for life. You can raise our kid like a king. Or queen.”