Page 13 of Thaw of Spring (Knife’s Edge, Alaska #2)

A mka’s headache continued throughout the day, but she kept a smile in place and gratitude in her heart.

At least she tried. The smile was easier than the gratitude.

But there was so much. She had friends and a somewhat successful business.

Times weren’t exactly easy in Knife’s Edge, but the tourist season helped.

“You good?” Daisy asked, bussing a couple of pitchers from some social media folks in the corner.

“Yeah.” Amka looked up at the man and two women. “This is a new development.”

Daisy rinsed the beer glasses before plucking them into the dishwasher. “Might bring some business in, but I’m not sure anybody local wants that.”

Yeah. There was a fine line between wanting new folks in town and enjoying the solitude of the middle of wintery nowhere.

Wyland and Sheldon Friday sat at the bar, finishing burgers. Sheldon had a new sports watch. He smiled when he caught her glance. “I bought it the other day, and it came in on the plane.”

Wyland shook his head. “You can’t be spending insurance money we don’t have. Plus, once we have the money, we need to rebuild.”

Sheldon rolled his eyes. “Why? We have enough storage area on the bottom floor. It’s a basement we don’t use. Amka? What do you think about you taking over that land? We can use our part of the insurance for something else.”

“If we get insurance,” Wyland said, wearing his going out clothes of a nice red flannel and brown slacks. “Sometimes when there’s arson, the insurance people don’t pay out.”

Sheldon sucked in air. “None of us set the fire or the explosion, so the insurance company has to give us the money.” His eyes gleamed. “I’m tired of working for scraps, and we both need a vacation somewhere warm.”

Wyland frowned. “Warm? It’s spring and will soon be summer. I ain’t going anywhere, and neither are you.”

Sheldon winked at Amka. “You could use a fun vacation. Amka, how about you ditch your fiancé and date me?”

Amka’s jaw nearly dropped open. Sheldon had asked her out quite a few times the last couple of years, but as soon as she’d become engaged to Jarod, he’d stopped. This was new. “Um, that’s a kind offer, but I don’t think so. Thanks, though.”

“Any time,” Sheldon murmured quietly.

That was odd, but Amka had enough to worry about. She walked to the other end of the bar, where Daisy was wiping down an area where one of the social media influencers had spilled a margarita. “Daisy? I need to make an appointment. With you as a lawyer.”

Daisy’s green eyes lit. “Really? Awesome. You’re my first client. Do you mind if I take over that dark corner with the one table? It’s away from the bar, pool tables, and dart boards.”

Amka craned her neck to see that far corner, where she tried to keep a candle to make the dark space appear romantic.

“Sure. In fact, there’s an entire wall behind that main chair.

” She’d always meant to put a light or poster on that wall since it was far from the windows but had never found the time.

“You can hang your shingle there. What is a shingle, anyway?”

Daisy snorted and shut the dishwasher door. “I’m pretty sure that means your diploma, or maybe your acceptance from the state bar, but I’m not totally sure. Is it really okay for me to take over that corner?”

“Sure.” The last time someone had commandeered that corner table as their own, Bussy Mosten and Bert Knob had been having an affair.

Of course, they had both been widowed and were in their nineties, but still, they considered it an affair.

Amka hadn’t wanted to know anything more than that.

She looked around the mostly vacant tavern. “I’m available now.”

Daisy hopped once. “This is so exciting.” She removed her apron and placed the logo covered material on the bar.

Amka had been proud to start selling Sam’s Tavern shirts and hats just a year before.

Daisy plucked a high-end looking briefcase from beneath the counter.

“Ms. Amaruq, please follow me to my office.”

Amusement and a hint of hope flowed through Amka as she followed, not hiding her chuckle.

Who knew? Maybe this would be the perfect place for Daisy to practice law.

Of course, they could always build a room or office where the storage building had burned down.

She took a seat across from Daisy, who all of a sudden wore a serious expression. “What now?”

Daisy pulled out a yellow legal notebook and a pen. “So, I’m assuming this has to do with the destroyed storage building?”

Amka paused. “No.” She glanced around to verify that nobody was paying them any attention. “I need a will.”

Daisy’s eyes lit. “Cool. Excellent. I love drafting wills.” She started scratching notes on the pad. “What are your assets?”

Amka could answer that easily. “The bar, my house, the Jeep, and my snowmobile.”

Daisy kept writing. “Anything else? Jewelry, family heirlooms, weapons?”

Amka kicked out her legs. It had been a long day, and her calves were protesting. “Just two shotguns and a nine millimeter. No jewelry or heirlooms.” She hadn’t known her father, and her mother hadn’t had time for baubles.

“All right.” Daisy looked up and smiled. “I assume you want to leave everything to Jarod?”

Amka’s stomach ached. “No. I, ah, want to leave Sam’s Tavern to you and Rudolph with equal shares. You get my snowmobile and handgun, and Rudolph gets my shotguns. As for the cabin and my Jeep, I’d like to leave them to Christian Osprey.”

Daisy sat back, blinking once. Then twice. “Um?—”

“He needs a place to live, and both you and Rudolph have nice places.” Heat filled Amka’s cheeks. She and Christian weren’t close, had never been, but she wanted him to have a home of his own. Why not take hers? “Nobody else in my life needs a place to live.”

Daisy sat back, her face clearing. “All right. I need a dollar.”

Amka reached into her apron for a bill and slid it across the table.

“I didn’t need that to be your lawyer, but it helps. I’ll draft up a letter of engagement tonight for you to sign. For now. You can’t leave me part of the bar.”

“Sure I can.”

Daisy pushed her wild hair away from her face. “That’s sweet, but I don’t get it. Tell me why you are trying to disinherit your soon-to-be husband.”

“No.”

Daisy quirked her lips. “All right. Well, since you’re engaged, I need to know if you plan on changing this will once you are married?”

Amka cleared her throat. “I’m not planning on getting married, but if something happens to me beforehand, I’d like my stuff to go to people I care about.”

Daisey’s eyes widened. “You think the arson attack was meant specifically for you?”

“I don’t know.” That was the truth. But just in case, she wanted her life organized.

“All right. So, as your attorney who is bound by client confidentiality and total discretion, why aren’t you planning to be married, and why don’t you want your estate left to your fiancé?”

Amka glanced around again. Nobody was paying a titch of attention to them. “I don’t love Jarod, don’t want to get married, and definitely don’t want him to end up with my cabin or my bar.”

Daisy paled. “Well. I don’t like the guy, but I figured he rocked in bed, which explained everything.”

Amka exhaled. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never slept with that asshole.” Although he kept making moves. He was becoming more daring, and she tried not to be alone with him often.

Daisy coughed and just stared at her. “Um.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Amka could barely breathe. The less people who knew about Hank’s death, the better.

“All right.” Curiosity glowed bright in Daisy’s eyes. “That’s fair. But I’m your lawyer now, so you can tell me anything.”

Amka had already shared with May, and that was enough for now. She couldn’t take another friend looking at her with a mixture of pity and fury. Although, if she needed a posse, she might be able to put one together. “So what’s the plan?”

Daisy studied her for a moment. “The will as you’ve specified will be valid until you say I Do , and then Jarod would have a spousal election in your estate in case you die.

A spousal election in Alaska depends on how long you’ve been married, so the longer the marriage, the more of a cut he’d get.

But he’d get something, no matter what. Unless you both sign a prenuptial agreement before getting married. ”

“Draw it up.” Amka had no intention of actually going through with the marriage ceremony, but maybe seeing a prenup would get Jarod to think twice.

He’d already mentioned using the tavern as collateral for his big new touristy hotel.

“Is there a way you can gift part of this tavern now to people without letting them know?”

“Including me?” Daisy frowned.

Yeah, that didn’t make much sense. “Jarod wants to use my collateral in Sam’s Tavern to get a loan for the motel. How do I make it unavailable to him?”

Daisy scrunched up her nose, showcasing a myriad of freckles. “Let me think. I guess you could leverage it yourself? Like use the tavern as collateral for another project?”

That made sense, but what project? “I don’t want to risk the bar, but I would like to take any financial incentive away from Jarod.”

Daisy bit her lip. “As your attorney, I’d really like to know what’s going on.”

“I’m not ready to talk about it.” Amka glanced around the room to make sure the few remaining patrons didn’t need refills.

Daisy coughed. “All right. Are you in danger?”

Was she? Somebody had planted an explosive device in her storage building that had detonated when she’d been inside. “I’m not sure.”

“From Jarod?” Daisy asked.

“No.” It didn’t make sense for Jarod to hurt her when they weren’t married.

He wouldn’t automatically inherit anything.

“He’s a jerk, but I don’t think he’s too dangerous.

” Except when he’d tried to rip off her clothes.

She’d handled him each time, though. Her stomach ached.

What if she couldn’t handle him next time?

Daisy jotted down a couple more notes. “All right. I don’t like being in the dark here, but I can draft both the prenup and the will as your lawyer.” She placed the pen by the notepad. “As your friend, I can help you bury his body where it can’t be found.”

Amka burst out laughing. “I appreciate it.”

“Are you frightened of him? Is that why you’re marrying him?”

“No.” Amka stood.

Daisy tapped a finger on her lips and leaned in. “Is it because of Christian? He’s so hot, and he always watches you.”

“No.” Amka sighed. “I admit that Christian’s good looking, but I want someone who takes care of me once in a while. He did save me from the fire, but I always bring him soup, have done his laundry and stuff like that. He needs taking care of.”

Daisy smirked. “I think you’re wrong. If that man goes all in with a woman, he’ll take care of her. In every way.” She wriggled her eyebrows.

Amka laughed. She’d been on her own for so long, she didn’t want to feel like that forever.

Was it possible? Christian was a lone wolf except for his brothers and for hero moments.

He sacked out wherever he could find a bed, didn’t have a car, and wasn’t looking for work.

While he was a much better person than Jarod, he wasn’t exactly stable.

She most certainly needed stable and constant.

Somebody she could count on at all times.

“Thank you for being my lawyer, and you’re welcome to use this corner of the tavern as your office as long as you want, but I do expect to be billed for the work. ”

Daisy sat back. “How about we exchange my work for use of the bar as my office?”

“It’s not the same. You have to bill me something.” Amka turned to head back to work, her body aching. It was going to be a long night.