Page 117 of The Compass Series

“Are you always this awkward?”

“On the daily, yes.”

He arched an inquisitive brow, and his frown lines deepened as he studied me. Then he looked back at Kevin, then back to me. “You ever attend a funeral where the person looks just like you?”

“I, well… no.”

“I’m not asking you to be Sherlock Holmes or Matlock. I’m just saying connect the fucking dots, lady.”

“Stella.”

“Don’t care.”

“Are you saying you are Kevin’s so?—”

Before I could finish my thought, the man eyed me up and down with the most intense look of disinterest before he walked away. As he moved, a chill raced down my spine, forcing me to rub my forearms up and down.

“No, it couldn’t be,” I muttered. If Kevin had a son, I would’ve known about it.

There’s no way… I mean, he couldn’t be…

Could it be true? That Kevin had a long-lost son?

I couldn’t help but wonder what the scone-stealing, egotistical, ridiculously handsome in a grumpy-grump kind of way man’s name had been.

I turned back toward Kevin’s casket and shook my head.

“I see you tried to take some things to the grave, but it appears they washed up against the shore. Do you have anything to say about this?” I held my hand out in front of his mouth as if I was holding a microphone. “Speak now or forever hold your peace.”

He remained silent. That broke my already shattered heart into a million more pieces.

“I’m sorry I made funeral jokes, Kevin. Though they were pretty funny.”

I smiled a little, though, knowing his humor. He would’ve laughed if he had the chance to do so. Crazy how deeply you could miss a person’s laughter. If I had a chance, I would’ve gathered more laughs to keep locked within my memories.

I arrived home at the property to attend the repass and took on the role of making sure everyone was okay and looked after.

And of course, the man who had taken center stage in my day—after Kevin, of course—was there, taking in the surroundings of the home.

He was looking at all the photographs sitting against the wall beside the spiral staircase.

Kevin was a photographer when he was younger, and it was how he made his first millions. Sure, his success in the stock market and his family’s generational wealth was a big part of his multimillionaire lifestyle, but he was very passionate about his artwork.

Maybe that was why we connected so well. Sure, I used acrylics and paintbrushes, but creatives of all sorts seemed to be drawn toward one another. We shared a certain level of pride.

“All his work,” I commented, walking over to him.

He glanced my way, then turned back to the photos, not speaking a word.

I smoothed my hands over my dress. “Do you have a name?”

“Yes.”

I waited for him to share it. He didn’t. “Well…?”

“Am I bothering you?” he yipped.

“No. Why do you say that?”

“Because you are going out of your way to communicate with me when there is no reason whatsoever for us to be entangled in conversation. It is clear I’m not interested in speaking to you, yet you still find the need to conversate. You’re exhausting.”

“Gosh. You’re so… grumpy and rude for no reason.”

“Am I supposed to be happy at a funeral?”

“No, but like, you don’t have to be a dick.”

He pushed out a sarcastic grin. “Thanks for the funeral tips.”

“Screw you.”

“Not interested.”

“I’m so glad I’m never going to have to cross paths with a person like you again, Mr. ‘I attend funerals of strangers because I have no life of my own’ guy.”

“And I’m glad I’m never going to have to cross paths with a person like you again, Ms. ‘I tell stupid-ass jokes at a dead person’s funeral and cry over blueberry scones’ girl.”

“You’re an asshole!”

“How many times are you going to tell me that before you leave me the hell alone?”

“I—”

“Talk too much. That’s what you do. You talk too much.”

“Are you really Kevin’s son?” I blurted out.

“I don’t know. How about you try asking him? Oh wait. You can’t, because he’s dead,” he replied. I blankly stared at him. He shrugged. “I was trying a funeral joke like you.”

“Yes, well, your comedic timing is a bit off.”

“I guess I’ll retire from stand-up.”

“Excuse me, Mr. Blackstone, I think we are going to get started any moment now,” a gentleman said, walking up beside us.

He looked over at me and smiled brightly.

“Stella! It’s so good to see you,” he greeted.

Joe Tipton was Kevin’s longtime attorney and dear friend.

I’d known him as long as I’ve known Kevin—which meant my whole life.

Joe’s hug was warm and comforting. “I just wish it was under different circumstances.”

“Me too, but I won’t keep you two from whatever’s going on,” I said, stepping away from Joe. “We’ll catch up later.”

“Wait, no. Didn’t you get my email?” he asked.

“What email?”

“About Kevin’s will. That’s what we’re meeting about in his study right now. Maple is ushering everyone out as we speak. If you’re available, it’s of the utmost importance that you join us in about fifteen minutes.”

“Why would I have to be there?” I asked.

“Come on, Stella.” Joe took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Did you really think Kevin wouldn’t leave something behind for you? You were the closest thing he had to a daughter. The closest thing he had to family. You and Maple, that is.”

“And you.”

He smiled. “But mostly you.” He looked over at the man who was the pain in my left butt cheek. “Damian, if you and Stella are ready to go over the will, I can lead you to the study where everyone else has gathered.”

“Damian,” I said, looking at the stranger. He looked like a Damian. Broody and moody, all right. Mysterious and haunting. Handsome in an annoying way. Yes. Damian was a very fitting name for that creature.

“I’m glad you two have already met. It’s going to make the next part of this much easier,” Joe explained.

“What does that mean?” Damian and I said in unison.

Joe only smiled and nodded once. “Please, follow me this way.”

As we walked into Kevin’s office, my heartbeats increased as I stared around at all of the familiar faces. Faces I hadn’t seen in years, some even decades.

“What are you all doing here?” I asked, baffled by the women standing in front of me. The only one who made me feel an ounce of comfort was Grams sitting in the far-left corner.

“You didn’t think our husband would leave us out of his will, did you?” Denise sneered. Denise Littrell. Formally known as Denise Michaels—for a short period at least. Around her were two other women who had come and gone throughout Kevin’s life as his wives.

Denise, Rosalina, and Catherine.

Or, as I liked to refer to them, the wicked stepmothers of my past.

“He was married to all of these women?” Damian asked, arching an eyebrow.

“At some point, yes,” I said, looking toward Rosalina. “Though some only lasted a week.”

“It was a fabulous week, too, minus the annoying kid who wouldn’t disappear,” Rosalina remarked, plastering on more red lipstick.

Her makeup was just as heavy as it used to be.

Her dress was just as tight, too, which wasn’t an issue.

Rosalina was one of the most beautiful women alive—with or without makeup.

All his former wives were model-like. Some, like Catherine, were actual supermodels.

“He seemed to have a type,” Damian dryly mentioned.

“Who is this stud muffin?” Denise asked, eyeing Damian up and down like he was a piece of meat and she was starving, which was odd. Because I remember when I was a kid, Denise made it known that she was far from a meat eater when she threw meatloaf across the dining room table.

All three of their relationships ended with Kevin due to one conflicting issue: me.

And now, we all stood in a room together to go over his will.

“We can all do introductions if needed. Otherwise, we can go straight to the main part of the will,” Joe offered.

“Let’s just get to it,” Damian cut in, ignoring all the women’s eyes set on him. “I have business to attend to after this.”

“Right. Of course. Well, let’s get down to it then.

” Joe took his briefcase and opened it on Kevin’s desk.

Just seeing him take a seat in Kevin’s chair made my chest ache a little bit.

Grief was odd. It showed up at the most random times.

Seeing another man sit in Kevin’s chair brought about a sadness I didn’t realize.

My eyes watered at the thought that Kevin wasn’t going to be sitting there ever again.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the handkerchief Damian had given to me earlier to wipe away my falling tears.

“There goes Little Miss Perfect with her alligator tears,” Catherine remarked.

“Oh, piss off, will you, Catherine? Nobody liked you anyway,” Grams scolded, walking over to me and taking my hand in hers. The squeeze of comfort let me know I wasn’t the only one mourning Kevin’s death.

“As you all know, Kevin thought highly of each of you,” Joe stated.

“Which is why he found the need to write each of you a personal letter, describing what he left for each of you.” He handed out a letter to every individual in the room.

The women were quick to rip theirs open to see what they were receiving, and they hissed and whined when it wasn’t up to their standards.

“His record collection? Why on earth would I want that?” Denise complained.

“Well, Kevin stated your first date was at a record store. He said you used to dance to the songs, and the collection would hold value to you.”

“How much are they worth?” she questioned with lowered brows.

“Enough,” Joe commented with a bit of disdain in his mouth.

“He’s really leaving me his New York penthouse?” Rosalina asked, stunned.

“What?! I want that!” Denise yipped.

“I see you still never learned how to shut up,” Grams remarked.

“Oh, go flip some damn tarot cards, Maple.” Denise flipped Grams off, and Grams smirked in reply.

“Yes, Rosalina. He said you loved Broadway shows,” Joe explained.

“I did.” She nodded, tearing up a bit.