I stare at him hesitantly. “A stipulation? My mother didn’t mention that.”

Todd nods again. “That’s because she doesn’t know.”

I sigh heavily. Leave it to my father to do something fucked up, even in the end. “Well, what is it?”

Todd bends and sifts through his bag, coming up with a paper. He hands it to me, his weasel eyes focused on my reaction.

I don’t give him one.

Instead, I scan the paper.

All I can focus on are the words, Brand must ring the bell.

Shock slams into me, fast and hard, and anger clouds my vision.

What a fucker.

Todd clears his throat again. “I’m not sure what the purpose of this exercise is, but your father’s wishes are clear. You must swim out to the large buoy in the bay and ring the bell, then swim back in. You must be un-assisted, you cannot use a boat or motorized device of any sort. You must swim on your own devices. If you don’t complete this task, your inheritance will revert to the state. And you will not be given the key to the box your father left for you.”

Through my anger, that snags my attention.

“A key?”

Todd raises an eyebrow. “You must not have tried to open the box yet. It’s locked. I have the key. I’m instructed to give it to you only upon completion of the task.”

Nora must’ve only lingered right outside the door, because she bursts back in now.

“What will happen if he doesn’t do it?” she asks, her cheeks flushed.

Todd looks at her. “If Brand chooses not to complete the task, his inheritance will revert to the state, as I said. Bethany Killien will receive nothing. And it’s my understanding that she does the books for Mr. Killien’s mechanic business. It’s likely that she will lose her job when the state sells the business.”

“So my mother would have nothing,” I clarify. “Not a house, not any money and she would lose her job.”

Finally, Todd has the good graces to look uncomfortable. “Yes. I don’t know what your father’s motives were, but yes. Your mother would have nothing.”

“Perhaps his mother deserves nothing,” Nora snaps.

If I weren’t already so annoyed with the situation, I would find her reaction amusing. She’s so defensive on my behalf.

The lawyer shrugs. “I guess that’s for Brand to decide.” He looks at me. “You have thirty days from today to complete the task. I need to be present as a witness. Again, if you choose not to do it, the entire inheritance will default to the state.”

“We understand that part,” Nora says icily. “I’ll show you out.”

Todd picks up his briefcase and hands me his card.

“Call me when you’re ready to take a cold dip in the lake.”

He walks out. Nora closes the door behind him, then walks back to me.

“Why would your father do that?” she asks softly, her hand curled around my arm.

I shrug. “Who knows?”

But I know.

And Nora is fully aware of that. She stares at me knowingly.

“All right. I won’t pry. For now. But what will you do?”

I shrug again, because this time I really don’t know.

I don’t know what I’ll do. My mother probably doesn’t deserve anything. But it’s not in my character to let an old lady get kicked to the street. Even a cold-hearted old lady like my mother.

“I have to think about it,” I finally answer. “It’s not about swimming out to the buoy. It’s about… what message I want to send to my mother.”

Nora stares at me, her blue eyes understanding. “I don’t blame you,” she answers softly. “I wouldn’t lift a finger for my father.”

She turns around and walks away before I can ask her why.

Within a minute, she returns with her purse. “I’m going to run a quick errand, and then let’s get out of here for the day,” she suggests. “I’ve got cabin fever already.”

“You don’t have to stay here with me,” I remind her. “There’s no reason for both of us to be bored.”

She rolls her eyes.

“After the line we crossed last night, there’s no place I’d rather be.”

She winks and I shake my head.

“Last night doesn’t change anything.”

She leans up and nips at my ear lobe.

“Last night changes everything.”

With that, she walks out to her car and I can’t help but watch her tight ass sway as she walks away.

With a sigh, I know that she’s right.

It changed everything.

And honestly, I’m tired of fighting it.

Chapter Eleven

Nora

It takes forever to find a car rental place with a convertible, but I manage. Over an hour later, I pull back up to the cottage in a sporty red convertible with the top down.

Brand is reclining on the porch steps, his legs stretched out in front of him as he waits in the shade. His eyes widen a bit as I round the car and walk toward him.

“What did you do?”

I giggle. “Well¸ I didn’t sell the Jag or anything. I rented this for the day. Let’s drive around the lake with the wind in our hair, then have a picnic.”

Brand raises an eyebrow. “Did you cook any part of the lunch?”

I roll my eyes. “No. It’s already in the car, pre-bought. All I need is you now.”

The corners of his mouth twitch, but he doesn’t argue. He just picks up his crutches and heads toward the car. His bulging biceps flex as he takes each step.

I gulp, remembering how they’d flexed as he’d balanced above me last night, how his skin had glistened in the moonlight, how he had groaned into my neck. Warmth gushes into my panties.

Gah.

Brand glances at me. “What?”

My cheeks are burning. And he noticed.

I shake my head. “Nothing. Are you ready?”

“Always.” His lip twitches again. He drops into the car, and puts the crutches in the small back seat. “Ready.”

I fasten my seatbelt and pull my hair into a quick ponytail, before I drive out of the driveway and down the road.

The breeze from the lake is fresh and clean this morning, blowing gently against our faces. The sun gleams on the top of the water and the temperature is absolutely perfect.

I stick to roads that hug the lake, rather than drive on the highway. We leisurely drive, chatting about nothing and everything, as though we don’t have anything more important to do at all, as though his dad wasn’t conniving and hateful, as though he doesn’t have that stupid will hanging over his head and I don’t have a hateful job waiting for me at the end of the summer.

It’s really nice.

Brand glances over at me. “Why did you go to law school?”

The question surprises me. “Why did you go to the Rangers?”

He shakes his head. “That’s not the same thing. Being a Ranger suited me. Being a lawyer doesn’t suit you.”

My mouth drops open as I look at the road again. “Why do you say that?”

Brand shrugs. “Because you’re not cold-hearted or ruthless. It’s a strange occupation choice for you, that’s all.”

I feel my cheeks flush again, and I wish they wouldn’t.

“You don’t know me,” I tell him firmly. “If the situation calls for it, I can do what it takes. My dad has drilled that into my head since I was a toddler. Be a good Greene, Nora. Do what it takes. It’s worked out okay for me. I was valedictorian of my senior class, and then I graduated Stanford Law School with a perfect GPA.”

“That’s nice,” Brand smirks. “We can put that on your gravestone after you work yourself into the ground.”

I scowl. “What does that mean?”

Brand levels a gaze at me and I look away. “It means that there is more to life than striving to be someone you’re not. I get that you want to please your dad. I saw him back in the day, back when I worked at the club. He’s a…commanding person. Intimidating. I can see why you’d want to please him. But your life is your own.”

I swallow hard, because a lump suddenly formed in my throat. “And now you’re an expert?”