While she chatted with John and Lisa, Matt was only half listening. There was more to her extended stay, but she clearly intended to keep it to herself. Matt knew all the classic signs, and there was no missing them. She was obviously close to his family, and he’d quickly learned she wasn’t shy about speaking her mind.
Whatever she was hiding, it must be serious. He barely knew her, but the thought of the pretty lawyer being in trouble really bothered him.
* * *
Around six o’clock, the last of the relatives left and the house was empty. After all the activity, the quiet rang with a sad finality. Caty was packing the last of the dishes into Ruthy’s catering carts when the Sawyers came into the kitchen.
“I just can’t believe it.” Sinking into a chair, Lisa stared down the table at the head seat where Ethan usually sat. “He’s gone.”
As she dissolved into tears, Marianne sat beside her and put an arm around her shoulders. “It’ll be okay, Lise. We’ll be fine.”
“No, we won’t,” Lisa sobbed. “We won’t ever be fine again.”
Patting her back, Marianne glanced at the far counter, which was still stacked with containers of food. “What in the world?”
“Ruthy,” Caty answered, handing over a handwritten note.
“‘The fridge is full, coffee’s ready to go,’” Marianne read out loud. “‘Warming instructions on everything. If you need me, call anytime. All my prayers tonight are for you kids. God bless you all.’”
Lisa sniffled, dabbing her eyes with a tissue.
Matt opened his mouth, but Marianne cut him off with a stern look and a quick shake of her head. Grimacing, he crossed the kitchen to get a glass from the cupboard and fill it with water. As he stood with his back to them and stared out the window, Caty noticed the stiffness in his broad shoulders.
At least his brother and sisters had said goodbye to Ethan. Matt would never have that chance. How on earth would he get past that?
Not that it was any of her business, she cautioned herself. He was a grown man, and he made his own decisions. Why he’d chosen to neglect his family was none of her concern. She wasn’t in a position to advise him and, even if she were, he probably wouldn’t listen. Only a fool intruded where she wasn’t wanted. Which reminded her, she really didn’t belong here right now.
“Marianne, could I borrow your van to go into town? They’re holding a room for me at the B and B.”
“Don’t be silly.” Standing, Marianne turned on the flame under a teakettle labeled Full. “You can stay here. We all are.”
“Matt’s staying with John, and the sofa bed in the living room is comfy,” Lisa added as she thumbed through a basket of tea bags on the table. “I’ll be in our old room with Marianne, so you’re welcome to it.”
“It’s been a long day, Caty.” John took the seat across from hers and opened a jar filled with Ruthy’s famous oatmeal cookies. “You’ve been running around helping with everything, on top of that long drive. Just stay here and relax.”
Only one Sawyer hadn’t invited her to stay, and the silence stretched awkwardly as they all stared at Matt’s back. He didn’t seem to notice.
“Matt, is it okay with you if I stay?”
“Sure,” he answered without turning around. “It’s not my house.”
“It is now.” Marianne pinned Caty with a hard look. “Isn’t it?”
“We’ll go through all that later,” she hedged.
“We’ll go through some of it now.” Handing Lisa a steaming mug, Marianne sat down with her own. “I know Dad redid everything about a year ago, and since you were his lawyer, I assume you helped him do it. Next week, I’m supposed to start prepping my room for my new class. Kyle starts school the week after and Emily’s registered for pre-K. If we need to move, I have to know. Now.”
Caty hesitated. There were good reasons for not releasing estate details so soon. Emotions were too raw, and people needed time to deal with their loss before they got practical. Another reason was that if they got caught up in the provisions in the will, they put off grieving, sometimes with very serious consequences.
There were steps in the process, and it was best to go through them in the order dictated by psychologists who were experts in the field. In a psych class, Caty had learned about Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, who put the stages of grief into a nice, neat list: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. The Sawyers were still in denial. Intellectually, Caty knew they should go through the others before she told them anything.
Then she thought of Ethan, how deeply he loved his family. He wouldn’t want Marianne and her kids worrying about where they were going to live.
She began by giving Marianne a reassuring smile. “I can tell you all the buildings and land within three acres of the main house are yours. Provided you let John live in the carriage house as long as he wants.”
Marianne visibly relaxed. “Thanks, Caty. I should’ve known Dad would do it that way.”
“What else can you tell us?” Lisa asked.
They’d finally gotten Matt’s attention. He didn’t join them at the table, but he’d turned and at least appeared to be listening.
“We’re all here,” Marianne added. “And I’m sure you know the important things. Why not handle it now?”
Pushing aside her misgivings, Caty relented because she knew it was what her client would want. “Ethan’s major assets were his life insurance and the farm, which goes to the four of you. Whatever you do with it has to be a unanimous decision.”
Matt moved to the island and leaned in, looking like a drowning man who’d found a rock to cling to. With his bitter comment about staying away from Harland so fresh in her memory, she suspected that was exactly how he felt.
“You mean we can sell the farm?” he asked.
Caty circled the table with a somber look. “Provided you all agree, yes.”
“Well, I don’t want to.” John crossed his arms stubbornly, glaring at nobody in particular.
“There’s two thousand acres here,” Lisa chided.
“Twenty-two hundred and four,” he corrected her.
“With the price of land these days, it must be worth a fortune,” she continued. “You can’t knee jerk such a big decision.”
“I’ll buy you out then,” he insisted, looking to Caty for support. “I can do that, right?”
He looked so hopeful, she didn’t have the heart to remind him he didn’t have nearly the amount of money that would take. “If the others agree, yes.”
Marianne was toying with her spoon with a pensive expression. “If we keep the farm, who’s going to run it?”
“I will,” John volunteered. “I know every inch of this place, and all the guys like me.”
“Which is why they never listen to you,” she responded. “You’re one of the Indians, not a chief.”
“Dad must have had someone in mind,” Lisa said with a puzzled expression. “But who?”
* * *
Caty’s gaze landed squarely on Matt, and he thought his heart thudded to a stop for a few seconds.
When it started up again, he bit back a curse, because in his mind this was still his father’s house. Standing on the other side of the island, he was outside the circle at the table. Suddenly, it felt much too close.