Our losing the baby was a horrible accident, nothing either of us could’ve prevented. I’m sorry I not only blamed the miscarriage on you, but was too cowardly to admit I’d outgrown our relationship.”
Mason stood, hand over his mouth, eyes shining with unshed tears.
Benton asked, “Would you like to read the rest in private?”
“Get it over with.” Hands clenching into fists, Mason stared out the window on the far side of the room.
“You’re a monster,” Akna said. “How dare you disrespect my daughter’s last words.”
“Honey...” Lyle slipped his arms about her shoulders.
Hattie wished for an escape hatch to open beneath her chair.
Benton cleared his throat, then continued to read from the letter.
“I’m ashamed to admit, my whole life was spent in the pursuit of pleasure. Now that I’m a parent, I understand how much more to life there is. Honor and self-sacrifice. The kinds of traits I now recognize not only in my sister and parents, but you.
I doubt you’re aware of this, but Hattie has harbored quite the crush on you for as long as she could walk well enough to follow you around. If my dreams are true, and I am soon to die, I want to do something well and truly good.
The best thing I can think of is to play matchmaker. If you and Hattie end up together, not only will my gorgeous twins end up with a great set of parents, but my beautiful, kindhearted sister will live happily ever after with the good guy she’s always deserved.
“That’s it.” Benton folded the note, returning it to the envelope. “Lyle, Akna, I hope that answers your questions as to why your daughter chose to leave her twins to Hattie and Mason.”
“We’ll contest it.” Akna held a white-knuckled grip on her purse. “My grandbabies need to be with me. Family.”
“Wh-what am I?” Hattie managed past the wall of tears blocking her throat.
“Your mother didn’t mean it like that,” Lyle assured her.
“Lord almighty...” While the wind howled outside the trailer’s paper-thin walls and windows, Mason shook his head. “I feel like we’ve been here ten days. This is nuts. No one gives away kids based on a few stupid dreams.”
Akna fired off a round of Inuit curses at Mason.
Hattie’s chest had tightened. As much as she adored her baby nieces, in no way, shape or form was she ready to become a mom. Melissa had tossed around formally naming Hattie as the twins’ godmother a few times, but that’d been just talk. Hattie had always dreamed of being a mom, but considering her lackluster social life, she’d resigned herself to the fact that unless Prince Charming breezed in on a white snowmobile, her only destiny was to become an old maid. She couldn’t even process the fact that her sister had just outed her feelings for Mason.
“No.” Mason paced the cramped, sterile office. “I want no part of this. Clearly, Melissa wasn’t in her right mind, and I sure as hell don’t believe Inuit dream voodoo.”
“You hush!” Akna demanded.
Hattie shot him a look. “Leave my culture out of this.” Of Benton, she asked, “Are you sure Melissa didn’t want the girls to be with their grandparents? My mom and dad have already taken them in.”
“As you heard in not just the letter, but on all legal documentation, Melissa was quite clear in her wishes. She wanted the girls raised in their own home by her sister and her ex-husband.”
Mason snorted. “Look, I can tell you right now this isn’t happening. I’m due back on base first thing Tuesday morning, and want no part of Melissa’s twisted matchmaking scheme—no offense, Hattie. You’re a great gal, but...”
“I get it,” she said, mortified her own sister would stoop so low as to embarrass her from beyond the grave.
Benton said, “It’s understandable you’d need a few days to adjust to something of this nature.”
“There’s no adjusting. Deal me out.”
Hattie glanced over her shoulder to find Mason’s complexion lightened by a couple shades. He’d narrowed his eyes and held the heels of his hands to his forehead.
“Hattie?” Benton asked. “How do you feel regarding the matter?”
She straightened, drawing strength from not only herself, but her ancestors. “If this is what Melissa wanted for her children, who am I to deny her? Not sure how,” she said with a faint laugh, “but I will raise my nieces.”
“This is wrong,” Akna said.
“I agree.” Lyle shifted on his seat. “Weren’t there other letters from our daughter? Why’d she leave just the one?”
Benton rifled through the file. “That appears to be the only one. She gave me the packet herself. Before now, I never checked the contents. But, Hattie, if you feel capable of raising your nieces, there’s no reason Mason should feel compelled to stay.”
“Good.” Mason now rested his hands on his hips. “Perfect solution. The kids are in capable hands, and I’m back on my base. Problem solved.”
“Not so fast.” The lawyer wagged a pen. “Mason, while I understand your reluctance to take on such a challenge, as of now, you and Hattie share legal custody of Vivian and Vanessa. A family-court judge can release you from this responsibility, but it will take time.”
A muscle ticked in Mason’s clenched jaw. “How much time are we talking?”
“Well, let’s see...” Benton took a few endless minutes to consult his computer. “Ironically, the nearest family-court judge for five hundred miles is on maternity leave. A judge in Valdez is temporarily hearing her cases. First thing Monday morning, Mason, I’ll get you on Judge Dvorck’s docket, but considering the fact that, like it or not, Melissa’s twins are your legal responsibility, I’d strongly advise you to assume their care until the judge releases you from all financial and custodial ties to the estate.” Withdrawing a legal-sized envelope from his top desk drawer, he opened it, then passed along two sets of keys. “These belong to Melissa and Alec’s home and cars. Counting real estate, life insurance and investments, the twins—and you—should live quite comfortably.” He gave Mason and Hattie each copies of the files. “These contain detailed listings of all assets.”
Hattie felt near drowning. Was this real?
Her mother quietly sobbed.
Lyle helped his wife to her feet. “Let’s go. It’s clear we’re not needed.”
Damn Melissa for doing this to their parents.
“So wait—” Mason said once Lyle and Akna had gone. “Me and Hattie are supposed to drag Melissa’s kids from their grandparents, then camp out at Alec and Melissa’s house until we see the judge?”
“That’s about the size of it. Any further questions?” Benton raised his considerable eyebrows.
Oh—Hattie had plenty more she needed to know, but for the moment, the most pressing issue was how was she supposed to keep her sanity while playing house with stupid-handsome Mason?
Chapter Three
In the time they’d spent with Benton, the weather had turned from pretty lightly falling snow to downright blowing ugly. The trailer’s grated-steel stairs were snow-covered and treacherous. This time of year, on a clear, bright day they only had maybe ten hours of sun. During the two hours they’d been inside, darkness had settled in.
Mason held out his hand to Hattie, who stood behind him. “Let me help.”
“I’m fine!” she said above the wind.
Ignoring