Page 41 of Recklessly in Love

Well, shit. This can’t be anything good.

My heart sinks as I close the door and look down at the documents in my hand. As I read, my confusion turns to anger and disbelief.

It’s a lawsuit from my father to start a partition action on the property we co-own. On the surface, it’s baffling because I thought a partition action was when one property co-owner doesn’t want to sell, and the other does. While my father has asked me to agree to development, he’s never said a word about selling the property. But clearly, I don’t understand all the ins and outs of partition actions because this paperwork flat out says that the motherfucker is claiming rights to all the land, citing mishandling of the original trust from my grandfather.

While I know fuck all about the legalities of trusts and how someone could challenge one this long after the fact, or what that has anything to do with a partition action, luckily, I know someone who almost certainly does.

With shaking hands, I pull out my phone and call my second cousin, Sera. She inherited my grandfather’s brother’s investments and owns a real estate business in Seattle. If anyone can make sense of this, it’s her.

“Greg!” she answers warmly. “It’s been a while. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Hey, Sera. I wish I were calling under better circumstances. Unfortunately, I just got served with some papers from my dad, and I could use your help figuring out if what he’s trying to do is even legal and, if it is, how I can stop him. He’s trying to claim full ownership of the properties we co-inherited from my grandfather.”

There’s a pause on the other end of the line. “Shit, Greg, I’m sorry. Your dad’s a real piece of work, isn’t he? My mother was talking about doing something similar when my grandfather died. Luckily for you, that means I’m pretty familiar with this kind of scenario. Send me the paperwork. I’ll take a look and see what your options are, okay?”

I let out a massive sigh of relief. “Thanks, Sera. You have no idea how much I appreciate it. Or, actually, maybe you do,” I reply.

She chuckles empathetically. “Family legacies, eh?”

“Indeed,” I murmur, realizing that Sera, on top of being smart as a whip, has gone through a lot in the last few years and probably understands where I’m at better than anyone. “Maybe we can meet for lunch to talk when you’ve got something?”

“I’d love that,” she replies sincerely.

“Great. Talk to you soon, then.”

We say our goodbyes, and I hang up, feeling marginally better. At least I have someone in my corner who knows their shit. Now it’s time to head home and make things right with Joanie.

I find Joanie hunched over her laptop in my home office, which I’d encouraged her to use. She looks up as I enter, her expression guarded. Her long, dark brown hair is piled haphazardly on her head, and she’s wearing another one of my T-shirts. I resist smiling at her adorably disheveled appearance. She’s obviously buried herself in her task to the exclusion of all else.

My throat constricts, knowing it’s because she’s avoiding me.

“Can we talk?” I ask.

Her wary, ice-blue eyes thaw a bit, and she nods, closing her laptop. “Of course. What’s up?” She pulls her legs up to her chest and wraps her arms around them.

The move is so defensive it makes my chest hurt.

I settle on the loveseat next to the window on the opposite wall from the desk and gesture for her to join me.

It takes her a minute, but she eventually unwraps herself and rises, revealing pink plaid lounge pants and purple fuzzy slippers that make her look even more adorable. She settles tentatively on the other seat but still draws her legs up in front of her, though her hands rest on the cushion.

I reach out and offer a hand. She slips hers in it, and the tightness in my chest eases a bit.

“First of all, I’m sorry. I know I’ve been distant this week, and I didn’t realize until today that you probably think it was because of what happened on New Year’s. What you didn’t say, I mean. But that’s not it at all.”

Her expression softens. “It’s not?” she asks so tentatively that I want to punch myself in the fucking face for not realizing it and reassuring her sooner.

“No,” I reply adamantly. “The truth is, I’ve been stressed about Ned. And about what he might do next. I’m frustrated that my family can’t see him for what he is. That I haven’t been able to stop his escalating behavior somehow.”

Joanie shocks me by climbing onto my lap and cupping my face in her hands. “Well, now I feel like the asshole for assuming it had anything to do with me. I can see why it would bother you, but listen to me,” she says, gripping my face tighter and looking deep into my eyes. “It’s not your fault that your piece-of-shit cousin is a walking felony waiting to happen. It is, however, my fault for letting you deal with this alone. I should’ve asked what was happening with you instead of conceitedly assuming it was all about me.” She tips her head back and groans.

“Okay, fine, we’re both assholes,” I murmur teasingly. Still, I can only be mildly amused because I haven’t told her the worst part. I want to kiss her so badly, but I don’t want to get distracted from the rest of the conversation we need to have. I sigh heavily and lean my forehead against hers. “There’s more. My aunt and uncle clearly ran and tattled on me because my dad just served me with papers. He’s trying to claim full ownership of the property we inherited.”

She pulls back abruptly, shock written all over her face. “Are you fucking kidding me? Can he even do that?”

I huff out a breath and shake my head. “I don’t know. I’ve got my cousin Sera looking into it. She’s in real estate and has dealt with this kind of thing before, so hopefully, she can help me figure out my next steps.”

Joanie chews on her lower lip. “How can I help?” she asks softly.

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