Page 8 of Close to My Heart

Dad nodded. “That’s good. We need to take care of her. Her family leaves a lot to be desired.”

I needed to take care of her, but I got that Dad thought of her as another daughter. What would he think if he knew the thoughts I was having about her?

“Her family went overboard this time.”

Dad sobered. “What happened?”

I grabbed the eggs from the fridge, some veggies, and milk and set them on the counter. I’d make Sutton an omelet. She probably hadn’t eaten dinner with her family, and I hadn’t thought to grab a snack last night. “Her grandmother’s redoing the will. If Sutton doesn’t get married before she dies, she loses everything.”

Dad frowned. “Who gets it?”

“She’s threatening to give it to charity. Each family member will get a nominal amount of cash to prevent anyone from challenging the will, but most of the cash and estate will be donated.”

“Why does she care if Sutton is married?” Dad asked, genuinely confused.

My jaw tightened. “It’s always about control with them.”

He rested his elbows on the table. “What is she going to do?”

“She didn’t say. But her mom is already lining up eligible suitors. No doubt some trust funders who are looking for a trophy wife who stands to inherit a fortune.”

Dad considered me as I cracked several eggs, then whipped them, pouring a few drops of milk into the bowl. I poured oil into the pan, turning on the burner to let it heat while I chopped peppers and onions.

“What are you going to do about it?” Dad asked.

I added the veggies to the pan. “I don’t think there’s anything I can do about it.”

“You’re going to let her marry some guy she doesn’t love just so she can inherit the estate?”

“You know how much she loves the house. She wants to keep it in the family.” I turned, leaning a hip against the counter. The way Sutton talked about it, she wanted to do something with the house itself. She didn’t necessarily want to live in it or raise a family within its walls. She wanted to create a different sort of legacy. One she could be proud of.

“I’m not sure it’s worth marrying someone you don’t love. In this day and age, it sounds a little crazy.”

“Her family is crazy,” I said softly, not wanting her to overhear if she made her way downstairs. “She should tell them to fuck off and do her own thing.”

Dad lifted his mug, giving me a look over the rim. “You know she won’t.”

I sighed, grabbing an avocado to slice. “I know.”

“This must be hard for you.” Dad’s concerned gaze made me fidget.

“It’s messed up, but I’m not sure it’s my place to do anything about it.”

Dad raised his brow.

I should distance myself from her. She was too good for someone who grew up on a farm. I was just her friend, the one she went to when she needed someone to listen.

When she got married, she wouldn’t come around as often. Her new husband wouldn’t appreciate her talking to another man. My time with her was limited.

Unless I married her? The idea had been at the forefront of my mind last night, but Sutton would never marry me. I grew up on a farm, and I worked as a police officer for the Department of Natural Resources. In retrospect, I wasn’t a suitable prospect for her. The fact was, I wasn’t the man for her.

I checked the veggies, pouring the eggs over the top.

“You’re a good friend to her.”

“I try to be.” I was there for her whether she needed someone to talk to or a shoulder to cry on. But she’d never thought of me as anything more. I needed to steel myself for the reality that she wouldn’t even be my friend soon. She’d be married to someone else.

Dad was quiet for a minute. Then he said, “Jameson said Claire wants to cut a tree down for her house.”

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