Page 165 of These Summer Storms

“Sam. Chill.” Emily asked, “Did something go wrong? Did we lose the game?”

“I’ll tell you what went wrong. Greta is what went wrong,” Sam said, frustration returning him to his zero state—blowhard. “She got Tony, and we all got screwed.”

“Is that true?” Alice looked to Larry, then to Jack. “I thought the only rule for the inheritance was that if we completed our tasks, we inherited. Everyone did what he asked. Sam did his chores, our mother spoke her truths—”

“Did she ever,” Emily interjected.

Alice waved a hand toward the helicopter, a tiny speck in the distance. “Greta broke it off with Tony—she only left with him this morning. A loophole, right?” She looked to Jack.

Jack nodded, returning to his role. “That was how I understood it, as well, Larry.”

“EvenAlicestayed,” Emily said, like it was the biggest shock of all.

“It would be great if everyone stopped talking about me as if I’m the villain of the play,” she said.

“Sorry,” Emily said.

“Who cares?” Sam interrupted. “Are you saying there is no inheritance? Are you saying that asshole was just fucking with us this week?”

“There is aninheritance,” Larry said. He opened his briefcase and extracted a thick document, which he passed to Emily.

Sam snatched it out of her hands and opened it as her father’s friend pressed on. “The house and the island remain in trust for Elisabeth now, and in perpetuity for the family. Storm Island will be the home for Storms for generations to come.”

That was good. The island mattered.

Alice stuttered over the thought and how settled she felt knowing this place was theirs, forever.

“As for funds, your father wished—”

“You are fucking kidding me.” Sam thrust the document toward Emily and turned on his heel, walking a distance, shoving his hands in his hair.

“For you each to receive a predetermined amount.”

“Oh my god.” Emily looked up and met Alice’s eyes. Passed her the papers. “See for yourself.”

Alice read, her shock and surprise quickly overtaken with a level of self-satisfaction she would not soon forget. She turned to Jack with a triumphant smile. “I told you. Another shoe.”

Franklin had left them each one thousand, one hundred, and seven dollars.

Chapter

23

“Sneaking away?”

Alice looked up as Sam lowered himself beside her on the end of the island’s dock, where her feet dangled over the water below. She shook her head. “No. This time I was going to say goodbye.”

“I think the last time, it was us who didn’t say goodbye.” They were quiet for a while, watching the boats on the blue water, bright and clean and beautiful, like postcards of Rhode Island. A cormorant flew low over the water. Sam leaned forward to meet her eyes. “I’m sorry about that.”

“You are?”

Sam scowled at her surprise. “You don’t have to be so shocked.”

“I get it. I was a terrifying proposition.” She tilted her head toward the house. “A cautionary tale. What happened if you crossed them.”

“Yeah, but—” He returned his attention to the water. “We could have had a relationship without them. I could’ve come to Brooklyn. That’s a lot of time we lost. And I…” He looked for the rest of the words. “I don’t want to lose any more of it.”

“Are you offering to come to Brooklyn?”

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