Page 39 of Never the Bride
“Yes. Tabling the case is within the judge’s discretion. So is him making suggestions on what he’d like to see from us.”
“So you and I need to live together for six months?”
“Yes.”
“As a married couple?”
“Yes.”
“And go to marriage counseling?”
“Yes.”
“Monthly.”
“Yes.”
Hess bursts out laughing—uncontrollable, loud, boisterous laughing.
“This isn’t funny,” I snap.
“It’s a little funny. I mean, I didn’t even know that this was an option. So dumb on me. But what’s your excuse? You’re the lawyer.”
“I didn’t pay good enough attention during school when they had lectures on irrevocable trusts and estates.”
But really, I don’t have a good excuse. For once in my life, I feel like I didn’t do my job to the best of my abilities. I lost, and I never lose. And the worst part is that I lost in the most important case of my life…because it’smy life.
“So what do we do? Can we appeal or something?”
“No, Hess. We can’t appeal.” I pick up my bag and turn to leave.
“You know, you could cut the attitude a little bit,” he says, chasing after me. “I literally don’t know what’s going on here.”
I pause my steps and soften my tone. “There’s nothing we can do. The hearing is postponed for six months?—”
“But what if we don’t? What if we say, ‘All right, fine. We lied to get the inheritance.’ Can we just pay back the money and go our separate ways?”
“Technically, yes.”
His brows lift. “Okay, then why don’t we just do that?”
I’m surprised he has the funds for this to even be an option.
I lift my chin, trying to infuse a little dignity into my words. “I don’t have the money to pay back the inheritance.”
“You don’t have the money?” There’s no judgment in his expression, just clarification.
“It’s all been spent.”
“Aren’t you some hotshot, fancy lawyer, rolling in the money?”
“I’m not a partner yet, so no. Not rolling in the money.”
He nods a few times as he thinks. “What happens after the six months? Would we still have to pay the money back?”
“No, probably not. He strongly hinted that if we complied with his wishes that he’d rule in our favor. And we would be able to get the last payment and move on with our lives.”
“So the only option right now is to live together for six months as a married couple?”
