Page 1 of Tessa's Trust

Chapter 1

I ignored the worried looks of the two lawyers in the dusty space and signed my name with a flourish, careful not to press too hard since the contract perched precariously on an overturned wooden barrel that had once held whiskey. Contessa Carmelina Albertini. It was difficult, but I fought the urge to dot the last i with a heart. This was a dream come true, and I had worked my butt off for longer than I wanted to admit to get here.

Sadie Brando signed right after I did, her gnarled hand moving slowly across the paper as she no doubt fought both arthritis and a slight tremble.

Her lawyer, who also happened to be her younger brother, shook his head. Even though it was the day after Christmas and he’d been called in unexpectedly, he wore a blue suit with a red power tie. “Sadie,” he said again.

“Shush.” She lifted her other hand. “It’s done, Jonathan. Mind your business, young man. Tessa and I have been dickering about this place for the last two months. We just needed you here to make sure it was official.”

Jonathan was about eighty with thick gray hair, dark blue eyes, and slightly stooped shoulders. He had come over from Billings just for the day and no doubt hadn’t expected this.

I wanted to be sympathetic, but I was too happy to finally be getting this place. I’d paid a pretty penny for it, but it was worth it.

My lawyer shook her head. I trusted her implicitly, even though she wore leggings covered in drunken ducks, a ripped University of Idaho sweatshirt, and her hair in a ponytail. When I’d asked her to drive over the mountain pass and meet me here, I hadn’t exactly told her why. She was my younger sister, and I had known she’d want to sign as a witness. She’d come the second I called, even though it was the day after Christmas and she’d been holed up with her sexy Irishman, who, quite frankly, I figured was difficult to leave.

Anna reached for the papers. “Let me at least read the contract.”

Sadie shook her head. “Don’t need you to read it. We just needed two witnesses and figured lawyers would be good.”

Anna narrowed her eyes. “You don’t need witnesses to this type of contract.” She frowned at Jonathon and somehow managed to look more beautiful than ever. “I’m uncomfortable having my sister sign a contract I haven’t read.”

“We had an agreement,” Sadie said, waiting for Jonathan to sign as a witness—which he did after sighing loudly. Then she jutted out her chin. “Anna? You have to sign your legal name.”

“Are you sure about this?” Anna asked, her gaze direct on me.

“Yes, Anna,” I said. “Trust me in that I’ve read over the contract and I’d love to have you as a witness. Believe me, I want this.”

She bit her lip the way she did when she was concerned. She was a couple of inches shorter than me and didn’t take after either our Italian or Irish sides in the looks department with her grayish-green eyes and auburn hair.

I, on the other hand, was all Irish—reddish-blond hair, green eyes, and skin that burned at midnight. I wished I could tan like my sisters did.

“I do trust you but still want to read this,” Anna said.

Sadie glanced at her overlarge watch. “It’s now or never.”

“Please, Anna?” I asked. “I already signed it, so I’m bound.”

Unlike Jonathan, Anna kept from sighing when she took the pen and signed her full legal name, Anna Fiona Albertini. We came from Irish and Italian stock, so all three of us girls had both an Irish and an Italian name.

Our older sister, Donatella Tiffany, was a realtor and would help me record the deed when she returned from a girls’ trip to Napa Valley. She’d left earlier that morning after the holiday revelry had concluded.

Sadie smiled, showing worn dentures. “That’s better.” She turned to me, spat into her brown-spotted hand, and held it out. I did the same, and we shook. It was kind of gross, but Sadie was ninety years old, and I figured that was how they’d done it back in the day.

The building was older than she was by at least twenty years, and now it was mine. I looked around the wide space at the old bar against the corner and the new wood paneling on the far wall. The vast space would make the perfect restaurant.

I kept from wiping my hand on my jeans when we’d finished.

Sadie did the same. “I’m glad you’ll be moving in upstairs since we I renovated it all before selling. It’s a beautiful space.”

I absolutely couldn’t wait. “You did an amazing job, although my old furniture won’t do it justice.” I grinned. “Hopefully I can get some new furnishings as soon as possible.”

The door burst open and a man barreled inside, his face ruddy and his brown hair standing on end. “Aunt Sadie? You cannot sell this place. It’s mine.”

Sadie sighed. “Tessa, Anna, meet my nephew, Rudy.”

Huh. The name fit his red face. “Hello,” I murmured. Who the heck was Rudy? Everybody knew everybody in the small town, and I did not know this guy. He had to be around thirty, and was tall and lean with blond hair that bristled. Actually bristled.

Sadie cracked her gnarled knuckles. “Rudy’s dad was my younger brother, George. Georgie died about fifty years ago, and we just found out about Rudy a few months ago.”

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