Page 178 of Eight Years Gone

Colton grinned as he looked at her.

She smiled back. “The money is yours, too. He was your father, too.”

His smile vanished. “I don’t want anything that was his.”

Grace nodded. “I get that. It’s important that I make my own way, too. A lot of the money that was put into trust has been donated for various scholarships and to the hospitals where Dad was volunteering overseas.”

Colton blinked, clearly surprised. “Most of it’s gone?”

She winced as she nodded again. “I’m afraid so. I would have talked to you about it before Jagger and I moved forward with the decision, but I hadn’t read far enough into my mother’s journals yet.”

Colton shrugged. “I’m not mad that you gave most of it away. It sounds like it went to good causes.”

Grace nodded again. “That was certainly our intent. But there will be the proceeds from the mansion, and eventually, we’ll need to sell his condo and car in the city. The three of us can decide what to do with that money together.”

Colton shook his head. “You guys can do whatever. I truly don’t want it.”

Jagger reached for the last of his cookie. “The way I see it, what’s left no longer has anything to do with Steve. You both have a right to the hurt and anger he’s caused. You also have a right to use the financial gain to your advantage.” He looked at Colton. “Why wouldn’t you want a clean slate when Steve’s lawyer can make it all go away with a couple of phone calls?”

Colton stared down at the floor. “That seems like rich people bullshit. Do something wrong and Daddy makes it all disappear.”

“Yeah, it does. If this is something you want to move forward with, it’s not an open invitation to be a punk. It’s a one-time pass for a couple of mess-ups. It’s not a bad deal.”

Colton sighed. “I guess we could talk to the guy.”

Grace beamed. “We can call him tomorrow after school and see what he can do. Then we’ll talk to your mom.”

Colton nodded. “Sure.”

Grace moved to the floor, kneeling by the half-finished board game. “As fun as this was, we need to get ready for tomorrow, and I need to put some time into figuring out my grocery list for Thanksgiving. I have to go shopping before the chaos descends upon us on Tuesday.”

Jagger knelt to help clean up. “Asa and Aunt Mags take care of the ham and turkey. Grace makes several sides and a couple of the pies—or so I’ve been told. Things have changed a bit over the last eight years.”

She nodded. “It’s a big day at Aunt Maggie and Asa’s. Christy and Gabby bring their families—their mom and dad, too. And Ben usually comes.”

Colton frowned as he looked at Grace. “Didn’t you and the chiropractor date?”

She sighed. “Small towns are awesome. The gossip mill never stops.”

Colton smiled. “I’ve heard some things.”

“We went out a couple of times. Then Jagger came home.”

Colton winced. “That’s awkward.”

“Not really,” Jagger chimed in. “It all worked out. Ben and Grace are still friends, and he tolerates me, which I can live with because I got the girl.”

Grace smiled as she rolled her eyes and stood with the games. “What’s your mom doing for Thanksgiving?”

Colton shrugged. “We’re still not talking much—mostly just a few texts here and there. But I assume she’s packing since she’s taking that job in Philly. She’ll probably hang out with her new boyfriend.”

Grace’s brow furrowed. “She knows she can come to Preston Valley, right?”

Colton adamantly shook his head. “That’s weird.”

Jagger looked at him. “We ate a meal together just fine.”

“That was one thing. Aunt Maggie’s been cool about everything. I don’t want to rub my mother in her face. She and Dr. Dad cheated on her sister.”

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