Chapter 10

Terra

"T? You up?" My brother's voice slipped under the closed door of my bedroom. Staying at Dad's house while I was in Seattle was a blessing and a curse. I knew once I got past the funeral that it would feel good to curl up on the couch with a cup of coffee and laugh the night away with my brother beside me. We were the best of friends, but for some reason, I felt disconnected from him right now. Hell, I felt disconnected from everyone.

Defense mechanism.

"Yeah. I'm up." I rolled out of bed and grabbed my robe, pulling it on and tightening it. He extended a cup of coffee as I pulled the door open.

"For you."

I smiled and took it, glancing down to see that it was the light brown color that only he and my dad got right. "Looks like a dessert." I forced a smile.

"Just like you like it?" He moved back, his dark brown eyes warm and welcoming.

"Yeah. Thanks." I moved out of the bedroom and stopped in front of him. "I'm sorry about yesterday."

He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around me, cradling me against his chest. "There's nothing to apologize for. I have no clue which part you're talking about, but I'm good. I just wish I could take all of this away for both of us."

"Me too." I moved back and waited for him to turn and walk down the hall before following him. "Let's make some breakfast and then I guess meet with the funeral home or maybe Dad's lawyers?"

"Unfortunately, both." He walked into the kitchen, and his phone rang from across the room. "I hope that's Danny."

"Why?" I took a seat at the breakfast table and tried to keep my voice even. Just the mention of Danny's name and a million emotions rose up inside of me. Some good, some not so good at all. I knew I'd have to see him the next day at the funeral, but I was dreading it. Some part of me was so fucking angry that he'd denied me his first time and yet I'd saved mine for him.

What a slut he'd become, and me? I was still holding on for a great wedding night with a guy that didn't exist. What a joke.

"Cause he hasn't called and he's avoiding me." He picked up the phone and walked over to sit down next to me as he answered it. "This is Lance."

I motioned for him to put it on speaker. He gave me a silly look but did as I asked.

"Hey man. It's Danny." My heart leaped into my throat at the sound of his voice. I might have melted to the floor like a damn drama queen had my brother not been watching me for signs of an emotional explosion.

"Hey. I was wondering if you were going to call." Lance leaned back and crossed his legs. "You doing okay?"

"I've been better." Danny's voice sounded like masculine sensuality. "I should have called Lance, but I've been so fucked up over this. I loved your dad, man."

Tears burned the back of my eyes. Of course, he loved daddy. He’d been half-raised by him like the rest of us, and when I left... Danny stayed beside him and played on his team.

"I know, man. We're going to get through this. No worries on not calling. I know you were working through all of it." Lance let out a long sigh. "We're meeting with the lawyers and the funeral home today. They've already buzzed me ten times since the accident."

"The funeral home has?" He sounded confused.

"No. My dad's lawyers. I swear to God those guys just don't get it." Lance glanced up at me. "Terra got in okay yesterday, but she's a hot mess."

I gave him a look and mouthed, 'really'?

Danny's voice softened. "I bet. She was always your dad's favorite out of all of us."

Lance chuckled. "Yeah. She was."

I wiped at my tears and stood, not sure I could listen into any more of Danny being sweet about me.

"I keep dreaming about her again, Lance. Dreams where she loves me again, man."

My brother snatched up the phone and took it off speaker, giving me a less than pleased look and walking off to another room of the house. As if it were my damn fault that I'd heard Danny's confession. It sort of was.

He dreams of me? Of me loving him?

That old familiar feeling of desire to belong to him roared to life inside of me, but I forced it behind the depression from losing Daddy. It was my time to mourn, not dig up old relationships and dust them off. Danny and I had made our peace angrily years before. We were nothing to each other, no matter how much I wanted us to be.

****

"When is Niki coming into town?" My brother glanced over at me as we rode to the lawyer's office. The visit with the Funeral home had been fast and so much better than I thought it would be. They'd be taking care of everything, and what they couldn't do, Lance was doing.

"She should be in tonight sometime. I told her just to come out to dad's house. She can stay with us."

He nodded as he pulled up to a huge high rise. "I'd like that. Is she bringing Benji?"

"No. Her Aunt is watching him." I unbuckled and got out of the car, turning to look at my brother over the top of the roof. "Danny still talks about me?"

"Some." He shrugged and walked to the door, opening it and moving back. "He's not fallen in love since we were kids. I blame you for that."

I laughed and walked in. "Whatever, Lance. You know how much I wanted the two of us to be something, and twenty isn't a kid. He chose his path."

"And you chose yours." He pressed his hand to the small of my back and directed me to the left down a long hall. "Listen, you know that Dad just changed his will, so I'm sure there's going to be an investigation."

"What?" I glanced over at him as my voice rose. "Why would they investigate? I didn't ask him to change it."

"It's just standard procedure. Just try not to bite this guy's head off. He's not the most tactful person in the world."

"Great," I mumbled and stopped at the opening of a huge, overdone office.

"Mr. Tan? We're here about our father-" Lance started, but the small Asian man cut him off.

"Martin Harmon's kids. Come on in, please." He motioned for us to sit down at a round table in the center of his office. "Can I get you a coffee, water, tea?"

"No. We're fine." Lance moved up beside me as we walked over and took our seats.

I shook my head no.

"Alright. Firstly, please accept my condolences. Martin was a great man and loved you both more than you probably know." He pulled out a file. "There were recent changes to his will, and we'll set up everything next week to start working through the file and the disbursements, but I need some papers filed." He glanced up at both of us. "Terra was named as the next owner of the team here in Seattle. You're both aware of that?"

I turned to my brother, choosing the worst time to fight over the team, but I wasn't taking the cash cow and leaving my brother with a house and half a bankroll. The team made more money than everything else put together.

"Let's just co-own the team, Lance." I reached out and gripped his wrist as it sat on the table.

"No. I'm not interested." He shook his head and gave me a warning look. "Dad and I discussed this at length before he changed the will. I'm busy in New York with a new research project."

"Then I'll run the team and move back here to help with it, but you need to get half the revenue." I dished him up an equally motherly look.

"No. I'm not interested, Sis. It's yours. Period." He pulled his hand from mine and turned to Mr. Tan. "Dad wanted her to fully have ownership over the team. It's hers. We're not changing that."

He chuckled. "You actually can't change it without a pretty nasty legal battle, but I will tell you that it will leave your sister a billionaire and you only a multi-millionaire. Your father’s assets are vast, but with the market value of the baseball team, it’s quite a sum of money." He glanced down and flipped through the papers.

"Good. I think I can live with just being filthy rich. My sister can be the billionaire and live in the spotlight." Lance gave me a cocky smile.

“Brother.” I rolled my eyes. My brother and my father had ganged up on me for my own good - one last time.