Paris
I ARRIVED AT Albert Dane’s office exactly fifteen minutes before eleven.
The Range Rover pulled in beside me just as I opened my door. I ignored the goose bumps seeing him gave me and started walking.
Tyler caught up and strode beside me. “Nice wheels,” he commented.
I tried to quicken my pace, but in high heels, it was hard. “The Jag was my father’s. He never let me drive it. Now, I suppose, he doesn’t have a choice.”
Tyler opened the door for me. “Guess you’ll find out when the will is unsealed.”
The marble floor was slick and I had to slow down or risk breaking my ankle. “What are you talking about?”
The briefcase in his hand swung back and forth in an exaggerated manner. “Brick the Prick told me he’d located one this morning.”
“Where?”
“Some attorney’s office in St. Helena. Don’t tell me your lawyer neglected to inform you of this very important fact?”
There were two banks of elevators. I pressed the button to the one closest to me. “I’m sure she’s just waiting for me to arrive to tell me in person.”
“Or, she doesn’t know,” he remarked, lowering his head to hide the smirk I wanted to smack off his face.
Both elevators opened and I took the one to my right. I wanted to hit the close button before he could get in but he hopped in the other elevator. His door started to close before I could even figure out what floor Albert Dane’s office was located on. “Try ten,” he said before the door completely closed.
I jabbed ten and fell back against the wall. This playing aloof to get Tyler to change his reckless ways was going to kill me.
When the doors opened, I stepped out. It was quiet and once I found the empty receptionist desk and empty cubicles, I knew I was in the wrong place. Cursing under my breath, I waited for the elevator to return and then stepped back in.
It was three minutes after eleven before I made it to the conference room.
Everyone was there, waiting for me, including Mr. Albert Dane. After the greeting formalities, I sat down directly across from Tyler and narrowed my gaze on him.
He raised his palms and mouthed, “What?”
“You purposely told me the wrong floor,” I scowled.
“No, I said, see you in ten.”
“You did not!”
“Patience,” he tsked, “we’re both supposed to have it, remember?”
I wanted to patience him alright. “You have not proven a single point,” I assured him.
Tabitha leaned over. “Everything okay?”
“Yes,” I said through gritted teeth and averted my gaze. I got it. Tyler was upset that I was using Tabitha as my lawyer. Obviously, he was perfectly happy with Lawson Brick but this wasn’t about either lawyer.
This was about Tyler and me.
Mr. Dane cleared his throat. “Lawson asked me to join you today to help decipher the legalities surrounding the death of Malcolm Fairchild in regards to his will and his winery.”
For some odd reason, I felt that same sorrow I wanted to slap out of myself emerge, and I took a deep breath. I was way too emotional over his death. Father or not, he never loved me in the way a father should love a child.
Tabitha raised a hand as if she were in class. Mr. Dane smiled at her. “Yes, Tabitha?”
“What will are you referring to, exactly, sir?”
“I emailed it to you,” Lawson told her very matter of factly.
Her lips puckered. “And when was that?”
“As soon as I could.”
Tyler tapped his pen on the polished wood and I could tell he was hiding his smirk. This amused him.
Mr. Dane put his reading glasses on and thumbed through a stack of papers.
I knew there was some kind of dynamics at play here, but I didn’t know what they were exactly. If I had to guess, I’d say Tabitha and Lawson were not exactly the best of friends.
While he looked at the papers in front of him, I spoke up. “The doctor at the nursing home said my father mentioned I’d make a great CEO. Could that possibly hold any weight?”
Mr. Dane glanced up and then toward Lawson. “Have you checked into that?”
Lawson shook his head. “No, sir, I wasn’t aware.”
“That’s because he didn’t bother to interview his own client,” Tabitha muttered.
Mr. Dane resumed perusing the documents. “Why don’t you get the doctor’s statement,” he advised Lawson, “It can’t hurt.”
“Yes, sir, I will.”
Finding what he was looking for, Mr. Dane handed a piece of paper to Tabitha. “Here you go.”
She took it and gave it a quick glance. “It’s over thirty years old.”
With a sigh, Mr. Dane said, “Yes, and that’s why Lawson asked me to attend this meeting. As far as the law goes, it’s pretty clear. If there's a will, the executor should execute it, regardless of the timeframe.”
“Executor?” I asked.
He looked over at me. “In lay-person English, an executor’s job is to administer the process by which assets are transferred. This includes making certain to pay-off the deceased's debts, filing their income-tax returns, and distributing any remaining assets afterward according to the terms of the will.”
“Okay, I understand, but who’s the executor?”
“That’s just it, the person named is also deceased, which completes things even more.”
I nodded in understanding, and when I did, I felt something slide up my calf. I glanced under the table to find Tyler had taken his shoe off and was gliding his socked toe over my skin. The simple touch sent a tingle down my spine and I knew he noticed because his gaze grew lustful, his lids lowering in the sexiest way and making my pulse beat way too fast.
Damn him.
Mr. Dane went on. “The law isn’t always clear on such matters. We could request the will be nullified, and then, procced as if there weren’t one. In that case, an executor will be appointed by the court and the remaining assets will pass to the decedent's heirs according to the state of law but I’m not suggesting we do that.”
Tabitha’s hand went up again but this time so did Lawson’s. Tabitha was on one side, Lawson on the other side of Mr. Dane.
“Sir,” she said.
“Sir,” he said.
Mr. Dane’s eyes twinkled in amusement. “Ladies first.”
Tabitha gloated and then spoke. “I agree with you, sir. Wouldn’t it make more sense that since the named heirs in Mr. Fairchild’s will are both deceased, that we simply petition the court to assign a new executor? And if we do so,” she went on, “he would then be forced to revoke the will and subsequently have to follow the laws of California for estate disbursement.”
“No, Tabitha, unfortunately I don’t think it’s that simple,” he said. “Lawson is afraid if we do that, the court will request a very time-consuming review of the estate first, and I tend to agree with him.”
Now Lawson was gloating.
Mr. Dane went on. “After doing some research this morning and making a few calls, I suggest we avoid asking for an executor, and treat the will like we would any other jointly owned asset.”
Awareness started buzzing through my entire body as Tyler’s touch inched higher and higher. I couldn’t take it anymore. I moved my legs back and crossed them at my ankles to avoid any further contact.
“Oh,” Tabitha said, “That’s brilliant. We take the right of survivorship approach.”
“Exactly what I suggested when Mr. Dane and I spoke earlier,” Lawson said with a smile so big, his teeth showed.
Tabitha narrowed her eyes at him.
Now I was the one raising my hand. “What does that mean?”
Tyler spoke this time, his blue eyes swimming with suggestion as they found mine. “It’s simple. For example, if a couple’s bank account was jointly owned, then one spouse died, the other would get the account. In your case, we treat siblings in that same manner.”
I felt Tyler’s hot stare on me and I couldn’t look away. I swore someone had lit a match from the heat flaring between us. “Okay,” I said. “So does that mean it’s business as usual at the Highway 128 office?”
Mr. Dane shook his head. “Because you entered into a merger with California Jane before having the lawful authority to do so, we feel waiting until we have the court’s approval is the best course of action. We’d prefer not to get caught up in probate over semantics.”
I shifted a little and wondered just how warm it was in here. “How long do you think that will take?” I asked.
Mr. Dane started to explain the dynamics of the process. It was complicated and I started to get lost in all the legalities.
Tuning out, I glanced Tyler’s way again. He was drinking a bottle of water and I watched the way his throat bobbed when he swallowed. Even when he set the bottle down, I found myself staring at that short, trimmed facial hair that was more than a five o’clock shadow but not quite a beard.
It was so damn sexy.
Tyler folded his hands on the table and it was then I saw the twinkling platinum band on his ring finger.
I leaned forward to be certain my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me, and he did the same, mouthing, “Do you like it? I got a matching one for you.”
I shook my head and mouthed, “I don’t want it.”
“So, if that’s okay, Paris, I’d like to get started on the process,” Mr. Dane said.
Completely lost, I looked toward Tabitha.
She nodded.
“Yes, sir, I think that will be fine,” I told him.
Satisfied with the outcome, Mr. Dane stood. “It was great to have my three interns back in the same room. Things just haven’t been the same around here. Good day, everyone.”
Tabitha started yelling at Lawson as soon as Mr. Dane was gone.
In the midst of the war, Tyler stood up. “Looks like we’re office mates for a while.”
Okay, a while, not forever, I could manage that. “Office mates isn’t the right word,” I said over the arguing. “I think co-workers would better suit our situation.”
“Tomato, Tomahto,” he grinned. “See you at the office, and,” he drew an imaginary line around my torso, “you might want to change. We have production line checks this afternoon and an auction to prepare for.”
“Are you changing?” I asked.
“No, but I’m not wearing five-inch heels, either.”
I stood and ignored Tabitha’s use of foul language as she continued to yell at Lawson. “I’ll be fine,” I told him.
Something in his face told me I wouldn’t be.
Not in the slightest bit.