I watched Curt as he stumbled to his feet and hurried out of the room.

Part of me wanted to stop him, but a bigger part of me was still frozen stiff, the conditions in the will at the forefront of my mind.

I couldn’t believe it. Of all things, I had to marry him?

When I got called for the reading of the will, I wasn’t entirely surprised. Although, I’m sure many of the family members probably didn’t like the fact that I’d been personally invited by Ben’s attorney. Judging by the looks on their faces, they acted like I was butting into their family affairs and didn’t deserve to be there.

The truth was that I didn’t think they deserved to be there, though. Ben Winston might not have been connected to me by blood, but he had acted a lot more like my father than my dad ever did.

I repaid his kindness, of course, whereas his family gave him the cold shoulder. He needed someone during the last part of his life, in his final stages—that person was me. I was the one who was there for him. I helped take care of him and his affairs while the rest of his family went on about their lives.

In short, I was there for him when the rest of them weren’t. And while that didn’t necessarily mean I was owed anything, I needed the money.

It was just my luck that the clause would have to involve Curt Winston and marriage.

“Ms. Banter?”

“Hmm?” I looked up, wide-eyed, at the lawyer. I’d almost forgotten he was there. “Oh! I am so sorry, Mr. Smith. I, uh…”

“No, please,” he said, waving a dismissive hand at me as I tried to stand up. “I don’t need any apologies from you. I take it Mr. Winston never told you anything about this condition?”

I hesitated, before shaking my head.

“I… it’s coming out of nowhere, honestly. I never expected it from him, I mean… I’ve been living with him the past few months because I didn’t think he should have been left alone.”

My expression fell as I thought about the end. Even with me helping take care of him, Ben had still passed alone and that should have never happened.

I found him unresponsive in his bed and called the ambulance. I tried not to let the guilt for that get to me; I’d already been told by the doctors I’d done everything I could, even though it didn’t seem like enough to me.

“I just don’t understand why he wouldn’t have told me. He never mentioned anything about his grandson. Not after Curt left, and he’s been gone for a while.”

My lips tightened. It had been a surprise to walk in and find that Curt had beat me there. I hadn't thought he would bother, and I wondered how Mr. Smith even managed to contact him because nobody could find him to make sure that he attended the funeral.

It had been years since I last saw him and he looked good, but a little worn out. I’d felt some of that old warmth I used to feel around him, back when we were together. But then he’d left without looking back, and I just wanted to die.

I sighed and looked back to the lawyer.

“I’m sorry about him, too, his behavior was quite rude. It was probably hard for you to get ahold of him, he should be grateful, but he has always been a jerk.”

Walking out the way he did was a bold answer to the conditions of the will, and it was just as well. Curt was always fond of running away, so there was no hope he would stick around for this.

“I didn’t go out of my way to contact him, so no apologies necessary. And it is only fair that he be shocked. From what I heard from Mr. Winston, they had been estranged for a few years.”

I scoffed. That was a nice way of putting it.

“He just up and left one day with a word to no one about where he was going. He didn’t communicate much, if at all, so I suppose you could say they have been ‘estranged.'” My lips turned downward as I thought about Ben’s wishes. “But I still don’t understand why such a condition would even exist. Ben told me plenty of times how he didn’t like our relationship when we were together.”

When Curt and I were together, I wouldn’t really call it a relationship. The two of us were together all right—in bed. That was the basis of our relationship: sex. It was never really anything more than meaningless sex, but he was good.

Too good.

A part of me had been devastated when he left, though there was also a part of me that was glad because I knew what we had hadn't exactly been a healthy relationship since it was all sex-based.

I liked Curt way too much for my good, and even when I knew he never treated me how I deserved—like a booty call more than his girlfriend—I had been all too ready to do as he pleased.

His grandfather had been pleased when Curt left, and our weird relationship died with his absence. So I didn’t understand why he would make such a clause in his will.

“Can I just ask one thing?” I stood up to face the lawyer, going on the defensive, but all he did was nod his approval.

“Please, feel free to ask anything. If you would like a copy of the will, I can offer you one, as long as the original stays with me.”

I shook my head.

“I might later on, but I have a different question in mind. Can you tell me when Ben made this condition in his will? He never talked to me about anything like this. He rarely spoke of Curt at all, so this is a bit unexpected.”

It was an understatement of the century, I thought to myself with dark amusement but didn’t let it show on my face.

I had hoped for something, because I needed it, and not entirely for myself. My little brother needed the money for college, and I’d promised I would put him through school. Ben had known my position on this.

So, when I got called by the lawyer to attend the will reading, I’d held some hope. He’d even told me a few times that he would help me, because he knew I couldn’t send my brother to college on my own, as much as it burned.

So why would he suddenly make it close to impossible, or downright painful and annoying for me to get my hands on the money? Was it some punishment? Not for me, surely, but maybe for Curt. And if so, why involve me at all?

“Mr. Winston came to me several months ago to add the condition to his will, though I’ve had the will itself for a few years. It was the only change he made, and he told me it was so he could leave something for you when he passed away.”

“But why make a marriage clause? And the baby—” I cut myself off with a wrinkle of my nose.

There was nothing wrong with children or wanting children. But I had thought I’d have some time before finding the right man to settle down with and starting a family. All of this was so unexpected.

“Sadly, I can't give you his reasoning,” Mr. Smith said, not unkindly. “All I can tell you is that with it in the will, and if you do not meet the conditions, you will not inherit anything. I would ask that you speak to Curt Winston as soon as possible and decide between the two of you what you plan to do.”

I winced. Curt was probably long gone already; he had left a while ago. Considering he wouldn’t reply to my calls and all of the other times I had tried to communicate to him to get to Ben’s funeral, I likely had no chance of catching up with him.

Not that I would make him marry me just for the inheritance. I had no desire to be wed to him, either. I wasn’t sure just how desperate I was yet.

“What happens if we don’t end up married at all?” I asked, tentative. “Because if we aren’t married in three months, we lose half, but no child a year after marriage means we lose it all.”

“I’m afraid there is no loop hole in this,” he said, quickly dashing my hopes. “If you are not married in three months, try to assume that you will get married after that. But if you get married sometime after the three months, you still lose half the land. Then, a year after you do get married, if there is no child, then you lose everything. I’m afraid it’s all legally binding, so I do believe you should be looking for Curt to speak to him now.”

I chewed on my lip, feeling annoyed. So no matter what, Curt and I ended up married? Married and expecting…

It wasn’t something in my plans, and I was fairly sure it wasn’t in Curt’s plans as well. I felt sad and disappointed that I would have to go and tell my brother that I didn’t have the money to send him to college after all, even after I’d promised.

I would have to get a job, or a few jobs, and maybe then, I could send him off in one year. But for the jobs I was qualified for, the best I could manage might be a couple of semesters of tuition, and it would take a while to make more.

That was if I could get a good paying job in the first place, enough to live on and leave some for savings. If it were just community college, we could manage, but I wanted the best for him so he could do whatever he wanted in school to secure a better future.

“Now, Ms. Banter,” Mr. Smith said. He had his suitcase already packed and at his side. “I’ll be leaving, but if you need anything, you have my number so feel free to call.”

“Thank you, Mr. Smith,” I answered dully, though I did appreciate the offer.

I just didn’t think he could help me with much. I didn’t want to have to see my brother’s crushed expression when I told him college was out of the question for a while.

I headed out with the lawyer, and while he waved goodbye as he headed for his car, I went on foot. There was a bar close by, and I had a feeling I would be spending quite a few hours there.