A Bad Boy is Good to Find - By Jennifer Lewis Page 0,109

died in 1956.”

“Do they have any idea who our real grandfather is?” asked Con. “If it’s not Thomas Milford.”

Maisie shook her head. “Not that I’ve heard. She married Thomas Milford in 1958. He was a respectable local businessman. Apparently, she wanted to settle in and join local society and he was her ticket into that rather closed elite.”

“I guess he wasn’t enough of a ticket to ride in the bedroom.” Raoul winked.

“Or maybe she just had a hard time getting pregnant by him.” Maisie shoved a strand of sweaty blonde hair out of her face. “She was nearly forty by then, and he was even older.”

“So she had to find a hot young stud to breed with.” Raoul pursed his lips.

“Raoul, would you keep your licentious thoughts to yourself?” Maisie glared at him. “Anyway, she died of a stroke when her daughter, Katherine, was only seven. The girl was left all alone with Thomas Milford and tutored at home because the local schools weren’t the right sort of place for a proper young lady—”

“No wonder she ran off with a handsome bad boy at the earliest possible opportunity.” Raoul blew on his nails.

Maisie rolled her eyes. “Listen to this. It’s kind of bizarre, but Louisiana succession law dictates that property descends to children—not to the spouse of the deceased. Even if there’s no will.”

Lizzie’s jaw dropped. “So even if Milford was her father, it was Con’s mother’s property the minute her mother died?”

“Exactly. Which could explain why Thomas Milford never opened the letters. He pretended Katherine was dead. As long as she was “missing” he had a right to keep the property for her. But if anyone learned she was alive, or if she came back claiming her rights…”

“She never knew she had any rights.” Con stared at Maisie. “And he wanted to make sure she never found out.”

“And Eric Stapleton wanted to make sure you never found out,” said Lizzie. “He wanted to cheat you out of your inheritance the way Thomas Milford cheated your mother. The house has been legally yours since the day your mother died.”

Con shook his head and blew out some air.

Lizzie squeezed him around the waist with her arm. “It really is yours.”

“I guess so.” He shrugged. “Still doesn’t feel right, but I think my mom would have been glad to see me get it. I guess fate works in mysterious ways.”

“Fate? I’d like some credit here.” Lizzie put her hands on her hips. “I had to fight you every step of the way. I guess I just knew you were born to be lord of the manor.”

“I don’t know about that, but I’m glad my grandma was a snake-charming car freak. That feels kind of natural somehow.” He flashed her a gator grin.

Maisie leaned forward. “So now the papers are all signed, sealed and delivered, there’s no further risk of Eric Stapleton getting his claws into the property, which he was dangerously close to owning. Eyewitness News is doing a thorough investigation into all his business dealings, and Leeza tells me they’ve already raked up a good deal of muck. He was trying to gain title to the cars by setting up some kind of dummy corporation.”

Con perked up. “So the cars are mine?”

Maisie nodded. “All yours to do what you like with. You could probably sell them and live off the proceeds for years.”

Lizzie felt Con stiffen, probably horrified at the blasphemous thought. She chuckled. “I won’t make you sell them,” she whispered in his ear.

“Danny should get half of them. I don’t care what the will says, this stuff is every bit as much his as mine.”

“I have everything I need, bro. Grandma Marie would have wanted you to have her cars.” Danny leaned down and grazed Maisie’s neck with his teeth, causing her face to turn bright pink. “Only one thing I want right now, and it tastes like chocolate.” Maisie melted like chocolate as he settled his mouth on hers for a hot and heavy kiss. After a solid minute of smooching with no regard for the gathered audience, Danny swept a limp and breathless Maisie up in his arms. “See y’all tomorrow morning for the wedding.”

The wedding! A surge of fear and excitement made Lizzie wonder if you could just explode with joy. They were going to do it for the cameras after all. Why not? Right now she wanted to share her happiness with everyone on the planet.

“I’m going to carry you up too, babe.” Con wrapped