Secrets Whispered from the Sea - Emma St. Clair Page 0,10

least they matched in their styles. Ann had on a dark navy dress paired with matching flats and a white scarf with red anchors knotted perfectly around her neck. She would make a Talbots catalogue proud. I wore a loose floral skirt, a blue top, and flip-flops. I had chosen the outfit precisely because the top and skirt didn’t look as wrinkled as the rest of the clothes stuffed into my rolling suitcase.

“You already look like you’ve come home,” he said, nodding to my flip-flops.

I didn’t miss the scorching look Ann shot him, but I did manage to ignore it, because Tommy’s comment about home warmed me.

“Thanks.”

Ann sniffed and opened her mouth to say something that would probably irritate me, but a secretary walked out from behind the desk with a smile. “Mr. Davis is ready for you now.”

I followed Ann, who clutched Tommy’s hand like she was afraid he would escape if she loosened her grip.

“Junior!” Tommy boomed as we walked into a large office with a view of the marsh and the sound.

He and Mr. Davis, aka Junior, hugged and slapped each other’s backs in a very bro-y way that had both me and Ann rolling our eyes. Our lawyer—Nana’s lawyer?—looked to be a few years older than Ann and Tommy, based on the bit of gray threading through his dark hair at the temples and the smile lines around his eyes.

“Good to see you, Ann,” Mr. Davis said, his expression sobering. “Other than the circumstances.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek, making me wonder just how close he was with Ann and Tommy. I felt like I’d walked into a dinner party.

“And you must be the famous Clementine,” he said, clasping my hand in a firm shake. “Please, call me Chase. Jo loved to talk about you. Some of the stories she told.”

I didn’t miss Ann’s quiet snort at his words, but I ignored this too. So far, points to me for being the bigger person. Or, at least, not causing a scene by getting into a fight with my sister. I felt my cheeks flush. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what Nana might have told him. My history was a long string of stories that could be embarrassing in the wrong context. Especially in front of a lawyer in a suit that probably cost more than what was currently in my bank account.

“I don’t know how famous I am, but good to meet you, Mr. Davis. Hopefully whatever stories you heard were the good ones.”

Chase winked as he moved behind his desk and gestured to the three chairs facing him. Tommy sat between me and Ann, which made me shake my head. I swore I heard Ann mutter something, before Tommy pulled at her arm, frowning in a way that looked totally unlike him. I really wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold back if she kept it up with the remarks and looks. She wasn’t normally this aggressive. Were we really so far gone that we needed a mediator? I didn’t remember it being this bad between us the last time I saw her.

Tapping a folder on his desk, Chase moved his gaze across us one by one. “Are you ready for this?”

I glanced at Ann, but Tommy’s broad chest blocked me from seeing her face. I nodded to Chase, and apparently, she did too, because he opened the folder and picked up the first page.

“Let’s get started.”

Forty-five minutes, a bunch of angry tears, and some mild shock later, the three of us emerged from Chase’s office. Ann stormed through the main lobby with a white envelope in her hand. I was surprised Tommy didn’t go right after her. Instead, he gave Chase a final handshake and a head nod before turning my way.

“Don’t be too hard on her,” Tommy said.

Me? Be hard on Ann?

This was the second time in one day someone told me to be nicer to Ann, who had not been remotely kind to me. Forgive me if I felt a little prickly. I wondered if Tommy had been in the same room. The one where Ann accused me of colluding with Nana and said that I wasn’t responsible enough to be left in charge of the estate. I almost lost it when Ann suggested that Nana had been senile to make such an error.

“It goes both ways, Tommy.”

“I’ll talk to her.”

He looked like he was going to say something else, then glanced at the door, gave