A Moment Like You (The Baker’s Creek Billionaire Brothers #2) - Claudia Burgoa Page 0,44
from the kitchen. “Mills and I thought that was going to happen. We decided to prepare something, but you are going to have to be in charge of our days. I already marked it on the chore calendar.”
“We should hire a maid and a cook,” I suggest, instead of arguing that they could’ve texted me to remind me. Now, I have to provide dinner for two days.
Fuckers. That was on purpose.
“We’re not allowed. It’s part of the stipulations,” Pierce reminds me. “As I said, there’s a lot more shit in that will that the fucking asshole didn’t read. The fine print is too long. At least we’re not required to marry or have children.”
“That can’t be real. It’s shit that they write for movies or books,” Vance states.
“It happens more often than you can imagine,” Pierce counteracts. “People are greedy, and they’d do anything to get their eager hands on their inheritance. Rich people are bored and vindictive. If you don’t do as I say, you won’t get what you want is their favorite game.”
“I don’t want William’s money,” Mills declares, placing a platter filled with grilled vegetables in the middle of the table.
“None of us wants it,” I remind him. “He knew it, and that’s why he’s screwing other people if we don’t comply with his stupid wishes.”
“Tupid!” Arden shouts. Mills glares at me, then brings the fucking swear pitcher where I drop a hundred-dollar bill.
“That should cover me for a week,” I state, and he shakes his head disapprovingly.
“Creative, bored, vindictive…those are a few ways I describe the people who draft those kinds of testaments,” Pierce says. “I still don’t know how we pissed off the old man.”
“Maybe he thought that by hurting us, he’d hurt our mothers?” Mills asks.
Beacon laughs. “My mother gave me away to my grandparents when I was a toddler. He knew she doesn’t give a shit about me. I haven’t spoken to her in years.”
“He knew Mom died years ago,” I say, patting Beacon’s shoulder. Poor kid. I wish I could take some of that pain he carries with him. Being abandoned by your parents just because you’re an inconvenience is heavy. “Our mothers aren’t the answer to this riddle.”
“Mine isn’t happy because she won’t get to see Arden unless she comes to visit,” Mills announces.
Vance shrugs. “Mine is delighted that I quit my job.”
We look at Pierce and Hayes who haven’t said a word.
“It’s complicated,” Hayes confesses. “Mostly because I’m with Blaire and Mom isn’t a fan. Then, there’s the part where I quit my practice.”
“My mother is beyond upset. Let me count the ways,” Pierce says. “Well, I quit the firm, I moved out of the state, and I’m living with my estranged wife—who she hates. I’m sure there’s a lot more, but those are the ones she reminds me of every time we are on the phone.”
Once the food is on the table, Pierce takes a seat and continues, “I agree, it’s not about our mothers. There are some letters that the firm has to give us. We might get some answers when we read them.”
“Not that I care,” Beacon grunts.
“When are they giving them to us?” Hayes asks.
Knowing my nerdy brother, he wants it now.
“I assume that we’ll get them when and only if we finish this eighteen-month sentence,” Pierce answers. “There’s a note that says, ‘Jerome Parrish will deliver the personalized letters to each one of my sons according to the instructions.’”
“What instructions?” I ask.
“There’s nothing in the testament about those instructions,” he responds. “Which is why I assume it’s going to be once we meet all the stipulations.”
“Do you think we’ll have the answer?” Beacon asks.
“Knowing William, the letter has a fucking message saying, ‘The joke is on you. I won’t leave you a cent, but nice try!’” I reply.
“It’d be a good way to fuck with us, but it is impossible. A lawyer wouldn’t carry on a prank. Plus, we could sue them. In fact, I’m still finding a way to fuck those guys over. The letters William left have to be notarized if they contain any clauses, stipulations, omissions or…if he wanted the lawyer to execute anything. There’s more involved than just a handwritten letter. Also, they’d have to be delivered immediately. If not, they don’t have any legal power to take away the assets. They have to distribute the assets once we’ve complied with every stupid stipulation he added to his will.”