The Husband

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER TWO

The receptionist led them down a hallway and motioned to an open door at the end. “Don will be right with you.”

“Thanks.” Jared hoped the atmosphere in the office would be more comfortable than that of the lobby. But knowing Kate, he wouldn’t hold his breath.

The woman smiled. “Let me know if you need anything.”

“We will.” He fought the temptation to ask the friendly receptionist to stay until the lawyer joined them because her presence might ease the tension between him and Kate. Not to mention the silence. She hadn’t spoken to him since he’d said divorce.

His jaw clamped.

Maybe she’d forgotten she was the one who filed.

No. That wasn’t fair.

She’d lost her best friend and goddaughter. She was in tremendous pain.

Kate sat in a chair in front of a large mahogany desk. With posture that would make a charm school proud, she appeared poised and in control as she studied the diploma hanging on the wall. Not surprising. She kept her emotions under a tight lid and hated showing any sign of weakness.

Or at least until she entered the law office on the verge of tears. She had looked so lost and alone. Her sadness had clawed at his heart.

Jared sat in the chair next to her and extended his hand. “You okay?”

She nodded once, not meeting his gaze. Maybe she didn’t see his hand, either.

He’d tried.

No one could say he hadn’t tried to save his marriage or hadn’t wanted to give the relationship another go.

He had, and he would.

If she gave him a chance.

Ironic. Brady and Susan had introduced him to Kate. Now their deaths were bringing them back together.

The seconds turned into minutes.

The only sound was the ticking of a vintage Felix the Cat clock. One thing hadn’t changed since the last time he saw Kate—the same stone-cold silence. Three months ago, they’d been in Boise for Cassidy’s baptism. The weekend hadn’t gone well. Separation and divorce had come up, but he hadn’t expected the call from Kate’s lawyer the next week. Now, lawyers handled the communication between them. That was strange.

Wrong.

Yet, she wouldn’t consider another option.

He brushed his hand through his hair. “Kate—”

“There’s a reason I’m not wearing my wedding rings.”

Uh-oh. Jared drew a cautious breath. With emotions running high, words and actions could easily be misconstrued. They were hurting enough, but he couldn’t deny how seeing her ringless finger had affected him. “You don’t owe me any explanations.”

“I was afraid the ring might fall off,” she said anyway, still not meeting his eyes. “I lost some weight.”

More than “some,” given how she’d felt in his arms—thinner and fragile.

He’d chalked it up to grief. Now, he wasn’t so sure.

Kate never left the house without looking perfect—hair, makeup, clothing. She called it the “whole package,” even though she was as beautiful to him in ratty old sweats, a stained T-shirt, and a ponytail.

Today, however, Kate appeared as if she’d had to work harder on her image. The energetic, multitasking dynamo, who owned one of the hottest and fastest-growing public relations firms in the Pacific Northwest, had all but disappeared.

Jared expected Kate’s blue eyes to be red and swollen, given the circumstances, but not so wary, stressed, exhausted. Her sunken cheeks and loose-fitting designer clothes went beyond grief, and the changes worried him.

“You need to remember to eat,” he said.

“I eat.”

He raised an eyebrow.

She set her chin. “I forget sometimes.”

Most of the time. Jared used to text her at lunchtime and dinnertime. Now that he wasn’t around to remind her, she probably didn’t bother with decent meals. “You should schedule food into your day.”

“I do,” she said, a little too quickly. “Do you?”

“I don’t need to. I enjoy food too much to skip meals.”

“I don’t skip meals. I forget.” Her mouth twitched. “I don’t want to argue.”

She never did. The only place Kate lost control was in bed. “We’re not arguing.”

“Just drop it. Okay?”

He checked the time. The second hand moved slower than his niece’s turtle, Corky.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” A middle-aged man, wearing a tailored navy suit and wire-rimmed glasses, burst into the office. “I’m Don Phillips, the Lukases’ attorney.”

Jared rose and shook the man’s hand. “Jared Reed.”

Kate remained seated. “Kate Malone.”

The lawyer sat behind his desk, and Jared sat, too.

“I’m sorry for the loss of your friends,” Don said. “It’s such a tragedy.”

Jared nodded.

Kate placed her clasped hands on her lap.

“Thank you for coming so quickly.” Don reached for a file. “I’d hoped to speak with you when I called, but under the circumstances, it was imperative to get you to Boise as soon as possible.”

“We understand,” Jared said. “Have funeral arrangements been made?”

“Yes.” Don pulled out a piece of paper from the file. “Mr. Lukas, Brady’s father, took care of that. The funeral home is holding a vigil on Wednesday and a memorial service on Thursday. The church will host a reception in the hall afterward. Then, the bodies will be flown to Maine for burial.”

The lawyer made it sound so easy, as if he were reading a checklist.

“Susan...” Kate’s voice trailed off.

“What?” Jared asked.

“It’s just”—she tucked her hair behind her ears—“Susan never really liked Maine.”

“No, she didn’t,” Don agreed. “But she and Brady put their burial location in their wills.”

“Oh.” Kate wet her lips. “Okay, then.”

“A situation like this is never easy, but fortunately, Brady and Susan had the foresight to plan for such an occurrence.”

Occurrence?

A chill inched along Jared’s spine. Perhaps that was legalese for death. Either way, the words were difficult for him to hear.

“No amount of planning will make this easier to deal with, but logistically, having wills in place help things proceed a little smoother.” Don pulled out a thick document from the file. “I attended the same church as Brady and Susan, and I drew up their wills. Since they had no family in town, I kept the originals here in the office.”

“Shouldn’t we wait for Brady’s parents?” Jared asked.

“Mr. and Mrs. Lukas aren’t coming,” Don explained. “Although Mr. Lukas handled the funeral arrangements, their doctors said the trip from the East Coast would be too much for them with their current health conditions. After the wills were written, Brady’s parents received copies of both, so they know and agree with what their son and daughter-in-law decided. May I proceed?”

Jared nodded. But he thought hearing this must tear Kate up inside. He watched for her reaction, but she held herself together tightly, so he ignored the urge to touch her.

“As you know, Brady was an only child, and Susan had been in foster homes since she was five. They had no living relatives other than Brady’s parents.” Don’s gaze rested on Kate. “Though Susan considered you more a sister than a friend.”

Kate’s composed facade cracked for an instant. “It was the same for me.”

“The Lukases thought highly of you, Jared,” Don said. “Brady and Susan each named you their personal representative to handle their estates. Do you accept their nominations?”

Jared didn’t know what sort of responsibilities would be involved as Brady and Susan’s executor, but that didn’t matter. “I’m honored and happy to accept. May I retain your services? I’ve never done this before, so I’ll need your expertise.”

“I’ll gladly counsel and offer my assistance. The sooner we get started, the better. I would like to submit the wills and obtain your appointment as their personal representative through informal proceedings. That way, a hearing won’t be required.”

Proceedings. Hearing.

Jared’s muscles tensed. A few weeks ago, he’d been making plans to attend a poker tournament with Brady while Kate spent the weekend with Susan. Now he was overseeing their friends’ probate.

As Don scribbled notes on a yellow legal pad, Jared glanced at Kate. She acted like this was nothing more than another one of the endless meetings she attended, but her hands trembled. He wanted to pull her onto his lap and hold her until she smiled again.

“Once you’re officially appointed their personal representative, you’ll want to call a locksmith and have the locks changed on the Lukases’s residence,” Don said. “I can provide recommendations.”

“I’d appreciate the referrals,” Jared said.

“Why change the locks?” Kate asked.

“We don’t know who might have keys to the house,” Don explained. “Babysitters, neighbors, housecleaners. The list goes on. You don’t want to chance a robbery. Unfortunately, such break-ins have occurred in situations like this.”

Jared recalled the two-story house Brady and Susan called home. The couple had been too busy working on the nursery to fix up the rest of the house. Now that task would fall to the new owner. Jared pictured his and Kate’s home, and the hours they’d spent working on the old house. Kate obsessing over paint chips. Kissing on a ladder. Making love on a drop cloth. That seemed so long ago.

Soon the house would be hers.

He hadn’t fought Kate for it, even though he loved the home, with all its creaks, quirks, and inadequate plumbing. But his life was no longer in Portland or with Kate. Even though the words never seemed to make things easier, he kept telling himself that.

“Do I have your permission to proceed?” Don asked.

“Please do,” Jared said, grateful for the lawyer’s help.

Don shuffled papers. “And now, Cassidy.”

Kate’s befuddlement matched Jared’s confusion.

“What about Cassidy?” he asked.

“You and Kate have been nominated for joint guardianship in both wills,” Don said, but his words made no sense. “You realize, of course, you are under no legal obligation to accept the guardian appointment.”

Kate’s lower lip quivered. “I don’t understand.”

Neither did Jared. Guardian? Of Cassidy? But... “There has to be some mistake.”

“I suggest clients discuss guardianship with prospective nominees before naming them in their wills,” Don added. “Otherwise, the nomination can come as a shock.”

Shock didn’t come close. Jared shook his head. “You don’t understand—”

“They discussed it with us.” Kate’s voice sounded hoarse, unnatural. “But Cassidy is dead.”

The lawyer frowned.

Jared reached for her hand and laced his fingers with hers. “The message I received said the family had been in an accident, and the Lukases were dead.”

“I was told the same,” Kate said.

“Oh, no. There’s been a miscommunication.” Don’s expression turned grim. “Cassidy was in the accident, but she survived.”

Kate’s mouth dropped open. She clung to Jared’s hand.

He understood the roller coaster of emotions—afraid to hope, afraid to believe because the letdown would be even worse.

“She’s alive?” Kate whispered.

Jared held his breath.

“Cassidy is very much alive.” Don set his pen on the desk. “She’s at the hospital recovering from her injuries.”

An enormous weight lifted from Jared’s shoulders. Brady loved his baby girl, but he would have wanted her to go on with or without him.

Kate jumped up from her chair, pulling Jared with her.

Tears streamed down her face. As she smiled at him, an almost forgotten warmth seeped into his heart. “I can’t believe it.”

He smiled back. “Believe it.”

She hugged him. The scent of her shampoo—grapefruit—tickled his nose. Her mane of hair brushed against him, and he remembered how much he’d missed holding her and touching her and loving her.

“Is it wrong to be happy?” she whispered, her warm breath caressing his neck.

“It’s fine, Kate.” Jared held on to her. “I feel the same way.”

They both laughed, a sound he never thought he’d hear in the future, let alone today.

“I’m so sorry.” Don removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “It was a difficult day. I thought I was clear on the phone, but perhaps I wasn’t.”

“Cassidy’s alive.” Kate sat, but she didn’t let go of Jared’s hand, so he sat, too. “That’s what matters. Is she okay?”

“Cassidy is in stable condition,” Don explained. “The car seat protected her from more serious injuries.”

Kate sucked in a breath.

Jared blew his out.

“What?” Don asked.

“Our baby shower gift was the car seat,” Jared said.

Don leaned forward. “An excellent present for new parents.”

Jared nodded. Kate had spent hours poring over catalogs and reading car seat reviews in order to pick the right one. He’d called her out for being obsessive again, but her research had saved the baby’s life.

Her lips parted. Was she remembering?

How could she not? Cassidy was alive. Her parents were dead. And the little girl belonged to him and Kate.

Jared remembered when Brady and Susan had flown to Portland for a weekend. Susan and Kate had spent the day shopping for maternity clothes while Brady helped Jared build a trellis for the yard. That night over a bottle of sparkling cider, Brady and Susan asked them to be the baby’s guardians. They told them to discuss the request and take their time if they needed it. Jared and Kate talked it over and agreed the next morning.

But that was before. Before the separation. Before Kate had filed for divorce.

“How recent is the will?” Jared asked.

“I met with Brady and Susan a week after Cassidy was born.” Don got a faraway look in his eyes. “I remember them telling me this was the baby’s first outing since coming home from the hospital. Susan said she’d put it into the baby book.”

That made no sense. Brady and Susan would have known about the marriage problems, about Jared living and working in Seattle and Kate staying in Portland. Something didn’t add up.

“What’s the problem?” Kate asked. “We told them we would do it.”

“This is a life-changing decision,” Don said. “Don’t rush. You have thirty days after we start guardianship proceedings to accept the appointment.”

“We’re not declining,” she said.

Jared agreed with her. Of course he did. But he needed to be sure this was what his friends wanted for their daughter. Guardians with a disintegrating, soon-to-be-over marriage didn’t seem like the number one choice parents would make. “Could you please read the guardianship portion of the will?”

Don paged through the paperwork. “Since Brady and Susan wanted to name both of you as guardians, I suggested additional wording to the wills, which they agreed to.”

That made sense to Jared, and he wanted to hear what was written. Especially since Brady and Susan knew about the marriage problems.

“Here’s the passage from Brady’s will. Susan’s is identical.” The lawyer put on his glasses. ‘“If my spouse does not survive me and if at the time of my death any of my children are minors or under a legal disability, I appoint Jared Reed and Kate Malone to act jointly as the guardians of each child who is a minor or under a legal disability so long as Jared Reed and Kate Malone are both then living and married on the date of such appointment.’”

Kate straightened in her chair.

Her tension was palpable, but she shouldn’t worry. They were living, and they were also still married. Everything would be fine.

At least as far as the baby was concerned.

Of course, Cassidy would become part of the divorce settlement. Susan would want Kate to have custody.

“Is there a provision if our marriage ends at a future date?” Kate asked, her voice cool.

“Actually, there is. Again, both wills contain the same wording.” Don flipped the page. “‘If Jared Reed and Kate Malone are not married to each other on the date of such appointment or become separated or divorced at a later date, I appoint Jared Reed to solely act as the guardian of each child of mine who is a minor or under a legal disability.’”

Kate’s jaw dropped. “What?”

Jared sat, stunned. “Me?”