Love, Inherited

Ch. 2 - 'Love Letters'

Hayden sat across from the attorney. The office was filled with marble and leather and smelled like a new car. She fidgeted in the seat staring at his wavy brown hair while he glanced through files. Hayden had always hated business and formalities and waiting. This was a trifecta of torture. Finally he looked up at her, and cleared his throat.

"Hello Ms. Holt, It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for coming in on short notice. Your aunt Dee was a client of mine for a long time and we had many conversations about her estate. The one thing she never wavered about was you. You've always been a bit of a mystery to her, but she liked your determination to make it on your own. Call it kindred sprit sympathy if you will. Before I get to the heart of the matter, do you have any questions?"

Hayden sat blinking She licked her lips to moisten her mouth. She'd thought about asking how Dee died, and where she had a tombstone, but she knew this guy was just here for formalities and paperwork. All she could think about was getting this done and getting out of here.

"I can't think of any. Aunt Dee was my favorite family member as a kid. She was always helping me find adventures and talking me into trouble. Once I spent a summer with her on a beach. It was the best summer of my life but that was because Dee was so much fun. She didn't take anything serious. I guess that's why my parents never understood her. When they got in a fight, Dee stormed off and never looked back I guess. I wrote a few letters when I finally got out on my own but we hadn't communicated in years." Hayden realized she was saying far more than he intended and stopped to collect herself and wipe an annoying tear rolling down her cheek.

"I'm finding it hard to believe I was in her will at all I'm afraid."  Hayden silently kicked herself for blabbing so much. But the lawyer looked interested, and cute. Cute people always threw her off.

He looked at his papers and took out a stack of envelopes. "These letters were found in her desk. It seems she actually wrote you often, but Dee being Dee, never got around to mailing them. Maybe you'll get some comfort out of them, and a little closure from knowing how much she cared."

Hayden took the letters and lay them in her lap. She ran her fingers around the envelopes and felt her heart flutter as she felt the large loops of aunt Dee's perfect looped script. It was a better gift than she'd hoped for. A piece of jewelry would have been fine, but this, personal letters with words for her was so much more. She stood up clutching the letters to her chest and thrust one hand forward for a goodbye handshake.

"Thank you, Mr. Williams, it really is the best thing she could've given me and I can't wait to read them."

"Oh, no, please sit." He stood and waved at the chair again, shaking his head with a smile.

"That isn't what she left you in the will, although I can see how touched you are. And I have to say I'm impressed that you would find that a good inheritance, I see why she chose you for this. She left you her resort."

Hayden plopped in the chair and sat mouth open and eyes bugged out "I'm sorry, what?"

"She left you her resort." (Pause for dramatic effect)

"Effective immediately you now own 'Sand Dollar Bay'. Sixteen deluxe rooms, bar, restaurant, and private beach. The current manager and all staff have been given one full year contracts unless you decide otherwise. Mason, the current Manager is well versed in running the operation and has four years experience. He will show you the ropes. As you know, Dee lived in one of the rooms, and that is your option, or you can flip it back into a working guest suite."

Hayden couldn't speak. She looked around the room for the hidden camera. Surely this was some type of joke. She was 23. She didn't know anything about a business and wasn't the type to own anything. She couldn't even find a steady boyfriend.