Nita shook her head. “That’s too much. You’ve already given me, given us, so much. I couldn’t possibly ask for more.”
“Nita, you’ve done so much for me. You were there for me when no one else was. After my mother passed, you were the only person who kept her memory alive for me. And you were family when my real family wasn’t there. After everything you’ve done for me, I owe you.”
Nita turned off the stove and set the wok aside. “You don’t owe me anything. Everything I did for you was because I cared about you. Love, relationships, they’re not transactions.”
“Even so, I’m going to help you.”
“That’s kind of you, but I can’t accept what you’re offering.”
“I’m not giving you a choice.” Yvonne crossed her arms. “If it makes things easier, you can look at it this way. It’s not for you, it’s for the kids. You want them to have a good future, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
“Then accept my help. You know it’s the right thing to do.”
Nita hesitated. “Can I think about it?”
“Take all the time you want. I need some time to get the money together anyway.” Yvonne made a mental note to call the executor of her father’s estate. She wanted to get on top of everything so she could claim half of the money as soon as the three-month mark hit.
“Thank you.” Nita gave her a small smile. “You’re so much like your mother. She was a kind and generous soul.”
Yvonne suppressed a scoff. ‘Kind’ was the last word anyone would use to describe her.
Nita finished cooking and dished out the meal, the familiar aroma of the stir-fry filling the air. It tasted even better than it smelled.
Yvonne and Nita spent the next couple of hours catching up. Before they knew it, it was late afternoon.
“I should get started on dinner,” Nita said. “Are you staying? Mark and the kids will be back soon, I’m sure they’ll be happy to see you.”
Yvonne shook her head. “As delicious as your cooking is, I need to get home.”
“I wouldn’t want to keep you from your new wife. Tell her I said hello. You’ll have to bring her over so I can meet her.”
“I will.” Yvonne had no intention of doing so. Keeping up appearances was one thing. Having Nita tell Ruby Yvonne’s embarrassing childhood stories was another.
“Before I go.” Yvonne dug into her purse and pulled out the check she’d written. “The money I gave you would have run out by now. This should tide you over for a while. If you need more to keep the debt collectors at bay, let me know.”
Nita held her hands up in front of her defensively. “I can’t possibly-”
“Just take it. For the kids.”
Nita sighed. “All right.” She took the check and folded it up, slipping it into her pocket. “Thank you,” she said quietly.
They said their goodbyes, and Yvonne left the house. As she walked to the car, she pulled out her phone. She needed to call the executor of her father’s estate to let him know she’d be claiming her inheritance soon.
She unlocked her phone. There was a message from Ruby.
I’m ready to sign the contract.
Finally. The timing couldn’t have been better. Ruby didn’t know it yet, but she and Yvonne had plans for the night, plans which required Ruby to have signed the contract. But first, Yvonne had to make that phone call.
She sat in her car and dialed the number of Bill Marsden, the executor of her father’s estate. Bill was a lawyer and an old family friend. He’d known Yvonne’s parents before she was even born. He seemed to like Yvonne, but they weren’t particularly close.
When he picked up the phone, Yvonne cut to the chase. “Bill, it’s Yvonne. Yvonne Maxwell. I need to talk to you about my inheritance.”
“Yvonne,” Bill said. “I haven’t heard from you in a long time. How are you?”
“I’m fine.” Yvonne skipped the pleasantries. “I got married recently. I want to claim the funds my father left me.”
“You’re married? Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” It was a good sign that Bill hadn’t already heard about Yvonne’s marriage through the grapevine. That meant Yvonne’s stepmother and brother likely hadn’t heard about it either. She wasn’t looking forward to dealing with the fallout of when they inevitably found out. “So, about the inheritance.”
“Yes.” Bill paused. “It’s been a while since I’ve looked at the terms, but if I remember correctly, you need to be married for some time before you can access the funds.”
“That’s correct. I can access half the funds at three months, and the other half after a year. I’ve only been married for a few weeks, but I want to get the ball rolling.”
“I’ll have to look it up, but I’m sure you’re right. I’ll need some time to get everything in order. On your end, I’ll need you to provide proof that you’ve met the conditions your father set. You’ll need a reliable witness that can attest that your marriage is genuine.”
“Yes, I know. That’s fine.” It was going to be tricky finding a witness, but Yvonne would manage.
“Then I’ll set an appointment for ten weeks’ time. You’ll need to come along with your husband and your witness.”
“Wife,” Yvonne said.
“Pardon?”
“My wife, not my husband.”
“Oh. Yes, your wife.” He cleared his throat. “Shall I go ahead and set the appointment?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Before Bill could ask too many questions, Yvonne said a polite goodbye and hung up. She started her car. She needed to get home to Ruby so she could prepare for the night ahead.
Chapter 11
Ruby waited for Yvonne to return home, the contract on the table before her, butterflies filling her stomach.
She was ready for this. She’d spent the entire week poring over the contract, thinking hard about her limits and what she wanted. It had been a long, painful week at that. The entire time, Yvonne had continued to hold Ruby at her usual distance. However, once or twice, Ruby had
