Domino Effect (Effect 2)

Brandt turned toward me and sat next to me. I kept looking down at my coffee, watching the liquid dance in the cup. I heard him crack his neck. He leaned his shoulder against mine.

“No one can tell you how long your mourning period should be, baby. Each person is different. It’s not a betrayal of someone’s memory you love because you keep living your life. They’re a part of who you are, in everything you do. They want the best for you. They want you to live. Anne said when she died, to focus on the happy memories when you’re sad. Think about how much time you did have together.”

Brandt had heard my plea for help. He had heard me. The thick fog holding me captive began to dissipate as his words started to make sense. Grandmama would be sad I wasn’t living my life. She wouldn’t want me wasting away thinking about all the loss. We had one life to make the most out of it.

The doorbell rang.

Brandt chuckled and ran a hand down his face. “If it’s another casserole, I honestly don’t know where we’re going to put it.”

Our fridge and freezer was full of food. In fact, we’d given a lot of food to Ainsley and Adam. Some humor slipped into my mind, and I started feeling myself come back. I called after him, “Well, my wifely duties have been taken care of for a while. You won’t have to ask, ‘What’s for dinner, honey?’”

We were both smiling as Brandt stood and went to the door. It felt good to banter with him. It felt good to see a glimmer of myself. I started forcing the negative thoughts from my mind and focusing on the positives. Brandt opened the door and spoke. The wooden door opened wider, making a slight creaking noise. A frumpy man in a dark-blue suit and tie came in.

Brandt was still in his sweatpants and T-shirt. His feet were bare and something stirred within me that hadn’t for days. I involuntarily licked my lips. To the casual observer, it was a normal gesture, but Brandt saw it and knew what I thought. He stood behind the suited man, giving me a sexy smirk.

“Nikola, this is Andrew Liars. He was Anne’s attorney.”

I stood and shook the lawyer’s slightly sweaty hand. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Liars. What can I do for you? Please, have a seat.”

He sat and laid his well-used, leather briefcase beside his feet.

“Thank you, Mrs. Mattox. If you have a few minutes, I want to read Anne’s Will for you. I went by your grandmother’s place and found your parents. They were cleaning out the refrigerator, and I read the part that affected them. I know I should have made an appointment, but I was in the area and wanted to introduce myself. If now is not a good time, we can reschedule. Your father said he thought it would be okay.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

I was a little anxious, as I’d never discussed the Will with Grandmama. I’d assumed that my parents would get everything and wondered why I needed to be included in the discussion. Snaps clicked as he opened the briefcase.

Mr. Liars handed me a thick document in a black binder. “Here’s a copy of the Will. Shall I read it to you?”

The idea of reading all this today was daunting. I was just now finding myself, and I didn’t want to be sucked back into the dark pool of whatever I’d been going through. I needed a few days to get my bearings to be able handle something like this.

“Can you summarize it? We can schedule a time to go through the specifics.”

He retrieved another copy and laid it on his legs. “Yes, yes, of course. This is an informal visit, and we can talk in-depth in my office next week, as there will be several things to do. In summary, Ms. Kingston left all her financials and home to you. Your father was given full ownership of the piece of land that they owned jointly.”

She’d left me practically everything? I was speechless and worried that my dad might be hurt.

Mr. Liars continued, “She wanted me to give you this letter. In the packet I gave you is a summary of the financials as of two days ago. We’ll go through everything in-depth next week. If you have any questions between now and then, let me know.”

The lawyer handed me a pale-pink envelope as he stood. “Thanks again, Mrs. Mattox. I appreciate your time. I’m sorry for your loss. Ms. Kingston was a dear friend and client. She will be missed.”

I matched his movement. “Yes, she will be missed. Thank you for coming to my house to personally do this.”

“Anytime, ma’am.”

Brandt escorted Mr. Liars out as he tucked his leather briefcase under his arm.

Sinking back down to the couch, I looked at the outside of the pale-pink envelope. My name was on it in Grandmama’s handwriting.

I ran my fingers along the writing, imagining her sitting at her desk in the living room writing this letter. I recognized the envelope as being one from the stash she kept in her desk. I felt the couch dip, followed by the heat of Brandt’s body.

“Are you going to read it?”

“Yes. I need a minute.”

I continued staring at the envelope, wondering what words were on the inside. There was only one way to find out. Turning the letter over, I opened the envelope delicately. The letter was on pale-pink matching paper.

I unfolded the letter and started to read.

My Dearest Nikola,

I know you’re probably wondering if your dad is okay with me willing the majority of my estate to you. I called him a year or so ago to talk to him about it. He agreed it should go to you. Your parents love you dearly, Nikola, even though I know they are not the best at expressing themselves.

I estimate my cash estate to come in right around a million dollars. I hope this helps you and Brandt have an easier future—one where you can see the world and be with each other. That was a dream your Grandaddy and I always had. Hopefully, our hard work will make your lives easier.

Keep living your life, Nikola. Don’t feel guilty for being happy. Knowing you are living your life to the fullest brings me joy. When you first moved to Arkansas with your parents all those years ago, I was saddened and sometimes would go days without getting dressed. Your grandfather came home one night and said, “Nikola would be sad to see you upset. She wants you to be happy.” I want the same for you. I will miss our talks and our time together, but hopefully I’ve given you a piece of me that will keep us connected throughout your life.

Brandt is the exact person I would have picked for you if I had to choose a lifelong mate for you. Lean on him, he will be there for you.

I love you, Nikola. I’ll be gazing upon the sunrises and sunsets like we promised.

Grandmama

I handed the letter to Brandt as happy tears accumulated in my eyes. These tears purged all the darkness I’d felt over this past week. It had nothing to do with the money, even though I was still shocked at the amount she’d left me.

Brandt finished reading. “Wow.”

“I know. I’m going to be okay.”

Brandt pulled me t

o him. “I never had a doubt. What do you want to do now?”

“I want you to make love to me. I’ve missed you.” The need to be united with him overwhelmed me.

Brandt stood and picked me up. “I’ve missed you, too. I’ll always be here for you.”

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pulled his face down to mine for a kiss as he walked. Our tongues reunited, and I felt our love coursing through my veins. Brandt’s strong frame brought us to our bed, where he’d show me how much he truly loved me.

I BECAME COGNIZANT as I felt a hand drifting toward my cock. Nikola had devoured me after I’d made love to her. I knew she’d needed time to know it was okay to still feel joy and live, but I’d missed her intimately.

I tried to assess whether she was awake or sleep-fucking me. My guess was sleep-fucking, since it normally happened after not having sex for a while and then starting again. In the past, it was because travel separated us. I hoped she was sleep-fucking me. I loved watching her wake in the thralls of passion. Nikola’s naked breasts pressed against my chest as her fingers made contact with the tip of my cock. He was at full attention. She began kissing my shoulder.

Lowly, I whispered, “Nikola?”

Nothing. Hell to the yeah. She was about to have her dirty way with me, and I couldn’t wait. Nikola was bare as she began to mount me. I felt my dick touch her clit, and she began grinding on me, feeding her need. Her nipples dangled in front of my face like candy. Lifting my head slightly, I licked one perky, beaded tip while I lightly rolled the other one between my fingers. Her back arched at the contact, and a little moan escaped her lips. Nikola’s eyes were closed as I lay back down to enjoy the view.