Read Sweet Reunion for Free Online Page B
Authors: Melanie Shawn
Justin, until she could get a better handle on
controlling her internal turmoil.
Geoffrey’s stiff voice cut
through the merriment in the room. “Now that this person,” he looked pointedly
at Justin, “has arrived - and with such fanfare - perhaps we can begin.”
Henry shook his head and
chuckled ruefully. “Yes, son, you...for whatever doggone reason...will be happy
to know that we can now get this show on the road.”
“Yeah, Go Free,” said
Karina, as she settled into her place on the couch, “it’s a good point. Why are
you so incredibly eager to start these proceedings? Do you think Amanda’s
father left something to you or what? It’s kind of weird,” she finished with a
shrug.
Geoffrey looked properly
offended, “My anticipation springs solely from my concern for Amanda, I assure you,
and not from any self-serving agenda. I can merely see how much of a toll the
process is taking on her, and wish to discover the most expedient path to
selling this property and moving on, together.”
Amanda looked at Geoffrey in
surprise. “Selling? What? That's not what I plan to do! What gave you that
idea?”
Geoffrey smiled an indulgent
half smile. “Well, we'll discuss that later. Right now you're clearly much too
emotional and overtired to think straight. You're even dropping trays of
drinking glasses,” he paused and grimaced slightly, as if feeling suddenly a
little sick to his stomach, “well.. jars ...at any rate.”
He placed his arm paternally
around Amanda's shoulder and guided her to the couch. He spoke soothingly.
“Let's just get this started. Once we have heard the terms of the will, and
have talked about the concrete values of the property and the business, we will
have a much clearer idea of what we need to do.”
Karina, Sam and Lauren
shared a suspicious glance as they took their seats. “We?” Karina mouthed to
Lauren incredulously, and Lauren returned a slow shrug. This new attitude of
'togetherness' from Geoffrey was definitely something new.
As Justin settled himself in
the recliner opposite the couch, Teddy jumped up into his lap and curled up in
a ball. He chuffed contentedly as he settled his chin onto the arm of the
chair, as if he didn't even notice that his curled up form was almost twice the
size of Justin's lap.
Samantha smiled, “It's like
he thinks he's a chihuahua!” she exclaimed.
Amanda smiled sadly, “No.
It's like he thinks he's a puppy again.” She looked up, and her blue eyes
locked with Justin's brown ones. He continued to scratch Teddy's head as they
looked into each other's eyes, and a melancholy smile crept across his face until
it matched the one that Amanda wore.
Henry cleared his throat and
opened his briefcase. “All right, how about we get started then?”
Almost as one entity, every
head in the room swiveled to face Geoffrey. His tight face looked annoyed at
the attention, but he made no comment.
Henry took a handful of
papers from his battered briefcase and laid them out on the coffee table in
front of him. He shuffled through them and pulled out one thick, official
looking bundle. He looked around at the expectant faces in the room, and Amanda
could swear that she actually saw a sparkle in his eyes.
“Well, Manda Bear, let's
just cut to the chase. There are basically two main assets that your Daddy left
you. One of them is this house and the property it sits on, and one of them is
Mountain Ridge Outdoor Adventures. The house is straightforward, he left it
directly to you. The Adventure park is a little more...interesting.”
“Interesting?” Geoffrey
sounded suspicious.
“I think it's interesting,”
Henry said with a small smile, “See, your Daddy left you 80% of Mountain Ridge
Outdoor Adventures, and 20% to Justin here.”
“What?!” This surprised
exclamation sprung from the lips of both Justin and Geoffrey simultaneously,
although with very different undertones. While Geoffrey sounded horrified,
Justin sounded truly shocked
controlling her internal turmoil.
Geoffrey’s stiff voice cut
through the merriment in the room. “Now that this person,” he looked pointedly
at Justin, “has arrived - and with such fanfare - perhaps we can begin.”
Henry shook his head and
chuckled ruefully. “Yes, son, you...for whatever doggone reason...will be happy
to know that we can now get this show on the road.”
“Yeah, Go Free,” said
Karina, as she settled into her place on the couch, “it’s a good point. Why are
you so incredibly eager to start these proceedings? Do you think Amanda’s
father left something to you or what? It’s kind of weird,” she finished with a
shrug.
Geoffrey looked properly
offended, “My anticipation springs solely from my concern for Amanda, I assure you,
and not from any self-serving agenda. I can merely see how much of a toll the
process is taking on her, and wish to discover the most expedient path to
selling this property and moving on, together.”
Amanda looked at Geoffrey in
surprise. “Selling? What? That's not what I plan to do! What gave you that
idea?”
Geoffrey smiled an indulgent
half smile. “Well, we'll discuss that later. Right now you're clearly much too
emotional and overtired to think straight. You're even dropping trays of
drinking glasses,” he paused and grimaced slightly, as if feeling suddenly a
little sick to his stomach, “well.. jars ...at any rate.”
He placed his arm paternally
around Amanda's shoulder and guided her to the couch. He spoke soothingly.
“Let's just get this started. Once we have heard the terms of the will, and
have talked about the concrete values of the property and the business, we will
have a much clearer idea of what we need to do.”
Karina, Sam and Lauren
shared a suspicious glance as they took their seats. “We?” Karina mouthed to
Lauren incredulously, and Lauren returned a slow shrug. This new attitude of
'togetherness' from Geoffrey was definitely something new.
As Justin settled himself in
the recliner opposite the couch, Teddy jumped up into his lap and curled up in
a ball. He chuffed contentedly as he settled his chin onto the arm of the
chair, as if he didn't even notice that his curled up form was almost twice the
size of Justin's lap.
Samantha smiled, “It's like
he thinks he's a chihuahua!” she exclaimed.
Amanda smiled sadly, “No.
It's like he thinks he's a puppy again.” She looked up, and her blue eyes
locked with Justin's brown ones. He continued to scratch Teddy's head as they
looked into each other's eyes, and a melancholy smile crept across his face until
it matched the one that Amanda wore.
Henry cleared his throat and
opened his briefcase. “All right, how about we get started then?”
Almost as one entity, every
head in the room swiveled to face Geoffrey. His tight face looked annoyed at
the attention, but he made no comment.
Henry took a handful of
papers from his battered briefcase and laid them out on the coffee table in
front of him. He shuffled through them and pulled out one thick, official
looking bundle. He looked around at the expectant faces in the room, and Amanda
could swear that she actually saw a sparkle in his eyes.
“Well, Manda Bear, let's
just cut to the chase. There are basically two main assets that your Daddy left
you. One of them is this house and the property it sits on, and one of them is
Mountain Ridge Outdoor Adventures. The house is straightforward, he left it
directly to you. The Adventure park is a little more...interesting.”
“Interesting?” Geoffrey
sounded suspicious.
“I think it's interesting,”
Henry said with a small smile, “See, your Daddy left you 80% of Mountain Ridge
Outdoor Adventures, and 20% to Justin here.”
“What?!” This surprised
exclamation sprung from the lips of both Justin and Geoffrey simultaneously,
although with very different undertones. While Geoffrey sounded horrified,
Justin sounded truly shocked