His Favorite Shirt novel · Chapter 11 of 24

Chapter 11: Two Hundred Fifty Thousand

Heath's father did not want to talk indoors.

He wanted the long porch of the lodge, where thirty guests were drinking coffee in wicker chairs and could not help overhearing.

He took the chair at the head of the table and put the leather folio in front of him.

Heath stood behind him with his hands in his pockets, looking at the floorboards.

Nolan had followed me up from the dock.

He leaned against a porch post at the edge of the light and said nothing.

"Ms. Halvorsen," said Heath's father. "My son has behaved badly."

"Yes."

"He has been indulged, and I take my share of that."

He opened the folio. "I would like to settle this today, quietly, like adults."

He slid a check across the table.

It was made out to me, and the number on it was $250,000.

Under it was a three-page document with a gold paper clip.

"That's for your trouble," he said. "In return you keep the recordings, the video and the invitation to yourself. You release the family from any claims. You do not speak about Saturday, to anyone, ever."

I picked up the check and looked at it.

It was the most money anyone had offered me for anything.

For one honest second I thought about what it could do for the studio.

Then I read the document.

It had a clause that said I would not speak about the Pemberton family or Pemberton Homes in any public or private forum, in any medium, for the rest of my life.

← Chapter 10 · All chapters · Chapter 12 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend