The Burning Road to Divorce After the Fire novel · Chapter 12 of 24

Chapter 12: The Helicopter Was Hers

The attorney sat at Pearl's small table with his hat on his knee and would not take coffee.

Kurt stood against the wall with his shirt buttoned wrong, and neither of us mentioned it.

"Your grandmother came to my office in January," the attorney said. "She was eighty-one, she had her own oxygen tank, and she told me she had one more thing to do before she died."

"She didn't tell me she was sick."

"She was not sick. She was careful." He opened the envelope. "She wanted her affairs settled in her own hand, and she wanted it sealed until you asked for it."

"Why didn't you come to me?"

"I was instructed to wait until you asked or until the divorce papers were filed. I saw the filing last week, and then I had to find you." He gave a small, apologetic cough. "I was also told you would have to find the courage by yourself."

I laughed, with a shake in it.

"She said that?"

"She said, Lainey is slow to ask for things, and quick once she does."

He took out three pages and a smaller envelope with my name on it in Pearl's blue ink.

I knew that tail on the P.

"First, the land," he said. "The Cedar Grade parcel is yours, free and clear. There is no lien and there never was. The signature on the document your husband's lawyer has is a forgery, and I'll swear to it."

"Brent's mother said Pearl borrowed nine hundred thousand."

"Your grandmother had one hundred and ten thousand in the bank, and a standing check she wrote every month to a radio mechanic and a fuel company." He glanced at the page. "Second item. The aircraft."

I looked at Kurt.

He looked at me.

"Which aircraft?" I said.

"The white helicopter," the attorney said. "Registered under the name Stauffer Rescue Trust. Tail number on the third page. It has a sunflower painted on the tail."

← Chapter 11 · All chapters · Chapter 13 →

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