I poke my head around the corner to find that she’s awake.

“Good morning,” I tell her quietly.  I hobble in and set the plate on her bed.  “I thought you might be hungry.”

She stretches like a sated cat.

“I am,” she announces with a grin.  “I depleted my energy stores last night.” She flushes prettily, and picks up her plate.

“About last night…” I begin and sit on the edge of the bed.  Nora looks up warily.

“You can’t go back,” she interrupts firmly. “The bullet has already left the gun. There’s only one thing you can do now… take me up on my proposition.”

I exhale.

“Nora, I meant what I said earlier. You’re better than that. You’re worth more than some ‘proposition.’”

I don’t know why I feel like I need to tell her that.  She’s Nora Greene for God’s sake.  She knows what she’s worth.

She stares at me like I have two heads.

“As I told you earlier, you don’t know what I’m worth. I do.  I want you, Brand.  I know we only have a few weeks but I want every day of those few weeks. You’re here, I’m here.  It’s perfect.”

I raise an eyebrow. “So you want me because it’s convenient?”

She giggles and takes a drink of juice.  “No, I want you because I want you.  It’s just nice that it’s convenient.”

“You’re… something,” I tell her, shaking my head.  I don’t know what to make of her.

She glances up, her eyes filled with laughter.  “Good. That’s better than nothing.”

She takes a bite of eggs, then glances up at me.

“What should we do today?”

I shrug.  “There’s not much to do.  We’re stuck in a cottage in Angel Bay. Without cable.”

Nora rolls her eyes.  “Uh. There’s plenty to do.”  She reaches up and slides her hand under my shirt, her fingertips grazing my nipple.  

At just this minute, there’s a heavy knock on the back door.

We look at each other.

“Saved by the bell,” Nora grins.  She gets out of bed and pulls on a robe.  “Hold that thought.  I’ll get it.”

I hear her pad down the hallway and I hobble behind her, feeling like a clumsy ass**le with my f**king crutches.

When I reach the living room, Nora is already showing a man clad in a suit into the cottage.

“Brand, it’s for you,” she tells me hesitantly.  “It’s your dad’s estate lawyer.”

I study the guy… he’s pasty, weaselish, and dressed in a tightly buttoned suit.  He holds his hand out.

“I’m Todd Ansel,” he tells me.  “I represented your father and put his will together.  Do you have a few minutes?”

“A few,” I nod, making it clear that I only have a few.  Nora has backed up now, and is lingering on the edge of the room.

“Do you need me to stay?” she asks me quietly.  I shake my head.

“Nah. I’ve got this, but thank you.”

She slips out and I stare at Todd.  I don’t offer him a seat.

“How can I help you?”

He clears his throat and sets his briefcase on the floor beside him.  “I spoke with your mother and she indicated that you wanted to relinquish your rights to your inheritance and transfer it to her, instead.”

I nod.  “Yes.”

Todd nods as well.  “Yes, your father anticipated that you would do that.  So he put a stipulation in his will.”

I stare at him hesitantly.  “A stipulation?  My mother didn’t mention that.”

Todd nods again.  “That’s because she doesn’t know.”

I sigh heavily.  Leave it to my father to do something f**ked up, even in the end.  “Well, what is it?”

Todd bends and sifts through his bag, coming up with a paper. He hands it to me, his weasel eyes focused on my reaction. 

I don’t give him one.

Instead, I scan the paper.

All I can focus on are the words, Brand must ring the bell.

Shock slams into me, fast and hard, and anger clouds my vision.

What a f**ker.

Todd clears his throat again.  “I’m not sure what the purpose of this exercise is, but your father’s wishes are clear.  You must swim out to the large buoy in the bay and ring the bell, then swim back in. You must be un-assisted, you cannot use a boat or motorized device of any sort. You must swim on your own devices.  If you don’t complete this task, your inheritance will revert to the state.  And you will not be given the key to the box your father left for you.”

Through my anger, that snags my attention.

“A key?”

Todd raises an eyebrow.  “You must not have tried to open the box yet.  It’s locked.  I have the key.  I’m instructed to give it to you only upon completion of the task.”

Nora must’ve only lingered right outside the door, because she bursts back in now.

“What will happen if he doesn’t do it?” she asks, her cheeks flushed.

Todd looks at her.  “If Brand chooses not to complete the task, his inheritance will revert to the state, as I said.  Bethany Killien will receive nothing.  And it’s my understanding that she does the books for Mr. Killien’s mechanic business.  It’s likely that she will lose her job when the state sells the business.”

“So my mother would have nothing,” I clarify.  “Not a house, not any money and she would lose her job.”

Finally, Todd has the good graces to look uncomfortable.  “Yes. I don’t know what your father’s motives were, but yes. Your mother would have nothing.”

“Perhaps his mother deserves nothing,” Nora snaps.

If I weren’t already so annoyed with the situation, I would find her reaction amusing.  She’s so defensive on my behalf.

The lawyer shrugs.  “I guess that’s for Brand to decide.”  He looks at me.  “You have thirty days from today to complete the task.  I need to be present as a witness. Again, if you choose not to do it, the entire inheritance will default to the state.”

“We understand that part,” Nora says icily.  “I’ll show you out.”

Todd picks up his briefcase and hands me his card.