Acting On Temptation (Temptations) (21 page)

Jules steps forward and smirks, “Well, we came to see Linc and Russ.  We aren’t leaving until we do.”

My head starts spinning I know who the other girl has to be now
… “Sabrina is it?” I say.

She looks at me with a pure hate, “Yeah.”

I nod, “Okay Gabby is right you both need to leave.”

Jules rolls her eyes, “Look redneck girl 1 and 2 I am not wasting my time talking to you two.”  She looks at me, “Now run along and bring them in here.”

I look at her like she’s crazy, “Um no get out.  Vivy, Mary and Rand don’t want you here so get out.”

She raises her voice, “You can’t make me leave.”

We are all startled by a male voice, “No but I can.”

We turn around to see Linc and Russ standing in the doorway.

Russ

Linc seriously looks like he could set them on fire.  “Get out Jules and take Sabrina with you.  You are not coming in here and upsetting my family.”

Jules looks at him, “We were just coming by to pay our respects.”

Linc nods, “Well thank you now go.”

Sabrina steps forward, “Hey Russ.”

I look at her and roll my eyes, “Hey, thanks for coming now you can go.”

Gabby is starting to grow angrier by the second.  I look at her, “Gabby, you should really go sit down, this stress isn’t good for you or the baby right now.”

Linc looks at Gabby, “Baby he’s right, please go rest for a few minutes.”

Jules scoffs, “Ha so your little tramp got knocked up on purpose no doubt to trap you.”

Fury flies all over Anna’s face and she steps forward I know what’s about to happen, before I can grab her, Anna slaps the shit out of Jules.  I jump over there, “Whoa Sweetie, she’s not worth it.”

Linc comes up, “Yes, my fiancé is pregnant with my baby, of which I am 100% sure the baby is mine and that she didn’t do it on purpose.  I’m lucky that way, had you ever gotten pregnant, I would’ve had to have made a list of possible candidates went through town and rented a damn bus to take everyone for a group discount DNA test.  Now get the hell out of my house before I call the cops.”

My eyes almost bug out and I chuckle.

The both turn around and storm off, but before Sabrina reaches the door she turns around, “So Russ, I heard you and Skylar are sharing again.”

I still have my hand on Anna,
Thank God
, but about that time little sweet Vivy comes from Grandma’s house and knocks the ever living shit out of Sabrina.

Vivy straightens herself, “Now, you two whore
s please leave.  Oh and Sabrina, Skylar is a piece of shit, just like his older brother was to me.  So I just hope that you are smart enough to stay the hell away from him.  OH and he stalked Anna, had it real bad for her.”  She shrugs her shoulders, “I heard he kicked you to the curb.  I guess you don’t have the appeal. Maybe you’re safe, he’s trying to stay away from you.”  She frowns, “Such a shame really because you two are really made for each other.”

They finish walking out the door and Vivy slams it behind them, “Holy shit I’ve wanted to hit one of them for so long…That was awesome.”

We all burst out laughing.  I smile, “Yeah that went from normal to trailer park crazy in five seconds.”

We all chuckle walking back to where my Mom and Aunt Mary are, telling them the story.  Talking about how Vivy definitely wasn’t the one we expected to snap.  My Aunt Mary is laughing really laughing as we recant the story.  I like seeing her smile again.

***

The next morning we all head to the lawyers office.  Cade and Daria went on ahead so they could get the house ready for us, but my guess is so they could move Cade’s stuff into my room without an audience.

As we all sit down the attorney starts to read the will.

Mr. Clark speaks, “Now as you all know Mary will have the house and everything in it unless she feels like
going ahead and splitting some things up.  That’s all up to her.  What I needed to bring you all here for today, was to talk about the amount of life insurance, stocks, bonds and portfolios left for other family members.  Now the stocks, bonds and portfolios will be divided between the three children, with ten percent of what each of you receive being set aside for trusts for grandchildren.  The life insurance is to be split between Russ and Hugh.  Rand you being 27 and in med-school your money is available to you once all the paperwork is finished.  Vivy being 24 and in college you receive fifty thousand dollars now and the rest after you turn 25.  Linc you will receive fifty thousand dollars now and twenty-five thousand a year until you turn twenty-five or get married as long as you’re still in college.  Now total each one of you stand to inherit two hundred and fifty thousand each.  Of that twenty-five thousand should be put in trusts for grandchildren.  If you invest the money and live off the interest technically neither of you would have to work again.”  

Linc looks at him, “Well, I’m getting married in April and we’
re having a baby at the first of July.  So how does it work for me now?  I plan to stay in college, I have a full scholarship.”

Mr. Clark looks at him, “Well, that’s great news.  Okay how it will work now, you will still set aside the money for grandchildren, you will receive the fifty thousand now, the rest will go in and be drawing interest.  That will be released to you thirty-five thousand at the time
once a year, until you have been married for five years or turn twenty-five whichever comes first, then you will receive the remaining amount.”

Linc nods, “Okay, I would like to keep you on as an advisor if I can.”

Mr. Clark nods, “Yes Linc, I’ve been with this family too long to quit now.  Now as for Hugh and Russ, Marshall had two policies totaling five hundred thousand dollars so that’s two hundred and fifty thousand each.  Now Russ, Marshall set yours up where you draw fifty thousand now and you can have access to the rest at 25 as long as you are either finished with your degree or are still in college.  Now Russ, Marshall also left this letter for you.”

I nod accepting the letter, “Thanks.”

I sit here in silence, shocked.  My uncle left me that much money
holy shit
.  Anna taps me on the shoulder as everyone is getting ready to leave. I didn’t even hear what they said to my dad.  We decide to all go to lunch before we all have to head back to school and work.  My Mom is going to go over and keep Aunt Mary company since all of us have to go back to school. 

I turn to Anna as we are about to walk into the
restaurant, not really remembering how we even got there.  “I’m going to sit here for a moment and read this letter.”

She nods and goes inside.

              .

Dear Russ,

              I am hoping that I’m ninety-nine years old and this money isn’t even relevant anymore when you read this.  In the case that I’m not, that you guys are still young, I want you to know how proud I am of you.  I know I haven’t always been the best figure to have in your life and I haven’t always been fair to you, but I want you to know how much I appreciate the way you look after Linc.  I was always worried that he would never get to enjoy the love of a brother like I did, but you and he grew up and became inseparable like Hugh and I were growing up.  I love that and I hope it’s something that you both continue to do.  Please take care of each other and take care of my little brother too.

Sincerely,

Uncle Marshall

I sat there for a few more minutes on the bench and cried before I decided to head in and eat.
  There was something I had to do and I was going to do it right now.

Once I got to the table, I pulled Anna up from her chair and give her one of those panty melting kisses as she calls it.  “Marry me Anna.”

She looks at me stunned and in shock.  I kiss her again, “I know you thought I just said those things the other night in the hospital, but I meant it.  I want you to be my wife.  Now I know we don’t need to get married right now probably because we are young or whatever it is that people say, but I’m in love with you and I’m rambling.  I can’t stop, this week has taught me that you have to take life by the horns and ride that bitch until it’s over.  I love you and I want to marry you.  So what do you say?”

At this point she has tears in her eyes, “Yes.”  She nods tears falling harder.

My Mom looks at Aunt Mary, “Okay it looks like we have two weddings to plan now.”

Anna laughs, “Well, I’m thinking you guys will have a little longer for Russ and I.”

I nod, “Yeah, maybe like a year or so.  I think we’ll all be very busy for the next few months with Gabby and Linc.”

Anna

I look over at Gabby who is crying a river thanks to those hormones.  She jumps up and runs around the table, “Oh God sister I love you, I’m so happy for you.”  She’s wiping sno
t and tears from her face, “Russ I love you too.  I’m so happy you’re going to be my brother, hey you and Linc really do get to be brothers now.”

Everyone at the table laughs, soon lunch is over and we all have to hit the road.  As Russ and I climb into the car he smiles, “I wanna show you something before we leave town.”

I nod, “Okay.”

We drive down a secluded path and stop at the river.    He pulls me out of the car and sits me on the hood, “This is where I like to come think. 
I’ve thought about you a lot here.  Anna never in my entire life have I loved anything as much as I love you.  I actually had something really special for us planned here, but things change.”  He pulls me to his chest about the time the radio starts to play the Kip Moore song
Hey Pretty Girl
.  “I know we are young like I said before and we can wait. I just wanted you to know that whether we get married tomorrow or five years from now, it doesn’t matter. I love you.  I think I knew I was going to love you the day I walked into my dorm and you were sitting there in a khaki skirt and light pink sweater set.”

I giggle against his chest, “Oh you remember the sweater set.
  I hated those things and I was so glad I ditched them when I did.”

He chuckles, “Hey the sweater set was flippin hot on you. 
You were the naughty librarian of my dreams for a while.  Although the outfit you wore later that night I thought was going to give me a permanent case of blue balls.”

We both laugh and
I look up at him, “I was so nervous around you to start with.  Because I mean come on you are freakin sexy as hell. You were so funny and adorable. I think I knew I was gonna love you too.  You were so nice and that trip I was in such a bad place mentally because of Jack. Then when you helped Gabby and Cade get home when Elle and Leslie died, it just made me feel that much more for you.”

I feel him tense, “I would still love to kill
Jack for what he did to you.  I hate it when I even think about the things he’s done and said to you.  I just hope he and I never run into each other.”

“That makes two of us, I need you with me, not in jail for murder.”

“I’m not the only one who protects things, I saw that catfight almost break loose at Linc’s parents.”

I laugh, “Whatever.
”

He chuckles, “Trust me, if I was the kind of guy that hit girls I would’ve knocked the shit out of Jules a long damn time ago.  I’m not as in shock over you as Vivy.  She freakin’ came straight up from grandma’s house.”

I look at him, “I know right…she seems so quiet.  I mean I don’t know her really well, but I was shocked.”

He chuckles, “Trust me
shocked is an understatement.  Sabrina deserved it bringing up Skylar and shit.”

I look at him, “What happened with Vivy and Skylar’s brother?”

He shrugs, “Vivy has always been pretty, but shy. Rand was always the tough one of the two.  Vivy started dating Sterling.”  He looks at me, “Yeah the names in that family are kinda fruity.  Anyway after they started dating we all noticed Vivy withdraw from everyone Linc and I were young so, we didn’t really understand it all.  All I know is Rand figured out that Vivy was hiding the fact that Sterling was knocking her around a little, being real possessive, screwing around on her, but threating her about leaving him.  It got messy; Vivy went to counseling about it for a long time.  She’s probably more outgoing now than she’s been in years.  I told you I really didn’t like that guy or his family.”

I shake my head, “Trust me, I can’t tell you how many times I wished I would’ve listened to you.
I was trying so hard to get past everything I’d been through.  I was mad because I felt like everyone was treating me like a kid.  But we see how well that went.”

“Hey I know I was an asshole to you s
everal times throughout all of that.  Especially that night you left for your date and I was drunk.  I said that shit about sleeping with you just to piss Skylar off, let him know you were mine.”

“Your
s huh?”

He chuckles, “Yeah mine.  I think I thought of you as mine after I slept in the bed with you after your first nightmare.”
  He starts to tickle me, “I like that I know your quirks, I know what makes you happy or sad, I know how to make you scream my name and I really like that fact that this sweet pink sweetness has only been seen by me and it’s MINE.”