Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 104448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
I glanced at the other man to gauge his reaction. It was obvious he was tall and good-looking. A small spike of envy twisted inside me as I realized this man, a complete stranger, would continue to have easy access to Tully after I was gone, whether he was a coworker or client.
“Tully, is this your daughter?” the man asked in surprise.
“Hmm? No, no,” Tully said, still making a silly face at Lellie. “This is my friend Katie’s daughter, and Dev here is her father.”
The description was accurate, but it still stung. He hadn’t said, “This is my friend Dev’s daughter” or “This is Lellie and her father, Dev, who’s a good friend of mine.” He definitely hadn’t said, “This is Lellie and her father, Dev, the man I’ve been sharing a bed with for a week.”
I exchanged a polite smile with the man, who seemed to look relieved to discover we weren’t Tully’s family, and then the man turned to shake Tully’s hand.
“Thanks for taking the time to meet with me today, Tully. I look forward to working closely with you in the future.” His smile was a little too warm, and he emphasized the word closely and held Tully’s hand a beat too long.
The guy was laying it on thick if you asked me.
But nobody asked me.
Tully hitched Lellie on his hip and tilted his head toward the doorway he’d come through. “Let’s go to my office. Where’s Kenji?”
“Waiting in the limo. He’s catching up on work and told me to take my time.” With the other guy’s overly warm smile still fresh in my mind, I couldn’t stop myself from blurting, “I think he likes you.”
Tully shot me an adorably confused frown as he led me into his office. “Who, Kenji? Aw. I like him, too. He’s very—”
I shut the office door, grabbed Tully around the waist, and pulled him against me, pressing a seeking kiss to his lips. He came readily, eagerly, pushing me back against the office door while taking care not to crush Lellie. He sweetly pulled her to the side with one arm while fisting my shirt with his other hand.
Lellie giggled, thinking it was a game.
The kiss was over almost as quickly as it had begun. “That,” he said breathlessly, “was a hell of a goodbye.”
I gaped at him with mouth open and chest heaving. “I told you, it’s not a goodbye unless you want it to be.” Please don’t want it to be.
But I didn’t know what to say to convince him. So, instead, I pulled him back into me. “More,” I breathed.
Tully leaned in and kissed me once more, this time teasing and soft. I followed his movements until he turned his head and pressed a smacking kiss on Lellie’s cheek. She giggled again.
“Silly goose,” he said, tickling her side. “Are you going to take care of your daddy for me in Wyoming?”
The reminder was a sharp pain that cut through my Tully-clouded brain.
“Dah!” she said, patting at me with a smile. Her attempt to say “Dev” had always sounded like “Dad” anyway. I wondered how long it would take her to say “Daddy.”
I shook off my sentimental thoughts and tried to focus. Kenji was waiting, and Lellie was bound to get squirmy before long.
“Hey, ah, do you think you can help me with a real estate thing?”
Tully blinked but gave me a polite, professional smile as he moved farther into the office and gestured for me to take a seat in one of the chairs opposite his desk. He sat in the other and set Lellie down so she could toddle around. “Katie’s house?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No. I spoke to the agent you recommended, and they’re taking care of it. Renata and her parents offered to help, too. This is about my parents’ house. It’s in Lellie’s trust, and I want you to transfer ownership of it to my parents.”
Tully’s eyebrows creased. “You want to give it to them, free and clear?”
I could tell he was holding himself back from adding, “After what they did to you?”
“Yes,” I said. “I don’t want to have any more contact with them, and this will make it easier.”
Tully shifted in his chair. “Uh… technically, Dev, that asset isn’t yours to give. I mean, legally, it’s in Lellie’s trust, and the trust is meant to be used for Lellie. The trust has a ‘HEMS’ provision, which means while she’s a minor, the assets should be used for her health, education, maintenance, and support.”
“Aren’t I the trustee? Don’t I get to decide?”
“Yes and yes. But you would have to determine how gifting a large asset like that to her paternal grandparents, people she will not have a future relationship with, will serve one of those categories.” He paused before continuing. “There are other options, though. The trust is allowed to sell assets and reinvest that money in another way. Devon McKay—or any legal entity you own—could be the buyer, and then that legal entity could gift it to the McKays. So you could set up a revocable trust, if you don’t already have one, purchase the home at market value from Lellie’s trust, and then sign a quitclaim deed…”