couldn’t work anymore, he sold his business and got enough money to keep us going. I quit working to take care of him the last three months of his life. Then I spent the next three trying to straighten things out. He had a will, and not that much stuff, so it shouldn’t have been that complicated.”
“But?” Mel could tell by the sound of her voice there was more.
“But my mother went nuts when she found out I inherited his money. She sued me for his estate.”
“Oh my God!” Mel shook her head.
No wonder Addie is depressed.
If anyone had a reason to be, it was her. “What happened?”
Addie shrugged. “I paid a lawyer up front to handle things for me then I spent the rest of the money as fast as I could. On this place.” She glanced around. “Such as it is. My very own iron pyrite.”
“Excuse me?” Mel wasn’t following.
Addie waved a hand around the room. “Fool’s gold. My father used to tell me about miners who gave up everything they had and moved west, looking for gold. Some of them found iron pyrite, which looks pretty on the outside but isn’t worth much on the inside. They lost everything chasing fool’s gold. Just like I did with this inn.”
“It is
not
just like that!” Mel insisted. “This inn was a beautiful place with a great business. It will be again, you wait and see.”
Addie shrugged. “I’ll wait if I can. Have to see how the lawsuit comes out.”
“The lawsuit—you mean your mother’s pursuing that?”
“Yep. Isn’t settled yet, far as I know. I assume the lawyer will contact me.”
Mel blinked. “But you spent the money.”
“Yep.” Addie smiled. “So if she wins, I’ll be forced to sell this place and pay her back.”
“You don’t think you could scrape together enough—”
“Melissa, right now I couldn’t scrape together milk money. I’m running on fumes. Not literally, because when that big guy at the garage finds out I can’t pay for my car, he’ll have to keep it.”
Mel thought about Gill driving the old green Pontiac and bit back a chuckle.
“What?” Addie looked at her.
She couldn’t resist speaking her thought, hoping it would lighten the mood rather than piss Addie off. “You think Gill will want that car?”
Addie stared at her then started to laugh. “Hey, it’ll have a new muffler!”
Mel laughed until her stomach hurt. She nudged her arm against Addie. “See, there’s always a bright spot. You just have to know where to find it.”
“Oh, yeah?” Addie’s mirth faded away. “Find me the bright spot in this, Little Mary Sunshine. Thanks to my lawyer’s advice, I did take out insurance on the inn. But he told me since it was a business, I should go with a higher deductible to lower my payments. In order to have this place fixed up, I’ll have to come up with thousands of dollars.”
Mel gazed at her sincerely. “I’m sorry. So I guess you don’t really have a cheque coming in?”
“Uh, no. Not proud to say it, but I lied.”
Mel sighed. “No wonder you were trying to forget your worries.”
“I was.” Addie nodded. “I offered to take Chloe to the bar and relax for an evening.
At
the bar, she met some guy named Del and his girlfriend Rita, who wanted to have three-way sex with us. No wait! That would be four-way, wouldn’t it? Anyhoo, I declined, and Chloe left with them. Headed to some street faire in San Fran—wherever.” She shook her head.
“You know where I mean.”
“Chloe’s gone?” Mel couldn’t believe her ears.
“Yep. I haven’t checked to see how much of my stuff she took with her. The house and crappy furniture are still here, so I have that.”
“Chloe is gone.” Mel repeated quietly. The words were too good to be true. But Addie had to be suffering, and Mel’s first thoughts should be for her and her well-being. “I’m so sorry, Addie. That’s just awful.”
“Yes, it is.” Addie closed her eyes drowsily.
“How long were you two together?”
“Hmm?” Addie
“But?” Mel could tell by the sound of her voice there was more.
“But my mother went nuts when she found out I inherited his money. She sued me for his estate.”
“Oh my God!” Mel shook her head.
No wonder Addie is depressed.
If anyone had a reason to be, it was her. “What happened?”
Addie shrugged. “I paid a lawyer up front to handle things for me then I spent the rest of the money as fast as I could. On this place.” She glanced around. “Such as it is. My very own iron pyrite.”
“Excuse me?” Mel wasn’t following.
Addie waved a hand around the room. “Fool’s gold. My father used to tell me about miners who gave up everything they had and moved west, looking for gold. Some of them found iron pyrite, which looks pretty on the outside but isn’t worth much on the inside. They lost everything chasing fool’s gold. Just like I did with this inn.”
“It is
not
just like that!” Mel insisted. “This inn was a beautiful place with a great business. It will be again, you wait and see.”
Addie shrugged. “I’ll wait if I can. Have to see how the lawsuit comes out.”
“The lawsuit—you mean your mother’s pursuing that?”
“Yep. Isn’t settled yet, far as I know. I assume the lawyer will contact me.”
Mel blinked. “But you spent the money.”
“Yep.” Addie smiled. “So if she wins, I’ll be forced to sell this place and pay her back.”
“You don’t think you could scrape together enough—”
“Melissa, right now I couldn’t scrape together milk money. I’m running on fumes. Not literally, because when that big guy at the garage finds out I can’t pay for my car, he’ll have to keep it.”
Mel thought about Gill driving the old green Pontiac and bit back a chuckle.
“What?” Addie looked at her.
She couldn’t resist speaking her thought, hoping it would lighten the mood rather than piss Addie off. “You think Gill will want that car?”
Addie stared at her then started to laugh. “Hey, it’ll have a new muffler!”
Mel laughed until her stomach hurt. She nudged her arm against Addie. “See, there’s always a bright spot. You just have to know where to find it.”
“Oh, yeah?” Addie’s mirth faded away. “Find me the bright spot in this, Little Mary Sunshine. Thanks to my lawyer’s advice, I did take out insurance on the inn. But he told me since it was a business, I should go with a higher deductible to lower my payments. In order to have this place fixed up, I’ll have to come up with thousands of dollars.”
Mel gazed at her sincerely. “I’m sorry. So I guess you don’t really have a cheque coming in?”
“Uh, no. Not proud to say it, but I lied.”
Mel sighed. “No wonder you were trying to forget your worries.”
“I was.” Addie nodded. “I offered to take Chloe to the bar and relax for an evening.
At
the bar, she met some guy named Del and his girlfriend Rita, who wanted to have three-way sex with us. No wait! That would be four-way, wouldn’t it? Anyhoo, I declined, and Chloe left with them. Headed to some street faire in San Fran—wherever.” She shook her head.
“You know where I mean.”
“Chloe’s gone?” Mel couldn’t believe her ears.
“Yep. I haven’t checked to see how much of my stuff she took with her. The house and crappy furniture are still here, so I have that.”
“Chloe is gone.” Mel repeated quietly. The words were too good to be true. But Addie had to be suffering, and Mel’s first thoughts should be for her and her well-being. “I’m so sorry, Addie. That’s just awful.”
“Yes, it is.” Addie closed her eyes drowsily.
“How long were you two together?”
“Hmm?” Addie
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