Meet Cute(13)

I’m thoroughly enjoying his discomfort, and how hard this seems to be for him, until the next words come out of his mouth.

“They were killed in a car accident last week.”

It’s like being slammed in the chest with a bowling ball and doused in an acid bath of guilt. “Oh my God.” I reach out on instinct and cover his hand with mine. It sends an unexpected jolt through my body, so I draw back immediately. “I’m so sorry, Daxton.”

His eyes drift closed and a weak smile touches his lips before it falls again. “I don’t know when it’s going to get easier to say that out loud.” He rubs his hands together, as if he’s trying to rid himself of that staticky feeling, too, before he lifts his head. “Uh, anyway”—he pushes a set of papers toward me—“I need to review the trust you set up for my sister, and all I can find is the draft form of the contract.”

I almost feel bad for assuming the absolute worst about him, but our history doesn’t really allow for warm feelings or thoughts. Then I remember that his sister is only thirteen. I press my hand to my heart, as if it will stop the pang that melts a little of my hatred toward this man. My father passed the year after I graduated law school, and I was devastated. I walked around in a fog of grief for months. I can’t even fathom how painful this must be for his sister. “She’s so young. This must be so hard for you both.”

His face crumples and he runs his hands up and down his thighs, as if he’s struggling to control his emotions. “It’s been a shock, and it’s a lot of change very fast.”

“Who’s caring for her now?” I know what it’s like to be orphaned; I’ve gone through it twice now.

“My parents granted me custody.”

I glance at his hands. There’s no ring on his finger. He’s close to the same age as me. Maybe a year or two older, so thirty at best. What kind of background does he have in raising a child, let alone a teenage girl? “I see. That’s a lot of responsibility.”

“Well, the alternative is going to live with our aunt, and that’s not what Emme wants.”

“And what about you? What do you want?”

“I want what’s best for Emme.”

“And that’s you?” I shouldn’t be asking such personal, almost needling questions. This kind of antagonism isn’t acceptable for someone in a state of grieving. And yet, he’s just lost his parents and he’s here about a trust, which sends up a red flag—or maybe I’m looking for reasons to doubt his integrity.

He taps his lips, pensive instead of affronted. “Honestly? I don’t know. But it’s what Emme wants, and my parents seemed to think it would be best for her, so I’m going to try.”

He’s either being noble or delusional. Taking care of a teenager is no easy task. “And you need my help for what, exactly?”

“I need to make sure Emme’s trust documents are up to date. My aunt was supposed to be the custodial guardian when the trust was drafted, and since that’s changed, I want to ensure there’s no conflict. I’m not sure at this point what that shift in custody means, and if there are any issues with the change that could impact Emme’s trust.” He rubs the space between his eyes. “Makes me wish I’d gone into family law instead of entertainment law so I’d know what’s what. Anyway, I was hoping I could get a copy of the most recent trust documents, and maybe we could set up a meeting to review it, preferably soon.”

I flip through the draft in silence. He’s also attached a copy of the will stating Emme is in his care, the power of attorney, and the most recent bank statement with the trust funds. His sister will have access to obscene funds when she’s an adult. As long as the money stays safe and out of the hands of people looking to cash in on her. And I’m unsure whether Daxton is one of those people or not.

“I’ll need to have my assistant pull the original files. She can email you a copy, and in the meantime I can review them and then we can set something up. I have meetings this afternoon, though, so it won’t be immediate.” I don’t know what his angle is. Is he worried about the money disappearing? Has he frittered all of his away on an excessive lifestyle and expensive cars and now he’s looking to cash in? I need time to look over everything and do some research.

He gives me an apologetic smile. “I know I just showed up here today, and to be honest, it’s been a tough week. I tried to call early this morning, and then just figured you’d need all this documentation anyway.” He motions to the papers spread out between us. “I know you can’t drop everything to deal with this, but I’m a little overwhelmed, so if we can meet early next week sometime, that would be great.”

Despite my suspicions and questions, I take pity on him. He’s lost his parents and is suddenly responsible for a thirteen-year-old. “Why don’t you leave your number with my assistant and we can set something up on Monday or Tuesday, when things are a bit more settled?”

“That would be great. Do you have someone here I can talk to about the custody paperwork? My firm doesn’t do family law, so I’m at a bit of a disadvantage. Would it be you?” I don’t understand why he looks so hopeful about that, maybe because I’m a familiar face?

“I don’t work with custody cases, but I’ll speak with Beverly and we’ll figure that out, as well. Can I keep these, or do you need me to make copies?” I tap the documents under my fingers.