Now all she had to do was listen to the will and, of course, tell her mother she was leaving. Gwen would do her best to make Delaney feel guilty, and Delaney wasnt looking forward to the confrontation.

She left the room and headed downstairs to Henrys office to hear the reading of his will. Shed dressed for comfort in a sleeveless T-shirt dress made of soft blue cotton, and shed shoved her feet into a pair of platform slides that she could kick off easily during the long drive ahead of her.

At the entrance to the office, a long-time friend of Henrys, Frank Stuart, greeted her as if he were a doorman at the Ritz-Carlton. “Good morning, Miss Shaw, he said as she walked into the room. Max Harrison, Henrys estate lawyer, sat behind the heavy desk and looked up as Delaney entered. She shook his hand and spoke to him briefly before taking a seat beside her mother in the front row.

“Who isnt here? she asked, referring to the remaining empty chair next to hers.

“Nick. Gwen sighed as she fingered the three strands of her pearl necklace. “Although I cant imagine why Henry would provide for him in his will. Hed tried to reach out many times in the past few years, but Nick threw every attempt back in his fathers face.

So Henry had attempted a reconciliation. She wasnt really surprised. Shed always assumed since Henry had failed to produce a legitimate heir with Gwen, hed eventually turn his attention to the son hed always ignored.

Less than a minute later, Nick walked into the room, managing to look almost respectable in a pair of charcoal corduroys and a ribbed silk polo the same color as his eyes. Unlike the funeral, hed dressed for the occasion. His hair was pulled back, and hed left his earring at home. His gaze moved over the room, then he took the chair next to Delaney. She glanced up at him out of the corner of her eye, but he stared straight ahead, feet apart, his hands resting on his thighs. The clean scent of his aftershave teased her nose. She hadnt spoken to him since hed called her “wild thing the night before. Shed ignored him all the way to her mothers house, feeling the same humiliation she thought shed overcome years ago. She had no intention of speaking to the jerk now.

“Thank you all for coming, Max greeted, drawing Delaneys attention. “In order to save time, I would ask that you hold all questions until I am finished. He cleared his throat, squared the documents in front of him, and began in his smooth lawyers voice, “ I, Henry Shaw, now of Truly, resident of Valley County, State of Idaho, do make and declare this to be my Last Will and Testament, hereby revoking all Wills and Codicils I have made before this.

“ Article I: I nominate and appoint my trusted friend Frank Stuart as Executor of this Will. I request that no Executor or successor in such capacity shall be required to furnish any sureties on his official bond...

Delaney looked at a point behind Maxs head and listened with half an ear as he read the part of the will that outlined the duty of the executor. She didnt care about executor duties. Her mind was filled with more important concerns, like her mother seated on one side and Nick on the other. The two disliked each other intensely. They always had, and the tension that filled the room was almost tangible.

Nicks shoulder brushed Delaneys as he placed his elbows on the arms of his chair. His shirt grazed her bare skin, then was gone. Delaney forced herself to remain perfectly still, as if the touch hadnt happened, as if she hadnt felt the smooth texture of his sleeve on her skin.

Max proceeded to the section of the will that provided for Henrys long-time employees and his brothers at the Moose Lodge. Then he paused and Delaney returned her gaze to him. She watched him carefully set one page aside before he continued. “ Article III: (A) I give and bequeath half of my tangible property and half of my estate not otherwise disposed of hereunder, together with any unexpired insurance policies thereon, to my wife, Gwen Shaw. Gwen was an excellent wife, and I loved her deeply.

“ (B) To my daughter, Delaney Shaw, I give and bequeath the remainder of my tangible property and the remainder of my estate not otherwise disposed of hereunder on the condition that she reside strictly within the city limits of Truly, Idaho, and may not leave, for a period of one year so that she may look after her mother. The subsequent year to begin upon notification of this Will. If Delaney refuses to comply with the terms of this Will, the property referred to in this Article III (B) shall pass to my son, Nick Allegrezza.

“What does all that mean? Delaney interrupted. Her mothers sudden grasp on her arm was the only thing keeping her from jumping to her feet.

Max glanced at her, then returned his gaze to the document on the desk before him. “ (C) I give to my son, Nick Allegrezza, the properties known as Angel Beach and Silver Creek, to do with as he wishes, provided that he refrain from entering into a sexual relationship with Delaney Shaw for one year. If Nick refuses, or goes against my wishes in regard to this stipulation, then the above property shall revert to Delaney Shaw.

Delaney sat rigid in her chair, feeling as if shed been zapped with a stun gun. Heat flushed her face and her heart felt like it had stopped. Maxs voice continued for several more moments, but Delaney was too confused to listen. It was all too much to take in at one time, and she didnt really understand most of what had been read. Except the last part forbidding Nick to “enter into a sexual relationship with her. That part had been a slap directed at them both. A reminder of the past when Nick had used her to get back at Henry, and shed begged him to do it. Even after his death, Henry wasnt finished punishing her. She was so mortified she wanted to die. She wondered what Nick thought, but she was too afraid to look at him.

The lawyer finished and glanced up from the will. Silence filled the office, and no one spoke for several long moments, until Gwen voiced the question on everyones mind.

“Is that legal and binding?

“Yes, Max answered.

“So, I am to receive half of the estate free of conditions, yet in order for Delaney to inherit, she must stay in Truly for one year?

“Thats correct.

“Thats ridiculous, Delaney scoffed, trying her best to forget about Nick and concentrate on her own bequest. “This is the 1990s. Henry cant play God. This cant be legal.

“I assure you it is. In order to inherit your share, you must agree to the conditions expressed in the will.

“Forget it. Delaney stood. Her bags were packed. She wasnt about to let Henry control her from the grave. “Ill give my share to Mother.

“You cant. The bequest was conditional. You will receive your share of the estate on the condition you reside in Truly for one year. The estate is held in trust until after the provisionary period. In short, you cant give your mother what you dont have. And if you decided to reject the terms of the will, your portion of the estate will revert to Nick, not Gwen.

And if Delaney did that, her mother would kill her. But Delaney didnt care. She wasnt going to sell her soul to spare her mother. “What if I contest the will? she asked, becoming desperate.

“You cant contest the will simply because you dont like the provisions. You have to have grounds, such as lack of mental capacity or fraud.

“Well, there you go. Delaney lifted her hands, palms up. “Henry was obviously out of his mind.

“Im afraid the court would hold a different view. The provision has to be proven illegal or against public policy, and it is neither. It may be considered capricious, but it meets the requirements of the law. The fact is, Delaney, your portion of the estate is estimated at just over three million dollars. Henry has made you a very wealthy young woman. All you have to do is live in Truly for one year, and no court is going to consider the condition impossible to perform. You can accept or refuse. Its that simple.