Hazel Island 2: My Heart to Keep
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Iris Morland
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261K
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26
Chapter 1
Luke Wright loved the woods. Heâd been lucky, growing up near woods he could wander around in to his heartâs content. Heâd only gotten lost once; after that, heâd always been careful about staying on the trails. He knew the trails near his parentsâ place like the back of his hand.
So when he heard a voice up ahead, he paused. This particular trail was on private property. Some of the trails were open to residents of Hazel Island, but not this one. It ran only a quarter mile from the Wright mansion, a meandering trail that was relatively flat.
Sometimes people who didnât know this trail was on private property wandered onto it. Although there were signs, people sometimes didnât heed them. Or didnât see them. Most people apologized and left without causing a ruckus.
When Luke realized the intruder was none other than his ultimate nemesis, he knew a ruckus was about to start.
Jocelyn Grayânothing about her was gray or muted. She was made of bright colors: red, like her temper, and the sharp side of her tongue that could make the thickest of hides bleed.
Yellow, like her golden hair that Luke already knew was silky soft. Blue, like her eyes and the heart of a flame.
Jocelyn was staring at her phone. When she heard Luke approach, her head whipped up. Then her eyes narrowed.
âSeriously?â was all she said before sighing loudly.
âMost people say the word âhello.â Or âhi.â I heard those are both acceptable greetings in the English language,â he replied.
Jocelyn scoffed. âI have plenty of greetings Iâd like to give you.â
She was dressed for hiking, at least, so this trip wasnât impulsive. She had a water bottle, now three-quarters full. She was a little red-faced, but that mightâve just been because she was near Luke.
Luke was used to Jocelynâs antagonism aimed solely at him. Sheâd had her claws out, ready to scoop out his heart, since theyâd been teenagers. And he couldnât exactly say that her reaction was unwarranted, either.
Luke stepped close enough that he could see a blush darkening on her cheeks. She pushed a few strands of hair from her forehead.
âAre you lost?â he said.
âNo.â
âAre you sure? You seem a little frustrated.â
That made her snort. âIâm always frustrated.â
âFair point.â
While Jocelyn continued to do whatever it was she was doing on her phone, he took in her appearance. She looked tired: the circles under her eyes were darker than usual. She also looked a bit thinner. Considering she was a chef, it was hard to imagine she wasnât getting enough to eat.
Her sharp gaze landed straight on his face. âAre you staring at me?â
âYes. Does it bother you?â
âObviously.â Then she asked, âSo? Have you figured me out yet?â
âNo, but you do look tired.â
He probably wouldâve been better off telling her that she had nice tits than saying something that pointed out any vulnerability. She scowled darkly up at him.
âPeople who have to work for a living get tired,â she snapped. She stuffed her phone into her pocket. âBut you wouldnât know anything about that, would you?â
That smarted. Luke might come from a rich family, but he wasnât rich. He had to work, too. Maybe it wasnât a grueling, twelve-hour-shift kind of job that Jocelyn was used to, but he was hardly lazy.
âYou know what they say about making assumptions,â he said. âTheyâre usually wrong. You have no idea what youâre talking about.â
Jocelyn just shrugged a shoulder. âYet Iâm sure youâll be fine regardless. Rich boys usually are.â
As she began to walk in the direction of the Wright house, Luke considered telling her that she was on the wrong trail. But pettiness won that battle. He smiled, his teeth flashing, as he watched her firm backside flex ahead of him.
He started walking a few paces behind her. After about three minutes, she said over her shoulder, âAre you stalking me?â
âWeâre just going in the same direction, thatâs all.â
She narrowed her eyes at him. Then she shrugged and kept walking.
They were silent the rest of the way. When Jocelyn tripped on a rock, though, Luke shot forward to catch her. But she batted his hands away. âIâm fine,â she said.
Would anyone convict me if I tossed this woman off the nearest cliff? he thought to himself. It was like being near a neurotic porcupine.
The trees thinned out as they got closer to the house. Jocelyn slowed a little, allowing Luke to catch up. âThis isnât right,â she said.
Luke said nothing. But as they got closer, the gates of the Wright house now in view, he could see Jocelynâs color rise in her face with every step.
He had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. He knew if he made a sound, sheâd go for his jugular. Itâd probably be worth it, though. It wasnât too often heâd seen Jocelyn out of sorts like this.
She stopped walking a few yards from the gate. She began to fiddle with her phone as Luke waited. Heâd wait all day and night if he had to.
Finally, Jocelyn put her phone away. Then she said in a tight voice, âCan you give me a ride to my car?â
When Luke stopped the car to let Jocelyn out, he locked the passenger door with the child lock mechanism before she could escape.
âDonât you have something to say to me?â he said sweetly.
If looks could kill, hers would have. Her expression just made Lukeâs grin grow wider.
âI guess I was lost after all,â she muttered.
âNo, not that.â
Jocelyn was practically shaking. âYou son of a bitchââ
âCome on, Gray. Itâs two words.â
She looked like she might burst into flames. Or punch an elbow through his car window. Nothing would surprise him with Jocelyn Gray.
Then, to his surprise, she laughed. Laughed! The sound startled him because heâd so rarely heard it in his presence.
She shook her head, smiling wryly. âThank you. You have saved me from an uncertain fate, kind sir.â
He bowed. âYouâre welcome, my lady.â
She snorted, got into the car, and was soon out of sight.
* * *
As Luke watched his parents out of the corner of his eye, he had to restrain a smile. Not because he was happy, exactly. There wasnât much to be happy about, considering this was the reading of his grandmotherâs will. He missed Granny Esther terribly.
But to see his dad squirming in his seat, when Gregory Wright had never squirmed in his entire life, was certainly memorable.
His mom, Juliet, stroked her latest Pomeranian. Luke couldnât remember its name. Its tongue was hanging out, and it looked like it had a grand total of three brain cells to rub together. This morning, Luke had watched the fluffy idiot bark madly at one of the fountains outside.
Grannyâs lawyer, Mr. Hitchens, was shuffling papers, muttering under his breath as he tried to get himself organized. Luke had a feeling the man was just stalling for time.
I wish Tristan were here, Luke thought. But his prodigal little brother hadnât shown his face at their parentsâ house in over a decade.
Hitchens cleared his throat. âOkay, yes, here we go.â He cleared his throat a second time. âMrs. Walter Wright changed her will six months prior to her death. These are the changes included herein.â
Luke sat forward in his seat. So did his parents. Even the dog seemed to perk up its ears in anticipation.
ââAll of my assets and money shall go to my grandson, Luke Gregory Wright. To my grandson Tristan Julian Wright, he shall inherit the remaining ten percent of Mrs. Walter Wrightâs money. My son, Gregory Kenneth Wright, and his wife, Juliet Rebecca Wright nĂŠe Havens, shall receive nothing.ââ
Luke had never understood the phrase âso silent you could hear a pin drop,â but in that moment, it applied. It was as if a blanket of silence had covered the entire room. His heart was pounding so loudly, though, he was half-certain everyone could hear it.
âAre you fucking kidding me?â Lukeâs dad launched himself from his chair, causing the dog to start barking and jumping at his ankles. âThat canât be the will. Is this a joke?â
Luke also stood up. He caught the dog before Gregory could kick it into the next galaxy. Gregory had never been cruel to his wifeâs pets, but this wasnât a usual moment. Luke stroked the dog until its barks turned into soft whimpers.
âHitchens, can we see the will ourselves?â said Luke. He needed to see the paper it was written on, feel it under his fingertips. Maybe then all of this would seem real.
Hitchens cleared his throat for the third time. âIâm afraid to say I havenât finished reading it all. Please, take your seats.â
Gregory, red-faced and steam nearly coming from his nostrils, didnât sit down. Luke handed the dog to his mom and wiped the dog hair from his shirt in vain.
ââContingent upon inheriting, my grandson Luke Wright must fall in love and marry a suitable woman of his choice within one year of my death. He must stay married for three years,ââ recited Hitchens.
Now it was Lukeâs turn to say, âAre you serious? Please tell me you arenât serious.â
Fall in love and marry? Heâd always known Granny was eccentric, and even overbearing, but this was insane.
ââMy dearest friend Opal Johnson will meet with Luke and his wife to determine if they are in love upon marriage. If she sees that he is trying to skirt the rules, she will inform my lawyer and provide documentation of her findings.ââ Hitchens pulled at his collar, looking uncomfortable.
That was when Luke started laughing. He knew he sounded hysterical. The entire situation was hysterical. Granny Esther must be laughing her bony little ass off wherever she was, damn the woman.
âAnd what about my brother?â said Luke suddenly.
âIt says here that he must return to Hazel Island within a year and live here for three years to inherit,â replied Hitchens.
âThis is outrageous!â Gregory slammed a hand onto the desk, making Hitchens jump and the dog bark again. He grabbed the papers from Hitchens, reading over the text and turning redder and redder. âThis canât be real,â he kept saying over and over.
Juliet, for her part, was the only one who seemed calm. But Luke could tell she was upset, too. She wasnât petting the dog but instead chewing on her bottom lip. She only ever did that when she was really agitated, because she hated messing up her lipstick otherwise.
âListen to this,â said Gregory, his expression sneering. ââAs I loved my dearest David, I want the same for my eldest grandson. As far as my younger grandson, I want him to return to his home and reunite with his family. These two things, I wish for with all my heart.â What a bunch of bullshit!â
Despite himself, the image of Jocelyn in a wedding gown, walking toward him, burst into Lukeâs mind. He pushed the thought ruthlessly away. Thereâs been enough insanity for today, he reminded himself.
Luke took the papers from his dadâs grip as Gregory started pacing like a caged tiger. Even reading the words himself didnât make them seem real.
Luke was tempted to say to hell with the money. Even Granny didnât have the right to dictate who he married. But Luke had been counting on inheriting a substantial amount of money that wouldnât just be for his own enjoyment. It would be hugely beneficial to so many people.
Lukeâs mind started turning, trying to find a way out of this. But deep down, he knew Granny wouldâve made sure he couldnât wriggle out of this. Wily to her last days was Esther Wright.
âGranny did always like a good joke,â said Luke.
At that, his dad whirled on him, pointing a finger in his face. âYou! You did this. You influenced her. You went behind my back and made her change the will. There was no reason she wouldâve done this to me. I was her only son. I took care of her, paid for her to be in the nicest facility, got her the best nurses, all of it. And she repays me like this!â
Luke pushed his dadâs hand aside. âDo you honestly think I couldâve gotten Granny to do anything she didnât want to do? Come on.â
Gregory scowled. He knew Luke was right. No one had been as stubborn as Granny. Even in the moment before sheâd breathed her last, sheâd reminded her son that sheâd wanted her body to be cremated. If he didnât heed her wishes, sheâd come back to haunt him. No one in the family had ever been cremated; the Wrights had the largest cemetery plot on Hazel Island. But Granny had wanted to defy tradition just like she always had.
âWell, this has been a little too much excitement for me.â Juliet stood. She came over to kiss Lukeâs cheek. In a whisper, she said to Luke, âBetter avoid your dad for now. I donât want any bloodshed ruining my brand-new carpets.â
Luke just chuckled darkly and did as he was told for once.
