She Ain't My Blood, But She's My Girl

Chapter 28

The next morning at the breakfast table, everyone was quiet. It was as if everyone had something on their minds. The only words spoken were the good morning greeting and passing the salt. Mia finished her breakfast and decided she had had enough of this silence.

"Daddy, I want to go skiing today. I will be ready 5 minutes," she said, holding up her hand with five fingers on it. She has heard her momma tell Logan just 5 more minutes and I will be ready. "Momma, I need you help getting ready." She turned and headed up the stairs.

Logan and Rory looked at each other. Emily started to say something, but Richard put his hand on hers and slightly shook his head. Logan and Rory both got up from the table.

"Well, I guess we have our orders. Anyone else that wants to go with us." Logan said. "Should be downstairs and ready to go, according to Mia, in five minutes" Logan was smiling, holding his hand showing 5 fingers. Gigi jumped up.

"It will take me longer than 5 minutes, so don't leave me," Gigi said as she passed Logan and Rory going up the stairs to get dressed.

Logan and Rory were in their bedroom, getting ready. Logan was dressed, all but his socks. He was sitting on the bench at the end of the bed putting them on when Rory walked into the room from helping Mia get ready. When she emerged from the closet, she was dressed in her snowsuit. He smiled. She looked like the pink Michelin Man.

"Did you call Tristan this morning?" She asked, sitting beside him putting on her socks.

"He texted me. Wants to meet here at 4:00. Texted that Jaylan and Nancy are leaving today and Anita is going shopping with Madeline and Louise." Logan stood up. "Need help?" She shook her head.

When they got downstairs, Mia was waiting. She was sitting in a chair pulling her new snow boots on. Emily and Richard were nowhere in sight. Chris came out of the library. Rory was helping Mia put her boots on when Logan motioned for Chris to follow him. Logan led him to the other side of the room.

"Tristan texted. He will be here at 4. He is coming alone. I talked to Collin. He will be here also. I am going to get to the bottom of this. I need to know if Tristan knows anything about this without showing my hand." Logan said.

"I think I can help with that. I will get with Dillon and Collin. I will ask Tristan some questions. If he wants to know why I am asking, I will tell him that his sudden re-entry into my granddaughter's life had me asking questions. He does not have to know how far we have gone." Christopher said. They both turned when they heard the front door open. It was fine. Logan couldn't help but laugh. If he thought Rory looked like the Michelin Man, he was mistaken. Finn was the Michelan Man, down to the color.

"I am here. Are you ready to go skiing, little Love?" He said picking up Mia. She was giggling and he was tickling her.

"Finn, aren't you afraid that you will get lost in the snow with all that white on?" Logan asked. Walking back to the front door.

It wasn't long before they were on the slopes having a ball. Finn and Gigi took Mia with them, while Logan and Rory explored some of the trails. They met back up at the restaurant for lunch. Mia was telling Rory and Logan about skiing. She told Logan and Rory about the boy that Gigi was talking to. Gigi was trying to get Mia not to tell all her secrets.

When they got back to the Chalet, Emily and Richard were about to leave again. They had tickets to a matinee in town. Gigi and Finn are taking Mia to meet Steph. They will spend the afternoon with her.

Everyone was gone. Logan and Rory were sitting in the living room reading. Chris, Collin, and Dillon were in the office going over some last-minute detail. They thought it was best if Logan and Rory did not know everything to start with.

"Collin," Dillon said, standing up and pulling a $100 bill out of his pocket. "I need to hire you." He said giving Collin the money. Chris smiled. Dillon was going to tell them what he has been up to."You are my lawyer. I need some advice, but in order for you to give the correct advice, I am going to have to inform you of some…..not so legal things….that I did to get the information to ask. As my lawyer, what I tell you is privileged." Collin nodded his head and put the $100.00 bill in his pocket. Dillon knew that Collin and Logan went way back. He knew that he could trust Collin, that he didn't really need to hire him for him to keep his mouth closed, but this was just a safeguard in case Collin was ever asked about this in a court of law.

Christopher stood up also. He did the same thing to Collin. Collin nodded and pocketed the money.

"Let's hear it," Collin said, sitting back in the chair waiting.

Dillon explained to both men that he was in touch with a subject that could get him a copy of the original trust. He also had a copy of Jaylan Sr. and Jaylan Jr.'s Will. Richard was right. Jaylan Sr. left a trust for Mia. in his Will, Jaylan Jr. is made a trustee. The amount of the trust varies. She is to receive a lump sum on her 18th birthday. The trust will pay for college and she will receive an allowance from the trust while she is in college. There are some specifics about what she can study and what college she can attend. Nothing too unreasonable.

While Dillon gives a summary of what he found, Chris, and Collin are looking over the papers. When she graduates college she will receive another lump sum. She will continue to get an allowance from the Trust. When she turns 25 or marries, whichever comes first. She will be giving control of the trust.

Dillon took a seat. He was ready for the questions, he knew they would be coming. He gave them time to finish looking over the paperwork. Both Chris and Collin were taking notes.

"Is the Trust set up in just one account or are they several accounts? The reason I am asking, Chris says, "Rory's Trust from my grandfather was set up similarly, but it was in several different accounts. One was set up for education only. This was not discovered until Richard and Emily had already paid tuition. There were several others."

"I'm not sure. In the beginning, I believe it was all set up under one account. The beginning amount is right there." Dillon pointed to the top of the 2nd page. "That is the start-off amount. I am still waiting on bank statements from the original account. This money has been transferred several times, I believe. It says at the bottom of page 2, that the amount of $150,000 is to be added every quarter." Dillon said. Collin was still writing and flipping through the pagers.

"If my calculations are right," Collin said looking up from his paper. "Mia should have $6 million. That is without the interest it should have generated." Chris took the notepad from Collin and looked over it.

"Yeah, you are right. He started the account with $3millon. $150,000 per quarter. She is 5, which means there have been 20 quarters. That totals $3 million. Add that to the $3 million the account was started with equals $6 million. Do we know how much is in this account? Chris asked.

"Zero," Dillon said. This account is closed. Dillon and Chris both looked at Collin. Collin was on his laptop. He was looking up the law in reference to Trustees and minor children.

"Like I said yesterday, money is not the issue. Mia will be taken care of. But the thing I don't want is for her to be used as a pawn to get the money. If Jaylan thinks that he will be found out, then he will encourage Tristan to fight for custody so he can justify the money going missing." Chris said. He was thinking. "Dillon, what's the plan?"

"Logan said that Tristan called this meeting. We are going to first sit here and listen to what he has to say. Then if we need to, we will show him the information we have. In all my research, Tristan does not seem to know anything about this." All three turned around when they heard a knock on the office door.

"He just pulled up," Rory said. The three of them nodded. Collin and Dillon gathered up the information they pulled out of folders and put them up.