Disclaimer: If I owned the sons of Ipswich, I wouldn't be writing. J

- -

A day or two later…

"Ugh!" I vocalized. My head was pushed down on the table. My coffee and donut had both vanished, yet neither the caffeine nor the supposed sugar rush was doing anything for me. "I hate Mondays."

Tyler laughed at my comment. "Buck up." he said to me.

I lifted my head. "You did not just say 'buck up'. As in little cowboy?"

He was laughing. I, on the other hand, was not laughing. "C'mon." Alona came back from dumping her trash. "Walk me to class. You'll feel better once you start moving."

"Ugh!" I repeated as I lifted my big butt out of the chair. I started walking and immediately said. "Nope. This isn't helping." Alona flipped me the bird and kept walking in front of me with Tyler. "Oh yeah. You're gettin' some." I said nodding and smiling. The couple just kept walking.

- -

Pogue was standing in management office of his new shop. Freddy figured he had sort of left reality so he knocked hard on the door to bring him back. Pogue turned hard, looking from the paperwork ridden office to the older hard looking man at the door. "Can I help you?"

Freddy smiled and nodded. "Yes. Dave, your work supervisor here," Pogue nodded showing his understanding, "He told me came in today."

Pogue motioned for the man to enter. "Who are you?"

"Freddy Davis. I'm the business manager for Isabella Tempest." He held out his hand and Pogue accepted it.

Pogue ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry about the accountant."

Freddy laughed. "That's not what I'm here for." He motioned for Pogue to sit down and he did. "Ms. Tempest asked me to come down here and offer my services. We both can realize that this wasn't the first priority business, so, I am at your disposal."

"Ms. Tempest sent you?"

"Isabella." Freddy confirmed nodding. "She does have an agenda though to be honest."

Pogue watched the man "What agenda?" he asked cautiously.

A smile flashed across Freddy's face. "Whatever you say, I'm still at your disposal." he warned. Pogue nodded in understanding and Freddy continued. "Ms. Tempest would like to invest in the business in exchange for an interest in the company."

Silence. Freddy didn't move a muscle and Pogue realized that as worked over, funny, and old this guy was, he was loyal and hard working. This was exactly the kind of guy the Tempest family needed. "Mr. Davis. Thank you for coming down."

Freddy smiled. "Good." he stood up and handed Pogue a deed. "Congratulations."

As Pogue realized he held the deed to my bike shops, Freddy disappeared.

- -

"So you want to give me the resort?" Alona confirmed incredulously. I nodded. "Are you high?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Are planning on committing suicide?"

"No. Jesus."

Alona wouldn't let it go. "Because, I read that those people normally give away their possessions."

I laughed. "So I can't have a little good will?" Alona looked at me blankly and I laughed again. "Okay, look. I got the contract from Beckett. I'm going to have my hands full with the stables. This way I only have to worry about Tempest Hall."

She hesitated. "What about the bike shops?"

I shrugged. "I gave them to Pogue Parry." I smiled at the look she shot me. "What?"

Tyler finally made an appearance. "What's up ladies?"

"My sister's going to kill herself."

"Huh?" Tyler, as always was confused, but figured he had walked in on a weird joke or something, because he started to eat, not paying much attention.

"Alona" I scolded my sister. "I promise. I'm not dying anytime soon." She seemed to let it go until I prodded her. "But, I do have a meeting about my will this afternoon." Her face was priceless.

- -

Something isn't adding up. Reid looked at my father's obituary.

Gregory Jameson Tempest passed away quietly yesterday at the Tempest family manor. He leaves behind a loving wife and two teenage daughters…

He looked to the supposed police report.

Officer Daniels,

Gregory Tempest found dead in study. Gun nearby. Lots of blood. Family questioned. Case Sensitive. File marked confidential.

And then to the press release.

The death of Gregory Tempest was found to be of natural causes.

"This is ridiculous." Reid was utterly confused. I imagine, I would be too.

- -

My phone rang the second my last class ended. "Hello?"

"What are you wearing?"

I laughed as Reid's voice washed over me. God I was getting wishy washy. "Hey sexy. What are you doing tonight?"

Reid laughed. "You hopefully."

"Meet me at the manor at seven."

"The manor?" he asked confused.

My mother was out of town with her girlfriends. "My mother's at a spa in Vermont."

"I'll meet you at seven thirty." he said dramatically.

I scolded myself as a grin sprang across my face. "Keep acting like it's a chore and I will replace your azz." I drawled.

- -

"She did what?" Kate was floored at my actions that day, concerning her boyfriend.

Pogue shrugged. "I don't know what this even means."

Kate sat down. "Maybe it means she likes you?" she suggested weakly.

"I don't know." Pogue shook his head. "I always thought my dad was paranoid when he said people were after him. I never thought I'd feel like that." He dropped his head into his hands.

"I'm sure she's not after you."

Pogue shrugged "How do you know? She asked for controlling interest in my company."

"Controlling interest?" she asked stressing the controlling part.

"Well, no. Interest, though. That has to mean something."

Kate laughed. "It sounds like you're stressing over nothing." She moved over to the couch next to Pogue. "Here, let me relax you." she suggested suggestively. Pogue was a happy camper the rest of the evening.

- -

Reid laid next to me in the bed. He just held me. It was strange for me, him too, but I let him. "How did your die?" I asked him. I had sensed the question coming off him in waves since he arrived and the activities hadn't relaxed it. I figured he had a reason for wanting to ask so I opened up the line of questioning.

"Heart attack." he sighed without hesitation. "You?"

He had lifted his head just a bit. It was enough to tell me he had already looked into it. I turned to him and the moment I saw his eyes, I decided to tell him the truth. "My mother shot him." I answered honestly.

"Guess that explains why you and your mom don't get along." he said with a forced smile.

I didn't look away from his eyes for a minute as I told him the story. "My dad was in a wreck, drinking and driving. He was brought to the hospital, but by then, he had slipped into a coma. When he came out a few months later, he had brain damage. The doctor suggested an institution, but my mother couldn't deal with that. She brought him home.

"The first week he was fine, and then, he started seeing things. I don't know if it was supposed to be ghosts or auras he was babbling about. Maybe it was both.

"One night, I woke up and my throat was dry. I went downstairs to get water. I heard him in the study. I had always peeked in when I was young. I'd watch him do paperwork or host his poker games with his buddies. That night, he was working on how to get his letter opener out of my cat.

"I screamed when I saw the blood. The next thing I knew. He had his hands around my throat. I looked him in the eyes and he wasn't my dad. I'd almost lost consciousness when she shot him in the head."

Reid nodded. "He wasn't your dad. Your dad died in that coma." he consoled as I let the silent tears fall down my face. "It's okay."

- -

"You did what?" Caleb wasn't pissed as much as surprised that Sarah had been spying on me. Hello. Invading my personal space. "The psychic said she didn't know."

Sarah handed Caleb a photo of my grandmother and me in front of her shop. "That psychic?"

- -