The Inheritance Contract

AN: Well, we got Lila's seal of approval. Let's see what's next, shall we? Let me know if you like it by leaving those reviews!

Chapter 9

Kelly's Diner

The afternoon lunch rush was in full swing. Liz ran around taking orders and filling coffee cups and refilling drinks. The other waitress, a new girl named Courtney, was a complete ditz and clumsy to boot. She kept messing orders up and then Liz would have to fix them.

Finally, exasperated, Liz had told Courtney to take her lunch break. It left Liz to handle the huge crowd by herself, but by that point, Liz would have gladly worked alone. The only reason that Courtney was even working there was because she was Mike's long lost daughter, and he wanted to get to know the dumb blonde.

Liz's back was to the door when she heard the bell jingle, signaling another patron coming in. A tingle of awareness went up her spine, and even without looking, she knew Jason had entered the building. A quick glance told her she was correct.

She turned with a smile on her face, and saw that Jason had taken a table by the door. She grabbed the fresh pot of coffee and a cup and walked toward him. Setting the cup down, she gave him a shy smile. He smiled back and Liz poured his coffee. She knew he drank it black because Emily had told her how she teased him about it.

"Do you have a break coming up soon?" Jason asked her as he wrapped his hands around the mug. Liz couldn't help but notice how large and strong his hands were. She had noticed his strength the night before, but had been too upset with Lucky and Sarah to appreciate it. A small shiver raced through her. She hoped Jason didn't notice.

"Um…well, I just sent Courtney on her lunch about 10 minutes ago. If it's calmer when she comes back, I can probably take a short break," Liz said, tucking a wayward curl behind her ear. Jason saw the motion, unconsciously tightening his grip on the coffee cup he held.

"If not, I can hang out for a bit. I haven't opened the shop yet," Jason told her. Liz held out a menu, but Jason shook his head. "I'll have a burger and fries and a bowl of chili, please…"

Liz ran back to the kitchen and gave Mike the order. He smiled at her, handing her two other orders to take back out. As she moved back and forth around the room, she felt Jason's eyes on her. Courtney walked back in the door at the same time Mike rang the bell, announcing Jason's order was up. Liz grabbed it, telling Mike she was taking a short break. He waved her off, and she caught Courtney's glare as she walked by her.

Placing Jason's food down, she took the seat across from him. He dug into the food, casting her small glances. "Aren't you going to eat something?" He asked her between bites.

Liz shook her head, but he noticed her eyeing his fries. Just then, her stomach growled. Smirking, Jason pushed his plate toward her, and Liz looked up at him, a blush darkening her fair cheeks. She reached out, snagging a fry. Jason chuckled as she quickly chewed it, before reaching for another.

"I spoke to my lawyer this morning. Lucky will be served with the restraining order by the end of the day. He won't be able to get within 500 feet of you. If he does, he will be arrested," Jason told her, his voice pitched low. He didn't want the entire restaurant overhearing their conversation. "He hasn't tried to contact you again, has he?"

"Liz shook her head. "No, and neither has Sarah. They are probably closed up somewhere, screwing like bunnies." Jason saw the hurt look in her eyes, and reached across the table. His fingers entwined with hers and he felt a tingling sensation.

"I saw my grandmother this morning, too. I told her about how I helped you last night and how we decided to get married and she gave her blessing. Apparently, she thinks quite fondly of you," Jason teased her.

Liz blushed again. "Lila is a beautiful soul, inside and out. I'm surprised she didn't question the suddenness of your decision. She knows we barely know each other."

"Grandmother and I are very much alike. She knew that I wasn't happy about Edward's…decree. She also knew that I would never take a job at ELQ, so my decision to get married wasn't a surprise to her. She didn't even seem all that surprised when I told her I was marrying you. I didn't tell her about our plan though. She was so happy, I didn't want to upset her by telling her it was only temporary."

Liz looked down, and shrugged her shoulders. "That was a good call. I don't want to upset her either. After the year is up, we can just say that we realized we weren't compatible and that is why the marriage ended."

"With you having full custody of the baby…" Jason gently reminded her.

Liz pushed the stray hair back again. "Yes…there's that too."

Jason thought of the ring in his pocket. He decided not to say anything about it just yet. When he decided to give the ring to her, it wasn't going to be in the middle of Kelly's Diner.

"She also told me about a couple apartments that might work for us. Did you want to go take a look at them later or did you want me to just pick one out?" Jason asked her, noticing Liz was still looking down. He realized he still held her hand and squeezed it gently. "Elizabeth?"

Her head raised, and she blinked a couple times. "Sorry…guess I spaced out a little. Umm…whichever is better for you. It's not like I'll be in it for that long anyways. I mean, since I'll be traveling and all. So, you could just stay there until I come back, or… whatever…" Liz broke off, before looking down again.

Jason reached across the table, his finger lifting her chin. When their eyes met, Jason sighed. "Are you having second thoughts about this?" Her eyes widened. Jason rushed on. "Because if you are, I completely understand. You had so much happen last night and then I kinda sprung my…dilemma on you. If you want to change your mind, I'd understand and wouldn't hold it against you. I'll just figure something else out."

Liz quickly shook her head. "No, it isn't that. We made a deal and I fully intend to honor it. I just… feel bad… knowing how happy Lila is about it and then knowing how upset she will be when we end it."

Jason sighed again. At the time, he hadn't thought about the long term consequences of their actions. Liz had a point though. "I know you are extremely close to my grandmother. I would never ask you to give up that relationship. Even when everything ends, I still want you to have that close relationship with her. I hope you know that?"

"And what about Emily? How is she going to take it?" Liz rambled on. "I guess I just realized that even after everything is said and done, I will still have a connection with your family and I don't want it to be awkward for you. Because, there would also be the baby and they would expect to see it, and then there would be the holidays and birthdays and…"

Jason took her other hand. "Breathe, Elizabeth. We will deal with all of that when we get there." Looking around, Jason realized that the other waitress…Courtney?… was staring at them. Looking at his watch, he told Liz, "You're being glared at. I think your break was over a while ago. I better let you get back to work before blondie blows a gasket."

Liz nodded, before standing up and straightening her clothes and apron. "Sorry, I kinda lost it on you there. I hope I didn't ruin your lunch."

Jason stood up as well. Reaching into his wallet, he pulled out enough money for the meal and a generous tip for Liz. "Are you going to be home later? I want to continue our discussion away from prying eyes and oversized ears."

Liz nodded. "My shift ends at 5. I'll be home after that."

"Okay. I'll see you after that. Have a good rest of your day," Jason said as he walked out the door. Liz collected his dishes and headed for the kitchen. Courtney cocked her head at her. "Who was tall, blonde and handsome?"

Liz side-eyed her. "My boyfriend…" she told her.

"I thought you were dating Lucky Spencer?"

"Not anymore… we broke up last night."

Courtney's eyebrows raised. "And you already moved on? Wow…"

Liz glared at the blonde. Her hand perched on her hip, she said, "My personal life is none of your business, so butt out."

Courtney chuckled. "Whatever. Just trying to make conversation…"

Liz walked away, shaking her head. Conversation… yeah right…