"Why?" I asked.
"I've been pouring through all the particulars, and it turns out, you won't have to wait 'til you're twenty-five to fully inherit."
"Really?" I said. "Why not?"
"Well, once I got digging, I found all kinds of interesting sub-clauses. You said you're what, a year away from getting your degree?"
I nodded. "Yeah, but I had to drop out to take care of estate stuff."
And, because I had no money.
"Well, if I were you," the lawyer said, "I'd get back to school pronto."
I gave a confused shake of my head. "Why?"
"Because once you graduate, you get full control."
No way.Joel and I exchanged a look. Under his breath, Joel said, "Those pricks."
I knew which pricks he meant – Derek and his dad. I was almost too stunned for words. "Sothat'swhy they made it impossible for me to go."
I turned back to the lawyer and explained how several months earlier, all of my college funds had suddenly dried up, forcing me to drop out.
The lawyer nodded. "Eh, gotta hand it to 'em. It was a good plan."
"It was not," I said. "It was horrible."
The lawyer reached up to tug at his tie. "Yeah, well, I meant in the professional sense."
Yup, he was ruthless, alright. And horrified or not, I was glad to have him on my side. I looked to Joel and said, "Well, it looks like I'm going back to school."
The lawyer laughed. "Or, you could always get married."
In unison, Joel and I both turned to look. At the exact same time, we said, "What?"
"Married," the lawyer repeated. "Didn't I mention?"
I was staring at him now. "No."
"Oh. Sorry. That was the other thing. Lemme back up. There are three ways you can get control of the money." He held up a single finger. "One, you can turn twenty-five." He shrugged. "You gotta wait for that one."
He held up a second finger. "Two. You can graduate from college. If you need a quickie degree, lemme know. I've got a few contacts."
He held up a third finger. "Or, you can get married." With a chuckle, he looked to Joel and said, "You seem to like her. You up for the job?"
From the look on Joel's face, he didn't know whether to kiss the guy or toss him out the front door. All this time, we'd been holding hands. I looked down. Joel's hand was closed over mine, hiding the ring from view.
With a laugh, I pulled my hand from Joel's and waggled my fingers for the lawyer to see. His gaze zoomed in on the ring. "Nice rock." He looked to Joel. "That from you?"
I spoke up. "Yes, in fact. It's a really big secret, but we're, uh, actually getting married this Saturday."
"Damn," the lawyer said, getting to his feet. "I guess I'd better get to work."
I had to laugh. "I guess you'd better."
On his way out the door, the lawyer promised to have a bunch of paperwork for me to sign on Monday.
I said, "But wait, won't Derek's dad have to sign everything over?"
